Chapter 20
Porter
Even after three days, I couldn’t shake the rage at that douchebag who had dared ask Kaylee to leave with him. I wasn’t upset with her. But it had taken all I had in me over the weekend not to hunt that fucker down and rip his throat out.
I’d never felt such rage before. Not even at my father. Even after he’d left my mother brokenhearted. This was different. My mate wasn’t ever to be trifled with.
Not ever.
She wasn’t a hooker. She was out on a date and he’d interrupted the safety and security of her life in her hometown to approach her to proposition her for sex. I should’ve killed him on the spot. I’d almost let my dragon out. That wasn’t okay. But I could’ve done it barehanded.
I understood that this could come with the territory, but I wouldn’t allow it in my presence. Not when I could protect her from it.
Focus wasn’t happening, so I packed up my briefcase to head home. I wanted to see Kaylee. Being in her presence was the only thing that calmed my dragon, made me feel like I was able to keep things under control.
As I pulled out of the parking garage, my phone rang over the Bluetooth. I smiled when I saw the name. Toby. One of my best friends growing up and a member of my old clan.
“Port!” he yelled when I answered. “How the hell are you?”
“I’m great, Toby, and better now that I’m hearing from you. What’s going on?” I hit the highway that would take me closer and closer to my mate.
“Nothing, nothing. I just wanted to tell you the good news. We’re merging with the clan up in Canada, the one we always used to fly with. Both clans are hoping it’ll trigger more matings.”
That was great news for them. If I’d still lived there, I would’ve been thrilled myself. “Toby, man, I’m really happy for you. I know you’re ready to settle down.” He’d been wanting to for a long time. Much longer than me. I hadn’t really wanted to until I fell for Kaylee.
“Toby, my friend, I’ve met someone here in Bluewater. I’m definitely staying.” My heart thumped a beat in my chest as I said the words to my old friend.
“Porter, I’m happy for you. Tell me about her.”
I didn’t want to give too much away about pixies or humans, so I described Kaylee without mentioning anything that would lean toward her species.
My chat with Toby made my drive home fly by.
It just sucked that I wouldn’t be able to take Kaylee home to meet all my old friends for a while.
Everyone knew that the Bluewater Clan had some human matings, but it was widely regarded as a mistake and shameful.
Bringing humans into the mix was not a good idea.
When I pulled into the driveway, my heart sank. I’d been so looking forward to seeing Kaylee, but she didn’t meet me at the door like she had pretty much every other day. I didn’t blame her. I’d had a stick up my ass since the night at the restaurant. I needed to make things right between us.
I found her in the office, glued to her laptop. “What are you up to?”
She jumped and rolled backward with her hand clutching her shirt. “You scared the shit out of me!”
“Sorry, sorry.” I circled the big desk and pressed my lips to her forehead. “How are you?”
“Good, just doing some editing.” Her attention was all on the computer.
“Something for your show?” I asked with my stomach twisted. I hated thinking about her job now, ever since the Italian restaurant.
“No,” she said distractedly.
I sighed without even meaning to. I was relieved to hear she was working on a non-porn project. I just couldn’t hide it.
She shut her laptop and squared her shoulders. “We need to talk.”
Damn it. She was right. I plopped down on the sofa across from the big desk. “Yeah.”
“You need to admit that you have an issue with my job. Just get it out there. I’m tired of walking on eggshells around you about it.”
“It’s not what you do,” I insisted. “It’s the dangers. The random guys approaching you in restaurants.” I threw up my hands. “It’s not the safest job in the world, you have to recognize it.”
“I do,” she exclaimed. “But, Porter, when you realized I wasn’t working on my own videos, you visibly relaxed.
” Her face grew redder and redder as she spoke.
“It was like someone lifted a weight off your shoulders. You can’t stand what I do.
And I don’t even think you realize you’re lying to yourself. ”
“What will we do when a jerk like the one at the restaurant might spot you out in public and decide to follow you home, hurt you or much worse?” The thought of that happening made my blood run cold.
“I’ll remind you that I’ve been doing this for years,” she said through clenched teeth.
“And I’ll remind you that your following has exploded in the past few months. You’re more famous now than you’ve ever been.”
She snapped her jaw shut, so I kept going. “I really don’t mind the job, Kaylee, but the fame makes my teeth set on edge. And the genre you’re in breeds perverts and desperation. It’s not like you’re knitting sweaters on video and being followed by grandmas.”
Kaylee’s crossed arms and legs should’ve clued me in to stop talking.
I wasn’t that smart.
“On top of all this, we don’t know what’s going on with your pixie situation. I just don’t want you in more danger than you need to be in.”
I sucked in a deep breath and gathered my courage, then said the words that I regretted the moment they passed my lips.
“I think you should stop doing the show. I make plenty of money. You don’t have to do it now.
” She blinked but didn’t respond. Shit. I had to explain this better.
“I just want you safe, Kaylee. Surely you understand that.”
When she spoke, her voice was utterly calm.
And full of venom. “Porter, I’ve never needed anyone to take care of me, and I don’t plan to start now.
” She stood and stared down at me on the couch.
“I appreciate your concern, but I will not allow you to dictate what I can and can’t do just because we’re choosing to share our lives together.
” Clenching her fists at her side as I mentally stabbed myself in the eye, she breathed deep before walking toward the door as she kept speaking.
“I told you of my plan, you knew what you were getting into.”
“Yeah?” I said, embarrassed and angry at myself and a little at her. She was being a little hard-assed about the whole thing. “Well, the plan changed when that guy tried to make you into a hooker! Now you have your dream house, anyway. You don’t need your damn plan.”
She stopped at the door of the office with one hand on the handle. For a moment, I would’ve sworn I saw glitter fall from her hand.
The stiffness in her back and set of her head told me how angry she was.
She turned her head but didn’t look at me.
“Even though it looks like we’ll end up in this house together, I will be financially secure.
No relationship comes with a guarantee and none are promised forever.
I refuse to ever be at rock bottom again, scrambling to make ends meet. ”
“We’re going in circles!” I jumped to my feet and tried to stamp down the frustration.
“Please don’t walk away.” Turning, Kaylee let go of the door handle, but she didn’t move any closer.
“Why won’t you think about your safety? There are ways to save money that don’t involve performing for sad and perverted men. ”
Oh, another mistake. Great.
Kaylee’s eyes narrowed and she breathed deep. I had to blink a couple of times, because I was fairly sure she caused a rainbow in the room for a split second. But then it was gone, and I couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t a trick of my eyes.
“Let me educate you, Mr. Reed-Collins. What I do is a shitload more than perform. I educate. I enrapture and titillate.” Her voice raised and as she yelled at me, I noticed it clearly.
She was raining glitter. “Please, Kaylee, calm down.”
“I will not calm down!” she shrieked. “Get off your damn high horse and stop thinking you can dictate my life, because you can’t!”
I wanted to apologize and tell her that wasn’t how I meant it, but my mouth moved without sound coming out. I was so floored that I couldn’t find a way to tell her what I was seeing.
“What?” she yelled. “If you’ve got something to say, spit it the fuck out, Porter!”
“Kaylee,” I whispered. “You have wings.”