20. Janie
Chapter 20
Janie
T he door swung open as I held the key in my hand. As I entered through the door, I couldn't help but let out an exasperated huff, the sound echoing in the room. “I can open my own doors!” I yelled.
Meical, in his monster form, stepped out. I sucked in a deep breath as I gazed at this unbelievably dark man. The surrounding shadows pulsed with energy. He was only wearing a pair of sweatpants. They were tight around his muscled thighs and I could see the outline of his manhood. It was big. I don’t remember it from any of the dreams. It was mostly his shadows. My eyes seemed glued to it. I’m not sure if it would fit. It was so big.
“Janie?” he said a smirk appearing on his face as he caught me staring.
I jerked my head up. “Yeah?”
“Did you hear me? Or were you lost in your thoughts?”
I took off my shoes and put them by the door. “What?”
“I said, I thought women liked to have doors opened for them. It’s called being a gentleman. I know the men in this day don’t do that often. ”
“Ugh!” I said as I pulled off my shoes. “Did you watch me all day at work? How boring—for you, that is.”
“I cannot help that. I told you, your light is so bright that I cannot help but to track you within the shadows.”
“What are you doing right now?” I asked.
“I’m cooking you dinner. Are we still going out tomorrow? I cannot wait. I’ve wanted this day for so long.”
“Remind me about that,” I said. “I’m going to change into pjs.” I walked back to my bedroom.
Instead of yelling through the door, I heard his voice echoing from the shadows of my room. I let out a sigh of exasperation and rolled my eyes. “It’s poker, but I want to show you more of my world.”
“The world of monsters?” I scoffed.
“The paranormal. Witches, orcs, and so much more. I’m just a taste. The darker taste. Urien has already shown you part of our world, and I think your eyes are opening. You wouldn’t have seen Urien otherwise.”
“He wasn’t invisible,” I replied.
“No, but you saw the blood. There is so much in our world that humans dismiss.”
I stilled as I was putting my leg in the pants. “What do you mean, blood?”
“You pointed out the blood on his cheek. Most humans would have ignored it and went on. You stopped. It’s not a glamour. It’s your brain just not wanting to process the darker sides of life.”
“Is all magic bad?”
“No. But they will never want you with me. Most will try to pull you away from me.”
I finished throwing on my jogging pants and put on my loose T-shirt. “They already feel like they need to help me. Those weird women? ”
“Yes, I am sorry,” he said. I opened the door, and he stood there in all his handsome glory. “Some of the more sensitive ones can see my shadows on you.”
“Yeah, I guess,” I said as I walked to the kitchen. “Hey, you made pot roast?”
He stepped behind me. The warmth rolled off his body into mine and I sucked a quick breath in. He was inches from my body and a tentacle wrapped around my waist. “Well, of course, it’s your favorite. You rarely make it.”
I stepped away from him before my body started responding to his presence. My heart raced, but I don’t think it was from arousal. Fuck. He was going to make me care about him by being sweet. “It makes too much for just me. Is it done?”
“Yeah, go sit on the couch. Tell me about work,” he said.
“What is there to say? Also, didn't you watch me?” I said with a giggle. I sat on the couch and pulled the tray table closer to me. Most days off I ate like this. Things would be different if I had been in a relationship and my eyes flickered to Meical as I pondered that. I shook my head and grabbed my remote. I flipped through the streaming services while I waited for Meical to serve me. Meical handed me a bowl as he sat beside me. From the shadows underneath the couch, tentacles curled up my legs. Talk about PDA.
“Work sucks. I hate it. I really shouldn’t have left my last job. The old lady hates me and I just get antsy sitting there all day. It’s boring. I never realized how much I could miss my old job. It’s so dull. Tana is the only good thing about that job. I love her and when she goes on vacation. It’s awful.”
“Then leave,” he said .
I made a face. “It’s not that simple. You’ve probably never held down a job your entire existence.”
“Not in the way you think of jobs.”
I turned toward him, poked his chest and giggled. “You probably owe me back rent for all that lurking in the shadows.”
He smirked. “You’re coming with me tomorrow? Be my good luck charm?”
My eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“A date. I’m entering a poker tournament.”
“For cash?”
“Yeah. Not that I need that.” One tendril snaked higher up my leg.
“You think you will win?”
He grinned. Every sharp fang glinting underneath the lights. “Yes. Of course I will.”
I laughed. “You’re mighty confident about that.”
Meical shrugged. “Am I sleeping on the couch again?”
“I don’t know you.”
His good mood evaporated and he glowered. “I wish humans understood the concept of mates. It would make it so much simpler.”
“Except that’s the thing. I am human. I know nothing about this world.” Another tendril slipped under my shirt, wrapping around my torso. My heart raced and my legs vibrated with potential desire. “Your . . . um . . . shadows . . . don’t seem to have boundaries.”
He leaned closer to my body. “Do you want me to let go? I know your heart races when they touch you,” he whispered.
“Yeah, I think this is Stockholm Syndrome or something. You’ve been in my dreams for months encouraging this, making me cum in my sleep. How can I not? ”
“It wasn’t me. It was the divine. You were created for me.”
I rolled my eyes. Why was I fighting so hard? Other than being a monster, he was everything I ever wanted from a man. I swallowed and waved my bowl. “Done with this. Do you want me to do dishes? Cause then you’ll have to release me.” I asked. With a tilt, I made it evident that it was empty. “I was a good girl and ate all my dinner.”
Meical smiled as he grabbed my bowl. “Get comfortable. We can watch a movie?” he said.
I clicked around until I found a sci-fi movie. None of the tentacles had shifted when he walked to the kitchen. It was like from now on, I’d always have him near. He joined me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I leaned against his warmth. In the middle of the alien zombies attempting to eat the survivors of the ship, my eyes drifted shut.