“Thanks for the ride,” I said hastily.
“No problem,” Nancy said. “Take care, Miss Swartz.”
The tiny hairs on my body rose. I opened the door and climbed out.
And just then, with the worst case of bad timing in the world, my cell phone went off in my pocket, blaring like an alarm. Holy crap… My eyes flicked up to Nancy’s.
She smiled.
…
“I’m sure he’s okay,” Dee said again. “Katy, they do this all the time. They stop by, track us down, and act all kinds of weird.”
I stopped in front of her TV, wringing my hands. Fear had rooted deep inside my gut from the moment they’d deposited me in front of my house. “You don’t understand. He told them we were out there looking for my cell phone and that I’d lost it. And then it rang in front of them.”
“I know, but what’s the big deal?” Adam sat on the couch, kicking his legs up. “There’s no way they’d suspect you know anything.”
But they knew we were lying, and they all seemed way too smart to miss that. And it wasn’t like I could tell Dee what we’d really been doing out there. Not that she hadn’t asked. I’d made up some lame excuse about wanting to see the spot where he’d killed Baruck.
Dee didn’t look entirely convinced.
I started pacing again. “But that was hours ago, guys. It’s almost ten.”
“Honey, he’s fine.” She got up, clasping my hands. “They were here first and then went looking for him. All they are doing is being annoying and asking questions.”
“But why would it take so long with him?”
“Because they like to give him crap and he likes to give it back,” Adam said, floating the remote control over to his hand. “It’s like a parasitic relationship between the two.”
I laughed weakly. “But what if they find out I know? What will they do to him?”
Dee’s brows knitted. “They aren’t going to find out, Katy. And if they did, you should be more worried about yourself than him.”
Nodding, I pulled my hands free and started wearing a path in the carpet again. They didn’t understand. I’d seen it in Nancy’s eyes. She knew we were lying, but she’d let me go. Why?
“Katy,” Dee began slowly. “I’m surprised that you’re so concerned about Daemon’s welfare.”
A flush swept over my cheeks. I didn’t want to look too closely at why I was so concerned. “Just because he’s…he’s Daemon…doesn’t mean I want anything bad to happen to him.”
Watching me closely, she arched one brow. “Are you sure it’s not more than that?”
I halted. “Of course.”
“He’s been bringing you stuff to school.” Adam leaned his head back, eyes narrowed. “I’ve never seen him act like that with anyone. Not even my sister.”
“And you guys have been spending a lot of time together,” Dee added.
“So? You’ve been spending a lot of time with Adam.” As soon as it left my mouth, I realized how stupid that was.
Dee smiled, eyes glittering. “Yeah, and we’ve been having sex. Lots of it.”
Adam’s eyes went wide. “Wow, Dee, put it all out there like that.”
She shrugged. “It’s true.”
“Oh, geez, that’s not what’s happening here.”
Moving to the couch, she sat beside a red-faced Adam. “Then what is happening?”
Crap. I hated lying to her. “He’s been helping me study.”
“For what?”
“Trig,” I said quickly. “I suck at math.”
Dee laughed. “Okay. If you say so, but I hope you know that if you and my brother have something going on, I’m not going to be mad.”
I stared at her.
“And part of me understands why you two would keep it hidden. You guys are known for your word war and everything else.” She frowned. “But I just want you to know that I’m okay with it. It’s crazy and I hope Daemon is prepared for what’s going to happen, but I want him happy. And if you make him happy—”
“Okay. I got you.” So not a conversation I wanted to have with Dee in front of Adam.
She smiled. “I wish you’d reconsider doing Thanksgiving dinner with us. You know you’re welcome.”
“I seriously doubt Ash and Andrew would be happy with me at the table.”
“Who cares what they think?” Adam rolled his eyes. “I don’t. Neither does Daemon. And you shouldn’t either.”
“You guys are like a family. I’m not—”
Tingles spread over my neck. Without thinking, I spun around and raced across the room. Throwing open the door, I rushed out into the cold night air.
I didn’t even think.
Daemon had reached the top step when I rushed him, wrapping my arms around his neck, squeezing him tight.
He seemed stunned for a second, and then his arms swept around my waist. For several moments, neither of us spoke. We didn’t need to. I just wanted to hold him—for him to hold me. Maybe it was the connection wrapping us together. Maybe it was something infinitely deeper. At that moment, I didn’t care.
“Whoa there, Kitten, what’s going on?”
Burrowing closer, I drawled in a deep breath. “I thought the DOD carted you off to some lab to keep you in a cage.”
“Cage?” He laughed a bit unsteadily. “No. No cages. They just wanted to talk. It took longer than I thought. Everything’s okay.”
Dee cleared her throat. “Ahem.”
Stiffening, I realized what I was doing. Oh, so not cool. Disentangling my arms and wiggling out from his, I backed up and blushed. “I…I was just excited.”
“Yeah, I’d say you were,” Dee said, grinning like an idiot.
Daemon was staring at me like he’d just won the lottery. “I kind of like this level of excitement. Makes me think of—”
“Daemon!” both of us shouted.
“What?” He grinned, tousling Dee’s hair. “I was only suggesting—”
“We know what you were suggesting.” Dee darted out from underneath his hand. “And I really want to keep my food down tonight.” She smiled at me. “See. I told you. Daemon is fine.”
I could see that. He was also smokin’ hot, but back to the whole point. “They didn’t suspect anything?”
Daemon shook his head. “Nothing out of the norm, but they’re always paranoid.” He paused, his eyes searching mine in the dim light of the porch. “Really, you don’t need to worry. You’re safe.”
It wasn’t me I’d been worried about, and oh boy, that was bad. My sense of self-preservation was messed up. And I honestly needed to get out of here. “All right, I need to go home.”
“Kat…”
“No.” I waved him off, starting down the steps. “I really need to go home. Blake called and I need to call him back.”
“Boris can wait,” Daemon said.
“Blake,” I said, stopping on the sidewalk. Dee had wisely gone inside, but Daemon had moved to the edge of the porch. My thoughts, my emotions, felt overly exposed when I met his eyes. “They asked me a lot of questions—especially the lady.”
“Nancy Husher,” he said, frowning. A second later, he was standing before me. “She’s apparently a big deal within the DOD. They wanted to know what went down Halloween weekend. I gave them the Daemon-edited-version.”
“Did they believe you?”
He nodded. “Hook, line, and sinker.”
I shivered. “But it wasn’t you, Daemon. It was me. Or it was all of us.”
“I know, but they don’t know that.” His voice lowered as he cupped my cheek. “They won’t ever know that.”
My eyes closed. The warmth of his hand eased some of the fear. “It’s not me I’m worried about. If they think you blew a satellite out of orbit, they could see you as a threat.”
“Or they could just think I’m that awesome.”
“It’s not funny,” I whispered.
“I know.” Daemon moved closer, and before I knew it, I was in his embrace agai
n. “Don’t worry about me or Dee. We can handle the DOD. Trust me.”
I let him hold me for a couple of moments, soaking up his warmth, but then I slipped free. “I didn’t tell that lady anything. And the damn phone rang as I was getting out of the car. She knew we were lying about why we were there.”
“They’re not going to care about us lying over the phone. They probably think we were out there getting it on or something. You don’t need to worry, Kat.”
Anxiety didn’t fade. It snaked through me. There had been something about Nancy. Calculating. As if a pop quiz had been sprung on us and we’d failed. I lifted my eyes, meeting his. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
He smiled. “I know.”
I could have stood there staring at his sparkling eyes all night, but something urged me to run as far away from him as quickly as I could. Something bad was going to come from all of this.
I turned and walked away.
Chapter 16
As expected, I spent the better part of Thanksgiving poking around the house alone. Mom really got shafted, pulling a double shift that took her out of the house from around noon Thursday until noon on Friday.
I could’ve gone next door. Both Dee and Daemon had invited me, but it didn’t feel right busting up their alien Thanksgiving. And from the amount of creepy peeping I was doing from my window every time I heard a car door close outside, I knew everyone showing up was secretly an ET. Even Ash arrived with her brothers, looking like she was going to a funeral rather than a dinner party.
Part of me didn’t like that she was there. Yeah, I was jealous. Stupid.
But I’d made the right call by not going.
I was an anxious wreck. Today alone, I’d tipped over the coffee table, shattered three glasses, and blew a lightbulb. Being with people probably wasn’t a good idea, but it would’ve been nice to lose myself in the holiday festivities for a little while. The only good thing was the fact my head didn’t feel like it was being ripped apart after the shenanigans.
Around six in the evening, I felt that now-oh-so-familiar tingle on the back of my neck right before Daemon knocked. A ball of confusing feelings unfurled inside me as I hurried to the door.
The first thing I noticed was the large box beside him, and then the scent of roasted turkey and yams.
“Hey,” he said, holding a stack of covered plates. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
I blinked slowly. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“You going to invite me in?” He held up the plates, wiggling them. “I come bearing gifts in the form of food.”
I stepped aside.
Still grinning, he came in and waved his free hand. The box lifted off the porch and trailed behind him like a dog. It landed just inside the foyer. As I shut the door, I caught sight of Ash and Andrew climbing into their car. Neither of them looked over.
A lump formed in my throat as I turned to Daemon.
“I brought a little of everything.” He headed toward the kitchen. “There’s turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green-bean casserole, some kind of apple crisp thing and pumpkin—Kitten? Are you coming?”
Peeling myself away from the front door, I went into the kitchen. He was setting up the table, uncovering the dishes. I…I didn’t know what to think.
Daemon raised his hands and two depression glass candleholders Mom never used floated to the table. Candles came next, and with a wave of his hand, their wicks sparked tiny flames.
The lump grew, nearly choking me.
Dinnerware and glasses came from several opened drawers. Mom’s wine flew out of the fridge, pouring into two crystal flutes while Daemon stood in the middle of everything. It was like a scene straight out of Beauty and the Beast. I kept waiting for a teapot to start singing.
“And after dinner, I have another surprise for you.”
“You do?” I whispered.
He nodded. “But you’ve got to join me for dinner first.”
I shuffled to the table and sat, watching him with eyes that were blurry. He made me a plate and then sat beside me. I cleared my throat. “Daemon, I…I don’t know what to say, but thank you.”
“Thanks aren’t necessary,” he said. “You didn’t want to come over, which I understand, but you shouldn’t be alone.”
Lowering my gaze before he could see the tears gathering in my eyes, I grabbed the flute and downed the bitter-tasting white wine. When I looked up, his brows were raised.
“Lush,” he murmured.
I grinned. “Maybe—for today.”
He nudged me with his knee under the table. “Dig in before it gets cold.”
The food was divine. Any doubts I had about Dee’s cooking abilities vanished. Throughout our little makeshift dinner, I drank another glass of wine. I also ate everything that Daemon put on my plate, including second helpings.
And by the time I stabbed the pumpkin pie with my fork, I was either a little tipsy or I was starting to believe that there was more than just the connection propelling him. That maybe he did care for me, because I was able to fight it—sort of—and I know damn well that Daemon could if he wanted to.
Maybe he just didn’t want to.
Cleaning up dinner was a strangely intimate experience. Our elbows brushed several times. Amiable silence descended as we washed the dishes, side by side. My cheeks felt flushed. My thoughts were way too giddy.
Too much wine.
I followed Daemon into the foyer afterward. He moved the large box to the living room without touching it. It sort of jingled. Sitting on the edge of the couch, I folded my hands and waited, having no clue what he was up to.
Daemon opened the box, reached inside, and pulled out a green-needled branch and poked me with it. “I think we have a Christmas tree to put up. I know it’s not during the parade, but I think Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving special is on, and, well, that’s not too bad.”
That was it. The lump in my throat was back, but there was no stopping it this time. Jumping from the couch, I raced out of the room. Tears formed, then slid down my cheeks. Emotion clogged my throat as I wiped under my eyes.
Daemon appeared in front of me, blocking the staircase. His eyes were wide, pupils luminous. I tried to turn away, but he quickly enveloped me in his strong arms. “I didn’t do this to make you cry, Kat.”
“I know,” I sniffled. “It’s just …”
“It’s just what?” He cupped my cheeks, his thumbs brushing away the tears. My skin tingled from the contact. “Kitten?”
“I don’t think you know how much…something like this means to me.” I took a deep breath, but the stupid tears kept falling. “I haven’t done this since—since Dad was alive. And I’m sorry to cry, because I’m not sad. I just didn’t expect this.”
“It’s okay.” Daemon tugged me forward, and I went. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as I buried my face into the front of his shirt. “I get it. Good tears and all.”
There was something warm and right about being in his arms. And I wanted to deny it, but for the first time, I stopped—I just stopped. Even if Daemon saw me as one giant Rubik’s Cube he had to crack or if it was the healing mojo, it didn’t matter. Not right now.
I grabbed a handful of his shirt and held on. He may have thought he knew how much this meant to me, but he really didn’t. Daemon would never know.
I lifted my head and reached up, clasping his smooth cheeks. With his help, I brought his lips to mine and kissed him. It was a quick and innocent kiss, but I felt the zing all the way to my toes. I pulled back, breathless. “Thank you. I really mean it. Thank you.”
He brushed the backs of his fingers over my cheek, smoothing the last of my tears away. “Don’t let anyone know about my sweet side. I have a reputation to keep up.”
I laughed. “All right, let’s do this.”
Trimming a Christmas tree with an alien was a different experience. He moved the recliner out from in front of the window with a jerk of his chin. Bulbs hung in the air along with
twinkling lights that weren’t plugged in.
We laughed. A lot. Every so often I’d get choked up when I thought of Mom’s face tomorrow afternoon. She’d be happy, I thought.
Daemon dropped silvery tinsel on my head while I plucked a bulb out of the air. “Thanks,” I said.
“It kind of fits you.”
The scent of artificial pine filled the living room. The holiday spirit woke inside me like a slumbering giant. I grinned at Daemon and held up a bulb that was so green it almost matched his eyes. I decided it was going to be his bulb.
I placed it right under the twinkling star.
It was almost midnight by the time we finished. Sitting on the couch, thigh against thigh, we stared at our masterpiece. The tree was a little tinsel-heavy on one side, but it was perfect. A rainbow of colored lights shimmered. Glass bulbs glimmered.
“I love it,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s pretty good.” He leaned in to me, yawning. “Dee put up the tree this morning. She has to have everything the same color, but I think our tree looks better. It’s like a disco ball.”
Our tree. I smiled, liking the sound of that.
He bumped me with his shoulder. “You know, I had fun doing this.”
“I did, too.”
Daemon’s lashes lowered. Man, I’d kill for a set of those babies. “It’s late.”
“I know.” I hesitated. “You want to stay?”
A single brow arched.
That hadn’t come out right. “I don’t mean that.”
“Not that I’d complain if you did.” His gaze dropped. “Not at all.”
I rolled my eyes, but my tummy was coiling tight. Why had I offered for him to stay? His assumption wasn’t too far off. Daemon didn’t strike me as the type to dig PG-13 slumber parties. I remembered the last and only time we’d shared a bed. Flushing, I stood. I didn’t want him to leave, but I didn’t…I didn’t know what I wanted.
“I’m going to get changed,” I said.
“Need help?”
“Wow. You’re so chivalrous, Daemon.”
His smile widened, flashing deep dimples. “Well, the experience would be mutually beneficial. I promise.”
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