5. Katie

Chapter 5

Katie

A nd now I know that Vander wants me as much as I want him.

This hot and sexy man who exudes strength and honor wants me ? And not just as a hookup but as a real relationship. He wants me to have his babies.

His. Babies.

My mind is spinning, full of the weight of that trial and now the thought that I might possibly have found my future husband?

And he’s not even human.

He’s been hiding his feelings so well, too. I had no idea he wanted to get together with me. Well, some idea, but hot glances from a male of an entirely different species can be attributed to miscommunication.

First, I assumed I’d get a bodyguard who was older and probably married with kids. And he wasn’t even the same species as me, so we probably weren’t compatible. And then when I met Vander Best and saw that he was impossibly handsome, sexy, and single , I still assumed nothing would ever happen between us, despite how much I secretly wanted him, considering his talk of professionalism.

And then there were all the hot glances during dinner. I caught him staring at my ass, which made me warm all over. When we move together through the courthouse, he touches me through one or two layers of fabric on my back or elbow and crowds close in the elevator.

He smells so good.

I began to entertain fantastic thoughts of him and I, in my bed, naked and sweaty. I unbuckle his pants and get on my knees…

And now I know these thoughts aren’t pure fantasy, but it was all real. Vander has the same feelings for me as I do for him. But we’re in a strange situation where he’s my bodyguard and I’m his client, so nothing can happen between the two of us right now. But meanwhile, he wants me to decide if I want a real relationship with him when this is all over.

This last week it’s been just the two of us. I’ve gotten to know how he likes his coffee. I’ve learned his favorite pizza toppings. And even though we're not of the same species, and he was born on a totally different planet, it’s surprising how much we get along.

But…I thought Brett and I got along too. I thought Brett wanted to get married and start a family with me too.

I wince with remembered pain. The way my former fiancé proposed at that restaurant and slipped on my favorite diamond. And then I take deep breaths.

Vander is nothing like Brett.

Right?

Each night I overshare with him at the kitchen table about everything in my life, except the trial. We have a rule that we leave that topic on the threshold of the front door. Technically, I’m not supposed to talk with anyone about the trial. But he’s sitting in the trial each day. A weird loophole, but to be ethical we still do our best to not talk about it, other than scheduling logistics.

I’ve learned that Vander is much neater than I am. He has been keeping that bedroom nice and tidy. He doesn’t make a huge mess of the bathroom and instead cleans up after himself in there. His weapons are perfectly organized. And he likes cleaning up the kitchen at night before we go to bed. He goes in there after his final perimeter check and programs the coffee maker to start each morning.

And I'm not afraid of his weapons anymore.

Vander finds Earth interesting and humans easy to get along with. He likes our food and he likes how I cook, and I also like learning about his species. The more time I spend with Vander, the more I continue to see us being able to continue and us being together.

But I also still worry that I’m wrong.

That I don’t know him well enough to make such a permanent life-long decision. It’s good that he told me up front that he wants a real relationship, with babies right away. Because I also have to decide if I want to become a mother right away.

Dad continues to adore Vander. And my Dad never liked Brett from the very first moment they met. He further hated my ex-fiancé for talking me into moving away and when he cheated on me…that was the death knell. But Dad thinks Vander is the best thing since sliced bread.

Mom likes Vander too.

Apparently, they invited him to their mansion for a meeting when he first arrived in town, and they’ve been impressed ever since. In fact, mom calls me late each night and asks about him. We can’t talk about the trial, but she loves to chat about my new blue-skinned bodyguard.

“How's it going, honey?” she asks on her nightly call. “You getting along good with Vander Best? It seems like you two spend a lot of time together.”

I always play dumb. “What are you talking about, Mom?”

“Well, you know, your dad really likes him.”

“Um, Vander is my bodyguard. He's a professional. This is just a job.”

“Okay, that's fine. But you know, I wouldn't mind some grandkids.”

“Mom, you already have a bunch of grandkids. Lily has three and John has four kids, and his wife is pregnant again.”

“Yeah, but I don't have any grandkids that are half…what is his species called again?”

“Zagwar. His species is from the planet Zagwar and they are called the Zagwar. Mom, stop it.”

“You know, I just really like talking about this. It’s interesting. And I’m thrilled that he’s keeping you safe so you can stay on that jury that’s so important to you. I’m proud of you for standing up to that asshole who was trying to scare you into stepping down.”

“And I’m grateful that you and Dad hired Vander so I can stay on that jury. Without that extra security, I would’ve had to step down.”

“No problem, baby, we have the money so why not use it for something good? And speaking of something good, I’ve got another question about Vander Best. He's not going back to his home planet after this assignment, is he? He's planning on moving here, right?”

“I don't know. He does seem to really like it here. He's mentioned staying.”

“Oh good. That's all I need to know. Tell them that you're not leaving San Francisco to move with him to his home planet. You've done that before and you're not leaving. You can visit, but you’re living here.”

“I have already told him that,” I admit.

“Ah-ha. I knew it. I knew there was something going on there between the two of you.”

“It might be nothing, Mom, so don't get your hopes up high. We have to remain professional during this assignment, while I’m working on this trial. And then afterwards…well, you know I don’t exactly have a great track record of men following through with what they say they want with me.”

“Vander isn’t Brett,” she reminds me.

“That’s what Shelby says,” I mutter.

“Because it’s true.”

“I still think it’s a good idea for me to not get my hopes up too high in case this turns out to be nothing.”

“Okay… You know you could get married in our backyard. I offered this to both your siblings and they said no, which broke my heart because that’s where your dad and I got married.”

“Mom, stop it. I’ve got to go.”

“All right, I'm getting off. Good luck and tell Vander that your dad and I are thrilled knowing that you are safe. I know that nothing's going to happen to my girl while she's out there being brave and trying to stand up for justice.”

My heart warms. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Bye, honey.”

I end the call and hear a creaking noise in the hallway. Great. Vander was in his bedroom the whole time I was talking and is now apparently using the bathroom.

His hearing is so good, I’m certain he heard my entire conversation with my mom.

I flop onto the bed, cover my head with a pillow and shout into the void.

Two days later, Vander and I get home from another long, tiring day at court.

This thing seems to be going on for forever.

I make dinner, we eat, we watch our favorite show. I’ve got him hooked on the Great British Baking Show.

While we're sitting next to each other on the couch, we end up kind of close. I look over. He's still not wearing a shirt. I can't believe how good he looks.

He glances over at me and his gaze drops to my chest and then away.

Okay, I admit I'm trying. It’s true my pajamas are a bit skimpy. He did say, though, that nothing was going to happen. Nothing is going to happen.

A growl rumbles in his chest. “You are trying to entice me.”

“No,” I say, “it's not me, it's you. Look at you. You're not even wearing a shirt. And”—I point at his tented crotch—“don't think I can't see that. It can be seen from space.”

He grins. “Again, you are also dressed in much less clothing than you normally would be. You are causing this reaction in me.”

I shrug. “I'm just playing catch-up with you, because, again, you never wear a shirt.”

“No male on my planet wears a shirt. This is how we all dress. I'm not doing anything unusual.”

“But you need to conform more to customs here on this planet. Right?”

He crosses his powerful arms. “No. I do not.”

I laugh. “Okay, fine.” And I scoot a little closer to him.

We watch the rest of the episode and then start a second episode.

Eventually, I can't handle it anymore. I'm squirming in my chair and my clit is literally throbbing. “I'm going to bed,” I say.

Vander stands. “I am too.”

I look at him again and I wish we were going to bed together. I can't even hold his hand. I can't even give him a kiss, and he can't do the same for me. My nipples are always at attention and I’m constantly hot between the thighs. I end up masturbating each night just to fall asleep, thinking of Vander. And it’s still not enough.

I don't remember ever feeling this attracted to anyone ever, not even Brett.

Sometimes I look back on our relationship, and I think a lot of it might have been me trying to be loyal, or that I told my family that he was the one, and I had gone through the bother to move to a totally different town in a different college, they’d all told me I was wrong. My sister and brother made fun of me, and how could I go back and tell them I was wrong? I'm sure I stuck it out longer than I should have, at least for the four years to finish my degree, because having to switch colleges and move back would have been embarrassing.

I go into my bedroom and close the door. I lean against the door, wishing, and I listen, and I hear the click of his door too.

What is he doing in there. Does he take off his pants? Does he switch into pajama pants? Does he take off his clothes entirely and sleep naked? What does he look like naked?

I haven't seen him take a shower, but he smells clean. He must get up early because he's always done these whole two weeks before I get up, so we don't have to use the bathroom at the same time in the mornings. I mean, he uses the bathroom during the day, and I do too, but you know, and on the weekend, we spend even more time together.

He leaves a lot, though, because he says he's got reconnaissance to do. He does that on the weekend. He gets everything set up, and then he meets with his other coworkers in the security firm that he works with, but just for a short while, because he says, Well, I still have to stay with you on the weekend, because this is when actually you're most exposed, because at least during the rest of the time, You spend the majority of your time in the courthouse, but now this is when someone could get you.

I close the door and that's when the rain starts. Fall has officially started. Yet another cold, rainy day in San Francisco.

I hear a scratch and a pound against my window, and I shriek with fear.

And then he's there suddenly. I can't believe Vander got there so quick, and he's holding a blaster.

“I’m okay.”

He rushes toward the window and throws it open and he's out the window.

I'm still standing there freaking out in the dark.

And then he's back. He looks at me from head to toe again and inhales deeply. He checks every part of my room, under the bed, in the closet.

“I'll be back,” he says.

And then I can hear that he's outside again for a second time, and then he's back, and he locks absolutely everything, and I hear the beeps. He closes that window again.

“It was not an intruder, it was a branch that fell from a tree. There is no one out there. No one can come close. I have the perimeter protected. I have it protected a mile out.”

And then it rains harder, and I hear another thump. I was born and raised in San Francisco. This isn't the first storm I've been through, and the wind is always very strong, but I don't know. It's getting to me more than usual.

He starts to go for the door, I assume, to return to his bedroom.

“Vander,” I squeak, “don't leave me.”

His brow furrows.

“I'm scared. What if it wasn't just a branch? What if someone threw the branch? What if they sent a projectile from far away?”

“That's not possible.”

“Are you sure?”

He steps closer to me. “This is unlike you. What is wrong?”

I whimper. “I don't know. I guess it's just getting to me. Finally. Could you sleep in here with me?”

He frowns.

“Nothing will happen.” I point. “I do have a king size bed. I don't know, I just bought a big bed originally because I like having all the space. But this comes in handy. Look, I can just lay there on the corner, on my side, really far. You could lay right there. I can sleep better because”—I point at the window—“if something happens to that window, there isn't a wall between us and two doors. You're right there. You know it's true.”

He grunts. “I've been wanting to sleep next to you too, because I also consider it safer.”

“Nothing will happen,” I promise. “I won't touch you. I simply want to be able to fall asleep with you closer.”

“If you touch me, I'm not sure that I can maintain control.”

“I understand.”

“I can't take my mind off the number one objective, which is keeping you safe. My family line is one of honor, soldiers, medics, teachers and this is what I do, and what if I didn't keep you safe? It is the most important of all because I wasn't focused, because I wasn't professional. I refuse to let anything happen to you. I must keep my mind on this.”

“Okay,” I say. “But afterwards…”

“Afterwards,” he growls, “that's different.”

I take a deep breath. “What side of the bed do you want?”

“Well,” he says. “You sleep on that side so I’ll take the other side.”

“You know that?”

“I know everything about you, Katie Ross. Also, there’s a dent on your side.”

“Yes.” Now I skip to the bed because all the upset I felt just earlier is gone. Now that I know that Vander is going to be in here with me, it fixes every bit of anxiety I've been having.

He turns off the lights, and we both climb into bed.

I fantasize that he pulls me into his arms, and we make love, but instead,

I lay on my side and he lays on his side.

I can't hear him falling asleep, but eventually my eyes droop.

And I'm asleep first.