eyebrow. "Sure you do."
"Naia."
She shook her head and then
raised both hands in acquiescence. "Fine, but I’m coming
too."
Katarina headed to the
Civil War room with Zane at her side. "I never said you
weren’t."
When they finally left the
Mud Island River Museum, she swore she heard Naia mumble, "I should
have left her in the lab."
***
Katarina unlocked her door,
turned off her security alarm, and led the way into her apartment.
She tossed her purse onto the small table in the foyer. "Zane,
please have a seat. Naia, why don’t you come in the kitchen and
help me with the coffee?"
Once they were in the
kitchen, Naia asked in a hushed, but shrill, voice, "What the hell
are you thinking? Is that why you actually wore makeup today? Why
you put on heels? What happened to the woman who freezes men out
with a glance? I don’t care how hot he is. It isn’t safe to bring
him home like a stray puppy."
"Calm down."
"Calm down!? That guy makes
America's Most Wanted look like wimps. I bet he could snap us both
in half without breaking a sweat."
"Both of us without a
sweat, eh?" She wanted to laugh at that image. It would take more
than sheer brawn to best her. She recognized Zane’s lethal grace.
She, however, saw the man inside and understood it was one aspect
of him, much like her dubious gifts were a single aspect of
herself.
"I think your worrywart
brain cells have gone into overdrive. I’m not an imbecile, you
know. He isn’t harmless, but he isn’t here to hurt us."
Naia folded her arms under
her breasts and harrumphed. "I’ll make my own decision about
that."
Katarina shrugged, turned
away and went to the freezer. She retrieved her canister of coffee
and got a filter from the pantry. She shook the canister. A small
amount of grounds shifted around the bottom. "Looks like I need to
grind some more beans."
She measured ground coffee
into the machine and added water. Katarina got out the mugs and
glanced over her shoulder at Naia. As she did so, she dropped the
informational bomb. "The man sitting in my living room is a bona
fide alien from outer space."
Naia stood in stunned
silence. Her mouth hung open. When she finally spoke it came out in
a squeak. What!?" She cleared her throat. "You’re kidding,
right?"
"No."
"You believe
him?"
"I saw things in his head,
Naia, that have no other explanation. He's for real."
"Ohmygod!" She whipped
around and peered around the corner to get another look at Zane, as
if he might have morphed into a little green man while she wasn’t
looking.
While Naia spied on their
guest, Katarina pulled out a pack of Oreo cookies and placed some
in a large bowl. As a small concession to nutrition, she filled a
plate with grapes, strawberries, cheese, and crackers. The coffee
finished brewing, so Katarina got out the cream and sugar. She
tapped Naia’s shoulder and when she turned, Katarina thrust the
bowl of Oreos into her hands. She put everything else on a tea tray
and carried it toward the doorway.
"Let’s go interrogate our
alien."
Naia chose the seat
farthest from Zane. He sat on the sofa and Katarina couldn’t resist
the temptation to be near him, but to be safe, maintained some
distance. It made it easier to think if they weren't
touching.
Katarina added cream and
sugar then handed Zane his mug. She managed not to jolt at the
electric contact when his fingers brushed hers. She pulled her hand
back and his quick intake of breath assured her she wasn't alone in
her discomfort.
"Thank you,
Katarina."
Katarina started to wave
off his thanks, but found her gaze trapped by his as he spoke in
her mind. "Not for the sustenance, but for your
trust."
She shrugged, trying to
dismiss the enormity of her actions. Thinking of the risk she took
letting him within her emotional walls threatened to start a panic
attack.
"I can always kill you
later if you turn out to be a psychopath." She meant to pass it
off as a joke, but Zane saw through the humor.
He cocked his head
"Naia."
She shook her head and then
raised both hands in acquiescence. "Fine, but I’m coming
too."
Katarina headed to the
Civil War room with Zane at her side. "I never said you
weren’t."
When they finally left the
Mud Island River Museum, she swore she heard Naia mumble, "I should
have left her in the lab."
***
Katarina unlocked her door,
turned off her security alarm, and led the way into her apartment.
She tossed her purse onto the small table in the foyer. "Zane,
please have a seat. Naia, why don’t you come in the kitchen and
help me with the coffee?"
Once they were in the
kitchen, Naia asked in a hushed, but shrill, voice, "What the hell
are you thinking? Is that why you actually wore makeup today? Why
you put on heels? What happened to the woman who freezes men out
with a glance? I don’t care how hot he is. It isn’t safe to bring
him home like a stray puppy."
"Calm down."
"Calm down!? That guy makes
America's Most Wanted look like wimps. I bet he could snap us both
in half without breaking a sweat."
"Both of us without a
sweat, eh?" She wanted to laugh at that image. It would take more
than sheer brawn to best her. She recognized Zane’s lethal grace.
She, however, saw the man inside and understood it was one aspect
of him, much like her dubious gifts were a single aspect of
herself.
"I think your worrywart
brain cells have gone into overdrive. I’m not an imbecile, you
know. He isn’t harmless, but he isn’t here to hurt us."
Naia folded her arms under
her breasts and harrumphed. "I’ll make my own decision about
that."
Katarina shrugged, turned
away and went to the freezer. She retrieved her canister of coffee
and got a filter from the pantry. She shook the canister. A small
amount of grounds shifted around the bottom. "Looks like I need to
grind some more beans."
She measured ground coffee
into the machine and added water. Katarina got out the mugs and
glanced over her shoulder at Naia. As she did so, she dropped the
informational bomb. "The man sitting in my living room is a bona
fide alien from outer space."
Naia stood in stunned
silence. Her mouth hung open. When she finally spoke it came out in
a squeak. What!?" She cleared her throat. "You’re kidding,
right?"
"No."
"You believe
him?"
"I saw things in his head,
Naia, that have no other explanation. He's for real."
"Ohmygod!" She whipped
around and peered around the corner to get another look at Zane, as
if he might have morphed into a little green man while she wasn’t
looking.
While Naia spied on their
guest, Katarina pulled out a pack of Oreo cookies and placed some
in a large bowl. As a small concession to nutrition, she filled a
plate with grapes, strawberries, cheese, and crackers. The coffee
finished brewing, so Katarina got out the cream and sugar. She
tapped Naia’s shoulder and when she turned, Katarina thrust the
bowl of Oreos into her hands. She put everything else on a tea tray
and carried it toward the doorway.
"Let’s go interrogate our
alien."
Naia chose the seat
farthest from Zane. He sat on the sofa and Katarina couldn’t resist
the temptation to be near him, but to be safe, maintained some
distance. It made it easier to think if they weren't
touching.
Katarina added cream and
sugar then handed Zane his mug. She managed not to jolt at the
electric contact when his fingers brushed hers. She pulled her hand
back and his quick intake of breath assured her she wasn't alone in
her discomfort.
"Thank you,
Katarina."
Katarina started to wave
off his thanks, but found her gaze trapped by his as he spoke in
her mind. "Not for the sustenance, but for your
trust."
She shrugged, trying to
dismiss the enormity of her actions. Thinking of the risk she took
letting him within her emotional walls threatened to start a panic
attack.
"I can always kill you
later if you turn out to be a psychopath." She meant to pass it
off as a joke, but Zane saw through the humor.
He cocked his head
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