Mature Audiences Only (18+)

Read part one, part two, and part three first!

I had to be nuts to believe him, right? I mean, really, it was crazy. He just admitted to watching me, following me, borderline stalking me.

“Karen, please. I wasn’t stalking you. Haven’t you ever seen a guy and thought he was cute and wanted to talk to him, but you were too chicken to actually do it? That’s all that happened.”

“Except you said you saw me over and over again. That’s-”

“Yes, I saw you,” Blaine interrupted me. “And every time you were either on your way out of the pet store or I was. It’s not like I was hanging around there for weeks hoping to see you again, or watching you and creeping around the store following you. I happened to pass by you a few times and I wondered if you were as sweet as you appeared.”

I looked at him, wondering what the hell I was thinking. Why did I bring a random guy home? Was I really going to sleep with him? Was I so desperate that I was still thinking about it even though he was a stalker, sort of?

I pushed past him and went out to the living room. I had to focus. Being in the same room with him, especially my bedroom, distracted me. My base instincts were screaming at me to forget how we met and drag him back to bed. My gut instincts were saying kick him out. Now!

“What would you say if I told you to leave?” I asked. If he was a psycho he would get violent, or angry. I was taking a risk, but I had to know.

“I would say I’m sorry you feel that way but I would leave. I would leave my phone number just in case you changed your mind about me though.”

We stared at each other, me trying to decide if he was being honest and Blaine, well, it looked like he was trying to appear trustworthy. I just didn’t know.

“Okay, Karen. I’m sorry I deceived you. I’m going to give you some space to decide if you want to see me again. Here’s my number,” he pulled out a card and left it on the table near the door. “I hope you can forgive me for adoring you from afar, and for finding you so beautiful that I was afraid to talk to you.”

I watched Blaine walk over to where Skyy was snuggled up under my Christmas tree. He lifted the little cat, who fought him and grabbed the tree skirt in an attempt to stay. Blaine gently unhooked Skyy’s claws and snuggled her against his side. He grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch and walked out the door without another word.

I tried to breathe a sigh of relief with Blaine gone, but it got stuck in my throat. A lump lodged in my chest and I couldn’t breathe. Aw, shit. I was a fool.

Blaine walked out without a fight because he wasn’t a psycho stalker, he was a decent guy who was exactly what he said he was. We’d spent all evening at my house and he didn’t once make me feel like something was wrong. And I pushed him out.

I threw open the front door and chased out after him, barefoot and without a coat. His car was slowly backing down my driveway. I screamed, flailed my arms, and ran after him trying to get his attention. His car kept going, further and further away from me. He made it out onto the road.

Then stopped.

The passenger window slid down and Blaine called out, “What are you doing? You’re going to freeze!”

“I was wrong. Come back inside. Please.”

Blaine looked at me, his eyes meeting mine as he considered my words. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Blaine pulled back into my driveway and tucked Skyy under his jacket before following me inside. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms to warm me up once we were inside. Blaine set Skyy down before he took of his coat. Skyy went straight back under the tree and curled up. Blaine rubbed his hands together then set them on my arms and rubbed gently, warming me up almost instantly.

Inside and out.

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. It’s a little strange to know you knew about me before I knew about you. But I believe you.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry I scared you. I won’t lie to you though, Karen. I feel a connection with you, a closeness that I don’t really understand. Thanks for giving me another chance.”

I stepped into his embrace and stood there while he held me. It felt right to be in his arms. It felt good. And I wanted to get back to where we were before.

“Shall we pick up where we left off? Before I flipped out.”

“Karen, I don’t want to rush you. We can just watch TV and get to know each other.”

“Really? I mean, I’m ready and waiting for you and you just want to watch TV?” I asked, baffled.

“Karen, I’m more than willing to do whatever you want, but I don’t want you to think I’m just here for the sex.”

“What if I want you here for the sex?”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

Blaine chased me down the hallway to my bedroom. He closed the door behind us and we picked up right where we left off.