Page 38 of Catching the Kot'oll Driver

“Yeah, that. I’m not very sure what your job includes, but maybe it is a bit too stressful than you’d want to admit.”

“Is that the reason I was so pissed that your ass was in the way that I had to board your ship and withhold you?”

“It could be.” He smirks and flexes his arms. “Or maybe you wanted a chance at these arms and see what they can do.”

I snort a laugh. “Stop the crazy talk.”

He leans over, hovering over me, and looks me in the eye. “You know what? I think that things happen for a reason, for good or worse. Or at least most things happen that way.”

I swallow with a heat simmering in my stomach again. What does that mean? He lifts my chin even though I’m lying on the bed and can’t move my head much.

He says, “Maybe we should somehow get to know each other.”

Is he... about what he wanted to do to me?

I wrap my arms around him. He is a big guy. I can’t wrap my arms completely around him. “What’s on your mind?”

He squeezes my hand. “That we should get to know about each other more.”

But he’s leaving when the snowstorm is over. Does it even matter?

He holds my cheeks with his hand, also holding my shoulders. “Kendra...” His voice is hoarse and almost a low growl. “If you want to, just talk to me. I do care about you.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because... I don’t know. Feels like I should. It feels like you’re more stressed than you care to admit.”

Am I?

Who is he, telling me what to do?

But he is just trying to help, probably.

I clear my throat. “Look, thank you.”

He moves away and takes a seat on the bed by my side. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be pushy.”

I let out a sigh, sitting up from the bed too. “I’m sorry if I confused you. Bigger beings are... always annoying to me.”

“Was that the reason you pulled away when we... last night?”

I nod. “I think so. I still can’t comprehend that, even now.”

“That a nice, big guy like me can give you a good time without any consequences?”

I smack his chest and he laughs. My cheeks burn and I glance at the door, hoping no one will overhear our conversation even though the chance is low.

He says, “I know some beings out there are good for nothing, but still—”

My phone buzzes, ruining the mood. I sigh and pick it up to check.

Grihul checks his phone too. I let out a breath. It feels like... Somehow, Grihul doesn’t seem that threatening after we spend time together, as long as I don’t try to remember that he is a big guy and can crush me at any time.

I glance at him. He is busy typing on the screen, seemingly oblivious to my mood.

My message is from the general weather report that’s posted in my workgroup. The snowstorm weather alert is over, so it is official that we’re safe to be outside.

Grihul is still typing. I wonder who he is talking to. It could be his family after he was locked up for a while and the storm kept him in the parking lot even longer.

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