Page 21 of Guarded By an Alien Hunter

“I’ve learned through a confidential source that the two of you are living together in her home. Are you having sex with Katie Ross?”

Katie winces and turns away.

“I am not in a sexual relationship with my client,” I growl. “This would never occur.” A snarl rumbles in my chest and I stop to respond to this wild accusation. “I need to make this clear to the public, to my family back home—I would never behave inappropriately with a client during an operation. Katie Ross is nothing to me except the client at this point, she is nothing but a job.”

The journalist smirks and steps aside.

I turn toward Katie, whose face has crumbled.

Now the cameras are in her face. “Is that true Miss Ross? Vander isn’t your boyfriend, even though he called you ‘my female’ when he came to your rescue?”

She bites her lip, looks at me and looks back at the camera. “Whatever Vander said is how it is.”

Chapter 7

Katie

Ispend time getting dressed for what I hope will be my final day at court.

I blow out my hair again so it’s shiny and straight and I apply the right amount of makeup.

I love clothes, so this is literally fun for me. I pick out a white, v neck, chunky knit sweater vest with large tortoiseshell buttons down the front. I pull on olive green ponte knit ankle pants and slip my feet into comfy brown suede loafers with a golden buckle. Then I slip into a tan, cropped trench coat. It’s chilly but sunny outside so I slide on some sunglasses and grab my tote and we’re out the door.

I smile at Vander but it’s fake.

Dressing my best always helps my mindset. It helps me to feel like I’ve now got the ability to go out and tackle my day—especially a difficult day.

Also, there’s a certain amount of pressure to dress well now that the paparazzi does their best to get pictures of me for “street style” segments.

I’m trying my best to continue to ignore the fact that Vander told the entire world that I was nothing but an assignment and he’d never do anything with me. Part of me wants to break downcrying, because I see this as a full on break up. But the other side says that I’m being too sensitive and of course that’s what he has to say in front of the public.

My mom and Shelby saw what happened on the news and they both called and texted to tell me to hold on. They are both still team Vander.

I’m team maybe.

I told him a week ago that I didn’t need him to sleep next to me anymore, so he slept in the second bedroom again. He’s the one who said I’m nothing but a job, so he’s right, we need to act that way. But it’s been very difficult for the last week, living and eating with a man who basically said he wants to marry me and getting close and starting to literally fall in love with him…And then let go of all of that. While still sharing the same bathroom.

I open my tote bag in the back seat of the car and pull out my tablet and notebook. Enough. I can’t think about any of this anymore. My head can’t be filled with Vander drama when I’m about to go into jury deliberations. The people of San Francisco and the jury who voted me in as their foreperson need me to be focused right now, not worrying over my boyfriend. I plug my head back into the matter at hand and put on my game face.

Vander again drives expertly through downtown and swiftly gets me up to the correct room and my day begins. The prosecution has finished their presentation. The defense has countered. Final statements were made by lawyers for both sides. Today the judge gives us directions on deliberation. And then the jury goes into our secret deliberation room and we start.

Vander has to remain outside in the hallway because even he is not allowed inside during this process. I pass by him as I enter the room and meet his dark, sexy gaze. My stomach flutters with need and want. Dammit, this man affects me so much.

After seeing and hearing all the evidence over the last month, my mind is already made up on the verdict. I have a feeling soare the minds of most of us, but there are going to be one or two hold outs.

I sit at the large table that holds the other jurors and glance at all the others. They quiet down and look at me.

“Well, what happens first?” Nelson grouses.

I open my mouth and start asking questions.

I can only hope this verdict is locked up soon.

Four hourslater all of us exit into the hallway. We hear the guard make an announcement to the press. “The jury has come to a final decision.”

“Thank god,” Alisha whispers. “If I never see Nelson again, it will be too soon. You did a great job of getting him to wrap up those long-winded speeches.”

I grin, also relieved that it’s over. My butt was going numb in that chair.

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