Page 60 of Shaped to Be Yours

Jason looked at me nestled against him and his smile made me melt. “No, we can’t,” he said. “And better you than my mom.”

“What was that?” Sandy breezed by us on her way through the living room. She had very graciously given it up for the night.

“Nothing!”

Since it was also time to restock on popcorn and drinks, I got up to start on provisions, while Jason spread out a selection of Blu-rays for Kai to choose from.

“Is that the same monster as the last movie?” I heard Kai ask and glanced back to see him pointing at the 2004Hellboymovie with Ron Perlman.

“No, but it is the same director. He must have a thing for fish people. And this movie was before we knew about the monster realm. People went wild for Abe Sapien. The monster fuckers are out there, dude. You’ll find someone.”

Sandy sat at the kitchen table with her laptop but tilted her head at Jason’s very loud declaration.

I met her baffled expression with a shrug, and she laughed and went back to work. She really was great. She could handle all of Jason’s new forms, no matter how much he worried she’d be spooked. She’d barely batted an eye when we introduced her to Kai.

It made me miss my own mom, dad, and everyone from back home. I was going to have so much to talk to them about during my weekly check-in when I called. Even after omitting the classified parts.

“Can’t my someone be Whitmore?” Kai asked.

“Maybe,” Jason said as I started more popcorn on the stove. “Just try dreaming bigger.”

“I have not met many men larger than Agent Whitmore.”

“Not what I meant.” Jason laughed.

He was very sweet with Kai. Other than Cael and that spider monster Jason had mentioned, he’d never had monster friends. I hadn’t either. I was glad we were changing that.

HellboywithHellboy IIon deck had been selected, with Jason coming over to help me with drinks about the time the popcorn finished.

“You’re adorable,” I said.

“Fact. Why this time?”

“You’re really good with Kai. He definitely needed this tonight.”

“Yeah. And it wasn’t only pity or anything. He’s cool, right? I’m glad we became buddies.”

“Me too.”

“You’re not jealous?” Jason waggled an eyebrow at me.

“You treat him like a little brother.”

“Aw, I was hoping to see you jealous again.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed just above where I had Sandy’s scarf still wrapped around my neck like a fashion statement instead of as a way to hide the many hickeys he’d given me.

“Not my speed.”

“But I am?”

“What do you mean?” I turned in his hold to face him.

“I know you don’t mind the monster stuff, but you don’t mind the, um… what did you say? Me being impatient, short-tempered, and, uh…”

“Having no filter?” I finished.

“That.”

“Everyone has flaws.”

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