Page 95 of Property of Yak

I sit up, waiting for whoever it is to show themself. I hear my cat meow, and someone shushes it quietly.

Then he steps into the doorway of my room, the hallway night light casting shadows on his face. I hold the hammer in front of me until he flips on the light.

“I figured you’d be sleeping. What are you holding?” Yak asks, kicking off his shoes.

“A hammer.”

He gives me a sad smile as he strips, hanging his cut up next to mine in the closet. When he comes to sit next to me on the bed, I hand him the hammer.

“I wanted some way to protect myself,” I admit softly.

“I’ll teach you to use a gun and get you one to keep here. You won’t ever need it because I will protect you. I won’t have blood on your hands, but if it makes you feel safer when I cannot be with you, then I will do it.” He drops the hammer to the ground.

“I’m not exactly a fan of guns, but after tonight, I would be willing.”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

“Swear jar, and it’s fine. I figured as much.” I force a small smile.

He shakes his head. “Only you could get me to want to change my language. Angel, I should have been here. I’m so sorry I wasn’t.”

“You can’t be with me all the time. You have things to do. I have to go to work, and I want to be able to see my dad and hang out with Liz. We can’t be connected at the hip,” I remind him, taking his hand in mine.

“He was able to get to you, though. I wasn’t close enough to save you.”

“You sent my dad, though. That was you, wasn’t it?”

he nods. “Not personally, but I had someone tracking him. They sent in the cavalry when they realized I was too far away.”

“He’s going to be let out by morning. Dad said so. He wanted me to go to his place.”

He cups my cheek. “Why didn’t you? You would have been safe there.”

I lean forward, giving him a chaste kiss. “I wanted to see you. I knew if I went there, you wouldn’t come. I don’t know how to sleep without you anymore.”

He rubs his nose along mine. “I would have snuck in. I would have been there if you wanted me to.”

I close my eyes, relishing the feelings he evokes inside of me. I don’t know how I lost myself so far into him, but here I am, and I don’t want to find my way out.

“I would have helped you sneak in. We could have had sex in my childhood bedroom,” I tease.

He chuckles. “What a way to meet your dad because we both know you can’t keep quiet.”

My cheeks heat, but it’s the truth. He does that to me. He makes me forget where I am.

“It doesn’t matter what he thinks. I’m yours, Jameson. Whether he approves or not.”

He growls, kissing me deeply. His hands find their way into my hair, tangling until it’s as if he is a part of me.

When he finally pulls back, he rests his forehead on mine.

“I will make your dad like me. I know you care about him. He is important to you. I will do everything in my power to get his approval. I won’t stop until I do.”

My eyes tear up. The words are on the tip of my tongue.

I love you.

It’s too soon, though. It feels too soon. It’s only been a few months and yet I feel like I have known this man for much longer.