Kate walked quickly to the elevator. She needed a bit of space from Kirk, just for a moment, to calm her mind.

And her body…

You’re coursing with adrenaline from the confrontation with Spencer, she told herself sternly. You’re not really attracted to that massive alien.

But she was. Oh, she was.

She pushed the button for the elevator and it sang out immediately, doors sliding open.

She stepped in and Kirk followed.

It was only as the doors slid closed that it hit her that they were alone in the tiny space.

She looked away, but he was reflected back at her in the brass wainscoting of the elevator’s walls - a hundred Kirks standing sure and tall beside her.

He moved and she held her breath, waiting for his touch.

But he was only leaning over to push the button for their floor.

“I forgot,” she muttered.

“You had a busy day,” he said gruffly.

He was so close. His masculine scent enveloped her, and she could practically feel the heat pouring off him.

When the elevator dinged to announce their arrival she nearly jumped.

“Here we are,” he said.

He followed her to the door, which she opened quickly.

“Why don’t you have a seat, I’m just going to change out of this stuff,” she suggested.

“I’ll make us a snack,” he said.

She headed down the hall, grinning like a fool, and determined to change clothes quickly before he ate something that wasn’t food.

Kate removed the wig, let down her hair, and stripped down to her underwear. She went to her bed to grab the t-shirt and jeans she’d set aside for this evening.

But what she saw on the bed made her gasp.

“Kirk,” she called out, her voice thin and reedy.

“Kate?” Kirk’s voice traveled to her from down the hallway. “Kate is everything okay?” he called, getting closer.

She looked down at the bed. A thousand flame colored roses covered her sheets. The note in the center of the garden of loose blossoms was written in thick black ink:

---

All the pretty flowers and cruel thorns make me think of you, my love.

I’ll be back tonight so you can thank me in person.

-S

---

Kirk stepped into the room and she collapsed into his arms.

“Kate?” he breathed, wrapping his arms around her instinctively. “Oh.”

“He was in here, he was in here,” she whimpered into his chest.

She felt like a baby. This wasn’t like her. Kate was independent, strong, and resourceful. But this was like a living nightmare.

“It’s time to call the police,” Kirk said.

“We can’t,” she replied.

“Of course we can,” he said. “He was on your property without your permission. He left you a creepy note.”

“See? Even you know that’s creepy,” Kate declared. “And you’re an alien.”

“So do you want me to call for you?” Kirk asked.

“Wait,” Kate said. “Wait, wait, wait. Let’s just think this through. If we call the police, they might or might not believe it was Spencer. They might or might not do anything about it. But one thing will definitely happen.”

“What’s that?”

“It will definitely make the news,” she said. “They’ll search the apartment and find evidence that Bea and Cecily and I aren’t the only ones living here. They’ll ask you and your brothers questions you can’t answer. Plus, my uncle is the captain of a nearby police precinct. If he gets wind of anything going on involving my name, he will definitely blow it way out of proportion.”

“Maybe you can call him for advice.”

“I haven’t talked to him in years,” Kate admitted. “To be honest, he’s kind of a jerk.”

“Well, you can’t put yourself in danger just to protect me,” Kirk said.

“I may not be in danger,” she replied. “Think for a minute. We just saw Spencer on our way here. He was coming from the opposite direction. That means that he had already done this when you put him in his place. Maybe he wouldn’t have done it at all if he’d had that, um, conversation with you first.”

Kirk was quiet. She hoped he was giving it some thought.

“Meanwhile, I can try to find out how he got in by asking the security guard in the morning,” she went on quickly. “Alvin can look at the key fob log and the footage from the lobby. That way we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“I don’t like it,” Kirk said.

“I don’t really like it either,” she admitted. “But I like it better than the other options.”

He went silent and she noticed his arms were still around her, the unconscious movement of his hand between her shoulder blades soothing her.

“I’ll go along with this under one condition,” Kirk said at last.

“What is it?”

“You are not to be out of my sight,” he said. “Not for one minute.”

“I’ll need bathroom breaks,” she protested.

“You can have them with the door open,” he allowed.

“I’ll have to sleep,” she said.

“I’ll sleep in the chair,” he said, indicating her reading chair in the corner.

She bit her lip. Normally, she’d be outraged at the implication that she couldn’t take care of herself. But there was something about being close to Kirk that made her feel safer than she ever had on her own.

“If you’re on the fence about this arrangement, I’m glad,” he told her. “Because then we can call the police and my brothers and I will just have to find another living arrangement.”

“No,” she said quickly. “No police. You can trail me like a duckling if it makes you feel better.”

She felt him smile against the top of her head.

“Yes, I will trail you,” he agreed.