After Robert had fed her, Sharon walked into the living room, sat on the couch, and put her feet on the coffee table. He liked seeing her so comfortable in his home. Unless she had an evening assignment, Sharon was coming over every day after work and staying most nights.

It was fortunate that she worked and lived in the same house and didn’t have to worry about changing clothes in the morning.

“Robert, come watch with me. There is a new episode of Altered Carbon.” She clicked the television on.

He followed her to the couch and handed her the Diet Coke she’d asked for. “Can’t you watch it later?”

“Sure. It’s Netflix. Do you want to watch something else?”

Sitting next to her, Robert cradled a bottle of Snake’s Venom. One of Julian’s many good qualities was stocking the fridge with a fresh supply of the beer whenever they ran low. Another reason not to kill the guy in a jealous fit.

Lucky for Julian, Sharon seemed indifferent to him, and the guy made every effort possible to make himself scarce when she was there.

“I’m not a fan of television.” Robert popped the cap and took a gulp.

“I’ve noticed.” She clicked the screen off. “Is it watching stuff in general, or is it just the shows I like to watch?”

Sharon was a big fan of science fiction and fantasy. Which was good. Her mind was open to the unusual. She wouldn’t freak out when he told her.

“Fiction in general. Reality is stranger than anything people can imagine, it’s more complex. I can see the plot holes in every episode, and it irritates me.”

“Do you like reading?”

He nodded. “I can skip the parts I find boring or unrealistic.”

Sharon chuckled. “Fiction is supposed to be unrealistic. If I wanted reality, I would watch the news.”

It was his turn to chuckle. “Most of it is fiction as well.”

“How so? Aren’t they reporting the facts?”

“It’s possible to report the exact same event in so many ways that the people watching one news outlet will be convinced it’s black and the other that it is white and so on. They can show only the fragments that support whatever that outlet’s agenda is, or their backers. They can interview supposed experts that will put the appropriate spin on the story, and so on. Bottom line is, it is very difficult for the common people to get the bare facts and draw their own conclusions when what they are reading and watching is the equivalent of a dramatized version.”

She eyed him with curiosity in her eyes. “How do you know all that?”

He could’ve told her that he’d been at the center of some major events, and what had been reported had born little resemblance to what had happened on the ground. Instead, he chose the easy way out.

“You can go downstairs and buy three different newspapers, each following a different agenda, you can then read the leading story in all three, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

“Do you actually do that? Do you compare stories?”

He nodded. “I do that almost every day. I pick up several newspapers at the café and read the headline news, then I choose the story I want to get all the angles of. Sometimes you can piece together what really happened by reading opposing views.”

Sharon leaned her head against his shoulder. “You’re a dinosaur. No one reads actual newspapers. You can get it all online.”

Small things like that gave away his real age. The young generation of humans didn’t read anything on paper if they could help it. “I know. I like spreading the big newspaper and hiding behind it, so my coworkers don’t bother me on my lunch break.”

Sharon cast him an amused glance. “I bet those pesky coworkers are all female.”

Mostly, but he wasn’t going to admit it, or she would go into full-blown interrogation mode. Sharon was possessive of him, if not outright jealous, and he loved that she was. It meant that she valued him and that she considered him as hers.

The thing was, she had nothing to worry about. His life as the keep’s gigolo was officially over. None of those females could compare to Sharon, and it wasn’t as if he was speculating. He’d been with most.

“Your silence is as good as admission. Tell them you’re taken.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Can I tattoo it on your forehead?”

“Tattoo what?”

“I belong to Sharon.” She made air quotes.

“What if you dump me? I’ll be stuck dating only girls named Sharon.”

She cupped his cheeks and brought his face down for a kiss. “I’m never going to dump you. You’re mine, so you’d better get used to the idea. I’m the only Sharon you’ll ever date.”

“I can live with that.”

Her mouth gaped. “Really? That’s what you have to say in response?”

Robert was confused. “What was I supposed to say?”

“How about that I am yours? Or that you want to tattoo your name on my ass?”

“I don’t want to sound presumptuous.”

Sharon rolled her eyes. “This is not our first date. You can tell me what you really think.”

His mouth suddenly feeling dry, Robert lifted the bottle of Snake’s Venom and took a long gulp. If he told her how he really felt she would get up and leave. Or maybe not. She’d been pretty blunt about her feelings.

“You sure you’re ready for it? Because what I feel is pretty damn scary.

Nodding eagerly, she beckoned with her hand. “Give it to me, baby.”

“I feel like I’m capable of killing any man you show interest in. So if you don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s untimely death, please ignore all other males.”

She sighed. “Oh, that’s so sweet.”

Her reaction was not what he’d expected. Instead of being appalled by his murderous inclinations, she thought them sweet? Something was wrong with the girl.

He shook his head. “You’re strange.”

By the grin spreading across her face, she’d taken it as a compliment. “I know. I wouldn’t go as far as killing anyone you dared ogle, but I could think of a nasty thing or two I would like to do to them.” She pointed a finger at him. “Some girls might not mind their men’s eyes straying, but if I catch you staring at another woman for more than a couple of seconds, you’ll be in big trouble, mister.”

“Come here.” He lifted her and deposited her in his lap. “You have nothing to worry about. I have eyes only for you.”