Grayson (Completed)

Three

I was taking my nightly shower, enjoying the hot water and the amazing shower itself, when I noticed a dark shape through the steamy shower door.  I cautiously opened the door to see Grayson standing there, leaning against the marble countertop as if waiting patiently for me to finish.

Slamming the water off, I grabbed my towel as I wrenched open the door.  Wrapping the towel securely around myself I snapped at him “Who the hell do you think you are?”

Why was he in here?  How in the hell did he get in here?  I was sure I had locked the door – both the one in my bedroom and the bathroom door as well.

“The man who has looked after this property and the creatures on it for years,” he said passionately in my face, his hot breath flaring against my dripping, wet skin.  “And I will be damned if I let you ruin everything I have done.  Even if the house is yours.”

“Stay the hell away from me!” I all but shouted in his face, fed up with the weird ways he was acting.  Not to mention walking in on me while I was in the shower.  “I’m not planning on changing anything, so you can just calm down!”

He leaned closer to me until his mouth was only centimeters from my ear, his raspy voice causing all sorts of glorious but unwelcome effects on my skin.  “Why don’t I believe you?”

I tried to shove him away, but he was too strong – Grayson was pure muscle, and he knew it too.  My breaths were coming out in pants and I clenched my eyes shut to try and gain some semblance of control.  “Leave me alone.”

“Sure,” he replied easily.  “If you leave me alone.”

“My pleasure,” I growled to him, securing my hands on the top of my towel that was threatening to slip down.  That only drew his eyes to where my hands were, and his eyes darkened even more than they already were.

“One more thing,” he said, his voice back to normal.

“What?” I asked, exasperated. 

“Stay away from the third floor.”

“Why?” His request made no sense whatsoever.

“It’s my private quarters and the attic.  Claire was nice enough to give me full access to the space for my personal use.  I would appreciate it if you respected my privacy.”  His request made a little more sense now.

“Like you’ve respected mine?” I asked through gritted teeth.  I was seconds away from trying to punch him in the nose.  Most likely it would cause me more harm than him, though.

“You forget,” he said, tapping a finger on my nose and making me flinch violently away from him.  “This was my home first, not yours.”

“It’s mine now,” I told him.  “But fine.  If it makes you leave me alone, then I won’t go to the third floor.”  Like hell.  I was going up there the second he left the house.

“Thank you,” he said before he turned the knob on the door and left me standing alone in the bathroom, dripping water onto the tile and wondering what the hell had just happened, and what the hell was wrong with Grayson Kires.

I entered to the bedroom after putting on my pajamas to find Edgar curled up on the bedspread near the pillow.  Rubbing a hand over his head I muttered to him “Some guard cat you are.  I thought you were supposed to hate him.”

My response was a mix between a growl and a purr, and I just ignored it while I pulled the covers back to get into the bed.  I turned the lamp on the bedside table off and rested my head on the pillow.  A few seconds later, a soft, furry body snuggled up next to me and curled into my body.  I ran a hand over Edgar’s fur as he purred, letting it lull me enough to lose consciousness.