I didn’t have much time.
Kas was still sleeping.
Not in my bed.
Not on the couch (seeing as it was currently my workstation).
But outside.
I’d woken in the night and padded down the corridor for a glass of water, only to find Kas had taken my pillow and a spare blanket into the garden and lay in the middle of the overgrown lawn.
The moon hadn’t been bright enough to tell me if he was asleep or was just watching the fading stars, but after my prior experiences of waking him and not being in the mood to be strangled if he was having a nightmare, I chose to leave him be.
He was still on my property. Still within the fence that kept both of us safe. If he wanted to sleep outside, that was his choice. He had to do whatever he could to help his transition from forest to suburbia.
Smiling into the camera on my laptop, I waved. “Hey, guys. Long time, I know. Sorry for the delay in videos!” I sighed, trying to get my thoughts in order. I should probably have drafted something to say instead of jumping on impulsively.
The counter at the top of the screen reported more and more people tuning in, leaving me slightly nervous with the sort of feedback I was about to receive.
“Firstly, I want to say thank you to those who defended my absence. You guys have my back, and I’m very grateful! I’ll have plenty more climbing tutorials, outdoor boulders, and technique breakdowns very soon. For now, though, I guess I better let you know where I’ve been!” I paused, watching the comments flood in.
Hi!
OMG, you’re back!
Yay! You’re not dead.
I smiled at that one, speaking into the camera. “No, I’m not dead. I went on a boulder hunt and got stuck in a valley with no reception or way out. One day, I’ll do a video on what you should and shouldn’t do if you come across an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere, but for now, I can say I’m back, I’m fine, and I can’t wait to get back to work!”
More comments flooded in.
You were gone for AGES. How did you survive so long?
What did you eat?
Did you become Bear Grylls?
“Who’s Bear Grylls?” a raspy voice asked over my shoulder.
I jumped and twisted, coming nose to nose with Kas as he leaned over the back of the couch, his eyes darting over the screen and the multiple comments flying faster every second. His eyes narrowed as he figured out that the screen was actually mirroring us, revealing me sitting in my morning workout gear and him...looking as wild as the day I’d met him.
His hair had grass in the long strands. There was dirt smudged on his cheek as if he’d been pulling weeds in the dead of night, and his eyes were once again haunted beneath a veneer of calm emotion I expected he’d done his best to cultivate outside, to hide the pieces of himself that weren’t coping, to prove he was okay so he wasn’t a burden on me.
It made me want to kiss him, hug him. I wanted to give him real peace, true happiness, not the in-between state he currently inhabited.
“Hi,” I whispered, my heart kicking as he gave me a gruff smile. Before I could tell him we were live, he bent and kissed me. His warm mouth enveloping mine, his beard scratching my skin, his tongue parting my lips as if he was seconds away from dragging me off the furniture and taking me on the floor.
“Ah, Kas?” I pulled away from the kiss with a slight laugh. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
I made the mistake of looking at the comments whizzing past.
OH EM GEEEE. Who is that hottie?
WTH! I want a kiss!
Where have you been hiding him, Gemma!
Gimme that hunk of a brooding caveman!
Kas’s eyes flew to the words appearing on the screen, unable to keep track with the waterfall of comments, all of them focused on him, his appearance, how much they’d like a piece, and how unfair it was of me not to share.
Huh.
The Bear Grylls comment got my mind spinning.
Kas wanted a way to earn his keep, to get paid so he could feel equal and not in debt. The only problem was, he’d never gone to school or university. He didn’t have a trade. He had no recommendations from prior employment. Yes, he could read, and I guessed he could write—I’d never asked—but as far as pieces of paper saying he was qualified at anything? He would struggle to find anything that would enrich his mind as well as his penniless bank account.
Unless...
Scooting to the side, I patted the couch beside me. “Come join me.”
“What? No. I don’t—” His eyes widened as more comments catapulted on the screen.