"No. No way. This has got to be some sort of prank." She looked around the living room. "Is this some stupid reality show? Got cameras hidden to broadcast how I freak out?"
His soft chuckle caressed her ears. "I'm sorry to say, no. I'm the real deal." He headed for the kitchen. "I'll make some toast and coffee, something light. Don't want to shock your system too much."
"A man in the kitchen is enough to do that," Cassie said with a chuckle as he moved out of sight.
Her attention went back to her cell phone, now sitting unguarded on the small table by the fireplace.
"You can call if you want to," Alec said from the kitchen, as if he'd read her mind, "but do you honestly want to have a reputation of being a crank caller on Christmas? I'll be gone before they arrive."
Letting out a stream of curses, she got to her feet.
He was right—odds were if she called the local police, it'd be bumped to the state troopers who would take some time to arrive. Then she'd have to explain how the otter she tried to save turned into a man, who had left long before the patrol car pulled up. There was little chance of convincing them of the truth—she still wasn't sure what was going on.
Funny thing was, she didn't feel threatened at having him in her house. Not that she couldn't handle herself—you didn't run a bar without knowing how to toss someone out on his/her ass with a minimum of effort.
Still...
She made her way into the kitchen where Alec was busy pouring a second cup of coffee, using the Pittsburgh Steelers mugs her father had loved.
"You drink coffee?" Cassie asked.
"Of course. And eat more than just fish. I'm not in the water all the time." He pushed her mug forward, across the scratched and dented counter top. "Usually I have clothing as well, when I'm on land." Alec looked down at the pelt. "This is comfortable but hardly practical, given the situation."
Her stomach growled at the smell of the bread toasting, prompting her to press one hand to the sweatshirt.
Alec raised an eyebrow. "Seems you're hungry. That's a good sign."
"I guess." She couldn't help smiling. "And no nausea, so I think I'm safe."
The coffee was the way she liked it—rich and black. "I might have something that could fit you. My father..." The thoughts clogged her mind for a few seconds, holding it hostage. "My father passed away recently. I have a trunk with his old clothing in it, was going to take it to the church store next week. Something there might fit you."
He frowned. "My sympathies on your loss." He took a sip of coffee. "I'd appreciate that."
"Let me go upstairs, see what I have while you make up the toast," Cassie said.
He tilted his head to one side, giving her a smile. "I'll be here when you come back down." Alec headed for the toaster. "Butter in the fridge, I assume. Jam?"
"In there as well. Strawberry."
"Excellent." He smacked his lips. "I love strawberries."
She tried not to focus on his mouth and failed, miserably.
She picked up the cell phone as she went through the living room, heading upstairs. A glance at the clock showed it was close to noon.
Calling the police was still an option.
Except...
She put the phone down on the side table in the spare bedroom before going over to the footlocker at the end of the bed. This room had once been her father's. Now it was empty, Cass not feeling comfortable moving in. Her bedroom was next to it, the two rooms the only ones on that floor.
The trunk was heavy, taking two tries to throw the lid open and look inside.
Cassie hadn't been lying—dropping the clothing off at the church had been on her schedule.
She just wasn't ready to let the last of him go.
A short search came up with a new pair of jeans she'd bought for her father not long before he'd passed, and a black t-shirt—in the same category.
It'd do for now.
She went back down to see Alec stoking the fire, kneeling down in front of the fireplace.
From this angle...
Whoa.
She wasn't a prude. She'd dated in high school, lost her virginity to a football player at Penn State when she'd gone off to earn a degree and had seen a few fellows since then.
Cass knew what men looked like.
This—this was a man.
The slip of fur in the front covered, well... his front. The thong circled his waist, keeping the pelt snug on his hips. Except now, she had a full view of his naked ass, the lovely toned muscles begging to be pinched and caressed and squeezed...
He glanced over his shoulder with a smirk.
Busted.
He rose and came over to her. "Toast is ready. That for me?"
Cassie dropped her gaze to the clothing in her hands. "Yes." She cleared her throat. "Yes. I hope they'll fit." She shoved them at him as if they were on fire. "Excuse me for a minute."
She went into the bathroom and closed the door. The tub still held a bit of water, the soaked towel smeared with dried blood.
She sat on the toilet and shook her head.
This had to be a dream. Some sort of drugged hallucination. Delayed reaction to losing her father.
Perhaps she'd fallen into the river on the way home and was lying in the mud with hypothermia...
A soft knock came at the door. "You okay?"
"Yes." She went to the sink, splashed water on her face. "How's the clothing?"
"They fit just fine. Thank you."
She opened the door to see Alec standing there, now fully dressed. He spread his hands with a sheepish grin. "How do I look?"
"Fine."
Damned fine.
"Come on and eat," he said. "It's not much, but it's getting cold."
She followed him into the kitchen, taking the time to compose herself.
Get it together. It's not like you've never seen a man before.
A man, no. A shapeshifter…
She gave an invisible nod to her unseen self as Alec came over with the toast.
They ate in silence, leaning on the small wooden island and forsaking the dining room table nearby.
"So..." Cassie bit her lip, unsure how to start the strangest conversation of her life.
Alec chuckled. "Let's go down the bullet points. Yes, I can shift into an otter. No, I don't take the clothing with me; it stays behind on the floor. No, I don't know where the extra mass goes when I shift, breaking the laws of science. No, I'm not the last of my kind, I have family. Mother, father, two older brothers and lots of extended family."
He picked up the last piece of toast, liberally smeared with strawberry jam. "Anything else?"
She shook her head, mind racing. "Nothing at the moment." She frowned, flashing back to their initial meeting. "Were you clipped by a barge?"
"I did. My own fault—napping and not paying attention to what was nearby. Usually I hear them coming, feel the drumming through the water. Except this time..." He studied the still-healing gouge in his leg. "You came along and, well... here I am."
Alec collected the plates. "Before you ask—I heal faster as a human than as an otter, which is why I changed back in the tub. I was hoping to sneak out this morning before you woke up, but that didn't work out."