"Hey, Mom," I murmur casually.
"What are you doing with a boy in your house, Alyssa?" she scolds.
She's lost her mind, and Frankie deserves an ass kicking now. Keeping my voice in a whisper too low to even be heard by an immortal not standing directly beside me, I answer with agitation.
"Tell Frankie thanks for ratting me out."
"It could be dangerous. After last night-"
"He's human. Besides, I'm sure you've got Frankie watching the house for any possible intruders."
"You're sure he's human?" she worries.
"Very. I've been around him at midnight. He's also been alo
ne with me and hasn't tried anything"
She huffs out, not enjoying her total lack of control.
"Well, if something happens, just call for Frankie. He's tuned in."
He might want to tune out.
"Sure will."
"And be careful. Right now, you're less than a year away from your immortality. Your emotions, hormones… everything will be a little out of whack. Don't lose your innocence to some random guy simply because you don't have the control to stop."
"Not having this conversation," I grumble.
"If it gets too intense, just eat some of the carnations I left behind and a drop of honey."
I'm not eating flowers to keep from being horny.
"Got it."
I hang up quickly, and then I rush myself through the shower to cleanse away the burger and fries smell.
Staring at my drowned-rat imagery in the mirror, I sigh. Against all my better judgment, I use my magic to dry and style my hair while also making my makeup appear.
"Breaking my own damn rules so I can hurry up and be with a guy," I mumble under my breath, disgusted with my eagerness.
Deciding not to dwell on my pathetic excitement, I pull on tight pair of jeans and a shirt that drapes off the side of one of my shoulders. Feeling satisfied, I walk out to see Kane is no longer on the couch. A twinge of worry spreads as the thought of the night stalker making his way into my house crosses my mind.
"Kane?" I say a little too crackly.
"In here," he murmurs from the kitchen. "I hate burnt popcorn so I'm watching very closely. I thought you were getting ready."
I smirk as I walk into the kitchen, and he turns to face me with a smile until his eyes fall on my fully redone self. His smile falls, his eyes widen, and his mind becomes clogged with transparently scandalous thoughts.
"Something wrong?" I almost tease.
He swallows hard and then bites back a smile. "Not at all. I just wasn't expecting you to… well, you clean up fast."
"I learned to be quick, thanks to my mother. She's constantly bouncing around from one task to the next."
"Well, I'm impressed again."
I grin as I smell the hint of something familiar, and then my eyes point to the microwave.