Free Silas: Imperial Warrior (A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance) by Ashley West Page A

really. "And he'd already come a long way."
    "I still think you're hiding something."
    Katia huffed. "Well maybe it's none of your business, Ava. Did you ever think of that? Just because I have someone staying with me, doesn't mean you get to pry into my personal life like this."
    "We're friends , Katia," Ava said, looking taken aback. "Or I thought we were, anyway."
    "We are friends. But sometimes you need to learn when to let things go." She turned away before Ava could reply, putting down her trays. "Jerry, I'm leaving now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye, Ava."
    "Bye," Ava said, sounding as stunned as she looked.
    Katia felt bad about how she'd spoken to her, but honestly, she didn't know what else she was meant to do. Ava was her friend, but she was also a busybody, and she knew that if she told her the truth, it would spread, and either people wouldn't believe her and would think she was crazy, or they would believe her and everything would get chaotic and weird.
    Plus, she didn't know if Silas wanted people to know he was on Earth, and she didn't want to be the one who blew his cover, if he had one.
    Honestly, she didn't know much at all about what Silas was doing on Earth. She knew that he had crash landed here, and she knew that he was supposed to be letting his people know about some threat, but other than that, she had no idea what his plans were.
    They hadn't talked all that much the night before, really. He'd woken up that afternoon and then had immediately gone out to find the wreckage of his ship. Apparently after wandering for a while, he'd been unable to retrace his steps back to it, and had come back to her house in defeat and didn't speak to her again.
    It had been an awkwardly quiet night, and Katia was a bit miffed at getting the silent treatment in her own house, but she still didn't really know how to talk to this man who wasn't even from her planet.
    "What do you do?"
    It was the first question that greeted her when she came through the front door that evening.
    Silas was standing there, and—oh god— he was shirtless.
    His bandages had been removed, though, and the wounds seemed to already be healing. Katia was reaching out to touch one that was already fading to shiny scar tissue before she caught herself and curled her fingers into a fist and pulled it back.
    He was so...muscular. And so well put together. And she realized that she was standing in the middle of her entry way, practically ogling the alien man who had crash landed and somehow ended up in her yard. Katia shook herself. Hard.
    "What?"
    "You said you were going to work. What do you do?"
    "I...run an inn."
    "An inn."
    He didn't sound impressed, and Katia bristled.
    "Yes, an inn. I know it's not as fancy as being a member of the military, and the Champion of whatever it is you're the Champion of, but it's what I've wanted to do my whole life."
    "Why?"
    The question brought her up short.
    "What?"
    "Why?" Silas repeated. "Why was that what you wanted to do? I don't say that to judge your profession, of course. I'm only curious."
    "Oh." Katia blinked, still feeling like she was on the back foot with him and unsure of what he was really asking. She needed a cup of tea.
    He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she went about boiling the kettle and measuring out her loose leaf peppermint. It was a ritual that always calmed her down, and surprisingly enough, not even Silas standing there, watching her curiously, could take the relaxation out of it.
    Silas didn't ask his question again, either. He just stood there, letting her do what she needed to do, and when she had a steaming cup in her hand, she leaned against the counter and sighed softly.
    "It's not some great story, you know," she said. "I can't stand here and tell you that I always felt a calling to be in the hospitality business. I just..." Katia shrugged. "When I was a kid, my parents took me and a couple of my cousins on a trip up the coast. We stayed in this bed and