Keys bounced and clacked against the door as she turned the lock, then the handle to open the door. Her apartment was pitch black, save the street lamp shining through the slats of the window shade on the living room wall. Caitlin pulled her keys out of the door and set them on the island counter in the kitchen, then flipped on the light before taking off her jacket.

"Really needs to be a light out there on the porch." Deacon was looking around, concerned for her safety. "Or you should just stay at my place." He wasn't concerned about anything in the apartment but was now concerned about outside it. He pushed the door closed and locked the locks, before turning around and looking around at her place again.

"I can't stay at your place," Cait told him with a smile. "And I'll talk to my landlord about getting a light out there, ok?" It wasn't like she was in a bad area. Then again, the marketplace did get blown up every other day...

"Why can't you?"

"Because?" She knew that wouldn't be a good enough answer for him. Cait bent to unzip her black boots and tossed them by the couch in the living room. "We haven't been dating long enough for that to be ok." She started heading to the bedroom so she could get changed.

He followed her toward the bedroom. "I'd know you were safe."

"A phone call would do that." Fingers unbuttoned her shirt deftly, the article of clothing falling away from her body to pool around her feet where she now stood by her dresser. A Rhydin Wargs t-shirt was pulled on and then the leather pants taken off. She turned to face him. "I just realized I don't have anything you can sleep in. None of your stuff is here."

"So? I sleep in nothing anyway..." He watched her and the shirt. "Is that mine?"

A blush crept onto her cheeks. Whoops. "Yes." Straight, white teeth clamped down on her lower lip as she stared at him.

He moved a bit closer. "I went through hell for that." Not really, but it sounded good. "Looks better on you..." Eyes moved over her face, then her body.

"Does it?" Of course it did. She performed a little pirouette for his viewing pleasure and grinned.

He did enjoy the show. "Why didn't you tell me that Cris was a guy?"

"I..." the word was drawn out, a little confused. "Kind of assumed that was a given? I don't know any girls named Cris. Alex is a girl, though."

"Cris is usually short for Cristine or something." His hand moved up her arm. "I assumed a girl, as Alex took you to the strip club..."

"Oh," she just shrugged. "Well, he's definitely not a girl. Is that a problem?"

"He seeing someone?"

"Not that I know of. I've never seen him with anybody." The smile had left her face. This line of questioning had her recalling how Alex had teased her about lunch with Cris, asking if they had kissed. Now Cait was wondering if she'd crossed some imaginary line by hanging out with her friend.

"He seems to like you." His fingers trailed along her arm to her shoulder and neck.

Goosebumps erupted along her skin in the wake of his scorching touch. Caitlin shook her head minutely. "It's not like that. We're just friends, Deacon."

Deacon shook his head slightly. "You are innocent, but I bet he's thinking more than friends with either of you."

Her arms snaked out to wrap around his waist. "Are you jealous?"

"I am." He moved in her embrace to face her. "I don't share well, at all."

"You're not sharing anything." So this was what was bothering him back at the inn. A small smile settled into place.

"Has he asked you out?"

"I..." the smile disappeared. "We had lunch a couple days ago. At the little chinese place around the corner. And we have plans to have lunch tomorrow. But it's not as anything but friends. He knows about you."

He nodded and his hands trailed up her back. "But, has he asked you out... more than a lunch thing, or said something about liking you?"

"No, nothing at all." Back arching slightly beneath his hands, which pressed their bodies together.

"If he does, you'll tell me?" His voice was quiet, calm even.

"Of course." Brown eyes were studying his face, hoping she'd alleviated his worry over the situation.

He leaned down then, and placed kisses along her shoulder. "You are my girl..."

Did she detect a note of possessiveness? Her head tipped to the side a little. "You don't need to worry about it at all, babe."

"I get a little grouchy seeing you in there, talking to some guy." He continued the kisses across her throat and to the other shoulder.

Swallowing audibly, her heart began to beat harder. "You shouldn't. Where is he now? Not here. I'm about to get into bed with you. And that's all that matters."

Deacon nudged her toward the edge of her bed. "You don't understand my exes, and that's not fair to you that I'd compare, I am trying to change." He was trying to calm down, his hands moving on her back to keep from going for her throat.

"Well I'm not them," she stated, jaw tensing defiantly. The backs of her legs hit the mattress and she sat down, leaning back on on her elbows.

He moved over her, and placed his elbows on either side of her. "I know, that's what I keep reminding myself. You are the best thing that's happened to me."

"The feeling's mutual." A wicked smile stretched across her face, shifting to lie flat on her back so she could wrap her arms around his neck. "I don't know exactly what she did to you, but your ex-girlfriend had better hope I never run into her." The strength of her dislike for Sarah probably had something to do with knowing a secret that she shouldn't.

"Just hope you don't ever have to come across her path."

"Why's that?"

"She's not a nice person." He started placing more kisses on flesh, trying to forget about exes.

"Let's not talk about her anymore. In fact, let's not talk at all."

He was already a step ahead of her. He stopped the kisses long enough to stand and start taking off his clothes. "Sorry."