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I tell myself I'll get up in a few minutes.
But then Sophie sighs and snuggles her back against me, as if she wants me to hold her, and I feel such a hot…yearning…that I can't help myself. I put my hand on her waist and hold her tightly as she sleeps. She's not allowed to hurt herself anymore. It messes me up too badly. I had a hard time thinking straight when she made those little sounds of pain in her throat, sounds I'm not even sure she was aware she was making. Her hands were hurting her badly, and I was so focused on taking care of her that I paid no attention to the nakedness of her body.
I'm thinking about it now, though.
I'm thinking about the soft, rounded curves of her ass, and the little dimples she has at the base of her spine instead of a tail. I'm thinking about her strong thighs and the smooth, flawless skin. I'm thinking about her elegant shoulders and those upthrust breasts with tight nipples, and how they jiggled when I washed them, how she sucked in a breath when my fingers grazed over them. I think about the patch of dark curls covering her cunt, as if they're hiding what's underneath. I should definitely not be thinking about the flare of her hips, or how her waist is so small I can span it with my hands.
She's not mine, I remind myself. She doesn't want an alien male. That possibility has been destroyed for her.
So I breathe in the scent of her damp hair as she sleeps, like the creep that I am, and I hold her close for just a little bit longer. Then, I force myself to get out of bed. My cock is hard and aching, but I don't touch it. That seems wrong. Instead, I pull on a pair of trou and think about everything I need to get done. I have to fix up the pipe, because I can't leave the water off in the terrarium. The plants will die, and Sophie loves those plants. Then, I'll need to clean up the muddy smears on the flooring and in the lavatory, and toss her filthy clothing into the cleansing station.
She'll be hungry when she wakes up, so she'll need food, too.
I grab my tools quietly and give the sleeping human one last look. Her naked back is visible, the delicate line of her spine making my fingers twitch with the urge to touch it. To caress it and let her know she's safe.
Kef me, I have it bad. How Adiron is going to laugh at my infatuation when he returns.
I head toward the terrarium, passing the carinoux as I do. He's heading into my quarters—no doubt to look after his mistress—and the sight of that makes me feel better for leaving her side. "You go take care of her," I tell him as I move down the hall. Despite the mud everywhere, the pipe's an easy fix, so I take care of it and the cleanup, then check for messages from the Little Sister. Nothing, but I do have a message from an old buddy who runs a pirate crew. He'll be in the area in a few days and has some salvage for me, so I send the go-ahead.
I'll hide Sophie while he's here. No one ever stays long anyhow, and I make sure they don't feel welcome.
When I head back to my quarters, Sophie's still asleep, the carinoux pressed against her back and sprawled across my bed. Doesn't leave me a lot of options; I can't work and wake her up, can't join her in bed. So I make a big batch of noodles and when it's simmering quietly on the burner, I try to find those books I know I have around here somewhere. I imagine the smile on Sophie's face and it motivates me to keep digging, even when my limbs start to ache.
By the time I find them, my bad arm is jumping, the circuits flaring with feedback. I knew it'd happen, so I ignore it and pull out the small crate with the human artifacts. I don't know what half of it is, but I hope she likes it.
When I return to my quarters, she's awake, though still lying in bed. The big carinoux is gone and Sophie is alone. She wriggles a little deeper under the blankets, until her bare shoulders are covered, and blushes as she looks over at me. "I'm naked."
"Didn't realize you slept in clothing." I set the crate down for later, when she's feeling better. There's no rush, and I don't want to seem too eager.
"Don't you?"
I shrug, acutely aware that I'm not wearing a tunic myself. I rub my bad arm, teasing away some of the worst of the feedback, and then grab one of my tops and sling it over my head. I pull a second one out and move to her side. "You can wear this. The sleeves are big enough that they shouldn't bother your hands."
