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Melinda turned around to see him when he opened the door and her eyes went wide.
“Oh, wow!” she breathed, her eyes roaming over his broad, bare chest.
“I forgot to pack the top of my sleepwear,” Liosh said apologetically. “I can put on one of the cotton t-shirts I bought at the mall, if you like.”
“Oh, no. I mean, not if you don’t want to,” Melli said quickly. “I think you look fine just like that. Uh, more than fine,” she added and then her cheeks went pink with a blush.
Liosh was pleased that she liked the way his body looked because he certainly liked hers.
“Well, if you really don’t mind,” he said and came to sit beside her on the small loveseat.
As before, they were crammed in together but, also as before, Melinda didn’t seem to mind. She settled against his side happily, but Liosh wanted her closer.
He racked his brains, trying to think of a way to get her into his lap without sounding strange or perverted. He wished he could just offer to hold and cuddle her, but she might get the wrong idea. And after all, he wasn’t trying to find a way to get her to have sex with him—he genuinely just wanted to be near her and feel her soft little body resting against his own again.
At last he came up with an idea—it was a weak one, but he hoped it might work.
“Er…” He cleared his throat and Melinda turned to him.
“Yes?”
“Remember…” Liosh took a deep breath. “Remember when we agreed that we would pretend we’re in a romantic relationship and that I will be your ‘boyfriend’ so as not to attract unwanted attention?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. Of course.” Melinda’s cheeks went rosy again. “Of course I remember.”
“Well I wonder if this might be a good opportunity to…to practice?” Liosh said. “Not kissing or doing anything, uh, sexual,” he added hastily. “Just…holding each other. ‘Cuddling’ as you humans call it—so it will appear more natural when we act like lovers in public.”
“Oh, do…do you really want to?” Melinda’s eyes lit up like stars and he could smell her hopeful longing. She looked almost like someone who had been starving for years, suddenly offered a trip through an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Liosh frowned to himself. Did she really yearn to be touched that much? Why was she so starved for physical affection? Melinda was so beautiful and sweet—it seemed she could never lack for males willing to hold her close and give her the affection she so craved.
Maybe one of them did more than just cuddle her, a dark little voice whispered in his head. Maybe she’s been hurt in some way and that’s why she thinks she can’t have another relationship.
It might explain some things, but Liosh certainly hoped he was wrong. The thought of anyone hurting the adorable little female was monstrous. If he ever found out something like that had happened to her, he would want to seek out the perpetrator and skin him alive…slowly.
In the meantime, though, Melinda was still looking at him with that hopeful, hungry look that said she was starved for what he was offering her. Well, she certainly wasn’t going to starve for it while he was around, Liosh decided. He would cuddle her as much as she wanted—it would be his greatest pleasure.
“Yes, Melinda,” he murmured, smiling at her. “I really do want to hold you.”
That was all he had to say. She came to him at once and crawled into his lap like a little girl. Then she settled herself against his bare chest and sighed in happy contentment, nestling into him with warmth and trust that made Liosh’s heart fist in his chest.
“Comfortable, Talli?” he asked, using a nickname from his native language that meant something like “sweet little girl.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She sighed contentedly and snuggled even closer. Her soft, curvy body felt wonderful against his and her hair was silky against his bare skin. Liosh was suddenly very glad he had forgotten to pack his sleep shirt.
“What do you want to watch?” he asked, when they were comfortably settled.
“Oh, anything…” Melinda murmured happily. “Or…we could just talk if you want to.” She turned her face up to look at him. “You could tell me about the planet you come from.”
“You really want to hear about Tranq Prime?” Liosh asked, amused at her curiosity. “It’s mostly just a lot of ice and snow and freezing winds and vrannas.”
“Yes, of course I want to know,” she insisted. “I want to major in Cultural Anthropology and spend my whole life studying other cultures. And what’s a vranna?”
So Liosh told her all about his home world—how the people there had to live underground in grottos because of the freezing surface temperature…how their domiciles were heated by hot springs running through the middle of the house… the living fabric they wore which could take any configuration and was called a tharp…the huge, hungry predators called vrannas that roamed the icy planes eating anything and anyone they could devour…
