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And through it all, Melinda watched him with wide eyes and asked many, many questions as she curled comfortably in his lap. It was like they were getting to know each other in reverse order, Liosh thought. Normally it would take days or maybe even weeks of talking politely with a female for her to feel comfortable enough to sit in your lap. But with Melinda, the two of them just seemed to fit together so well—like puzzle pieces that were meant to be joined.
“This is so nice,” she sighed at last, after they had been talking for what seemed like hours. “I mean, cuddling like this—even though we’re only practicing.”
Liosh smothered a smile.
“I like it too,” he confessed. “It’s very comfortable.”
“I used to sit like this with my dad when I was a little girl, all cuddled up in his lap,” Melinda said dreamily. “Until I got too big when I was around twelve and he stopped letting me. Um, not that I have ‘daddy issues’ or anything,” she added quickly.
Liosh frowned. “What are ‘daddy issues?’”
“Oh, you know…” Melinda waved a hand vaguely. “Sometimes when a girl doesn’t get enough attention or affection from her father, she goes, uh, looking for it elsewhere. Like in other men.” Her cheeks were getting pink as she explained. “But it’s not like that with me, honestly.”
Liosh didn’t understand.
“Why would it be bad if you had these ‘daddy issues,’ though?” he asked. “Why shouldn’t you want to get the love and affection you missed as a child? Especially if you have a male who wants to give it to you?”
“Oh, uh…” Melinda bit her lip. “It’s just that girls with daddy issues are supposed to be needy and wanting attention all the time.” She shrugged. “You know.”
“No, I don’t.” Liosh honestly didn’t see the issue. “Why is it bad for a female to want to be cuddled and held by a male? Why is it bad for her to want his attention and affection?”
“Well, because…it gets on a lot of guys’ nerves, I guess,” Melinda said. “I mean, most guys are happy to cuddle as long as it leads to, you know, sex…” Her cheeks got red. “But there aren’t many who are willing to just sit there and hold you if there’s no sex on the table at all.” She looked at him shyly. “The way you’ve been holding me.”
“I like holding you,” Liosh admitted. “Even if we weren’t practicing looking like a romantic couple, I would still want to hold you, Melinda.”
“You’re so sweet,” she whispered. “I really do feel like a little girl again being held like this.” She sighed. “I know it sounds silly.”
“It’s not silly at all,” Liosh protested. “Tell me more about it—what it was like when your father held you.” After all, she’d spent the last few hours quizzing him about his background, home planet, and family He wanted to know more about hers.
“Oh, sometimes we made up silly stories together,” Melinda said, smiling. “And sometimes he told me about his day. And sometimes he just held me and we watched TV together. I used to fall asleep in his lap sometimes and then I would wake up when he was tucking me into bed. But I would keep my eyes closed, you know, and pretend I was still sleeping because it felt so nice and warm and secure to be tucked in like that.”
“I imagine so,” Liosh murmured, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucking it gently behind her ear. “What a beautiful memory.”
Melinda nodded. “And every once in a while when I was sitting there, he would squeeze me tight in his big strong arms and kiss me on the forehead.” Her smile grew until an adorable dimple appeared on her right cheek. “That was the best of all—he called them ‘Daddy-bear-hugs.’ He was the Daddy bear and I was the baby bear, you know.” She nibbled her lower lip in apparent embarrassment. “Wow, when I say that out loud it sounds so immature.”
“I think it sounds nice,” Liosh murmured. “Very warm and caring. But why did your father stop holding you?”
Melinda shrugged sadly.
“He said I was getting too old to be sitting in his lap. I’m not for sure, but I think that might have been right around the time he started having an affair with his secretary. He pretty much pulled away from the whole family then—my mom included.”
“Having an affair?” Liosh asked, frowning.
“Cheating,” Melinda clarified. “You know—having sex with one person while you’re still married to another?”
Liosh frowned. “That is reprehensible. Human males actually do that?”
“Kindred males don’t?” she countered, obviously surprised.
“Of course not. When you’re bonded to the one female in the universe the Goddess has chosen just for you, why would you go looking for anyone else?” Liosh asked reasonably.
