Page 72 of The Alien's Private Redemption

"I want to be close to you. I'm not sure what else I want but I know I want that. And I have some questions about how everything…works."

Zoric grinned. "When a boy and girl like each other very much, sometimes they-"

Angela laughed. "No, I know how that works. But, how do you work? Do you even have compatible boy parts?"

"The important parts will fit," he said. "Everything else is going to require some finesse. Including my ability to kiss you."

"You did okay in the interrogation room," she pointed out. "I didn't realize you could shift parts of your body like that."

"I didn't either," he admitted. "I'm learning as much about this as you are. I don't want to hurt you but I can't deny my need to be near you. To touch you. And I don't think that need is going to restrict itself to cuddling."

"So we have to talk about it," Angela agreed. "Because I don't think so, either. We've been distracted by the interrogation but I didn't forget what it felt like when I touched you while I was in my cell. That's not going to get less intense if we're sharing a bed."

"It grows with every moment we're together," Zoric said. "And it has been a struggle to block everything that wasn't strictly necessary today. I don't know that I'll be able to manage it much longer."

Angela closed her eyes and he could feel her probing at their Bond, and the barrier he'd erected to keep both of them safe and sane. Finally, she sighed.

"I'm exhausted and I still just want a hot shower and a nap. Everything about this situation tells me that I should object to sleeping with you but I can't. So, because I haven't completely given up my good sense, I'm going to ask you to not crawl into bed with me while I'm asleep. Because I trust you, but I don't trust what I'll do when I'm unconscious and vulnerable."

Zoric thought about it for a moment then nodded. He understood the conflict she was struggling with and could feel her need for something lighter. "That's fair. Now, can I help you get to the shower?"

With a laugh, Angela shook her head. "You're not going to offer to help me in the shower?"

"First, I have to get you to the shower," he said, with a wink. "One step at a time, right?"

"Fastest way to do anything," she agreed. "And yes, you can help me walk to the shower, but I'm not going to be getting into it just yet. I'm going to see how I manage washing my face."

He finished taking off her shoes, then offered his hand to help her stand up. When she swayed on her feet, he wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close. Her legs may have been moving but she wasn't putting much weight on them and that was fine as far as he was concerned.

The bathroom was small, barely enough room for the shower, sink, and toilet, but Zoric wasn't going to leave her alone so he squeezed himself into the confined space. Angela leaned heavily against the sink and her head bent forward. Zoric could feel her exhaustion beating at him and had to fight the urge to carry her back to the bed.

Finally, she leaned forward and turned on the water, letting it run over her fingers to test the temperature. He could taste the rising heat in the air and worried it would get too hot. When she leaned forward for the washcloths next to the sink, he handed one to her so she wouldn't lose her balance.

"I don't know why I'm so tired all of a sudden," Angela complained while she ran the washcloth under the water. "I didn't really do anything all day."

Zoric settled his hand on her back, the contact made him feel better than just standing there did, and Angela didn't object. "Didn't you? I would think searching for memories while someone poked around in your head would be considered something. As well as having a trigger hit and removed. Even if you survived without the need for medical intervention, that takes energy."

Angela shrugged and ran the washcloth over her face, removing the layer of soap she'd just applied to her skin. Hecould smell the scent of the soap, the oil from her skin, and the layer of sweat and dirt that had accumulated during the interrogation. And under all of it, a smell that was only her.

"I guess," she said. "But I think you and Ae-cha did most of the work for that."

"But it was in your brain," he pointed out. "If you have surgery, the surgeon may do most of the work, but you're going to be the one who needs more time to recover."

She dropped the used washcloth in the sink and he handed her a dry one. He didn't know how he knew she would want it but he did. When she'd finished patting her face dry, she turned back to the bedroom and he couldn't restrain himself any longer. He had her in his arms, close to his chest, for the few strides it took to get her back to the bed.

"Take off what you need to be comfortable under the blanket," he instructed and she made a face.

"I still don't need your help," she said.

"Which is why I'm not helping, I'm waiting for you to get comfortable so I can see that you're resting before I go and check in with Colonel Schuh."

"Oh," she said, and blinked. "I forgot you needed to do that. I thought you were going to join me."

"I have no greater desire right now than to do just that," Zoric told her. "But I have other duties to carry out and I do not wish to delay them more than necessary."

She nodded and pulled her shirt off. When she struggled to push her pants past her hips, he could feel her frustration across their Bond. Instead of grabbing the fabric the way he wanted to, he lifted her and let the friction with the bed do the work. With a wry smile, she reached under the back of her undershirt then leaned forward and pulled her bra straps down her arms.

"That's a handy trick," he said, making note of how she'd done it.

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