Page 10 of Her Alien Soldier
“Warm. Inviting. Honest,” he said quietly, and she gave a small shake of her head.
“That may be the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my quarters. Most Earthlings don’t understand my love of these old things,” she said, nodding toward the display ledges.
“They do not need to understand. They seem to fit you. At least what I know of you.”
“Thank you,” she said softly, and he nodded.
He seemed to be about to say something, then clamped his mouth shut.
“What is it?” she gently prodded him.
“That Bellarian band. Do you know much about them?” he asked after a moment.
She raised her eyebrows.
“No. They play here pretty regularly, but other than small talk when they have a question about something or are putting their orders in for the night, I haven’t talked to them much. Why?”
He seemed hesitant, and she gave him time. She folded her legs beneath her and glanced at the teacup on the table. “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Water?” she asked.
She watched as his gaze went to the teacup as well. “Is this tea from your home planet?”
“It is. Chamomile. It’s said to be soothing and I know it’s usually had that effect on me.”
He nodded. “If it is not too much trouble…”
“Not at all.” She smiled and stood up, carrying her cup over to her kitchenette and turning on the sonic kettle. She took another cup down, a larger one that would look less like a toy teacup in his hands, and added a tea bag to each cup. Within seconds, the water was hot and she poured, setting the cups aside to give the tea time to brew. She could feel his gaze on her as she worked,and it reminded her again of how small her space felt with him in it.
But not in a bad way, or a threatening way. The opposite.
She turned and smiled at him. “It’ll just be a minute while it steeps.”
He nodded, his dark gaze on her as they waited. “What do you do on your days off?” he asked after a moment.
“Read. Sometimes I knit or crochet. Cook. Spend time with friends,” she said with a shrug. “I’m not very exciting during my time off. I sort of feel like I’m ‘on’ when I’m working. By the time I’m home all I want is quiet.”
“And here I am invading your space,” he said, giving a small shake of his head.
“No. If I hadn’t wanted to spend time with you, I wouldn’t have invited you in, Xarek.”
His gaze caught hers again, and it felt impossible to look away, like there was an invisible force between them, holding her gaze to his.
It should have been annoying. Should have made her want to crawl out of her skin. All she felt was warm.
And excited. That too.
“What about now? Do you feel like you are, as you put it, ‘on,’ now?”
She shook her head. “No… I’ve never felt the need to try to act interested for your benefit. It just happens naturally.”
He was doing the thing again, holding her gaze. It was nearly a physical thing, and she took a shaky breath. He seemed to take mercy on her, glancing toward her book collection, and she turned back to the teacups. She removed the tea bags with shaky hands, tossing them into the compost collector. It would be usedon the lowest level to grow at least some of the food used by the station. Nothing was wasted.
She carried the cups over to the seating area and set them on the table before taking her seat beside him again, tucking her feet beneath her. She watched him as he picked the cup up and sniffed it. His eyes widened. “This smells a little like you,” he rumbled, and she felt her face heat. He realized what he said and shot her a look. “When you were sitting beside me in the corridor the other day, I could not help but notice that you smell pleasant.”
She smiled. “Thank you. You smell pleasant, too.”
He gave a shake of his head. “That is being generous, I think.”
“Not at all,” she picked her cup up and took a sip, watching him over the rim of her cup. “You smell clean and warm and peaceful.”
