Page 69 of Her Alien Neighbor

She is giggling, and the sound brings me immense joy. “Stellar twirl, sir.” Bending down, she loosens the straps around her ankles and kicks off her shoes.

I take her hand and pull her into the center of the living room, moving the coffee table aside.

“What are you up to?” she asks, giving me a sideways glance.

“You shall see,” I reply coyly. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I pull up my music app and find a generic romance playlist and press play. Then I bow before her. “May I have this dance?”

She offers her best curtsy and allows me to take the lead. I am not a skilled dancer, so we mostly sway while turning in a small circle, but I do not care because her body is pressed against mine and her hands are clasped at the back of my neck.

“You look gorgeous, by the way,” I tell her, running a finger along her jaw. “This dress…” I trail off, lost for words. That is how exquisitely this dress fits her. It is molded to her body like a second skin, showing off the most delectable parts of her. I am just glad the only eyes on her right now are mine.

“Thank you,” she says, dropping her chin. It is not something she usually does when complimented, and I am filled with rage that she is doing it now. It is as if she does not believe my words, when every time I have complimented her previously, she nodded in agreement while saying “thank you.” This is not like her. I crook a finger beneath her chin and lift it. “A queen never cowers, Vanessa.”

She smirks. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” I tell her. “The queen of Sufoi lifted her chin so high at public functions that she was practically looking behind her. It is a sign of confidence. You have it, so do not hide it.”

I lift her hand between us. “Is that not what this symbolizes?” I ask, pointing to the delicate crown tattoo on her finger.

Vanessa smiles. “I suppose I wanted it to remind me of my worth.”

“Well,” I say, putting her hand back around my neck, “when the tattoo fails to provide that reminder, I shall be happy to do so.”

Her eyes dart back and forth between mine. “Tell me more.”

“About the queen of Sufoi? Lovely female. Quite ruthless, actual––”

“No!” she shouts through laughter. “About you. About your past. I want to know everything.”

The song ends, and it reminds me of something important. “Before I tell you every single thing about me,” I say, stepping out of her embrace, and striding toward the kitchen island. I spot the object I bought yesterday in the hopes that she would change her mind and ask me to accompany her to the reunion, and quickly hide it behind my back before returning to her. “I would like to give you this.” I hold it out for her and gauge her reaction.

“Is that a corsage?” she asks, her nose scrunched in a puzzled manner as she looks up at me.

“It is,” I reply, opening the clear plastic shell. I drop the container on the coffee table and hold the band of the corsage out for her. “You see, Lady Norton had us watch many romantic movies to help us gain a better understanding of what human women want. Whenever there was a formal event at a high school, I noticed these flower bracelets were given to the females.”

She slides her hand through the elastic band, then examines the flowers closely.

“I do not know if it is right,” I admit, now feeling foolish. “I realize I was not your date this evening, but I thought you would enjoy it.” Perhaps it is the wrong thing to give for a reunion. The flowers don’t exactly match her dress, either. I should have listened to Kyan and given her a rose. This was a mistake. “You do not have to wear it, if you do not want to.”

Her eyes lift to meet mine, tears mere seconds away from spilling onto her cheeks. “I love it,” she says, her bottom lip trembling. “It’s the sweetest gift anyone has ever given me.”

That astonishes me.Thisis the sweetest gift she has ever received? “What about the pink candy?” I ask, half-joking.

Vanessa’s mouth falls open as loud, uninhibited laughter comes tumbling out. She laughs so hard, she bends at the waist, putting a hand on my chest for support as she continues to howl. “No, the candy was good too,” she eventually says upon catching her breath. “This is really thoughtful, though. Thank you.”

I pull her back into my arms as the next song begins. “My pleasure. I enjoy giving you pretty things.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Well, you can certainly continue giving me pretty things,” she says as if offering a generous piece of advice. “I won’t mind. Not even a little bit.”

I smile, knowing I should keep the next question to myself, but I cannot help it. “Does that mean you wish to continue spending time with me?”

She answers with her lips pressed against mine. Our feet stop moving as our mouths and tongues connect, doing a dance of their own. It is a kiss filled with hunger, but more longing. Slow and sensuous, I drink from her lips as if they are my only source of sustenance. My hands move from the small of her back to her hips, then down to her ample backside. I squeeze the soft flesh, loving how she feels in my hands.

“Oh, hello, there,” a voice calls out cheerfully. I know before pulling my lips away from Vanessa’s that it is Mylo interrupting us.

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