Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
He pulls at the laces again.
I get a burst of shyness. I know I came here for sex, but…I want to be eased into things. I want a little romance, not just a quick bang. So I pry his fingers away. "Okay, now you're rushing me."
A'tam grins at me, all boyishness. "I know. I am all eagerness because I finally get to touch you."
That melts away some of my unease. I reach up to touch him, fascinated. His skin is like velvet, and such a creamy, light blue that it reminds me of the sky. To think that it's covering such a big frame makes me quiver just a little. "Can we sit down and talk a bit first?"
"Of course!" A'tam takes my hand and guides me into his hut. He pulls up an overstuffed pillow—one that I made, I notice—and indicates I should sit on it. I do and he immediately thumps down onto the floor next to me, leaning in close. He takes my hand in his and laces his fingers with mine. "I am glad you are here, tonight."
I lean close in an almost-nudge of my shoulder. "Because you don't want to sleep alone?"
"Does it sound foolish if I say yes?" He studies our joined fingers. They don't exactly fit together, because his are thick, sturdy things with large knuckles and tipped claws. "I made a hut to impress females, but you are not impressed, and it is a lonely space to sleep in." He runs one claw along my knuckles, pausing at my “extra” one. "Back on the island, we all slept in the same cave and it was comforting to hear the breath of others as they slept. It reminded me that despite all we had lost, we had not lost everyone. But here alone…no, I do not like it." A'tam glances up at me, his smile crooked and rueful.
My heart melts. Haven't I felt the same? The first few weeks here on the icy beach were devastating, coming to terms with the fact that I'd woken up on an alien planet and my old life was gone. I didn't have anyone in particular I'd miss other than friends, but it was the realization that I'd lost all that was familiar. As a result, we women have clung to each other quite a bit. We huddle together by the fire, we travel in pairs, and we all sleep in the same cave because it's comforting, like a big slumber party.
So yeah, I know exactly what he's saying.
I squeeze his hand. "Well, I'm glad you're here."
"Oh, I am glad of this, too." His gaze moves to my mouth, and he stares at my lips. I can practically tell what he's thinking. A'tam is pretty and fun, but he is not what I'd call “deep.” That's one of the things I find so appealing about him. After growing up with my ultra-serious mother who hated my sense of humor and sarcasm, I appreciate someone that can just have fun in the smallest ways. If I'm going to be stuck on an ice planet for the rest of my life, I might as well enjoy myself, right? And that starts with A'tam.
So I reach up and touch his cheek, stroking my fingers over it. He's incredibly warm, his khui keeping him far warmer than my khui keeps me. I'm a little jealous of that, but I suppose as long as I can snuggle up against him, I'm good. He closes his eyes, smiling at my touch, and I brush his beard. "So soft," I murmur. "That's always surprising to me."
"You should not tell a male that he is soft as you touch him," A'tam replies in a low voice. "You will make his pride shrivel."
"Your beard is soft, you nut." I stroke it again, because it's silky and pleasant to the touch, unlike a human male's facial hair, which can abrade a layer off a girl's skin when you kiss. "The rest of you is plenty hard, I'm sure."
"You can pet all of me and find out," he teases.
I'm torn between rolling my eyes and doing just that. So confident, this guy. I pull on his vest, dragging him closer until our faces line up, and then I kiss him.
Kissing A'tam is always different than kissing other men. I've had my share of dates in the past, and while most of them didn't turn into relationships, I consider myself decently experienced with kissing. It's a slippery dance of tongues, of tasting each other, of opening up to the other person and seeing if they appeal to you. Some men kiss terribly, and some kiss intensely well. After days of practicing together, A'tam falls somewhere in the middle of that, which I can't quite figure out. His tongue is amazing—all ridges that stroke and tease—when he's not jackhammering it into my mouth.