He sounded a rumble of amusement. “Yes. Are you cold? Is that why you’re asking about the temperature?”
“I’m fine as long as I’m wearing a jacket,” she said, then pointed to her collar. “But I think Ruby would be much more comfortable with a little more heat. At least until I can make a little jacket for her.”
“A jeweled lizard wearing clothing?” he said with another amused rumble. “I think I’d like to see that.”
“Me too!” Amina could already picture it as she picked up the bug cage. She called out to the room to adjust the ambient temperature a few degrees. She was so used to bundling up she sometimes forgot other creatures couldn’t put extra clothes on. Then she turned to the cage full of sluggish bugs.
“Okay, let's see if we can figure out how to feed you.”
She picked up the cage then returned to sit on the edge of the bunk. How was she going to feed Ruby without letting any of the bugs loose?
She tested the small door on the top to see how it opened. A single bug managed to get loose despite Amina only slightly cracking it open.
Ruby was a lizard of action! She jumped from inside Amina’s collar onto the cage top, shooting out her tongue and catching the escaping bug. All of this was done faster than Amina could react.
“Well done, Ruby!” Amina said with a laugh. The lizard’s entire focus was on the cage door, as if she knew that was how to get to the food inside.
“She’s an excellent hunter,” Myrum said with enough pride in his voice that he might as well have taught her himself.
“She’s making it easy to feed her,” Amina said, lifting the cage door slightly to let out another bug. Two came out, and Ruby caught them both then returned her face to the door.
They kept doing this until Ruby turned her back to the door and tried to walk back up Amina’s arm. It was a clear indication the lizard was full. In fact, she had so many bugs in her belly she was moving without her normal grace and basically fell off Amina’s arm!
“Poor food-drunk Ruby,” Amina said with a laugh as she caught the lizard with one hand and helped her into the collar of her jacket. The creature felt cold against the skin of her neck, probably because her body was busy digesting her giant meal.
Turning back to face Myrum, she grabbed the tray of food. “Time for our breakfast.”
She set the tray on his lap and then sat down on the edge of the bunk facing him. Scooping up a spoonful of lightly flavored grain, she carefully dipped the spoon in the broth so he had the perfect amount of each for his first mouthful.
“Have you ever had lish-lish? We get our reconsitutor packs from my cousin's company. They make the best one. Almost as good as fresh.”
She held the spoon up to his lips. He accepted the food, never taking his eyes off her face. It felt strangely intimate to feed him, especially with his intense gaze never moving off her.
“It’s good,” he said after swallowing. She fed him a few more spoonfuls then grabbed a bread ball and held it to his lips. Instead of taking a polite bite, he sucked the whole thing into his mouth, including her fingers. He didn’t bite down but explored her fingers with his tongue.
Her body heated, and she sucked in a breath.
“Myrum!”
He pulled his head away, taking the food but leaving her fingers. He was quick to chew and swallow.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head, feeling an odd combination of turned on and confused. “Um, no, you didn’t hurt me. I was surprised, that’s all.”
“I couldn’t help myself,” he said. “You taste as good as you smell.”
That was probably the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to her.
“You smell really good too,” she whispered. She had the urge to lean in close and kiss him, but she resisted.
He leaned forward a little. “Yes, you said I smell like honey. What’s that?”
She had to clear her throat before she could answer. “Uh, it’s a sweet food item made by an Old Earth creature called a bee. They would collect flower pollen to make it.”
He made a questioning rumble. “I thought Old Earth was gone. How do you know what honey smells or tastes like?”
“The first humans to settle in the Ilgorian Federation brought some bee larvae and then crossbred them with Porian delt beetles. It’s very popular within the Ugarian and Porian populations of the Ilgorian Federation. That’s how I know you smell like honey.”
