She sat up and shimmied out of her leggings. She then shrugged off Cael's vest and her shirt. Now in only her underwear, the climate inside the sleeping bag felt much more manageable.
"Comfortable?" Cael's deep voice rumbled in his chest.
Midori sensed the vibrations in her fingers just a hair's breadth away. They itched to touch his skin and caress the texture of his flesh. Would his skin be as soft and warm as it looked?
For fuck's sake, Midori. Just try it. What's the worst that can happen?
Oh god. What if he doesn't want me to touch him?
What if he does?!
You're never going to know if you don't try.
"Midori, are you all right?"
She opened her eyes again. Why had she squeezed them shut?Because looking at him so closely is too tempting.
"I'm . . . uh . . . the ground is harder than I'm used to. It's digging into my ribs a little."
"Perhaps you'd be more comfortable if I—" His arms reached out and pulled her into an embrace, so half of her was lying on two of his arms and the other half of her body was pressed snugly against his chest. "Is this better?"
It took two tries before she found her voice. "Yes, this is better. Thank you."
With Cael holding her, the argument in her head became moot. The position she was in put her hand flat against his chest. Now that she was there, her hand had a mind of its own and began exploring the terrain of his pectoral muscles. His skin was soft and velvety like a peach, but the soft, smooth skin gave way to rough raised lines and bumps under his black tattoos. Midori had noticed all the Zyranthians on the spaceship had similar tattoos and wondered if they had any special meaning.
Cael shivered under her touch, and his tail curled around one of her legs. Midori snatched back her hand, her fingertips hovering over the curling lines of a tattoo. Had she offended him? Was he repulsed?
"I'm sorry. I should have asked first."
"No, it's fine. Your touch is very pleasant."
"I've never been this close to an alien before. Is it okay if I . . . explore?"
Was it her imagination, or did his voice grow huskier when he said "Yes"?
Other than the extra set of arms, his hulking size, and blue skin, his body seemed similar to any other man.
You should probably do a more thorough inspection and make sure of that.
Midori's fingers complied with her inner monologue and trailed over the sharp protrusion of his collarbone before exploring the corded muscles of his biceps. The whole of him was covered in muscle. Her eyes glanced up at him. He was watching her every move with the tiniest hint of a smile lifting the corner of his mouth.
Her fingers traveled down until they found the sensitive tips of his nipples. It was then she realized her own nipples were rock hard pebbles pressed against the side of his chest. Cael let out a sharp hiss through his teeth, and Midori looked up to see his eyes shut tight in intense concentration.
"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" she whispered.
"Hurt me? No, not at all. Zyranthian males are sensitive in that area."
"I see. Humans are, too."
Cael's eyes opened wider. "Oh really? May I explore you then? I've never been this close to a human before."
The smile on his face showed he was teasing her with her own words. She knew he wouldn't touch her unless she gave him permission. And oh, did she want to give him permission.
Midori gave a quick nod before she talked herself out of it, and Cael shifted her back to rest completely in his arms while he turned on his side.
"My turn." The deep bass of his voice rumbled through her like thunder to her core, and she shivered with anticipation.
Cael had a distinct advantage with double the amount of arms and used his two free hands to caress and explore Midori's exposed skin. One hand created a lazy trail over her belly as the other explored the valley between her breasts.
