"Yes, very." Harbin wasn't looking at the fire, though. She was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. The way her face was shaped, the angle of her chin. The point of her nose was beautiful and artfully crafted. The way the ear jewels she wore sparkled in the light, and when the fuel flared, it made the stones shine even brighter.
She looked like a precious gem, herself. She still shivered, and her lips trembled from the cold, but she still seemed more special than the lysteel they used in their cybernetic enhancements.
Harbin got closer to her. "Can I. May I wrap--"
"Shut up and hold me. Cyborg or not, your body runs hotter than mine. Help me warm up."
He smiled. "As you wish." He put his arm around her and felt how wet the outer layer of her clothing was. "We have to get some of these layers off you."
She smirked. "I am probably suffering from a mild concussion because I'm pretty sure that's the funniest thing I've heard all day."
She tried to undo some of the clasps, but her fingers were not working. The tips looked a bit cold-burned.
He took her hands and blew steam from his breath on them. "Why is that?" He asked.
"Because I've been admiring you pretty much naked all day."
He raised his eyebrow. "I am not naked. I am fully covered from my neck to my feet." He was, and quite warm, in fact. His flight suit protected him from any environmental stresses, including extreme cold like on this moon.
"Yes, but do you not realize how tight your clothing is?"
"It is for the most flexibility, so we are not hindered by the fabrics. Unlike you." He tugged at the robe that billowed around her.
She smiled. "You have me there." Together they pulled off a few of the outer layers, unfastening them, and he tossed them over part of the seating ring around the fireplace.
"See, there you go," she said.
"What?" He wondered if she needed more nanos. She seemed to be behaving unusually for her. Or perhaps this is just the true her, and she had been careful of what she showed the galaxy. Hard to be certain.
"Do you not understand that I can see everything. Like anyone who looks at you can see everything. And I meaneverything, Harbin."
"So?"
She sighed, but it was a sound of contentment, not annoyance. "You are most impressive."
“I had heard that before,” he said.
“Where?”
“On Disguised Serenity. The female humanoids would tell us.”
“The prostitutes?”
He shrugged. “They told it to everyone, so we did not think it meant very much.”
“Take it from me. You are very impressively equipped.”
“As you like.”
“I like. That’s the problem, I think.”
What was this interesting feeling? The Craving for certain, but there was more to it—ego, maybe? Mixed a bit with arousal? The fact she was obviously attracted gave him pause. And appreciation.
And more desire to experience physical pleasure with her.
He slipped the very soaked red dress off her shoulders. "Wait, did we not remove this already?" he asked as he peeled back another layer of red fabric.
"I have a lot of red layers on. Adds to the design, all the red."
