Her finger slid over his chest, along one of the lines of the muscles there. "So, is this pale gray your natural skin color, then?"
He shook his head. "This is the programming. It is still adapted to the suit. My skin is actually just a little darker brown than yours." He closed his eyes again and turned off the ability to morph to match his surroundings. It felt strange when he did because he rarely turned off the power. Almost like his skin was suddenly out of energy.
"So pretty," she said. Her hand so small, and a few shades lighter than his skin, seemed to sparkle in the low light of the cave.
"Why does your skin sparkle?" he asked, taking her hand and holding it against his chest.
He loved the feel of her skin touching his.
She pulled her hand back and rubbed it like she was wiping it off. "It's the glitter. It gets everywhere."
"What is glitter?"
"It is something that we, females, add to our skin through our lotions and makeup to make us prettier. They are supposed to highlight the natural shapes and make us look more appealing to males."
"It is a mating tactic?"
"I suppose if you wanted to see it that way."
"Are you looking for a mate?"
"I, well, um---"
"I vol--"
"Do not say it," she said. "Do not volunteer, do not offer, do not do any of those things. Our people are at war. Let us at the least get through that first, please. We can determine the legalities of bringing the two species together at a later time. Let us stick to what is in front of us now." She stepped into him, and he wrapped his arms around her.
"As you like," he said. The warmth of his body touched hers. Her arms and legs mingled with his, and it felt so...
Right.
It felt right.
Like he was supposed to be here in this moment. Which was such a strange feeling--for him to feel at all, because he did not usually register emotional connections, but with Bianca, he felt them.
Strongly.
Sincerely.
Truly.
That he was supposed to be here, with her. Connected to her.
Touching her.
How he savored the touching.
"I like how you feel against me," he said.
"I like how warm you are," she said. "If we're going to be stuck here for several days, I think we need to be stuck together like this for most of it."
"I agree."
He met her gaze.
There was a smile on her face. Her eyes were hooded, and he knew in his gut that it was time for him to kiss her again.
He leaned down, and she seemed to raise up. He put a hand on her cheek, cradling her face, and leaned down so they could kiss. Back to the moment they had before. Their lips touched, and everything moved to an instinct and a feel.
