“Sorry... what was that?”
Great, Laila. Way to make a good impression.
“The drink. It's an acquired taste.”
She grimaced, breaking his intense gaze to look at the glass. “Yeah, I guess it is. I’ve had nothing like it before.”
He pursed his lips as if trying not to smile and signaled for the bartender.
“I'll get you something a little less... intense,” he said, and then requested something that Laila's translator didn’t catch.
Now that he wasn't looking at her, she took the time to admire his profile. A long scar sliced down one side of his face from temple to chin, catching the edge of his mouth. She wondered what had caused it. His dark blonde hair was cut short, shaved near the temples but longer on top in a style she associated with the military. No braids for this warrior, for surely he was a warrior? This man would be lethal on the battlefield, she mused. He was definitely not soft. She would be safe next to him.
Now, where had that thought come from?
He turned towards her, passing her the drink he had ordered. Their fingers met as she accepted the glass, heat traveling through her body to settle deep inside. His eyes dropped to her breasts, and her nipples hardened under his gaze. Laila's breath caught, and her tongue darted out, nervously wetting her bottom lip. She sat taller, inadvertently pushing her chest out.
Laila took a tentative sip of the exotic drink and sighed in pleasure as the flavor burst on her tongue. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and mellow. Delicious.
“Better?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you. It’s lovely.”
The left side of his mouth tilted up in a slight smile, almost as if he wasn't used to the expression, the scar pulling at his lips slightly.
“My name is Zac,” he said.
Laila held out her hand. “Laila. I’m from Earth, but I guess you figured that out yourself.”
He looked at her hand and then back at her face, his eyebrow raised. Smiling, Laila grabbed his hand, gasping as the heat of his skin seared her own. His fingers caressed her hand, swallowing her palm, his calluses rough. His large thumb brushed back and forth across her knuckles.
She cleared her throat and tightened her fingers against his, raising his hand up and down in a handshake.
“This is how we greet each other where I'm from,” she said, letting go of his hand.
He held hers for a heartbeat longer, and then let it go, almost reluctantly.
“On Taurus, we have a formal greeting like this.” He made a fist with his hand and held it to the center of his chest, gesturing for Laila to copy him. “But we greet friends like this...”
Laila froze as he slowly slid one big hand around the back of her neck and gently tugged her towards him.
“Can I...?” He asked, and she nodded, holding her breath in anticipation.
He slowly moved towards her, his massive frame seeming to loom above her, which should have made her feel uncomfortable, but didn't. She felt safe. He kept eye contact as he closed the distance between them, gently touching his forehead to hers.
The intimacy of the moment made her heart race, their foreheads touching for long moments before he slowly pulled away and smiled.
“I like that much better, don't you?”
