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Holly tilted her head. “No, but I’m sure you get lots of interest.”

“That night we met in the Enchanted Captain, were you interested in me?”

She bit her lip. “Sure. You got interest from me. I couldn’t stop looking at you.”

“You wanted to feed me chocolate, not fuck me.”

Holly looked at her feet and swung her legs backward and forward. “I never said I didn’t want to do that.”

Avel snorted a surprised laugh. “You turned me down when we went back to my room.”

“I’d have done that if the hottest guy in the star system asked me to sleep with him the first night we met. I don’t do one-night stands.”

He’d figured as much. It was one of the things he liked about Holly. “How about after a second date? We had our cupcake evening together, so that was date number two. Technically, this could be date number three. How far do you go after three dates?”

Holly shook her head. “You’re something else. If you think that coming to one of my cookery classes and crash landing us on a dead planet constitutes dates, then it’s no wonder you’re single. What did you do with the last woman you were interested in, shove her down the trash chute to show you liked her?”

Avel smiled at her angry retort. “You’d be open to an actual date? I promise no trash chute will be involved.”

Holly blinked at him rapidly. “I don’t get it. How can you think so little of yourself? You’re...” she waved a hand at him.

“I’m what?”

“Fishing for compliments.” She smiled. “You know what you are. You’re huge and intimidating and striking to look at.”

“By striking, you mean weird?”

Holly’s mouth dropped open. “No, not weird. If you want weird, then look at me. I’m short, have boobs that never keep themselves inside my bra, no matter how hard I strap them in. My hair is always fluffy because I work in a hot kitchen. Every time I wear lipstick, it ends up on my teeth. And my sweet tooth means I’ll never be a supermodel.”

This time, it was Avel’s mouth dropping open. “You are joking?”

Holly pressed her lips together. “I see myself in the mirror.” She jabbed a finger at her chest. “This is weird. This is what permanently single with no male interest looks like.”

Avel couldn’t believe it. This gorgeous, quirky, desirable female didn’t think she was worthy of male attention. He’d gotten hard so many times just looking at her that he’d lost count.

“I happen to think your short stature and fluffy hair are cute.”

Holly glanced at him before shaking her head. “My height is ridiculous. If ever I get new clothes, I always have to get the pant legs shortened.”

He shrugged. “Your curves are out of this world incredible.”

“You’re being ridiculous.” Holly ran a hand down her hair.

Avel grinned. “And I’m sorry to say, I’ve yet to witness your boobs flying free from your bra, but it’s something I’d definitely enjoy.”

She snorted a laugh. “That’s something nobody needs to see.”

“And your hair is lovely. It’s soft, and it fluffs around your head like a halo. And as for lipstick on your teeth, guys hate lipstick. Kissing a woman with a full-on glossy pout is hideous. Lipstick tastes weird, and it smears everywhere. I much prefer my women without lipstick.”

Holly rubbed the back of her neck. “Guys will say a lot of things that aren’t true to get what they want out of a woman. To make them feel a certain way.”

His eyes narrowed. “Someone lied to you in the past?”

Holly clasped her hands in her lap. “It’s not always easy to stop another person’s words influencing you, especially when they’re shouting them in your face and telling you how worthless you are and that no one will love you. You hear it enough and you believe it.”

Avel growled. Whoever said that to Holly needed to feel Avel’s fist slammed into his face repeatedly.

“You sound scary when you do that,” Holly said.