said stiffly.
“I thought I told you to call me Steven.”
“You said your job description had changed. But your job description has changed again, and you are once again a captain.”
He studied her for a long moment. “We’re slipping right back into our old roles, aren’t we?”
She lifted her eyebrows in a haughty gesture, like a queen looking down her nose at a serf. Except she was looking up because Steven was so damn tall. “I have absolutely no idea what you mean.”
“Our roles. You’re the unemotional, stiff, bossy one, and I’m the captain who can’t see beneath your surface to the humor. I suppose you expect me to go right back to chasing other women, too.”
Her cynical thoughts about the Galactic Playboy rose back into her mind, and she felt heat sear her cheeks. “It’s what you’ve always done, Steven.”
“Yes, and you’ve always stood in the corner watching the action instead of participating in it. Let’s both dare to change, Vaish.” He took the drink from her hand and put it on a nearby table. “You’re a Canvul, sweetheart. Show me you can party like the Canvuls do.”
“I don’t know how to party. That’s why I left home.”
“It isn’t rocket science,” he said with a flashing grin, pulling her toward him. “Come on. Let’s dance.”
Vaish dug in her heels and refused to move. The idea of dancing with Steven in public, letting everyone see they were involved, and the inevitable humiliation when he dumped her, terrified her. “My ankle still hurts.”
“I don’t believe you. The doctor fixed it this afternoon.”
“Anyway, I don’t know how to dance.”
“Crap. I don’t believe that for a microsecond, either. You grew up on Canvul, after all. Your people dance like the rest of us breathe.”
“Let’s leave my upbringing out of this. My childhood was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”
He snorted. “It wasn’t that long ago, or that far away, either. I’m willing to bet you dance like an angel. A sexy angel.”
Still she hesitated, and he looked down at her with a knowing grin. “Scared of me, Vaish?”
“Of course not,” she said with all the dignity she could muster.
“Then let’s dance.”
Oh, what the hell , she thought. It was only one dance, after all.
“Very well,” she said.
*****
The trouble was, it was more than a dance. The way Steven moved, with the sleek grace of a predator, dancing with him was all too reminiscent of sex. His body moved in an easy rhythm, effortlessly drawing hers into the same rhythm, so that they moved smoothly together.
“You’re a terrific dancer,” he said softly, over the music—some obscure Earth piece about a man named Major Tom.
“Dancing is important on Canvul,” she said. In fact, the Canvuls understood clearly what so many species didn’t—that dancing was all about sex. Of course, the Canvuls believed that drinking and partying were all about sex, too. In fact, virtually everything on Canvul led to sex, sooner or later. The Canvul were a sexually open people.
Whereas she was almost completely sexually repressed.
But dancing with Steven, feeling his strong arms around her waist and his wide chest only millimeters from her own, made her aware of her own sexuality in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. Not counting last night in the lifepod. She felt just like she had last night… charged up and almost painfully aware of every inch of her body.
The music ended, and Steven looked down at her. Not for the first time, she realized how very tall he was. Tall, and broad. Although she was not short, nor a lightweight, he made her feel positively tiny by comparison.
“I think that’s enough dancing,” he said.
“Oh,” she said, feeling inexplicably disappointed. “All right.”
“Let’s head for my quarters.”
Her mouth fell open at the blunt words.
“I thought I told you to call me Steven.”
“You said your job description had changed. But your job description has changed again, and you are once again a captain.”
He studied her for a long moment. “We’re slipping right back into our old roles, aren’t we?”
She lifted her eyebrows in a haughty gesture, like a queen looking down her nose at a serf. Except she was looking up because Steven was so damn tall. “I have absolutely no idea what you mean.”
“Our roles. You’re the unemotional, stiff, bossy one, and I’m the captain who can’t see beneath your surface to the humor. I suppose you expect me to go right back to chasing other women, too.”
Her cynical thoughts about the Galactic Playboy rose back into her mind, and she felt heat sear her cheeks. “It’s what you’ve always done, Steven.”
“Yes, and you’ve always stood in the corner watching the action instead of participating in it. Let’s both dare to change, Vaish.” He took the drink from her hand and put it on a nearby table. “You’re a Canvul, sweetheart. Show me you can party like the Canvuls do.”
“I don’t know how to party. That’s why I left home.”
“It isn’t rocket science,” he said with a flashing grin, pulling her toward him. “Come on. Let’s dance.”
Vaish dug in her heels and refused to move. The idea of dancing with Steven in public, letting everyone see they were involved, and the inevitable humiliation when he dumped her, terrified her. “My ankle still hurts.”
“I don’t believe you. The doctor fixed it this afternoon.”
“Anyway, I don’t know how to dance.”
“Crap. I don’t believe that for a microsecond, either. You grew up on Canvul, after all. Your people dance like the rest of us breathe.”
“Let’s leave my upbringing out of this. My childhood was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”
He snorted. “It wasn’t that long ago, or that far away, either. I’m willing to bet you dance like an angel. A sexy angel.”
Still she hesitated, and he looked down at her with a knowing grin. “Scared of me, Vaish?”
“Of course not,” she said with all the dignity she could muster.
“Then let’s dance.”
Oh, what the hell , she thought. It was only one dance, after all.
“Very well,” she said.
*****
The trouble was, it was more than a dance. The way Steven moved, with the sleek grace of a predator, dancing with him was all too reminiscent of sex. His body moved in an easy rhythm, effortlessly drawing hers into the same rhythm, so that they moved smoothly together.
“You’re a terrific dancer,” he said softly, over the music—some obscure Earth piece about a man named Major Tom.
“Dancing is important on Canvul,” she said. In fact, the Canvuls understood clearly what so many species didn’t—that dancing was all about sex. Of course, the Canvuls believed that drinking and partying were all about sex, too. In fact, virtually everything on Canvul led to sex, sooner or later. The Canvul were a sexually open people.
Whereas she was almost completely sexually repressed.
But dancing with Steven, feeling his strong arms around her waist and his wide chest only millimeters from her own, made her aware of her own sexuality in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. Not counting last night in the lifepod. She felt just like she had last night… charged up and almost painfully aware of every inch of her body.
The music ended, and Steven looked down at her. Not for the first time, she realized how very tall he was. Tall, and broad. Although she was not short, nor a lightweight, he made her feel positively tiny by comparison.
“I think that’s enough dancing,” he said.
“Oh,” she said, feeling inexplicably disappointed. “All right.”
“Let’s head for my quarters.”
Her mouth fell open at the blunt words.
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