Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
She was about to do just that when his next question froze her in her tracks.
“What about kissing?” he asked.
Mattie jerked upright again.
“What about what?” she demanded.
“Kissing,” Grath repeated patiently. “If we’re dating, shouldn’t I kiss you?”
“Oh, um…on the cheek. You can kiss me on the cheek.” Mattie was sure she was blushing—she could feel the hot blood rushing to her face and her heart was pounding. Why was he affecting her like this? She didn’t even like him! She put her hands to her cheeks which definitely felt flushed.
“But you told me I had to kiss the rest of your family on the cheek,” Grath protested, frowning. “Shouldn’t there be more intimacy than that between the two of us since we’re ‘dating’?”
“Just…” Mattie cleared her throat. “Just watch my sister and brother-in-law when you meet them and follow their lead. That will give you the idea of the right amount of PDA.”
“PDA?” His brow furrowed and she could hear the frown of confusion in his deep voice.
“Public Display of Affection—it’s kind of an old term,” Mattie explained. “It just means, how much affection it’s appropriate to display in any given situation. Like in front of my family or when we’re out in the town.”
“We’re going out in the town, too?” he asked. “I thought we were just spending the one holiday—Christmas—with your family.”
“You don’t understand,” Mattie told him. “Christmas lasts a long time in my house. My mom expects me to come in time to attend several events, so we’ll be there a couple of days before Christmas and probably a couple of days after, too.”
“That seems like a fucking lot, but all right,” he rumbled. “So what should I pack?”
Mattie felt a rush of relief. Now they were back on more solid ground—practical matters that were much easier to discuss than if they ought to be kissing each other or not!
She slid off his knee and cleared her throat, noting as she did so that her heart had slowed a little and had stopped banging against her ribs like it was trying to get out of her chest and run away.
“Wear your warmest clothes,” she told him. “Winter in Vermont is no joke.”
He shrugged.
“It shouldn’t be a problem for me—I’m part Flame Kindred.”
“You’re what?” She frowned. “I always thought you were half Beast and half Blood Kindred.”
“I am, but I’ve got some Enfuego or Flame Kindred on my Sire’s side,” he explained. “Which explains my skin color—it comes from his particular tribe.” He nodded down at himself, indicating the deep reddish tint of his skin. “It also means I can modify my body temperature and keep warm no matter how cold it gets outside.”
“I wish I could do that!” Mattie said enviously. “We lived in Florida—that’s a really warm part of Earth—up until I was in high school, when we moved to Vermont. I tried and tried but I could never seem to get acclimated to the harsh New England winters.” She shivered, thinking of the snow and ice and freezing temperatures she was soon going to be facing. “I’m not looking forward to going back to that, I can tell you!”
“I’ll keep you warm,” Grath said unexpectedly. “If you want me to, anyway,” he added. “Though you’ll have to stay close to me if you do.”
“Well, we are going to be pretending we’re dating….” Mattie felt her cheeks getting hot again as she spoke. “So I guess it would be reasonable for you to keep your, uh, arm around me.”
“That should work,” Grath remarked. He gave her a thoughtful look. “You really think we can pull this off, little girl?”
For once, Mattie didn’t correct him.
“We have to,” she said earnestly. “I really want that assignment to Vi’ri’tex Delta—don’t you?”
“What I want most is just to keep you safe,” Grath said unexpectedly. “Though pretending to be your ‘date’ seems like a fucking weird way to do it.”
“Remember what Commander Sylvan said—if we can fool my family, we can fool the Vi’riens,” Mattie said firmly. She clapped her hands together briskly. “So—I’ll let you pack and I’ve got some packing to do of my own. And I have to call my mom on the Think-me and let her know I’m bringing a date for Christmas.”
“How do you think she’ll react?” Grath looked apprehensive.
“Are you kidding? She’ll be ecstatic,” Mattie said dryly. “She’s been dying for me to find the ‘right guy’ and settle down for the past ten years.”
“Why haven’t you, then?” He arched an eyebrow at her.
Mattie shrugged uncomfortably.
“I don’t know—I’ve been busy earning my degree and then getting my career off the ground. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for love. Anyway…” She cleared her throat. “I’d better get going. Should we say we’ll meet at the Docking Bay in an hour?”
Grath nodded.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Fine. See you there. Don’t get up,” she added. “I can see myself out.”