His eyebrow arched. “Are you sure?”
She pursed her lips. She remembered the heat pulsing through her when Casey touched her. And how intensely turned on she got watching the woman sexually pleasure herself. But she gave herself a pass on that one because, wow, the woman was a goddess and Jenna was suffering from some kind of paralyzing sexual need.
“Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t disapprove of same sex relationships. I think a person should be free to enjoy whatever kind of relationship makes them happy. My brother is married to a man and they’re incredibly happy. The only thing I think that’s wrong with this situation is that I’m being forced into a relationship with a woman when that’s not what I want. That’s no more okay than someone forcing my brother to be with a woman.”
“So if Casey was a man, you’d be fine with it?”
“But Casey’s not a man.”
Darrick took a bite of his meal as he watched her in silent contemplation. When he finished chewing, she was surprised to see his lips turn up in a smile.
“What’s so funny?”
“I find you a very interesting woman, Jenna. Here you’re digging your heels in because Casey is a woman, but it doesn’t seem to bother you at all that she’s from another world.”
Jenna shrugged and took a sip of the wine. “My mom always said to choose my battles.”
Darrick let out a hearty chuckle. “You are a delight. I wish that you…”
He stopped mid-sentence, his smile fading, then picked up his glass and took a long sip.
“We should finish our dinner,” he said. “We’re going to the Red Room next.”
CHAPTER 6
Darrick wished he’d never agreed to take Jenna to dinner, but the reality was, he would never refuse Casey. The overwhelming attraction he felt to Jenna was highly distracting. At first he believed it was because of the thought of Casey touching this woman, the two of them caressing each other’s soft curves and intimate places. Imagining the soft feminine murmurs, then the cries of ecstasy.
Imagining two women together was highly arousing at any time, but adding the fact that he loved one of the women sent it over the top, even overriding the jealousy he felt.
But over the short time he’d spent with Jenna, a longing grew inside him to kiss her. To stroke her silky skin. Gattra, to strip her naked and drive into her velvety softness.
Why did he feel this way about Casey’s tanash’ae? Did it have something to do with being left behind? So his body was fooling him into thinking he was meant to be with Jenna, too?
He’d already had strange stirrings before they arrived at Earth, but he’d ignored them, believing they were just part of his inability to let go of Casey.
When Casey asked him to spend this time with Jenna, he’d decided to do all he could to convince Jenna she could be happy with Casey. He had even set up a little entertainment to help that process along. Of course, he’d give Casey all the credit so Jenna would see how hard Casey was trying to make this work.
Darrick led Jenna into the softly lit Red Room. Most of the tables were full, but Casey had reserved an intimate booth near one of the alcoves. He led Jenna to the cozy round table.
Jenna sat down in the curved bench seat and he walked to the bar, then returned with two drinks. He sat beside her, sinking into the soft leather upholstery. He could slide right up beside her, but he left a good foot between them.
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“Casey told me you might like this drink.”
He watched as she sipped. His heart swelled when he saw her eyes light up in delight.
“It sort of tastes like mango and blueberries,” she said.
“Casey knows you enjoy fruity cocktails and that those fruits are your favorites, so she researched what we have that might have a similar flavor.”
Jenna stared down at her drink, looking somber. “That was very nice of her.”
“That’s the thing about tanash’aei. They’ll do whatever they can to bring their partner joy.”
Jenna held her silence and Darrick wasn’t sure what to do to ease the tension.
“Since Casey knew you would be apprehensive about having an intimate relationship with a woman, she thought watching this evening’s entertainment might help you.”