And that felt exactly right.
“You’re pleased with me?”
“Anni, there isn’t a word big enough for what I am with you right now.”
“I’m the same for you. Making sex with legs is different. And with you, it’s more. You have a very good penis.”
He choked out a laugh. “Thanks. I’m . . . fond of it.”
“I am, too. Will you put it inside me again?”
No one like her, he thought, in this world. In any world. “I’d say that’s a sure bet after this.”
“And was this time awfully quick?”
He took her hand from his heart, kissed it. “I guess the first part was—you know, the foreplay. The before the . . .” Jeez. “Mating.”
“Ah, you mean the touching and kissing. I like that very much. It’s better to have that longer?”
“Depends. But there’s more stuff people like to do sometimes before the big guns.”
“More? What more?”
She wasn’t innocent, he told himself. But she was unschooled in certain areas. “You know, maybe you should talk about some of this with Sasha and Riley.”
“I did. That’s how I knew to come here and take off my dress and wear just the shoes.”
“You . . . Really?”
“You liked the shoes. I’ll tell them.”
He just closed his eyes. “I bet you will.”
Slowly, she circled a finger over his heart, trailed it lightly down his chest. “Will you do the more stuff to me? You’ll teach me so I can do more stuff to you.”
“Annika, you kill me.”
“That’s an expression. I would never hurt you.”
“I know.” As he turned his head to kiss her, a thought struck him like a bolt from a crossbow. “I didn’t protect you.”
“There was no danger.”
“No, I mean . . . ” He pushed up, drawing her with him. “Can you get pregnant?”
“Oh, no. I can’t have young with you. We’re from different worlds, not enough the same. I’m sorry.”
“No.” Relieved, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “It’s better that way. We’ve got a war going on for one thing. And you only have a couple more months—”
Quickly, she laid a finger over his lips. “Don’t speak of the end. Please. We have now.”
“You’re right. If you worry too much about tomorrow, you miss appreciating what is. I appreciate what is, with you.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I want to stay with you tonight.”
“I want you to stay. The bed’s a little small, but we’ll manage.”
“Yes.” She snuggled down with him again. “Is it true it can be more than once?”