Page 51 of My Tiny Giant
I swiped a smudge of frosting off his thigh with my finger then licked it off as he followed my gesture with his gaze.
“Don’t you try to use your size as an excuse to get away with things.” I pointed my finger at him in warning, though a smile twitched my lips. “Trust me, it won’t stop me from slapping you if you behave like an asshole.”
“See, that’s a part of what I find so irresistible about you, Emma, you treat me as if I were...normal. I feel myself around you. Only when I’m with you, I can relax a little. The stress and tension inside me ease.” He heaved a heavy breath. “Anyway, this is why I’m here.”
“To relax?”
“No.” He grimaced. “Fuck, I suck at talking, don’t I? I’ve never relied on words this much, never had to. Anyway, I’m here, because I don’t want to miss my chance with you just because some crook decided to shrink me at the wrong time. I wanted to have a date with you, Emma, and your Valentine’s Day sounded like a good opportunity for that.”
“You want to have a date?”
“Right, just like you said they do it on Earth—flowers, dessert, a dinner out, and sex.”
“Whoa!” I nearly choked on my breath at that last word. “You have it all planned out, haven’t you?” I laughed nervously. “Don’t you think there may be some problems with an item on that list?”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Yes, of course. Going out for dinner may present a problem. We both would attract too much attention when I’d prefer to have you all to myself on our first date. I suggest we’d stay in because of that.”
I squinted at him.
“And that is the only problem you see? Really?”
He leaned back, propping himself on his arms.
“Do you see any more?”
“Um, well...” I had no idea if he’d been serious when he’d mentioned sex, but there were a few other things I needed to clarify beside that. “I haven’t agreed to have a date with you yet.”
“You don’t want it?” A flash of vulnerability flitted across his features, the confidence in his posture wavered for a fraction of a second. He regained his composure quickly, straightening his back. “Give me a minute to convince you.”
“Just a minute?” I blinked.
He flashed me a lopsided grin. “I’d be needing much less than that if I could reach your lips and take you in my arms.”
The memory of his weight on top of me back in the jungle rushed over me with a wave of warm tingles along my skin. What would happen if I leaned down, close enough for him to reach my lips?
I blinked again, chasing away the sudden notion, and leaned further back from him instead.
“Tell me something,” I said, my voice coming out unexpectedly raspy. “Is it true that you’re staying in the Ravil Army’s entertainment unit here on Neron?”
“Yes,” he replied simply, his expression unchanged.
“Why are you staying there?”
“Why not?” He lifted an eyebrow, innocently. “It’s part of our Army Base. I know all the girls there well, and I feel better staying there as opposed to any other part of the base, considering my circumstances.”
“Why is it better?”
And what did he mean by saying that he “knew all the girls there well.” Jealousy was a new emotion for me. It wasn’t clear why I even had it—Agan and I weren’t a couple—but I couldn’t stand how unpleasant it felt.
“Because women are... Well, they generally tend to be more compassionate and accepting than males, at least than the Ravil males I know. The warriors at the base here mean well, but their teasing was getting on my nerves after a while. Besides, it’s less embarrassing asking a child to get something from a shelf you can’t reach than a grown-up.”
“A child?”
Did I hear him right? They employed children in those units? A sick feeling rose to my throat.
“Yes,” Agan kept talking. “I was surprised to discover how much more accepting children are of someone smaller than themselves. They’re eager to help without judgment. The grown men can’t help shooting jokes whenever they see me.” He shrugged. “Not that I blame them. I would’ve done the same in their place.”