Starfish

Twelve

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Sea gods, what is she doing? Ardus was having difficulty breathing quietly, when he remembered to breathe at all. That clothing... Omi, Aku, why? Wrestling with control, he tried to focus on the documents on his desk. But it was as if she was constantly calling for his attention, the soft rustle of her clothes and the clicking of those odd pointed shoes on the floor drawing him back to her every time he thought he had it together. Her scent filled his nose, the same sweet, soft one he remembered from her apartment. It seemed to follow her everywhere. And her choice of accents, the pink coral strung around the base of her neck and dangling from her ears, the delicate color against her rich skin mere inches above that softly shining crease between her breasts – Oh!

He shuffled some printouts nervously. Aku, Omi, take me from this place! Drown you Athe, for leaving me here with her alone! His heart hammered, his pulse beating in his temples. Last night's conversation came back to him in blurry snippets: Do you think she might like me? I don't see why she wouldn't. Could Athe be right? Was she dressed so...enticingly, putting the shape and color of her body on display like that, to gauge his reaction? Was he reacting in the way she wanted him to? Each time he glanced at her out of curiosity, she seemed to be looking at him as well. She was doing this on purpose, he was certain. The way she'd smiled at him when she'd come in, how she'd walked, the way she'd spoken to him, all of it seemed deliberate. I...I must try to calm down. We have work to do. He took a slow, steadying breath. "Doctor Nina, if you're ready to begin, Meem is waiting for you in the specimen laboratory."

She looked up from her terminal. "Yes, one moment." She stood and collected a few things, her bag and tablet. She pushed her chair under the desk and Ardus stood. "Doctor?" She looked at him quizzically.

"Yes?"

She tilted her head. "Going somewhere?"

"Yes, to the specimen lab."

Nina's eyebrow lifted. "With me?"

"Of course. After all, I am in charge of your program."

"Oh," a slight smile formed on her mouth. "I mean, you're right about that." She toyed with the handle of her bag. "All right then, should we go?"

"Yes." Swallowing down a surge of anxious energy, Ardus stepped out from behind his desk and calmly made for the door. He held it open for her, keeping the steadiest face he could as she walked towards him. Those shoes, while strange, did something extraordinary to her legs when she walked – she seemed to cross her ankles with every step, setting one foot daintily before the other in a perfectly straight line. And that dress! It clung to her so close Ardus could feel the curve of her waist and hips under it, remembering the precious few seconds he'd held them in his hands the day before. Nina's hips rolled when she walked, her thighs brushing softly together under the grey cloth that Ardus realized now was the exact shade of her eyes. Nina walked ahead of him into the hallway and Ardus closed the door behind them. He turned and caught sight of her from the back, and looking at her from this angle brought a wave of hot yearning. Oh, Omi! She looks as good from behind as she does from the front! Ardus enjoyed the sight as long as he dared while the door snicked shut. He put on his best serene face. "Shall we?"

As they made their way down the hall, Ardus came to a conclusion: if Doctor Nina wanted him to look, he would. If she was intentionally putting her hair, her eyes, her body on display, there was no harm in looking. I may be dark, but I am not dead. Just as he would admire a Dreen woman with her pores flashing and her barbels ringed and wired with shells, beads and bits of sea glass Ardus decided that it was all right to look. Walking slowly so she wouldn't have to trot, Ardus stole what he hoped were casual glances, using his height to his advantage. From up above, he could see more than a few inches of that delightful crease on her chest – would there be a similar one behind her as well? Ardus hung back a few steps, slowing as if to look at a line of awards mounted on the wall but really letting his eyes wander over her legs, hips and rump as she walked ahead of him. No harm in looking, none at all. He bit the inside of his cheek, nostrils flaring. Doctor Nina must have noticed his slowing for she turned and gave him a look, her eyebrows drawing down suspiciously but her little mouth curling. "No rush today?"

Ardus shook his head. "No need. You are still technically recovering from the skimmer toxin, I will not push you any harder than necessary."

"Well, maybe you should. I could use a challenge." Before he could interpret her expression, Nina turned her back to him and brushed some of her hair over her shoulder. The sweep of her hand across the side of her neck imitated so closely the gesture of Omi's Necklace that Ardus wondered if she knew what she was doing. Surely she does, even if she is not familiar with the Dreen name for it. Nina's hair fascinated him – it was long, for one, and shiny. No Dreen could grow hair, just their barbels that never became any longer than twice the length of their fingers. Nina's nearly reached her waist, and when she walked it swayed against her back. She had done something to it to smooth the rippling dark waves into long rounded shapes, curling loops that bounced and shone. What would it feel like in his hands? Was it as soft and smooth as it looked? There was so much he wanted to know. I can wonder, curiosity is nothing to be ashamed of. But what had she meant by her comment? Without pores to glow and with her face turned from him, he couldn't begin to guess if she meant a challenge related to her recovery, to her work, or... Just look. Nothing else. He caught a whiff of her scent, warm and sweet and clean. This walk will be far too short.