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two.”
    Unexpected. Clever.
    After dinner, Maria lingered in the kitchen, and Stephan didn’t seem in a hurry to leave it either. It was the friendliest room on the ship, and staying was safe. It was late though, every surface shone, and she couldn’t think of anything to talk about.
    Eventually, he leaned against a counter, but kept his eyes averted.
    “I’ll go make up a room for you. I don’t suppose you need to sleep either, but at least you’ll have somewhere to go.”
    Why am I so nervous? Must be my human side betraying me.
    A part of her stated that nurturing this much desire for someone almost human was beneath her. Her human half was louder than the cool and calculated side; it wanted him so much it made her physical body shiver with expectation. His eyes held an almost hypnotic grip on her, and she felt a peculiar tug towards him every time he came close.
    What if he doesn ’t want me? No, I can’t think like that. I’m too old to be afraid, and if one never takes an initiative, one never gets anywhere.
    She walked up to him and rested the palms of her hands against his chest.
    “I’d like to stay with you, if you don’t mind.”
    His eyes lit up and he brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek.
    “I’m trying to give you space.”
    I ’ve had four thousand years of space. Being alone is overrated.
    Stephan ’s arms around her were heavenly, and when he ran a hand down her back, she pressed herself against him and kissed him hungrily.

~ 6 ~
     
     
    The next morning, Stephan woke up early, worrying the previous day might have been a dream.
    Maria was still there, sleeping in his arms. He didn’t need much rest, at least not when he was good to his body, and he felt rejuvenated. Better than rejuvenated, actually: ready to take on the world. Even his normally keen senses ran on overdrive, making every dab of colour brighter than normal, the low hum of the air recycling perfectly distinguishable, and the sweet smell of the woman in his arms irresistible.
    Her long dark hair flowed out over both the bed and him, and her shoulder sticking out from the comforter was so white, soft, and perfect it astounded him.
    There had been many opportunities for him to hook up more permanently with some of the girls he met in different ports around the galaxy . Many of them would gladly have followed him, and some even tried.
    One girl declared it wasn’t good for him to travel around all alone in space. She tried to hide in the cargo bay, and he set record time for a planet where he could dump her. The very thought of having someone around all the time, every day, was appalling, and he always found ways to get rid of them. They had all been unsuccessful attempts to escape the demons that haunted him.
    T his was different. He lifted a lock of her hair to his face and smelled it with a smile playing on his face. Then, he caressed her arm gently, not wanting to wake her up, but unable to keep his hands away from her.
    Her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled. “Hi.”
    She leaned on an arm and glanced around the room before meeting his eyes.
    “I slept. Longer than you. So weird…”
    “ Yes you did. Good morning.”
    Hers was a smile to live and die for. Not to mention the feeling of her lips against his and a slender hand running over his chest.
    It took another couple of hours for Stephan to persuade himself to leave the comforts of sheets and magically created bread and coffee. He needed a workout to at least try to clear his head.
    Maybe she put a spell on me. Oh well, if she did, it doesn ’t matter.
    No reason not to beef those old muscles up, especially since she seemed to enjoy them.
    After that, he remembered a repair he’d been putting off and decided to get to it. Maybe she would stay for a while if he could show the best side of both him and the ship. Once he returned to the bedroom, he was well aware of being both sweaty and dirty.
    Maria sat in bed with a pile of pillows behind her back