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In an effort to keep still, he quickly occupied his mind with the Earth songs she’d been singing in the bar. He tried to recall all the strange lyrics that she’d belted out, dancing around that stage and smiling.

Picturing that was not helping. Now, he was imagining her dancing around that stage and smiling, while naked.

Phlarge.

“I’m assuming we’re having this vocabulary lesson because you thinkIam your Weakness.” Sadie went on, like she’d somehow missed his lapse.

“I do not ‘think’ it. It is incontrovertible fact.” Xane got out in a strangled tone.

“Well, that’s good, because that means you’re learning to care about me. And I won’t stay maybe-married to someone who doesn’t care.”

“We are definitely-married.”

She ignored that. “I want emotions, Xane, that grow and deepen over time. They’reimportant, no matter what your dumb planet thinks.”

Sadie was important. More important than anything. Every single part of him knew it.

Xane considered his options. There weren’t any. Caring for her might cause him even greater devastation when she left. But he was already in so deep with her that her absence would likely kill him, anyway. And if he did as she asked, Sadie mightbe willing to stay with him longer. Anything that gave him a chance at more time with her was worth the potential cost.

“I will be everything you want me to be. Just show me how.”

“Really? You’ll change your whole mindset, just like that?”

“There is nothing I won’t change to keep my wife.”

“Oh.” Sadie cleared her throat. “Okay… Um… Well, I guess I could try to teach you. I feel like you’re someone who learns best by doing, right?”

“Rtaharion prefer things to be tangible.” He reiterated. “Provable. That is why this entire concept of ‘caring’ is difficult for me. It will take time.”

“That’s fine, just so you’re trying.”

He relaxed some, because she sounded happy with his efforts.

“So, feelings and actions connecting would work best for you.” She paused for a beat. “Right. Um, could you come over here and hand me a towel? Wait, do you have towels in space?”

It took him a second to register her meaning. Even then, he didn’t fully believe it. “What?” He slowly turned back around, attempting to keep his eyes on her face. It was only a marginally successful endeavor.

“I’m done showering.” She hit random buttons of the hygiene control panel, attempting to shut off the pod. “I want you to dry me off, now.”

In a daze, Xane opened the cabinet build into the wall and retrieved a compressed towel. He shook it sharply to undo the density-tech folds and unleash its true size.

Sadie’s eyes widened when the minuscule block expanded into a large rectangle of fabric. “Whoa!”

“It saves space on ships.” He took a careful step forward, wrapping it around her abundant human curves.

She allowed him to set her on the ground. “Well, it’s super-cool. It would really help with fitting everything into a suitcase. Airplanes always screw you over on the luggage fees.”

Xane didn’t know what an “airplane” was, but he understood that she was impressed with the towel. “You are pleased with very simple things, at times. It makes me see the world differently.”

He should step back and allow her space, but he couldn’t get his feet to work. Her skin was so exotic and beautiful. He began drying her off, because he couldn’t help himself.

“Since I was marooned inside theDuneseries, I’ve been seeingeverythingdifferently.” Sadie stood still and let him rub the towel over her body. “Is this helping or hurting your ‘painful arousal’?

“Hurting.” But he would take the torture of it a thousand times over, before he relinquished a chance to touch his wife. An enraged montorus could have charged through the door and he wouldn’t have been able to look away. His attention was transfixed on his task.

Sadie chewed her lower lip. “Before our third date, I’ll shave my legs and maybe lose weight.” She blurted out, flushing under his rapt gaze.

Xane shot her a mystified look. “Why?”