Page 20 of Errik

But all the things she’d just mentioned… were those really the topics human couples discussed as they got to know one another?

Worry suddenly crept in. He didn’t even know what his favorite color was. He’d never given it any thought.

He searched his memory, trying to recall whether he had ever had a favorite color even as a child. But nothing came to him. He knew the colors of his uniforms, and the colors of the Vaxxlian banners he had fought beneath in the various units he’d served in. He also knew the particular shade of blue that had covered the skies of his destroyed homeworld. He knew the different colors of blood aliens bled when he cut their throats. But he had never once stopped to consider what color he liked best.

Perhaps dark brown, he thought as he continued studying Holly’s profile. Her hair was dark brown and so were her eyes. He also liked the dark pink of her cheeks whenever she blushed.

“Brown and pink,” he blurted.

She turned and met his gaze. “What?”

“Brown and pink,” he repeated. “Those are my favorite colors. What about yours?”

“Oh, um, well… blue. Like the sky. An unpolluted sky, to be precise. The blue of a glacier lake is beautiful too.” She smiled. “Why do you like brown and pink?”

Fluxx. He hadn’t expected her to ask why he’d chosen those two colors, and he found himself fumbling for an answer. But he couldn’t lie to her. And so, he decided to opt for the truth. Even though it made him feel vulnerable. Because until he’d met Holly, he hadn’t really taken the time to consider such preferences.

“Dark brown like your soft tresses and your soulful eyes, my darling mate,” he murmured quietly, “and pink like the shade of your cheeks when you blush.”

She placed a hand atop his, and her smile widened. “You really are too sweet, Errik. Oh, God. Now I believe I must change my answer. My favorite color is green. The same shade as your eyes. I’ve truly never seen anything like it.”

The tips of his ears burned as she changed her answer while simultaneously paying him a compliment.

He had faced armed warriors, mountain beasts, and the horrors of war without flinching. He had stepped into the cages knowing his opponents might leave him bleeding and broken or perhaps even kill him. He’d fought through pain and exhaustion without ever allowing his emotions to control him, priding himself on his outward stoicism and resilience despite the restlessness that had always been a part of him.

Yet a beautiful human female telling him that she liked the color of his eyes was enough to leave him utterly flustered.

Simply by paying him a compliment, she’d somehow slipped past the emotional armor he’d worn for most of his life.

Fluxx. His ears weren’t just burning now. His cheeks also felt warm. It was one thing to treat his human female with gentleness and other emotions he wasn’t accustomed to as he sought to make her comfortable and earn her trust, but he was wholly unprepared for how easily she could strip away his composure.

Holly arched an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look as her smile turned mischievous.

“You’re blushing,” she announced.

“I… it cannot be so.” He touched his ears and his cheeks, startled by how hot his entire face was becoming.

“You absolutely are.” She squeezed his hand. “And now I believe I must add dark pink to my list of favorite colors, as well as black for the color of your hair.”

She tilted her head to the side and regarded him with another playful look that made him want to grab her and kiss her to the point of breathlessness.

He found himself wondering what sort of noises she would make as they consummated their mating union. The shaky breaths she sometimes exhaled while she was blushing were his favorite sound so far. But would she whimper or moan while in the throes of pleasure? What about a frantic cry that echoed off the walls as she reached the peak of ecstasy?

Fluxx, he couldn’t wait to find out.

At that moment, just when he was about to lean down and kiss her, her stomach emitted a loud growl. Guilt and concern instantly spread through him. He’d healed her, gotten her belongings from her silver abode, and spent some time talking to her so she might feel more comfortable around him… yet he hadn’t considered whether she might be hungry.

He inwardly cursed himself for the blunder.

Clearly, she’d been struggling. She’d mentioned not being able to afford the heart surgery that would’ve saved her life. How could he have overlooked something as basic as whether she’d eaten recently?

“Holly?” His concern deepened as he looked down at her. “Are you hungry?”

Her cheeks turned his favorite color of pink again. “A little, I suppose.” Her stomach emitted another growl, this one louder than the last.

Just a little hungry? After everything she’d endured, she was admitting she was only a little hungry. Given the fresh blush that covered her face, as well as how loudly her stomach kept growling, he suspected she might very well be famished but was too embarrassed or uncomfortable asking for a meal.

He felt another stab of guilt.