Taming Two Warriors (Kindred Tales)

Unfortunately, she had been just at the point of doing a big wash right before she’d gone to her mom’s house for movie night and ended up being attacked by aliens and taken to the Mother Ship. So just about everything in the dorm was dirty and Melli doubted she had time to clean it up before Liosh got back.

Still, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She had filled half the sink with hot, soapy water and was sliding in the first pile of dishes when there was a knock at the door and Liosh came back in, his arms filled with bags of clothes and the food from the food court.

He frowned when he saw Melli standing at the tiny sink.

“What are you doing? Why are you standing on your injured leg, my Lady?”

“Oh, um—my place is kind of a mess,” Melli confessed, feeling her cheeks get hot. “I just…didn’t want you to think I was a slob. And I’m being careful—see?” She motioned down to where she was standing stork-like only on her good leg and keeping the other one carefully off the floor.

Liosh’s frown deepened.

“I still don’t like it. Here, let me help you over to sit down and I will finish this.”

“You will?” Melli squeaked. “But, um, you mean you don’t mind doing dishes?” Her father had never helped around the house at all in any way—well, other than traditionally masculine duties like getting the car fixed if it broke down and opening tight jar lids and things like that. So the idea that the big Kindred might be willing to do dishes—especially dishes he’d had no hand in dirtying—was surprising to her.

But Liosh only shrugged.

“Why shouldn’t I help with the domestic duties while I’m staying with you? It’s only fair, don’t you think?”

“I, uh, guess so,” Melli said hesitantly. “But, well, you didn’t even help make this mess.”

He shrugged again.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t help clean it up. Come—I don’t like seeing you on your feet when you’re supposed to be careful of your leg.”

He helped her over to the little blue overstuffed loveseat and got her settled with her leg propped up on some cushions. Then he went back to the tiny kitchen and Melli heard him humming happily to himself as he washed the dishes.

Wow…she couldn’t help thinking. What a great guy!

Were all Kindred this nice? If so, every girl should have one.

Nine

Vorn looked around the room he had been assigned with a frown. He had taken off his crimson uniform shirt in order to change into something less formal for supper, but now he found he had nowhere to hang it. Bare-chested, he wandered around the small room, wondering if there were any kind of hanging or storage facilities available but finding none.

He supposed he could ask Jodi, but he could still hear her voice murmuring into the phone, presumably ordering them Last Meal, and he didn’t like to interrupt her. There was a small door across from the bed. He had thought that maybe it led to the fresher but it was worth a try.

Pulling open the door, Vorn sucked in a breath and was nearly knocked over by the sudden intense barrage of scents.

This was where the other smells that permeated the small room were coming from, he realized—the scents of leather and latex he had noticed earlier were all coming from this tiny storage area.

Surprisingly, the source of the smells was not immediately apparent. There was no leather or latex in sight. Just a clothing rack filled with hangers and on each one seemed to be a warm, puffy piece of clothing that would only be comfortable in a much colder climate.

Vorn pulled one out, still on the hanger and puzzled over it. It was soft and pink and furry and had long sleeves. He thought he had heard humans call this kind of garment a “sweater” or some of them called it a “jumper.” But why Jodi needed such garments—and so many of them—when even in the supposed winter season here, it was warm enough to walk outside with nothing but a thin shirt on, was more than he could understand.

Well, maybe she took trips to colder climates sometimes, he reasoned to himself. That was certainly possible since this part of the Earth was warmer than a lot of places on the small green-blue planet.

He was about to wedge the sweater back into the packed storage area when he noticed that the garment next to it was neither warm nor puffy. Pulling it out, he examined it in surprise.

The garment dangling from this hanger was most certainly not a sweater. It was a long, slinky dress which appeared to be made entirely of black latex. There was no doubt it would be skin-tight on Jodi—if she was the one wearing it.