Starfish

29.2

Ardus stared at her, eyes trained on hers while his enormous hands flexed at her sides. His thumbs lay at her ribs, his smallest fingers touched her hips and his longest fingers met at her spine. "I...I do not know. There are so many things-"

"I have an idea." Sitting back, Nina reached behind her neck and undid the tiny metal clasp. Her dress slipped down her body, puddling in her lap. She sat shimmering, bare to the waist, grinning while the Dreen stared. It seemed as though Ardus could do nothing but stare, his breaths shallow and slow as his eyes traveled up and down and up again, his pores brilliant with greens and purples. Nina smirked. "Like what you see?" Ardus continued to stare, but he nodded. Nina looked down and a light blinked on in her mind. "You've never seen breasts before, have you?"

He swallowed hard, blinking slowly. "I have not."

"I can tell. Do you want to touch them?"

If even possible, Ardus's eyes grew wider. "I can do that?"

"Of course!" Nina laughed. "Here," she picked up his huge hands and brought them up. Ardus drew a breath as his warm palms met her soft skin, the pores around his wrists pink and yellow. "Oh..." His palms cupped, Ardus spread his fingers and tested their weight and texture. "They are... They are so soft, and warm..." His claws grazed her skin and Nina shivered, goose-pimples prickling. "What is happening?"

"Pilomotor reflex," Nina explained. "Those little bumps are hair follicles, they react to cold, touch, and some emotional responses." Nina guided his hands, introducing him to the finer points – literally.

"I understand these," Ardus told her, brushing his thumbs over her raised nipples. Nina leaned into his hands, pressing forward for another kiss. With his hands full, Ardus let Nina push his vest back over his shoulders. Ardus shrugged out one arm at a time, returning again to her breasts. "I like these," he said, squeezing and stroking lightly with his fingertips, "they are beautiful."

"Thanks, I like them too. Want to see more?"

"Sea gods, yes!"

Sliding off of his knees, giggling, Nina stood and wriggled out of her dress, Ardus's hands following her. Now that he'd finally got his hands on her, he couldn't stop touching her. Nina decided she liked it that way. She straightened and kicked the dress – its purpose fulfilled – behind her, and heard his breath catch. 

"Oh, Nina..." 

Turning in a slow circle Nina grinned at the Dreen as she showed off her many angles, raising her arms so he could fully appreciate the curve of breast, waist and hip, pulling aside her hair to display her back and the little dimples above her hips. Completing the circle, she shook her hair back. "Okay, your turn."

Ardus glowed rose-pink from his face to the waistband of his trousers, wrists sparkling. Nonetheless, and without taking his eyes off of her, he pulled apart the knot that held his trousers up and stood, letting them drop to the floor. Looking up, Nina felt her face split into a broad smile. Oh hell yes! 

He was as impressive as the day she'd seen him on the beach – at well over eight feet tall Ardus was a solid column of muscle, bone and leathery blue-gray skin, his back and sides darker than his belly and chest, his body twinkling with lines and swirls of vibrant pores. Towering over her his broad chest and shoulders were easily twice that of a human's, his stomach flat and rippling with hard muscle. Lean, narrow hips became long, powerful legs, dark blue fading to a periwinkle-gray along the insides of his thighs and the front of his hips. 

Looking down Nina cocked her head to the side, confused. "So, this might be an awkward question, but..." She blushed. "Where's your spear?"

"My...spear?" Ardus's brow furrowed. "I do not understand – ah!" he grinned, sitting back down. "When I am not, er, using it, my organ is stored in a sort of pouch," Ardus gestured towards the softer flesh that formed a triangle between his thighs, "in here."