waved that away. “You’re family. Besides, I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“You could take a training session with Quinn instead. Keep those love handles off.”
He could hear the laughter in her voice.
“I’ll think about it. So what can I do for you? Why’d you call?” He was pretty sure he knew, but he was curious to observe her approach.
Her expression remained far too innocent. “I haven’t spoken to you in over a month. I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m doing well, thanks.” He waited patiently.
“And Rix shared the good news you’re staying here. It’ll be nice to have you so close by. You’re going to love Trilanta. Let me know if you want help with apartment hunting. I know Rix is happy to have you as a roommate, but don’t be surprised if he drives you crazy, especially once you two work together every day.”
“Believe me, that crossed my mind.” More than once. “I’m sure we’ll bump along okay, but I appreciate the offer.”
“No problem.” Although Xindra tried to appear casual, he could see her curiosity bubbling over. “So, Rix also mentioned you have a New Earthling girlfriend. Lisa?”
“Lexy.” Huv corrected her automatically, though he was sure she’d gotten the name wrong on purpose. “And she’s not New Earthling. I knew Rix would blab. The whole family knows about this, don’t they?”
Xindra offered him a look of sympathy. “Well, I don’t know about the whole family.”
Huv groaned.
“What can I say? We’re Allurian. Gossip is our favorite pastime, second only to telling dirty jokes.”
“I know.” And most of the time, Huv was as bad as the rest of them. “What do you want to know?”
His cousin smiled. “Is this serious? Rix made it sound like this relationship was more than your usual fling. He also said Lexy is a tall, blonde goddess with the most kissable lips he’s ever seen.”
“I’ll kill him.”
Xindra looked delighted. “Then it is serious.”
“Yeah.” No sense denying it. Lexy was a big part of why he’d finally decided to stay in Trilanta.
“Huv, that’s wonderful. Don’t hold back. What’s she like?”
He pictured Lexy in his mind, both the woman and the man, and felt his blood warm. “Lexy is everything. She’s beautiful inside and out, so sexy she practically makes me drool, and she’s really smart. To be honest, half the time she scares the hell out of me.” Mostly in her male form, although he wasn’t ready to share that yet. “I swear she sees me better than I see myself sometimes, and she keeps me off balance.”
Worried he’d revealed too much, Huv stopped to clear his throat. “She works as a—don’t laugh—sex therapist. When I told her about the class you’re teaching, she thought it was a great idea.”
Xindra’s eyes lit up. “I’d love to meet her.”
“What?” Huv’s heart stuttered.
“It sounds like we’d have a lot to talk about. I want to get together with you again anyway. Why don’t we make it a double date—you, me, Quinn, and Lexy? We can go out to dinner.”
“I don’t … uh…” He felt blindsided, though he supposed he should have seen this coming. “Xindra, there’s something you should … I’m not sure I’m ready to introduce her to my family. I’m still feeling my way here.”
She looked thoughtful, which was one of the many reasons he liked her so much. Xindra was one of the most considerate people he knew, always able to see things from other people’s point of view. Her husband was a lucky man.
“I don’t want to make either of you uncomfortable.” She tapped her chin. “Why don’t we keep it casual? Despite what I said, I won’t broadcast the whole dinner to the family. We can keep this private, and I’m a cousin, not your mother, so there’s less pressure there. You can tell Lexy I want to pick her brain, get a professional opinion for the course I’m teaching. That’s true as far as it goes.”
Huv didn’t know what to
“You could take a training session with Quinn instead. Keep those love handles off.”
He could hear the laughter in her voice.
“I’ll think about it. So what can I do for you? Why’d you call?” He was pretty sure he knew, but he was curious to observe her approach.
Her expression remained far too innocent. “I haven’t spoken to you in over a month. I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m doing well, thanks.” He waited patiently.
“And Rix shared the good news you’re staying here. It’ll be nice to have you so close by. You’re going to love Trilanta. Let me know if you want help with apartment hunting. I know Rix is happy to have you as a roommate, but don’t be surprised if he drives you crazy, especially once you two work together every day.”
“Believe me, that crossed my mind.” More than once. “I’m sure we’ll bump along okay, but I appreciate the offer.”
“No problem.” Although Xindra tried to appear casual, he could see her curiosity bubbling over. “So, Rix also mentioned you have a New Earthling girlfriend. Lisa?”
“Lexy.” Huv corrected her automatically, though he was sure she’d gotten the name wrong on purpose. “And she’s not New Earthling. I knew Rix would blab. The whole family knows about this, don’t they?”
Xindra offered him a look of sympathy. “Well, I don’t know about the whole family.”
Huv groaned.
“What can I say? We’re Allurian. Gossip is our favorite pastime, second only to telling dirty jokes.”
“I know.” And most of the time, Huv was as bad as the rest of them. “What do you want to know?”
His cousin smiled. “Is this serious? Rix made it sound like this relationship was more than your usual fling. He also said Lexy is a tall, blonde goddess with the most kissable lips he’s ever seen.”
“I’ll kill him.”
Xindra looked delighted. “Then it is serious.”
“Yeah.” No sense denying it. Lexy was a big part of why he’d finally decided to stay in Trilanta.
“Huv, that’s wonderful. Don’t hold back. What’s she like?”
He pictured Lexy in his mind, both the woman and the man, and felt his blood warm. “Lexy is everything. She’s beautiful inside and out, so sexy she practically makes me drool, and she’s really smart. To be honest, half the time she scares the hell out of me.” Mostly in her male form, although he wasn’t ready to share that yet. “I swear she sees me better than I see myself sometimes, and she keeps me off balance.”
Worried he’d revealed too much, Huv stopped to clear his throat. “She works as a—don’t laugh—sex therapist. When I told her about the class you’re teaching, she thought it was a great idea.”
Xindra’s eyes lit up. “I’d love to meet her.”
“What?” Huv’s heart stuttered.
“It sounds like we’d have a lot to talk about. I want to get together with you again anyway. Why don’t we make it a double date—you, me, Quinn, and Lexy? We can go out to dinner.”
“I don’t … uh…” He felt blindsided, though he supposed he should have seen this coming. “Xindra, there’s something you should … I’m not sure I’m ready to introduce her to my family. I’m still feeling my way here.”
She looked thoughtful, which was one of the many reasons he liked her so much. Xindra was one of the most considerate people he knew, always able to see things from other people’s point of view. Her husband was a lucky man.
“I don’t want to make either of you uncomfortable.” She tapped her chin. “Why don’t we keep it casual? Despite what I said, I won’t broadcast the whole dinner to the family. We can keep this private, and I’m a cousin, not your mother, so there’s less pressure there. You can tell Lexy I want to pick her brain, get a professional opinion for the course I’m teaching. That’s true as far as it goes.”
Huv didn’t know what to
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