Alien Holiday by Tracy Lauren

Chapter 15

Lo

“I wanted to do something really special for you. That’s what all this cooking is about. Do you know it’s been over a year since my abduction and this is the first time I’ve tried to replicate any of my family recipes?”

“Why go to the trouble for me?”

I take the question seriously, considering my answer. “I wanted to make you feel welcome, like you had a family here…with me and the others. Food is my love language, I guess. And I think when I saw your parents’ graves I felt this kind of kinship with you. I lost my family too, just in a different way. All I have left of them is in here.” I tap my heart. “And I want to keep it alive in any way I can, by sharing it with you, and one day passing it on to my children.”

Resa looks taken aback. “You have children?”

“Huh?” I laugh. “Oh, no, no, no! I mean, future kids.”

“But you have no mate.”

“Not yet.”

He grunts and wraps another tamale, just how I showed him. My heart feels full at the sight. “It is really nice to share this with you.”

“I am honored for the opportunity.” Resa has a way of talking that’s very dry—blunt. Some people might think of it as gruff and crotchety. But I think of it as brazen sincerity. The man pulls no punches and says exactly what he means. I like that about him. It’s familiar to me.

“You make me feel at home.”

“Then why don’t you just live here?”

I grow still. “Would you want that?”

He shrugs. “You do not bother me so much. You are a distraction, but you cook. So there is that.”

I lean back on the rock, laughing. “Well, isn’t that just the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You want me to be sweet?” Resa asks, his expression blank. It makes me blush and silence stretches between us. If I said yes, what would he do?

“Come back to my place tonight. You can help me decorate.”

Resa gives me a cocky look. “Is my home not decorated enough for you, alien?”

I scoff. “I’m not an alien.”

“Whose world are you on?” A smile plays on the corners of his lips… And I thought his perpetual scowl was sexy.

“Fine, fair enough. And your place is decorated beautifully. Did you…did you do this all for me?”

Resa grunts, focused on his tamale making. “Of course I did this for you.”

I bite back my giddy grin. “This is probably the most romantic—”

“You have a strange obsession with these flowers, I figured it would save me much trouble if I gathered them all at once when the weather was clear.”

The giddy grin is gone. “Okay… Still, it was nice of you to put so much work in. It couldn’t have been easy.”

“Easier than fighting with you.”

Now I’m frowning, but Resa looks up at me with humor in his eyes. “You are tenacious.”

“Thanks,” I tell him drily.

“It’s a terribly annoying trait.”

I grab a flower and chuck it at his head. “You’re the worst! If this is how you compliment a girl you really have been alone for far too long.”

Resa just laughs and takes the flower…tucking it behind my ear. I freeze. His touch is gentle. It makes my heart pound, and when his fingers skim my cheekbone I want to lean into his touch. I’m wide eyed and gaping by the surprisingly sweet gesture, but the moment seems to come and go for Resa…while I’m left stuck in it, staring like a fool.

More than anything in the world I wanted to kiss Resa just now, or I wanted him to kiss me. The realization leaves me a little shaken. Sure, I’ve flirted with an alien or two back in Beacon—Allison’s mercenary guys. But more and more Resa is giving me some serious feels. I need to proceed carefully with this, I can’t muddy the waters. My main goal is to make sure Resa isn’t alone anymore. I could fuck things up if I complicated this relationship with romance. I look at Resa and it dawns on me that he’s a virgin…

“You are staring at me, alien. Is that polite where you come from?”

Thank God he’s good at getting under my skin.“Are you considered polite on any planet?”

Resa chuckles.

“You like my company, admit it.”

“Like I said, you are not terrible. Or…you get less terrible with time.”

“That’s a charming evaluation. Thank you.” I make my voice bright and sing-songy. “You’d feel the same way about all my friends in Beacon…”

Resa looks unimpressed.

“Honestly, stop being so stubborn. Just give it a chance. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“My presence becomes known and my life as I know it is changed forever. I will never again have my solitude, my privacy, my way of life.”

I shrug. “Aren’t those things overrated anyway?”

Resa side-eyes me.

“Well, hell. You’re going to hate the bathing room.”

“What is that?”

“It’s like this big indoor pool that everyone shares.”

Resa wrinkles up his nose. “The swamp room?”

I imagine he had been to the temple before we came and saw the rooms before they were rehabbed and cleaned. “It’s crystal clear now. Absolutely beautiful too. Tons of fountains, with statues that look like you.”

“And that is where you bathe?”

“That’s where everyone bathes.”

“Together?”

I nod. It’s kind of like a big locker room. A big, co-ed locker room. I’ve gotten used to it.

“Nude?”

I look up at Resa. “Yup, that’s how we aliens bathe. Butt naked.” Is he interested? “It’s warm,” I say, trying to entice him. “Even at this time of year. And there are plenty of times it’s deserted too. If you did want a little privacy. Or…it could just be me and you.”

Resa’s eyes come up from his work for only a moment, but he does not comment on the possibility of bathing together. Swing and a miss, Lo.

Together we finish up the last of the tamale preparation. Now they just need to cook. I actually really like this primitive method of cooking over an open flame—it makes me wonder about my ancestors long ago, is this how they might have done it once upon a time?

“It’s special in Beacon right now—with the holiday coming up. I think you’d enjoy it…if you let yourself.”

“I enjoy solitude.”

“You’ve had plenty of solitude. I think it’s time to try something new.”

“And here I am with you, making tamales while my cave is covered wall to wall in flowers. Lo, this is all new.”

“So why stop now? You’re on a roll.”

Resa laughs, shaking his head at me. “Determined, tenacious, annoying…”

“I think you like it,” I tease.

“Are these nearly done?” Resa points to the first batch of tamales.

“Let’s check.” I pull one off the platform over the fire and fold back the dried husks I used to wrap them. Inside it’s beautiful. It looks exactly like a tamale should, and even though it’s steaming I break off a piece with my fingers and take a bite. Instantly tears fill my eyes.

“What is wrong?” Resa asks as I hang my head.

“Sorry, this just gets me every time.” I offer him the rest of the tamale and, with tears streaming down my cheeks, I pull the finished ones off the fire and add the next batch.

Resa carefully takes a bite. “Do you not like it?”

“I love it. It’s delicious. It isn’t perfect, but it’s so damned close. It transports me back to the holidays I used to spend with my family.”

Resa nods knowingly. “There are certain herbs my mother would brew. When I smell them…” He clears his throat. “I understand what you mean.” And with that, Resa wipes the tears from my cheeks…and I stare at him in awe. How did we become so intimate?