Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75457 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Klynn’s eyes sparkled but the rest of his face was mostly neutral…so actually showing a lot of emotion for one of the people from his planet. “Someone with new access to English overheard you talking to yourself about the waste removal system and the story has been widely shared.”
Fucking hell.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. For some reason, that seemed to be what delighted Klynn and he actually let out a quiet sound that wouldn’t have been a laugh anywhere else but his unique planet. “I just can’t remember the better than human hearing. I’m never going to get used to that.”
No matter where I was in their complex of connected houses and public spaces, there was always someone who could hear me. When I first walked through what was really a small town where the buildings were all attached together to protect people from the weather and wildlife, I’d been impressed, but I hadn’t realized how it would affect privacy expectations.
They had none.
As I opened my eyes and focused on him again instead of my own drama, something about his expression felt like he was laughing at me but I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly made me read it that way. “Everyone around you appreciates that.”
Brat.
“I’m glad I can be so entertaining to the local populace.” I was starting to understand why my parents had such a good sense of humor about ridiculous things. “I have to admit that I prefer toilet questions to one about…diner nonsense.”
I would never get used to their lack of social boundaries around kinks and anything mate-related either.
The sparkle in his eyes was back, but he nodded seriously. “I agree.”
What kind of weird questions had he been getting?
Did he mean he didn’t like them questioning me about mate activities?
I couldn’t ask, but I’d never realized how much information I obtained through facial expressions until the people around me didn’t have any.
“I am going to do my best to remember the hearing difference, though.” That was going to get me in trouble at some point if I wasn’t careful. I just wasn’t used to constantly guarding my thoughts and words. It was like being at work twenty-four seven. “And that they’re just curious because of the alien coming to visit aspect.”
“They’re following Wren and the others from Earth too.” That finally got a smirk from Klynn. “I think it’s more about the newness than you being technically an alien.”
Rolling my eyes, I sighed getting another hint of a smile from him. “If we’re comparing them to the diner men, I would have to agree. Those crazy old men didn’t care where you came from as long as they could ask questions and…let’s call it…classify you.”
Klynn couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to laugh or groan and finally settled on a small huff. “They gather knowledge in inappropriate ways.”
Amen.
“I would agree, but there are times when it is appropriate to ask questions to someone you trust or that you think has the right knowledge that you need.” I’d started to think I hadn’t been clear on that with my complaints about the diner men.
Had that been why he’d disappeared?
Klynn had made a clear effort to talk to me when we’d been on Earth, but he hadn’t engaged me about anything personal or diner-nonsense related. “They just go about it wrong.”
Klynn knew he could talk to me, right?
I wasn’t the warmest person with strangers—it came from meeting too many of them—but I thought we’d gotten close enough over the week before we’d left for him to understand he was different.
The grumpy drama queen went still and the only sign of life was random blinks and the hum of something like energy I always felt from him. After a few moments, he nodded slowly in a human gesture I appreciated. “I will admit to preferring to gain information privately, but yes, there are times it is appropriate to ask questions.”
Since his preferred method of information gathering seemed to be romance novels, I felt the need to push just a bit. “Some written information is exaggerated for humor or other emotions, so please feel free to ask me anything you are confused about.”
It was bolder than I’d been before, but I had a feeling he would’ve been fairly content just to watch me for a lot longer than most humans could handle without it getting awkward. Klynn was fascinating and grumpy and in no way human…and most of the time I liked that about him…but not being able to read him as well as I wanted made it difficult to figure out what was going on.
Because there had to be something going on.
“Thank you.” Going back to being still and simply studying me, he was quiet for several long moments as he seemed to process something. “And please feel free to do the same with me. I know there are aspects of our culture and biology that are confusing.”