"Sharon Green - Diana Santee 2 - Gateway To Xanadu" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

condescension, but it was clear the lesson hadn't taken. It looked like it was time for another lesson.

"You really understand the way a girl feels, don't you?" I said at last feigning relieved gratitude. "I can't
say how much better I feel now, to know that we'll be occupying separate cabins. You're an absolute
doll, Val."

I beamed at him as I stood up from the couch, pretending not to see the way he flinched at my complete
agreement with his offer. We had a decently long trip ahead of us, and hunters don't make very
successful eagle scouts. Still beaming, I kicked off the deck shoes I was wearing, then opened my ship
suit and started to wriggle out of it. Those black eyes were on me instantly, sliding over every curve I
had, the look in them saying they still liked what they saw, and then memory returned of what had been
committed to. If it hadn't been so far from his nature, I think Val would have started blubbering then; the
muscles tensed all over his body, his face went expressionless, and swallowing turned his voice hoarse.

"What are you doing?" he demanded as he looked up at me. "I don't understand what you're- Diana,
you're taking your clothes off."

"Sure," I agreed with a smilingly innocent nod, tossing the ship's suit in the general direction of my
cabin. "It's so warm in here you don't really need clothes, but I couldn't take them off until you said what
you did. I never wore anything on the trip out."

Which, although calculated, was nothing but the complete truth, except for the stated reason. I wore
nothing of clothing on the trip out because I was born and raised on one of the only two nudist worlds in
the Federation, and I revert to going natural every time I can. Val's face had taken on an appalled,
desperate look, as though he were trying to imagine living with a naked woman for two months without
touching her, but I made sure not to notice that look either. I turned away from him and headed for the

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galley, humming happily in a soft voice.

"It's going to be great having someone to talk to," I enthused over my shoulder as I stopped in front of
the food synthesizer to refill the mug I'd left there earlier with coffee. "I enjoy my own company well
enough, but there's such a thing as too much of that sort of enjoyment. How about a cup of coffee?"

Without waiting for an answer I filled a second mug, then carried them both back to the salon area. Val
was still sitting, on his couch, one big hand rubbing at his face, a harried expression in his eyes. He
waited until I'd put the mug into the slot meant for it in the front of the couch's armrest, shifted a little on
the couch, then cleared his throat.

"Diana, you're not being fair," he said, no more than a trace of the hoarseness left in his voice. "I'm
trying to be considerate of you, but you're not doing the same for me. I promised I'd do nothing to make
you feel it necessary to defend yourself, but I wasn't picturing you walking around like that. You have to
put your clothes back on."

"Why?" I asked, sipping gingerly at the hot coffee. "It isn't as if you've never seen me naked before, Val.
You've seen me naked lots of times."

"I know I have," he answered through his teeth. "I know I've seen you naked lots of times, but that was