Chapter 4

Standing up to his chest in water, Cole told Mel with obvious approval, "This is much warmer than the water in Lake Michigan, Mel."

"Mmm hmm," she agreed, grinning. "Thought you'd like that."

"I like it very much, Mel," he assured her. "The whole vacation so far has been very fun. Thank you for inviting me."

"Well, as hard as you work, you deserve some down-time and the chance to have a little fun. Fun is vital to good mental health." On impulse, she splashed his face.

Cole sputtered for a moment, staring at her with wide eyes. "Mel? What are you doing?" he whispered, his voice shaking.

Mel frowned at that reaction. "Uh, I was… you know… splashing you with water." She shrugged, regarding him in confusion.

"Why?" he asked quietly, shyly.

"Just for fun." She took a step towards him, startled by that hesitant look on his face. "Cole, is something wrong? I didn't mean to upset you. It's just a fun thing that humans do sometimes," she explained. "It's not--"

"A Nodulian mating ritual," he interrupted quietly.

Mel stared at him with wide eyes. "A Nodulian mating ritual?" she repeated, coloring. No wonder he had been shocked. He may not have actually been Nodulian, but she could still see where it would come as a surprise to him.

"Well, a pre-mating ritual," he amended, shrugging. "A female splashes water on a male she finds acceptable. If he splashes back, it indicates that he is interested in mating with her. They're a playful species. Sometimes water-fights will last hours before the mating occurs."

Mel absorbed all of this with a slowly growing grin. "My God… I'm sorry, Cole. I was not trying to come on to you," she explained. "Just having a little fun…" Her eyes widened at the look on his face. Was that actual disappointment? One way to find out, she supposed. "Of course, if we were Nodulians, it would be your move," she pointed out with a faint smile. It was not exactly subtle, but since subtly was frequently lost on Cole anyway…

"You should be more careful what you wish for, Mel," Cole told her tenderly. Smiling widely, he sent an enormous spray of water her way, completely drenching her.

"Cole!" she protested, laughing and shaking water out of her face.

"Yes, Mel?" he asked, barely managing to contain his grin.

"I'm soaked!"

"Of course you are, Mel," he told her innocently. "You're standing in an ocean."

"Oh, that is it!"

Shaking her head, Mel splashed him again, harder this time. As he tried to recover from that, she splashed him again, laughing. With a bellow of laughter, Cole gave up trying to defend himself and focused on getting Mel as wet as he could. It felt good to let go for a change, to just have fun for a little while without worrying about fugitives or anything else. He was beginning to see what the Nodulians saw in this game. Until now, he had always considered it a rather aggressive form of play. Taking a moment to wipe water from his eyes, he lost sight of Mel. Frowning in concern, he began looking around.

"Mel?" he called, worried.

"Back here, Cole," Mel announced, splashing him as he turned.

"You fight like a Vardian," he announced with a grin, closing the distance between them and catching her hands firmly in his own.

"Oh, yes. Because the use of strategy in a fight is just so unfair…" She chuckled, shaking her head and trying to free her hands.

"Very unfair," Cole agreed, nodding and refusing to release his gentle grip on her. "How did you get behind me like that?" he asked.

"Maybe I used Hyperspeed," she teased.

"Somehow I doubt it." Cole shook his head and pulled her closer.

She shrugged, uncomfortable to find herself suddenly pulled against a very… excited Cirronian. "You done with my hands? Can I have them back now?" she asked quietly.

Cole looked down in surprise. He had somehow managed to forget that he was still holding onto her hands. "Sorry, Mel," he said, dropping her hands. "How did you get behind me?" he repeated curiously.

She took a half-step back, just far enough so that they were no longer touching. "I went under the water and swam."

"Under the water?" he repeated with wide eyes. "Mel, that's very dangerous!"

She started to laugh, then realized that he was perfectly serious. "Cole, it's okay. It's safe, really."

"Humans can not breathe underwater!" he protested.

"I held my breath."

"You should not go under the water again," he said quietly, brushing wet hair out of her face.

She smiled at his obvious concern over her well-being. "Cole, I promise you that I am not going to drown while we're here. You have my word," she chuckled softly.

His smile returned and he nodded. "Okay, Mel. What do we do now?"

"Mmm, I could always bury you in the sand," Mel chuckled, shaking her head. She stopped at the amused look on his face. "Let me guess," she said sarcastically. "Another Nodulian mating ritual?"

"Orsusian, actually," he told her matter-of-factly.

Mel dissolved into giggles, leaning against Cole's chest as she recovered from that pronouncement. Cole wrapped his arms around her, securing her body against his again and watching her with a faint smile as she laughed herself out.

When she had recovered enough to speak, she managed, "Cole?"

"Yes, Mel?"

"Is there anything happening on this beach that doesn't mimic a mating ritual for some species?"

The Cirronian looked around thoughtfully, seriously considering her question. Half-naked humans, mostly couples… some walking hand in hand, some sitting or laying together, some splashing around like Nodulians or engaging in other forms of play, some openly engaging in human pre-mating behaviors. Finally, he shook his head.

"Not really, Mel," he told her gravely, sending her into fresh gales of laughter. He smiled and cradled her against his chest until her laughter played out. "Well, maybe the sandcastles," he admitted, shrugging.

For some reason, Mel seemed to find this amusing as well. She was bright red by now, either from laughter or embarrassment, and still sporadically lapsing into fresh giggles and doubling over. He decided that she should probably not be in the water until she was capable of keeping herself upright, so he scooped her up into his arms and started carrying her back to shore.

"Cole! What are you doing?" she demanded once she had recovered from her shock.

"Taking you back to the beach," he replied simply as he walked. "You should not be in the water while you are hysterical. You could fall and hurt yourself or accidentally inhale water…"

"Cole, the water is ankle-deep right now. I think you can safely put me down."

"Okay, Mel," he said, placing her gently on the ground and immediately missing the way it felt to hold her.

Noticing that many of the humans on the beach were freely touching each other, he looped an arm around her waist as they walked back to their towel. She looked up at him in obvious consternation, but did not comment, which he supposed translated into permission to keep his arm around her. He smiled, liking the way her bare skin felt under his hand. Jess definitely had superior taste in beachwear, he decided, wondering why the outfit had upset Mel so much. It made her look even more lovely than usual, if in a slightly different way. It felt even better than usual to look at her dressed like that.

"You look very beautiful today, Mel," he told her gently as she sat down and sidled into the protective shade of the umbrella.

Mel flushed and stared at her hands. She felt completely naked under his appreciative scrutiny, told herself firmly that he was only comment on aesthetics, and took a few deep breaths.

"You're even lovelier than you were at the art museum," he continued. "But I think you've been in the sun too long. Your face is very red." He opened the small cooler they had brought and handed her a bottle of water. "Here, Mel. You should drink this. Are you feeling okay?" he asked, looking worried.

"Fine, Cole. I'm fine. Just a little overheated." Mel winced. "Because it's so warm and sunny!" she hastened to add.

Cole's next move absolutely stunned her.

Casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he reached into the cooler, grabbed an ice cube, leaned towards Mel, and brushed it across her lips. As she stared at him with huge round eyes and an opened mouth, he moved on to her throat, lightly brushing the ice cube over the sensitive skin there. Mel shivered and closed her eyes, her head falling back. Her mind was screaming at her to stop Cole now, while her body was urging her to just jump the man. The conflict left her completely immobilized and vulnerable to Cole's continued attentions. And he was being his usual, attentive self, too…

She let out a low moan and just turned her brain off.

The spell was broken by Cole's gentle voice. "Is that better, Mel?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh…" She gave an anxious grin and a shaky nod even though she felt more overheated now than she had before. Breathe, Mel. "Yeah, Cole… Uh, thanks." She gave another nervous nod.

"Are you sure?" he asked, frowning. "You still aren't acting like you normally do. And I could tell you enjoyed it. I can do it more if you'd like," he offered hopefully.

Watching Mel's reaction to his care had left him feeling things that he had not felt before this vacation since holding her in his arms when she taught him to dance, and he was feeling them even more strongly than he had been in the water. That particular method of cooling Mel off had been Jess' helpful suggestion, he recalled, making a mental note to thank the girl for the good advice.

"Would you like me to do it again, Mel?" he offered again when she did not immediately answer. "I don't mind."

It was the sight of Cole reaching for another ice cube that finally spurred Mel to speak.

"Oh, really, Cole… that's… that's okay. It's a really, really, really…" Focus, Mel. "Really sweet thought on your part, but it isn't necessary…" She forced a reassuring smile on to her face.

Cole frowned at her behavior, dropping the ice back into the cooler. "Are you okay, Mel? Maybe we should go back to the hotel?"

Mel knew that if he got her near a bed in her current state of mind that her innocent Cirronian was likely to end their vacation a lot less innocent than he had started it. Of course, no one could remain innocent forever, the little devil on her shoulder whispered, only to be shot down by her still, amazingly, intact conscience. This was Cole, who not too long ago had asked her what the 'purpose' of a kiss was. He had certainly not set out to be anything other than helpful. Her reaction, and his own she realized with a hasty downward glance, did not matter. This was Cole.

"I'm fine," she assured him hastily. "Maybe we should just relax here for a little longer."

"Okay, Mel," he agreed readily. "Would you like me to help you cool down some more?" he asked, picking up another ice-cube.

"No!" The negation came out as a half-shout and left Cole looking like a kicked puppy. Beautiful, Mel! He was so seldom anything other than placid and accepting that his hurt look left her feeling incredibly guilty. Sighing, she reached out and squeezed his shoulder, her expression apologetic. "Cole, I'm sorry, but…" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't think that what you were doing was… having quite the effect you were going for. Now, I appreciate the effort, but… it's just not appropriate. I'm sorry."

"Not appropriate?" he repeated, frowning.

"Not really. Not between… friends," Mel explained gently. "It's okay, Cole. It really was a sweet thought."

He nodded, slowly, his expression still troubled. "If it is not appropriate for friends, then who is it appropriate for?" he asked, trying to divine why Jess would advise him to do something inappropriate enough to upset Mel so much. She was so sweet and kind that it must have been a mistake of some sort.

"Um… lovers," she mumbled.

Cole blinked. "Does Jess think we are lovers, Mel?"

"Jess?" Mel shook her head, sighing deeply. "Of course… Only Jess." She laughed and shook her head, patting his shoulder. "Ah, Cole… Only Jess. Oh, God!" she laughed. "Cole…"

"I don't understand, Mel," Cole told her uncertainly. Her abrupt shift in mood was just confusing and he was still in the dark about Jess' reason for suggesting he do something inappropriate.

She took a deep breath before explaining. "It's like her switching my swimsuit for… these tiny scraps of fabric." She watched his face for comprehension and saw none. Sighing, she tried again. "Jess thinks we'd make a cute couple. So she is trying to… orchestrate a… um, a… connection." She smiled apologetically. "Just Jess being Jess."

"Jess is a sweet girl, Mel. She would not do something that she did not think was in our best interest."

"Yeah, well… Jess is… Jess! And she doesn't have all the facts," Mel added softly.

He frowned faintly. "You do not want a… connection because I'm not human?"

"No!" Mel shook her head vehemently. "Damn it, Cole, no. That is not it. It's not you." Not sure why, she kept talking. "It's not even me, really. It's just… life. You and I are… complicated."

"I am not complicated, Mel," Cole told her firmly.

The phrase that sprung immediately to mind was 'wanna bet?', but Mel settled for, "The situation is complicated. You have to give me that…"

"It is unique," Cole granted quietly, deciding that the only thing particularly complicated in the entire situation was trying to understand where Mel stood and what she wanted. "I'm sorry I upset you, Mel. I won't do it again," he said quietly.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Mel grinned at him. "Just, uh… do us both a favor and forget anything else that Jess may have suggested you do on this trip."

"No strawberries?" he asked, disappointed.

She smiled and shook her head. "You can eat all the strawberries you want, Cole," she told him softly. "But beyond eating them yourself… No."

"Mel?" he asked hesitantly, his expression sheepish. "What if I've already done some of the things Jess suggested I do?"

She closed her eyes. "Depends on what Jess suggested. What else have you done that she suggested?"

"Just rubbing you so far."

"Rubbing…" Mel shook her head, smiling. "Helping me with my sunscreen was Jess' idea?"

"No, Mel. Just that I should touch you a lot and… rub you the right way. Was I rubbing you the right way?"

"Never mind, Cole." She laughed and shook her head. "Cole… I'm not sure I really want to know, but I am kind of curious… so, what else did Jess suggest other than gratuitous physical contact, the ice cubes, and the strawberries?"

He considered for a moment. Much of Jess' advice had been completely lost on him, courtesy of the United States' and Great Britain's divergent vocabulary. He tried to repeat her words as closely as possible, wondering if Mel could make sense of them.

"She suggested that after I have 'softened you up', I do something called… 'shagging' you until you--" He stopped when Mel clapped a hand firmly over his mouth.

"I was right. I don't want to know." She shook her head. "Cole, I'm sure her suggestions were made with the best intentions, but… don't listen to any of them. Like I told you, she's a nice kid but sometimes she tries too hard. It's a vacation, not The Love Connection. Just relax a little and have a nice time," she suggested.

"I've been having a nice time so far."

She chuckled and shook her head. "I'll bet you have, Cole. Look, why don't you soak up some sun. My head hurts, I'm going to lie down and close my eyes for a little bit."

"Under the umbrella, Mel," he directed. "Where you can not get burned by the UV radiation."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay, Cole. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, Mel. I don't mind you resting for a little while. I'm sure you are probably still not feeling completely recovered from how much you had to drink last night. I can watch people and… soak up some sun." He smiled widely. "It feels very nice on my bare skin, Mel."

"I'm glad you like it." She smiled and reclined on the sand, still pleasantly warm even in the shade.

"Maybe I'll build a sandcastle…"

"You do that, Cole." She grinned up at him, nodding. "Just remember to have fun. That's what vacations are really all about."

"Yes, Mel." He smiled and nodded, brushing his fingertips across her forehead and releasing a little soothing energy. "Now rest until your head feels better."

"Yeah." She brushed her fingers against his and closed her eyes. "Sorry I freaked earlier."

"It's okay, Mel. I understand."

Shrugging to himself, the Cirronian rose and walked down to the shore, sitting down in the wet sand and considering how to build his sandcastle. He picked up a handful of sand and let it fall through his fingers, considering the texture for a moment. Starting by gathering together a large quantity of wet sand, his fingers brushed against something smooth and cool. Frowning, he abandoned the intended project in favor of discovering what foreign object his hand had encountered.

Digging it out of the sand and washing it in the surf, he found himself holding a perfectly formed, pale blue seashell. He smiled widely at his find, the color of Mel's eyes. It was beautiful, like her. Nodding to himself, he set it aside to show to her later, after she had rested, and resumed his interrupted construction, enjoying the way the sun felt on his back as he worked.

***

By the time Mel woke up, Cole had managed to build a three-foot tall structure that, to her, bore a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal.

"Only Cole," she muttered, sitting up and stretching. Looking around, she saw that the beach was empty, abandoned by tourists who were, no doubt, more interested in air-conditioning and Mai Tais than sunbathing in hundred degree weather. "Looking good!" she called cheerfully, walking to join him. "Cole, how long did this… Oh, my God!" she gasped, staring at what had to be the worst sunburn she had ever seen.

"Do you like it, Mel?" he asked, smiling up at her over his shoulder.

"Uh, it's gorgeous. Are you in pain?"

"No." He shook his head, frowning. "What's wrong, Mel?"

"You! That sunburn!" She reached out and gingerly rested her palm against his back, earning a pained hiss.

"That hurt," he told her, frowning. Before his back had itched a little, but he had not thought anything of that.

"I don't doubt it!" Mel closed her eyes and shook her head. "Your sandcastle is beautiful, but you need to stop building it right now so I can get you to the emergency room."

Cole rose, wincing as he did so. "No human doctors," he said firmly, shifting uncomfortably. Now that his mind was not otherwise occupied, the sunburn was almost intolerable. "I just need a few hours to heal myself."

Her nod was shaky. "Okay. Let's get you back to the hotel. I've got some aloe that'll help with the pain and maybe the healing."

Cole nodded, bending to retrieve his seashell before following her back to the towel. He picked up his shirt and shrugged it on, hissing in pain.

"Take it off," Mel directed, sighing and gently helping him out of it. "God, how long were you in the sun?" She looked at her watch and shook her head. "Damn. We'll be lucky if you don't end up with sun poisoning…"

As they walked back to the hotel, Mel carrying Cole's clothes rather than forcing him to wear them, he said, "Look what I found, Mel."

"What is it?" Mel looked down at the blue shell in his hand, smiling. "That's really pretty, Cole."

"It's beautiful. It's the color of your eyes."

"Oh! You're right…" She shook her head. "I didn't even notice. Guess I'm a little preoccupied, what with your third-degree burn…"

"I'll be fine, Mel," he promised, handing her the shell. "You should keep it. You like pretty things."

"Yeah, yeah I do." Mel smiled up at him, carefully cradling the shell in one cupped hand. "And it'll be something to remember you by when you… you know."


"Yes." He nodded slowly. "I know, Mel," he whispered, sighing.

Walking into the hotel lobby with her, the sun burnt Cirronian earned numerous stares and one offer to call an ambulance. Mel ignored the stares, politely declined the offer, and marched Cole straight back to their room.

"Sit," Mel directed, pointing to the bed and dropping Cole's clothes and their beach bag on the floor before carefully placing the seashell on the dresser and walking into the bathroom.

Cole put down the cooler and umbrella and did as directed, smiling at how carefully Mel had handled the pretty shell. Maybe while they were there he could find a matching one to keep, reminding him of her. As if he would ever need any reminder of such a creature. He looked up as Mel emerged from the bathroom carrying a dripping towel and a bottle. She tossed the bottle on the bed, then climbed behind Cole.

"Okay, this is going to be a little cold, but it should help the pain a little," she told him, draping the tower over his shoulders.

He hissed at the sharp contrast between his burning skin and the cold towel but made no move to fight her.

"Yeah, sorry… I know you hate the cold." Mel sighed and climbed off the bed again, pulling a chair in front of him and grabbing the bottle.

"It's okay, Mel. It's helping." He smiled reassuringly.

"I'm glad," she murmured, regarding him thoughtfully. His face, chest, and the front of his legs were not much more tanned than usual, but everything else was lobster-red. "You sure I shouldn't bring you to a doctor?" she asked, opening the bottle.

"I'm sure, Mel. A doctor would try to make my temperature too low to allow me to heal properly."

"Okay. If you're sure." She nodded reluctantly. "Lie down on your stomach."

Cole nodded and gingerly did as directed. "Has this ever happened to you, Mel?"

"This bad, only once," she told him. "I was about sixteen and convinced that I could replace my freckles with a tan." Shaking her head, she told him, "So I covered myself in baby oil and went to lie in the sun. Where I fell asleep."

"UV radiation is very dangerous, Mel," Cole announced as she peeled the towel away from his shoulders and moved it to his legs. "Your people should consider an atmospheric shield."

"Now there's a thought. I think they once made a movie about that, but we really just don't have the technology. Unless you want to share," she added, squirting aloe onto his back.

He hissed at the cool gel, but relaxed as Mel began smoothing it on with gentle hands that left burnt skin feeling cool. The pain was already beginning to recede. "I could give you the design specifications, but unless all your countries cooperated, it would be virtually impossible to construct. That feels good, Mel."

"I'm glad. And I'm so sorry I fell asleep out there. I really didn't mean to. I feel awful…"

"It's not your fault, Mel. You told me that I needed to put on more sunscreen regularly. I just lost track of the time…" He craned his neck. "I'm glad you were under the umbrella, Mel, or you would have needed a human doctor, I think."

Something told her that if it had been her hide roasting under the tropical sun that Cole would have noticed a lot faster, but she just smiled and nodded.

"Sun poisoning can be nasty, Cole," she noted. "How do you feel?"

"I hurt."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Other than that? Headache? Stomachache? You're not cold, are you? Or--"

"No, Mel," he assured her. "No symptoms of anything but this burn."

"Good. That's great. But I want you to tell me if you start to feel ill. How long do you think it'll take to heal this?"

"Four or five hours if I remain conscious, Mel."

"If you remain conscious?" she repeated, smoothing on more aloe.

"It will take less if I can go into a meditation cycle."

"Go for it."

"Okay, Mel." He nodded faintly and smiled up at her. "Thank you for helping me. Your hands feel nice."

"Get some rest," she directed gently. "Is this helping with the pain at all?"

"Yes, Mel. It feels much better. Your hands feel good on my skin."

Mel shook her head. "Just don't tell Jess I gave you a rubdown," she muttered.

"Is this what she meant about us rubbing each other, Mel? This feels nice. I can do it to you if you'd like."

"Maybe another time…" Mel shook her head, grinning. Part of her actually wanted to take him up on that offer. It could not hurt, she rationalized, if he were, say, rubbing her back after a long day of work. A nice deep-muscle massage from Cole with his warm, strong, gentle hands… Stop it, Mel. "This is not exactly an everyday kind of thing between your average pair of friends," she said, as much to convince herself as him.

"Our friendship is unique," he pointed out reasonably. "We do many things for each other that normal friends do not."

"Oh, yeah," she murmured, wondering how Cole would react if he knew exactly what he did for her at times. She was going to kill Jess, if only for catching on to that before she herself had.

He sat up, regarding her gravely. "If you ever need me to rub you, Mel, you only have to ask. I like touching you," he told her, reaching out and caressing her throat.

Mel swallowed hard, acutely aware that Cole was more than half-naked and that she had on even less than he did. Just as well that he was too sunburned to allow things to get out of hand.

"Get some rest," she told him gently. "You'll feel better."

Cole dropped his hand, recognizing her words for the rebuff they were. "Okay, Mel," he murmured, laying down again and closing his eyes as she began rubbing the aloe into his legs. Her hands felt marvelous as they skirted up his calves and thighs, far too marvelous to allow the Cirronian to calm his mind sufficiently to meditate. With a gentle sigh, he nestled into his pillow and just enjoyed her attention.