I shrugged. "If you're going to be an ass either way, I don't see why I should bother paying attention to you. You could come over and sit down with me if you want to stay, and I'll read to you." I doubted Dain would enjoy trashy romances, but I did, and if he actually wanted to get to know me, it was at least an interesting lead-in, and less horrific than his Phazikai story.

Dain looked like he had no concept of how to deal with that invitation. He slowly stood up out of his fighting stance, a look like bewilderment settling onto his face as his shoulders sank down and his wing-arms drew in. Both of his tails lowered from their held-out position to rest in dark arcs on the floor.

"You want to... read to me?" he asked, sounding lost.

"Why not?" I replied. "I don't know if you'll enjoy a story where, let's see..." I flipped the book around to its back and quoted in a breathless voice, "'They can't deny their irresistible attraction, or quiet the firestorm of emotion when their two worlds collide.'" I smiled brightly at him as an expression more akin to horror made a home on his face. "But you're welcome to find out."

"Could you... read something else?" Dain asked, in a strangled sort of voice.

"Nope!" I chirped back. "This is your option. It's probably going to be terrible, but it's what's on offer."

With a look like he was walking to the gallows, Dain crossed the room towards me. Gingerly, he sat down on the other side of the couch from me, swinging his tails to one side and folding his wing-arms tightly against his back. He sat with a stiff posture, not even looking at me, staring straight out across the room with a tense expression, breathing harder than the situation called for.

I regarded him for a second, then swung my legs up and transferred them to his lap, my calves resting on his thighs. I felt him flinch and didn't look up as I flipped open to the first page and started reading. "'The dry, dusty air of the California summer made Regina cough as she swung open the door to her carriage...'"

As I read, I put as much drama into my voice as I could, doing different voices for the different characters and playing up Regina as the classic virginal heroine being struck by the lances of sexual desire for the first time. Slowly, Dain went from tense to relaxed, his thighs getting significantly more comfortable as a footrest as he stopped keeping the muscles clenched. His hands settled lightly onto my shins, the warmth of him radiating through my thin pants.