Choosing Theo: The Clecanian Series Book 1 Victoria Aveline (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📖

“That’s your room.” She nodded. She wondered why he didn’t want her to see the interior. Was he messy? The state of the rest of the house made her think not.

Pointing to a door across from his own, he gestured to her.

Her door and his couldn’t have been more than ten feet apart. “So we’re neighbors,” she said awkwardly, motioning between their two rooms.

Theo glanced in the direction of his door before leaning past her and opening her door. This room, like all the others, was beautiful.

The glass dome that extended into this side of the house gave her a full view of the dark forest beyond. A dozen feet or so of land had been cleared between the house and the tree line of the forest, allowing a large beam of fading sunlight to highlight the mossy ground.

Jade had to stop herself from mentally planning the perfect garden to go in that sunny spot. I won’t be staying for very long.

A comfortable-looking bed large enough to fit five of her was situated across from another glowing fireplace. Sighing, she thought of lying in the plush bed and sleeping. The loveliness of Theo’s home had temporarily distracted her from her exhaustion as well as her hunger. To punctuate her thought, her stomach gave a loud rumble.

He was already glancing at her stomach when she turned to ask, “Do you have any food?” She clutched at her stomach and then pointed at her mouth, attempting to mime her needs.

He nodded and waved her ahead of him toward the door but halted when she didn’t move.

When Jade had seen herself in the mirror earlier after donning the green dress, she’d had to admit, she was hot. Back on Earth she was considered overweight, and although she was pretty, men didn’t notice her often enough for her to think of herself as hot.

Seeing Theo’s expression when he’d glimpsed her for the first time, she’d realized he definitely thought she was hot. If the bulge in his pants was any indicator of attraction toward her, then he must’ve thought she was downright gorgeous.

“The sad truth about looking this good is that it can be uncomfortable,” she said, gesturing to her dress. “Clecanians have the most advanced medical technology in the universe, but pretty shoes hurt on every planet, big guy.”

Jade wanted to change and be comfortable. Something about Theo’s house made her feel like she could find a soft place somewhere by a fire, cuddle up with a blanket and sleep.

How to make him understand what I want? Noticing a dresser along the wall, she crossed to it and pulled a drawer open. As she’d assumed, the drawer was empty. She motioned to the empty drawer and then her dress. Plucking at the fabric, she theatrically mimed being uncomfortable.

His dark glare told her he was offended by what she did. Maybe he thought she was admonishing him for not providing her with clothing. Slowly she approached him and reached out to tug the bottom of his soft shirt. She then pointed to herself.

Wrenching the shirt out of her hand, he turned on his heel and left the room. “Great!” she said, throwing her hands in the air. “I’ve pissed him off again.”

Not knowing what else to do, she started exploring her room more fully. A door stood on either side of the fireplace. An empty walk in closet was located behind one. Behind the other, she found a small but elegant bathroom containing a tall, sleek bowl she gathered was a toilet, as well as a large rounded corner. Hundreds of small holes lined the ceiling and walls of the alcove, and she guessed it was a high-end cleansing area.

Jade groaned, wondering if her bath this afternoon would be the last she’d have a while. Even a lukewarm shower sounded better than the unsatisfying dissolving foam she’d grown used to.

Asivva had been right about the disappointments of some technological advances. The foam was marvelous and could be used for everything from cleaning dirt off your body to cleaning your mouth and teeth. Zikas had looked at her strangely when she’d asked for a toothbrush her first night. But foam could never compare to the luxury of slipping into hot water.

By the time she’d finished her business in the bathroom and used a tall pillar with a spout to foam-wash her hands, Theo had returned. He was standing in her room, holding some clothing. She took the clothes from his outstretched hand and waited for him to leave the room. When he didn’t move, she shooed him with her hands.

He tilted his head at the gesture but eventually did leave with a scowl still securely placed on his face.

She closed the door behind him and attempted to unfasten the tight laces lining the back of her dress. By the time she’d detangled herself from the dress, she was sweating.

Theo had left her a dark red silky shirt and soft black pants. The shirt fell to her mid-thigh and the neckline hung so loosely that she had to remind herself not to bend over for any reason or she’d be in danger of flashing her bare breasts.

The underwear she’d been provided was made out of an oddly thick fabric, and although she was grateful for the coverage, she wondered why women here only wore underwear but no bra.

Jade did everything she could think of to prevent the soft pants from falling off of her body but no matter how many times she rolled them, they kept sliding down her legs.

Maybe he has a belt I can borrow. Poking her head out of the door, she glanced around, hoping to ask him for something to hold the pants up. He was nowhere in sight.

A delicious smell greeted her, and her stomach rumbled more insistently. “Well, he is my husband. I guess he can see my legs.”

She padded down the hall, toward the kitchen. She saw Theo hunched away from her over the corner of a polished purple