agreed, drinking some himself.
Melanie didn’t know what fireflower juice was, but it certainly loosened her up. She began to feel warm and tingly as she smiled up at the two big, handsome warriors.
“You know, I think this is the best Christmas punch I’ve ever had,” she remarked, grinning as she took another drink. “And the Christmas cookies look good, too.”
“They do look good, but they don’t taste very nice,” Clear said, frowning. “I tried some earlier, before my brother got here.”
“Oh, those are probably store-bought,” Melanie told him. The really good ones are homemade.”
“Really? Do you know how to make them?” Clear asked hopefully. “I would love to try some homemade ones if we could.”
“Actually, I have some great Christmas cookie recipes.” Melanie nodded. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid to try anything else in my wave. I’m supposed to be getting it repaired, but there’s a backup in the work orders right now.”
“Oh, that reminds me—here.” The Light Twin handed her a present. “I got your name in the Secret Satan—I mean Secret Santa—exchange,” he told Melanie.
“Oh, thank you, Clear!” Reaching up, she gave him a hug which felt really good—mainly because the tips of her nipples were rubbing against his broad chest.
Clear seemed to enjoy it too, because he pressed her against him and took his time before letting her go.
You shouldn’t be enjoying that, commented a judgmental little voice in her brain, but Melanie pushed it aside with surprising ease.
“And thank you again for healing my hand,” she added, turning and putting her arms out to Strong. “It doesn’t seem right to hug one of you and not the other,” she said. “Since you’re a matched pair.”
The Dark Twin leaned down and took her in his arms, pressing her body carefully but firmly to his own muscular form.
“Mmm, you’re very welcome, little one,” he murmured, at last letting her go. “But you already thanked me before.”
“I know, but I’m really grateful,” Melanie told him. “Besides, you’re so sweet, I had to give you both a Christmas hug.”
“A ‘Christmas hug?’ Why is it that humans can put the word ‘Christmas’ in front of any object and instantly change it into something new?” Strong asked, arching an eyebrow. “I mean, Christmas punch…Christmas cookies…Christmas hug… Today one of my human colleagues gave me a folded piece of paper which is called a Christmas card, which apparently I’m supposed to return in kind. But I don’t even know where to get them!” He looked at Melanie pleadingly. “Can I just fold up a random piece of paper and write a sentiment on it and call it a Christmas card?”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Melanie objected, smothering a smile. “You can’t just make something Christmassy by putting the word Christmas in front of it!” She took another sip of her own punch. “Though I guess I can see what you mean. You could almost make a drinking game out of it and take a drink every time somebody says ‘Christmas’ something or other.”
“A drinking game?” Clear asked, frowning. “What’s that?”
“Oh, you know—like Never Have I Ever,” Melanie told him.
“You’ve never what?” Strong asked blankly, shaking his head.
“No—that’s the name of the drinking game. Never Have I Ever,” Melanie repeated. “See, everybody has a drink in their hand and one person starts by saying ‘Never have I ever…’ And then they either tell something they have done in the past or name something they haven’t done. The other players have to guess. If they guess wrong, they take a drink but if they guess right, the person who made the statement takes a drink.”
Strong frowned.
“It seems like a lot of work just to get drunk.”
Melanie shrugged.
“It’s a party game, that’s all.”
“I thought you said it was a drinking game?” Clear said, looking confused.
“Same thing,” Melanie shook her head. “But for example—I might say, ‘Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.’ And then the two of you have to guess if it’s true or not.”
“Skinny dipping?” Strong frowned. “What’s that?”
“Going swimming without your clothes on,” Melanie told him. The little voice in her head remarked that she shouldn’t be talking about such things—it might sound like she was coming on to the two big warriors. But again, she easily pushed it aside and gave the twins a flirtatious smile.
“But we go in the bathing pool all the time with no clothes on,” Clear pointed out.
“I think she means in public, Brother,” Strong growled softly. His blue eyes were sliding over Melanie’s breasts again, lingering on the tight