He closed his gapping mouth and leaned against the door frame watching her. He finds it amusing, the way she goes on about drying her hair without even acknowledging his appearance in the room. He figures if she's not embarrassed to stand in front of him as she is dressed then why should he be embarrassed to watch her.

With a hint of a smile on his face, he begins to completely take in the sight of the beauty before him. *Lets see, were should I start? It's like they say, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up. Lets start with her legs.* He began by examining the shape of her caves and worked in an upward pattern after pausing to watch how her calves and thigh muscles flex and relax as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Going higher, he notes how the cut of his shirt reveals her whole leg, stopping just below where leg ends and her hip begins. He traces the hem of the shirt with his eyes, *I wonder just how much or how little she is wearing under that shirt?* As if answering his question, Tess raises her arms a little higher as she continues to dry her curly blonde hair.

Tess knew Kyle was there the moment the door opened. It would have been hard to miss the door swinging open, even out of the corner of her eye. She suspected that he hadn't known she was even in his house, by the look of surprise on his face that she caught in the mirror. So she wasn't surprised that he didn't know she was in his bathroom. She almost told him to get out and to close the door behind him when he didn't do so of his own accord. However, the way his eyes began to trace over her, caused a reaction to occur deep within her that she wasn't prepared for.

She'd felt guys looking at her like this before, many of times, but she'd always found it repulsive to be stared at like a steak on the grill ready to be devoured. What she is feeling right now is nothing like that, in fact it's a hundred and eighty degree difference from the way Kyle's stare is making her feel and her thoughts turn unbridled.

*What is wrong with me? I've never felt like this when guys look at me? And yet, heaven help me, some how he is making my skin feel like it's on fire. What is it about him that can trigger these feelings in me? Is it because he's acting so casual about it, or maybe it's the slow manner in which his eyes are moving up my legs?* Tess shifts her weight from one leg to the other feeling the intensity of his stare leaving a hot trail up her legs.

*Oh mercy, all he's doing is looking at my legs, and I'd swear it feels like his hands are moving up me. What would I do if he did touch me?* She doesn't like where her thoughts are taking her. She needs to find a better explanation to what is happening to her, so she begins to rationalize.*Is this all because he is looking at me the way I want Max to? The way Max always looks at Liz?* Suddenly it doesn't matter, and she decides to enjoy it while it lasts. * I don't care why he can trigger these emotions, the fact that he can, is enough for me right now. It feels so good to be wanted, to know that someone finds me attractive and alluring. Even if that someone isn't my destined mate. He's making me feel more alive then I can ever remember feeling. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but just for a little longer. To feel his eyes caressing me in a few more places, a little higher maybe.*

To encourage his continued path with his eyes, she raises her arms a little higher, drawing the shirt she is wearing up higher on my body. Not wanting to appear forward or give him false hopes that this could lead anywhere, she does so under the pretense of drying the hair on top of her head. Success, she can feel his eyes roaming over her unclad hips.

As her exposed hips came into full view, he could tell that she was wearing a pair of thong panties by the thin strap of elastic crossing from front to back at her waist. He groans inwardly as he fought to suppress the impulse to run both of his hands over her round hips and firm smooth ass.

As his eyes move over her hips, she felt a stronger, deeper sensation growing in the pit of her stomach, a feeling of deep desire and lust that she had only felt had once before. That was the day she lured Max and Liz to the library. It had been when Kyle supported her by placing his hands on her hips as she stepped up on the step stool in order to retrieve the book from her home planet. The one that had been hidden behind the books on the top shelf at the library.

It was then that she felt these same desires. She was sure those feelings were being caused by the way Max was watching her with his intense stare. At this moment, she questioned if she'd been right or wrong in her assumption. If it had been the way Max was staring, then why is she feeling these same desires here when she is alone with Kyle. She dismisses that thought quickly, knowing she is supposed to be with Max. Then she begins to rationalizes that these feelings are all in her head, and that she is feeling them simply because her hormones are on an up swing, in need of being closer to Max of course. And that the only reason she was letting this fiasco continue as long as she did, was because she need to feel attractive, even if it was by Kyle.

She switched the hair dryer off setting it on the counter, and turned to face him for the first time since he entered the bathroom and watched with bated breath as his eyes continued to move casually over her.

As he continued his path upward, he allowed himself to enjoy every curve of her lucius body. Slowly moving over her abdomen to the opening of the shirt she wore. He was able to feast on the valley running between her breast where she left a few too many buttons unfastened.

*Oh man was right, look at her. Her skins looks creamy white and soft, so inviting. Just the thought of touching her is adding to these all too familiar surges pulsing through my loins and the intense longing to feel the warmth of her hot flesh pressing up against my aching body. If she were any other girl, I wouldn't hesitate to let my hands roam the same path my eyes have just traveled. However, she isn't any other girl, she's Tess Harding, an alien that has made it perfectly clear where her interest lie. I lose yet another one to Max Evans, but I can still enjoy looking.*

She savored the erotic look dominating his face after he noticed the amount of her cleavage that was revealed. *I can't help myself, I know I should close the shirt some more, but it feels so good to be looked at like this. And these feelings surging through my body, they're too alluring for me to turn away from. What would I be willing to do, or give up in order feel his arm wrapped around me and his hands running up and down my body right now? These thoughts, where are they coming from, what am I thinking? I would do that, I wouldn't let him do that. Just because Max has given up on destiny doesn't mean I have too? I just have to be patient for a while a little longer for him to realize I'm the one for him. That we we're meant to be together, just like the book says. Max and I are meant to be together. Who am I kidding, he made himself perfectly clear where he stands last night? He doesn't care what the book says, he doesn't want me.* In a rage of defiance she asks herself yet another question, *Who says I can't have a little fun, Max is?*

Kyle forced himself to continue his path away from her cleavage, up her sensual neck, to the face he finds so beautiful and flawless, finally reaching her crystal clear blue eyes. He cleared his throat hoping to sound more in control then he felt. Hoping her presences here could have some significant mean, and asks, "Why are you here, Tess?"

Vaguely hearing his question through her haze of emotions, Tess summons her wits and replies. "Kyle, I didn't want to be home alone, and your dad was kind enough to offer me the use of your guest room for the night." She motions to the shirt she is wearing and continues, "I hope you don't mind I borrowed one of your shirts. My clothes were dirty and I didn't want to put them back on."

His mind is whirling, as he trying to decide if her presence here is because she wants to be with him, or for some other purpose. Like to use him once again in one of her ploys to lure Max away from Liz. Maybe this time she plans to try and make Max jealous by seducing him. "What happened last night Tess? What changed that suddenly you don't want to be alone?"

Suspecting that Kyle could find out the truth from his father by simple asking, she chose to keep her answers as short as possible. "Thinking about it now, it wasn't that big of a deal." She could tell he wasn't going to except her answer, so she continued. "I was feeling alone and . . ." *rejected* She stops short of finishing her sentence, unable to complete it at the thought he would feel sorry for her. That's something that she just can't stand, having anyone feel sorry for her. "I just didn't want to be in that house alone, okay."

Feeling her uneasiness he decides to drop the subject and just enjoy the moment. He doesn't know if he could trust what she says to be the truth anyway. He figures even if she is here to try and make Max jealous, it wouldn't work. If he can use her game to get closer to her, then he wins. "No, I don't mind"

"Excuse me, you don't mind what?" She asks puzzled.

Realizing that he said that out loud he quickly recovers, "I don't mind that you borrowed my shirt. It looks better on you anyway."

"Oh, thanks." She answers feeling a little flushed.

"So you slept in the spare room, huh?" He confirms feeling better about the situation after concluding that if this was all about seducing him, she had plenty of time to do so during the night, after all he rarely locks his door, and from what he has learned, a lock wouldn't have stopped her anyway. As that thought slipped away, another thought replaced it. She slept only one door down the hall from me, and I didn't know it? Good thing, I wouldn't have gotten any sleep last night if I had.

Tess shattered his train of thought and sent a new whirl of images crashing into his mind with her following statement. "I was hoping you had a pair of clean shorts or sweats that I could wear, you know to go home in. When I was in your room earlier, I didn't feel right looking for them myself."

The idea of her being in his room, on his bed looking like she does right now flashed into his mind. He knew he was in trouble if he didn't get a grip on his thoughts and emotions. He again questions Tess motives for being here, she could still be out to use him as she had before, but then for one split second he was more then willing to be used. "Sure, no problem. I'm sure I have something you can use." He turned and hurried to his room wanting to place some distance between himself and Tess, hoping for a chance to clear his head.

Tess followed Kyle to his room wanting to get whatever item he would offer her and get out of this house as quickly as possible. The look she saw in his eyes a moment ago was a little too heated for her comfort.

Kyle pulled a pair of shorts with a draw string from his third drawer down. He is sure they will tighten enough to stay on her without any problems. After closing the drawer, he turns to head back where he had left Tess standing, only to find her standing inches in front of him as he completes his turn. *Is she doing this to me on purpose?*

Tess took a step back, not feeling comfortable with Kyle being so close, and reached out for the shorts. Kyle didn't let go and she looked up from the shorts into his handsome face, her baby blue eyes locked onto his matching ones questioning his actions.

Kyle doesn't know how she is going to react to what he is about to do, but her being in his room, dressed like she is, he's not willing to miss this opportunity to find out. With one swift motion, he reaches for her, and pulled her up close against him, holding her in place and kissing her tenderly.

She was really caught off guard, she probably shouldn't have been knowing the way he had been looking at her, but his movements were so quick that she was unprepared. She didn't respond to his kiss even though every cell in her body told her to kiss him back. Instead using her arms, she pushed against his chest, urging him to release her, and then stepped back.

He could feel the fight going on between her mind and her body. Taking this as a good sign, he held fast and stepped closer to her once again, closing the gap between them, and kissed her more aggressively. He felt her waver, and then give in kissing him back with the same gusto that he implored. The electricity between them was beyond anything he has ever felt before, and he was sure she was feeling it too as she leaned more into his embrace.

Without warning, she abruptly pulled herself from his grasp, turning on the balls of her feet and left the room. She ran down the hall, grabbed her things from the dresser and headed for the front door with her keys in hand. Kyle stepped into her path. "Tess?"

"I can't do this. I'm supposed to be with Max, and only Max. He's my destiny even if he doesn't accept it yet." She cried trying to walk around him, but he stayed in her path. "Have you given any thought to what happens if he never accepts it? Tess, he loves Liz, and the way those two look at each other, I think hell would freeze over before they would give each other up."