hand. “Come on. What aren’t you telling me? It can’t be that bad!”
“Well, the reason I’m even here is because one of our squad members stumbled across an Earth female on another planet called Teleplay, and she was infected with the Wen virus—”
“Did she live?” Blinking away the tears that are hopefully hidden by the wet water sluicing down both of us, I sniff slightly.
“Yes … because they mated.”
Puzzled, I quiz him further. “Like had sex? Mated … like animals mate to procreate?”
Why’s he being so vague? Just tell me already!
“Mating is a little bit more involved. First of all, it’s for life …”
When his voice trails off, I know immediately what he isn’t saying. He means that’ll be it for him. He’ll be stuck with me—forever.
“This is unfair to ask of you,” I assure him, pulling away. My shaky legs won’t let me stand though, and I only make it out of arm’s reach while he watches me closely. At his puzzled expression, I add, “You’d be stuck with me … a … an Earth Human woman. What a drag.” I laugh, but the sound is jaded even to my own ears.
Sticking my leg under the water, I swallow hard, wondering if this is it for me. “Will you do me a favor?”
Nikon blinks slightly, frozen in place where I left him on the shower floor. When he doesn’t answer, I continue, knowing he’ll understand. “You have to take care of Eva. Check up on her. Her father … he’s abusive. Just … she can’t get hurt. And don’t let me go home infected. Just do it … when I fall asleep for the transition … just kill me.”
Nikon’s mouth opens before a furious expression takes over his face. “No!” He slides across the floor, pulling me into his arms. “I have absolutely no intention of killing you … or letting you transition.”
Hopefulness has me looking up at him, wondering what he has in mind. I’m holding my breath as he pulls me into his chest and strokes my hair back from my face. “I’m messing this up. I want you … I’ve wanted you. I mean … can’t you feel this between us?”
Is he serious? “Do you mean the vibration thing? The way it feels when we touch?”
Clasping my face in his hands, he stares at me seriously. “That … but there’s so much more to it than that. You don’t realize you’re the first person who’s ever been here with me.”
“Here?” I smack my hand on the hard surface we’re sitting on. It feels like stone, but I’ve never felt such a texture before.
When he nods, I can’t help the questions that spring to mind. “Why?”
“I couldn’t. The only person that can phase into your dimension is your mate. I knew yesterday when you could see me when I phased that you were mine. I just knew you wouldn’t accept me. You acted like you hated me—”
“Not hated you! It’s just …” My thoughts drift off to the way he seemed so cocky and full of himself right from the start. Another typical guy …
“What was it then? I mean … I knew you were attracted to me. I was immediately drawn to you, but you were able to ignore it—and me.” His light blue eyes pierce me with their intensity. I just have such a hard time believing that women haven’t been swooning over him his entire life.
“It was my first day back. I’m sorry I was grumpy, but it’s such a production to get signed in and reassigned my badge and weapon. Then I went upstairs, and my boss dumped you and Alisha on me like a bad assignment. I thought for sure he did it as a way of just being done with me for the moment.”
The intensity of the attraction between us is getting stronger every minute I’m held in his arms. Watching his nostrils flare, I slowly start to unbutton my shirt, and his eyes drop to my fingers before coming back up to my face. “Is this really forever for you?”
Nikon only nods as I slide from his lap, kneeling on the floor of the shower as I peel the material back and fling it over by my pants. My sensible white bra and panties are soaked, and I’m sure totally see-through from the way he stares at me. I climb to my feet, and he practically springs up next to me, gripping my elbow tight as if I’m an invalid