Page 15 of Technically Abducted (Nereidan Compatibility Program #4)

Finn

Back in the hydration chambers, the warm, humid air hits my bare chest immediately.

Tev'ra moves with obvious comfort here, still in his formal attire.

In this environment I can see his bioluminescent patterns even through the fabric, pulsing gently beneath his skin like a preview of what's to come.

Which, I suppose, it is.

"For swimming instruction, we'll use the intermediate pool," he says, indicating a section that's maybe chest-deep on me, deeper on the edges. "The depth allows for proper instruction while maintaining safety parameters."

"Right," I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. "Safety parameters."

The truth is, I'm nervous as hell. Not just about the water—though that's definitely part of it—but about being here with Tev'ra, both of us about to be wet and mostly naked. The meal in the nutrition center shifted something between us, and the way he's looking at me now...

"You'll need to remove additional clothing," Tev'ra observes, and I notice his gaze flick down to my jeans before quickly returning to my face. "Water-appropriate attire is recommended."

"Water-appropriate attire," I repeat. "You mean my underwear."

"If that provides adequate mobility for aquatic movement, yes."

I can feel heat rising in my cheeks, which is ridiculous. I'm twenty-eight years old. I can handle being in my underwear around an attractive alien who admitted to wanting to taste me less than an hour ago.

Fuck.

"Are you...?" I gesture vaguely at his perfectly tailored pants.

"Nereidans typically engage in aquatic activities without artificial coverings," Tev'ra says matter-of-factly. "However, given the cultural differences, I can maintain partial covering if that would increase your comfort level."

The idea of Tev'ra completely naked in the water sends a jolt of something through me that's definitely not just nervousness. But the idea of him staying clothed for my benefit feels somehow worse.

"Do whatever's normal for you," I say, pulling off my shoes and socks. "I don't want to mess up your... routine."

Tev'ra nods and begins removing his pants with the same efficient precision he brings to everything else.

I try not to stare, but it's impossible not to notice the way his bioluminescence extends down his torso, creating intricate patterns that disappear beneath the waistband of what appears to be form-fitting underwear.

When he's down to just those—which leave very little to the imagination—I force myself to focus on my own clothes. Jeans off, trying not to think about how this is definitely the most undressed I've ever been around someone I'm attracted to.

And I am attracted to him. That became impossible to deny somewhere between the grilled cheese and his completely flustered admission about wanting to taste me.

"The water temperature is regulated for optimal comfort," Tev'ra says as we approach the pool edge. "Entry should not cause thermal shock."

He slides into the water with fluid grace, submerging briefly before surfacing near the middle of the pool. The moment he's fully wet, his bioluminescence brightens dramatically, creating swirls of golden light beneath the surface that pulse and flow like living art.

"Holy shit," I breathe, staring at the display.

"Aquatic environments enhance bioluminescent response," Tev'ra explains, though he sounds pleased by my reaction. "The mineral content of the water conducts the bioelectric signals more efficiently."

He's beautiful. That's the only word for it. Standing chest-deep in the pool, water streaming from his hair, skin literally glowing with patterns that shift and change as I watch, he's absolutely stunning.

"Finn?" Tev'ra's voice is gentle. "The water is quite pleasant."

Right. Swimming lessons. I'm supposed to get in the water and stop staring at him.

I sit on the pool edge, feet dangling in the warm water. It feels exactly like I remember—mineral-rich, almost silky against my skin. But knowing I'm about to be completely surrounded by it makes my heart rate spike.

"I should probably mention," I say, stalling, "I'm not just bad at swimming. I'm actually kind of terrified of water."

Tev'ra moves closer, stopping just in front of where I'm sitting. "Terrified?"

"Yeah. I mean, obviously I can shower and drink water and whatever.

But deep water? Being surrounded by it? It freaks me out.

" I look down at him, noting how the water comes to just below his chest, making him seem even taller and more imposing.

"Probably should have mentioned that before we got to this point. "

"Why does it frighten you?" he asks, and there's no judgment in his voice, just genuine curiosity.

I've never actually said it out loud before.

"Foster care. Moved around a lot when I was a kid, never stayed anywhere long enough for swimming lessons.

And there was this one group home where I learned pretty quickly that water and bigger kids don't mix well for someone like me.

" I stop, not wanting to get into the details.

"Let's just say I learned to associate water with not being safe. "

He purses his lips. His bioluminescence pulses brighter for a moment, patterns swirling rapidly before they settle again.

"No one will harm you here," he says quietly. "I give you my word."

The simple statement shouldn't mean as much as it does. But looking at him—at the way he's positioned himself close enough to help but not crowding me, the way his voice carries absolute certainty—I believe him.

"Okay," I say. "But if I panic and accidentally drown you, I'm blaming your research protocols."

Tev'ra's mouth curves into a slight smile. "Noted."

I push off the edge and slide into the water.

The immediate sensation of being surrounded, of water closing over my chest, sends a spike of panic through me. I grab for the pool edge instinctively, heart hammering.

"I'm right here," Tev'ra says, and suddenly he is—close enough to touch, his presence solid and reassuring. "You're safe. The water is only chest-deep, you can stand easily."

I force myself to breathe, to focus on the feeling of the pool floor beneath my feet, the way the water supports rather than threatens. Tev'ra doesn't touch me, but he stays close, letting me adjust at my own pace.

"Better?" he asks after a minute.

"Getting there." I look at him, noting how the water amplifies every detail—the way it clings to his skin, the play of light patterns beneath the surface, the way his hair darkens when wet. "You're really glowing."

"Aquatic environments are... stimulating for Nereidans," he says, and there's something in his voice that makes me think he's not just talking about the bioluminescence.

"Stimulating how?"

"Enhanced sensory response. Improved conductivity of bioelectric signals. Increased..." He pauses, and his skin flares brighter. "Physical sensitivity."

Oh.

"So being in the water is kind of like..." I gesture vaguely.

"An aphrodisiac would be an oversimplification, but there are certain... heightened responses to aquatic environments, yes."

I look around the pool, suddenly understanding why this space feels so intimate, so private. "And you brought me here for swimming lessons."

"The instruction is legitimate," Tev'ra says quickly. "Though I perhaps should have... mentioned the potential complications."

"Complications," I repeat, acutely aware of how close we're standing, how the water seems to amplify everything—the heat radiating from his skin, the subtle scent that's uniquely him, the way his pupils have dilated slightly.

"Yes," he says quietly. "Complications."

"So," I say, my voice rougher than I intended. "About those swimming lessons."

Tev'ra's bioluminescence pulses brighter, patterns swirling across his skin in hypnotic spirals. "Yes. The lessons."

But neither of us moves to start any actual instruction. We just stand there in the water, close enough to touch, close enough that I can see the way his breathing has changed, the way his gaze keeps dropping to my mouth.

"Finn," he says, and my name sounds different in his voice now. Less clinical, more personal.

"Yeah?"

"I think," he says carefully, "the swimming instruction may be more complex than originally anticipated."

I laugh, though it comes out shaky. "No kidding."

The water moves around us as Tev'ra steps closer, close enough that I can feel the current of his movement against my skin. His bioluminescence is so bright now it's lighting up the entire area around us, creating patterns that seem to respond to his pulse, his breathing, his proximity to me.

"Are you still frightened?" he asks softly.

I consider this. The water that terrified me minutes ago now feels like a secondary concern compared to the way Tev'ra is looking at me, the way my body is responding to his nearness.

"Of the water?" I ask. "Not so much anymore."

"Of what else?"

That's a loaded question. I'm afraid of a lot of things—of being vulnerable, of trusting someone, of the way Tev'ra makes me want things I've never let myself want.

"I don't know," I admit. "This is all pretty new territory for me."

His expression softens. "New territory how?"

I feel heat rise in my cheeks despite the warm water. "I'm not exactly... experienced with this kind of thing."

"Swimming instruction?"

"No," I say, meeting his eyes. "This. Whatever this is between us."

Tev'ra goes very still, his bioluminescence shifting to deeper, more complex patterns. "You mean intimate contact."

"I mean..." I struggle to find the words. "I've had sex before. I'm not a virgin or anything. But it was always... quick. Functional. I never really let anyone close enough for... whatever this is."

The admission hangs between us, and I'm suddenly hyperaware of how exposed I am—not just physically, but emotionally.