Page 16 of Technically Abducted (Nereidan Compatibility Program #4)

"Finn," Tev'ra says quietly, and he does step closer now, close enough that the water displaced by his movement laps against my chest. "There's no pressure. No expectations. We can simply focus on swimming instruction if you prefer."

But the way he's looking at me, the way his skin is literally glowing with want, suggests that swimming is the last thing on either of our minds right now.

"What if I don't want to just focus on swimming?" I ask.

His pupils dilate further, and his bioluminescence flares so bright I can see it reflected on the curved walls around us.

"Then," he says, voice low and careful, "we proceed at whatever pace feels comfortable for you."

The offer is gentle, patient, completely without pressure. Which somehow makes it even more appealing.

"I don't really know what I'm doing," I warn him.

"I do," he says simply, and something about the quiet confidence in his voice makes heat go straight to my cock.

"Is that a Nereidan thing? Being good at... this?"

"It's a physiological necessity thing," Tev'ra says, and there's a hint of amusement in his voice. "Physical release is considered essential for optimal health and function. Cultural attitudes toward intimate contact are considerably more... practical than human approaches."

"Practical how?"

"Less emotional complication. More focus on mutual satisfaction and stress relief." He pauses, studying my face. "Though I'm beginning to suspect that approach may be insufficient for current circumstances."

"Current circumstances?"

"You," he says simply, and the word sends heat racing through me. "You're far more complex than any protocol accounted for."

I don't know what to say to that, so I don't say anything.

Instead, I find myself reaching out, touching the edge of one of the glowing patterns on his chest. His skin is warm and slick with water, and the moment my fingers make contact, the bioluminescence flares brighter, spreading outward from the point of contact in rippling waves.

"That's..." I breathe, watching the light respond to my touch.

"Bioelectric response to physical contact," Tev'ra says, though his voice sounds strained. "Enhanced in aquatic environments."

I trace the pattern with my fingertip, watching the way light follows my movement across his skin. It's beautiful and strange and completely hypnotic.

"Does it feel different than normal touch?" I ask.

"Everything feels different in the water," he says quietly. "More intense. More immediate."

I look up at him, noting the way his breathing has changed, the way he's holding very still despite the obvious effect my exploration is having on him.

"Good different?"

"Very good different," he confirms, and then his hand is covering mine, pressing my palm flat against his chest where I can feel his heart racing beneath the luminous skin.

The contact sends sensation shooting through me—not just the physical warmth and texture, but something else. Something that feels almost like an echo of what he's feeling, a whisper of shared sensation that makes me gasp.

"What was that?"

Tev'ra's eyes widen slightly. "I... I'm not certain. Empathic response is rare between species."

"Empathic response?"

"Shared sensation. Emotional resonance through physical contact." He's staring at me like I've just done something impossible. "It shouldn't be possible with humans."

But even as he says it, I can feel something flowing between us—warmth, want, the edge of sensation that feels too intense to be just my own.

"Is it supposed to feel like that?" I ask.

"I don't know," Tev'ra admits. "I've never experienced anything like this before."

The admission should probably worry me. Instead, it makes something settle into place, some recognition that whatever this is between us, it's as new for him as it is for me.

"So we're both improvising," I say.

"It would appear so."

I slide my other hand up to join the first, both palms pressed against his chest as light cascades beneath his skin in response to my touch. The shared sensation is stronger now, making it hard to tell where I end and he begins.

"The swimming lessons," he says, though he makes no move to step away from my touch. "We should probably..."

"Probably," I agree, but I don't move either.

We stand there in the warm water, hands connected, light playing between us as whatever this empathic thing is builds in intensity. I can feel his pulse, his breathing, the way want is pooling low in his belly in rhythm with my own.

"Finn," Tev'ra says, and there's something almost desperate in his voice.

"Yeah?"

Instead of answering, he moves closer, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his skin through the water. His free hand comes up to cup my face, thumb tracing along my cheekbone as his bioluminescence flares brighter.

"I want to kiss you," he says quietly, the admission seeming to surprise him as much as it does me.

"Yeah," I breathe, the word coming out rough with want. "Yeah, okay."

When his mouth touches mine, it's gentle at first—careful, questioning. But a moment later, that empathic sensation explodes between us, and I can feel his surprise, his pleasure, the way kissing me affects him on levels I didn't even know existed.

I make a sound against his mouth, something between a gasp and a moan, and suddenly his other arm is around my waist, pulling me closer as the kiss deepens.

The water moves around us as we press together, and I can feel everything—the way his bioluminescence is responding, lighting up the entire area around us in brilliant, pulsing patterns, and the unmistakable evidence of his arousal pressing against me.

He's big. Bigger than anyone I've ever been with, and the realization sends a jolt of heat through me that's equal parts anticipation and nervousness.

A soft chime echoes through the chamber, some kind of ship communication that makes us both freeze.

"Tev'ra," a voice says through what must be an intercom system. "Council communication incoming. Priority level requires immediate response."

The spell breaks. Tev'ra steps back, the loss of contact making me feel suddenly cold despite the warm water. His bioluminescence dims to more controlled patterns, though I can still see the effort it takes.

"I apologize," he says formally. "Council communications cannot be delayed."

"Right," I say, though I'm having trouble processing the shift from intense intimacy back to reality. "Important alien business."

"I'll return as quickly as possible," he says, already moving toward the pool edge. "The pools are safe for independent use if you wish to continue practicing."

"Sure," I say, watching him pull himself out of the water with fluid grace. "I'll just... float around. Try not to drown."

Tev'ra pauses at the edge, looking down at me with an expression I can't quite read.

"Finn," he says quietly.

"Yeah?"

"What happened here... the empathic response... it's not something to be concerned about. It's..." He pauses, searching for words. "It's significant."

And then he's gone, leaving me alone in the pool with warm water, fading bioluminescent trails, and the lingering sensation of shared feeling that makes my skin feel empty without his touch.

I float there for a while, thinking about trust and touch and the way Tev'ra looked at me like I was something precious and unexpected.

Swimming lessons, I decide, are definitely more complicated than I thought they'd be.

But maybe that's not such a bad thing.