Page 32 of Technically Abducted
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.
