Page 32 of Claimed By the Deep
His expression intensifies, focusing on me with new clarity. "Meri..."
"Yes?"
"I love you. Not just with desire or gratitude, but with everything I am."
"I love you too." I kiss him softly, tasting salt. "So what happens now?"
He smiles. "Now we build our life together. Starting with getting you somewhere warm before you get hypothermic again."
I laugh, loving how he still prioritizes my wellbeing even in our most intimate moments. "Always the practical one."
"One of us needs to be." He guides us toward the boat with familiar ease. "Besides, we have all the time in the world now. I plan to spend decades finding new ways to make you scream my name."
The promise in his voice sends renewed heat through me, and I realize that despite five orgasms and our first full joining, my body still responds to him with insatiable hunger.
"Decades?" I tease, comfortable enough with him now to be playful even in our most significant moments.
"Centuries, if you'll have me."
Looking into his eyes—still beautifully alien yet now completely familiar—I know exactly what I want. Whatever challenges come with loving a being from another world, whatever adjustments we need to make to bridge our different existences, none of it matters compared to what we've discovered together.
Meridan
FIFTEEN
Cyreus snaps out of the post-sex haze before I do. "You're getting cold."
"I'm fine." My lips feel wooden, fingers stiffening. "Just need to move around."
"No, you're not." His grip firms, and the water around us warms as he increases his body heat. "This is exactly what happened before. I become so focused on you that I forget how vulnerable humans are to cold water."
"Somewhat enthusiastic," I say, lifting my head to look at him. His smug expression fades to worry when he spots my blue-tinged lips. "Six orgasms isn't thorough, it's excessive."
"I wanted to ensure your complete satisfaction." His tentacles guide us toward Deep Pockets. "Not at the expense of your health. We need to get you out of the water."
He lifts me onto the dive platform with gentle efficiency, then pulls himself up beside me. I'm shaking uncontrollably now, skin mottled from the cold.
"Cabin," he directs, steering me toward the door. "Dry clothes, hot shower, something warm to drink."
"You sound like rescue services," I manage through chattering teeth.
"I sound like someone who's nearly lost you to hypothermia twice. How would I feel if you died because I was too self-absorbed to monitor your physical condition?"
The raw concern in his voice cuts through my cold-induced fog. He's genuinely frightened that he's endangered me, that his alien nature makes him inherently hazardous to humans.
Twenty minutes later, I'm bundled in every available blanket, clutching steaming coffee while the boat's heater labors. Cyreus sits across from me in the confined cabin, maintaining his human form, his expression tight with concern.
"Better?" he asks, studying me closely.
"Much." The shivering has subsided, though a deep cold still lingers in my bones. "Thank you for taking care of me."
"I should have been attentive from the beginning. Twice now I've endangered you through carelessness."
"You didn't endanger me. We both got carried away." I reach for his hand. "It's something we'll need to monitor, that's all. Part of our reality."
His fingers remain cool against mine, a tangible reminder of our biological differences. "Your species isn't built for extended immersion in cold water. Mine is. I too easily forget how quickly the cold affects you."
"Then we adapt. Set time limits, check in regularly, whatever works." I squeeze his hand. "This doesn't change anything between us. It just means we need better safeguards."
