Page 46 of Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind
By the time Ryan slipped between her sheets that night, she was no closer to an answer. Part of her wanted to believe all of it was true, that Tiberius really was an exiled prince and that they were mates, just like in the books she loved so much. It was a heady thing to imagine that she was the only woman he would ever love, that he would never stray or betray her in any way. That soul mates really did exist. There was no denying she felt something for Tiberius, something she had never felt for anyone elseever.
On the other hand, wanting to believe something didn’t make it true. Perception was not reality, not when people’s lives, and her heart, were at stake.
Ryan found herself on the same beach again. Tiberius was there, too, but this time, he didn’t emerge naked from the water. He stood at the water’s edge, hands in the pockets of his board shorts, staring out at the waves.
When she walked up to stand beside him, he turned and gave her a sad smile, but he made no move to touch her. She kind of wished he would.
“Why did you bring me here again?” she asked.
“I didn’t. It was you who sought me out.”
“I can do that?”
“Yes, Ryan. Your soul accepts what your logical mind has not. I am your mate. In times of distress, you will always seek me out.”
She thought about that for a moment. She did feel better around him. Calmer. More content. Less alone. But was it real, or just another dream? She looked to him, expecting him to answer. He didn’t.
“Well, in that case, would you mind holding me for a while?”
He opened his arms, and she stepped into them, laying her head against his chest and soaking in the warmth of his skin. Real or not, it didn’t matter. At that moment, everything else faded away. She sighed.
Another blanket magically appeared. He lowered her onto it then lay beside her. She snuggled up close against him, laying her head on his chest again, just below his collarbone. She scented fresh salt water combined with that of warm male. The strong, steady beat of his heart lulled her into a state of contentment as he made gentle, soothing strokes along her arm.
“Tell me about Aequoria.”
“It is a beautiful place,” he said softly. “Very much like this. Like Earth, it is comprised mostly of water. However, unlike you, we choose to live in the sea and venture onto land only occasionally.”
“You live in the sea? How does that work? Do you shift into a fish or something?”
“No. We have only one form. Our bodies have simply adapted to use the oxygen in the air or the water with equal ability. However, many of us have domesticated sea creatures as pets, just as humans have adopted canines and felines as companions.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Yes, though I understand now that it was my destiny to leave Aequoria and make my home on Earth. I belong here.”
“Why is that?”
“Because this is where you are, Ryan.”
She smiled against his skin, her heart swelling with an incredible sense of rightness. “Fate must have one heck of a sense of irony, pairing you with someone like me who, you know, has a thing about the ocean.”
He smiled, too. “Fate knows exactly what it is doing, though it does seem keen on making me prove myself worthy of such a gift. Fear not. As our bond strengthens, your fears shall lessen.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” she mumbled.
“You are here with me now, surrounded by the ocean, and yet you are not vexed by it.”
Well, that was true enough. Lying beside Tiberius as she was, she felt none of her usual discomfort, only a sense of peace.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why were you exiled?”
He was quiet for a few moments before he said, “I placed my trust in the wrong person. I was blinded by false flattery, tricked into believing I had found my mate by one consumed by greed and a thirst for power. I put my people at risk. Were it not for Quintus exposing her for what she really was, the Aequorian people might now be under the rule of the Celusians.”
She let that sink in. “Did you love her?” she finally asked.
