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“Maybe.”
“Okay. Have a nice evening.”
He ordered a beer and joined his small group of friends at a table on the patio.
“You could have your pick.” The bartender swiped a rag along the bar.
“I know, but I’m getting over someone.”
“There aren’t much better ways to get over some asshole than to bed a pretty man.”
Mere chuckled. There was more truth in that statement than she had realized two months ago.
“He was the pretty man I screwed to get over an asshole, but it didn’t work out.”
The bartender absently dried some glasses. “Gotcha. Ever need me to run interference, give me a holler.”
“Will do. Thanks.” Mere finished her drink and left a large tip, then headed to her room.
She pushed open her door, and the curtains across the room billowed in the breeze. Huh, she thought she’d closed the door before she left that afternoon. She took a step, but movement in a dark corner froze her in place.
“Meretta.” It was a sigh, a prayer, a reverence.
Her knees nearly gave out, and she braced herself against the wall. “Anders?”
“Don’t scream.” He kept to the shadows. “I used the DNA modifier.”
Oh. Ohhh. “I promise.”
He stepped into the rose-gold light of the sunset, still tall and rangy, with his hands stuck in the pockets of his jeans. His pebbled skin was indeed aqua, nearly the same color as the crystalline waters a stone’s throw from this room. But swirls of yellow and blue added depth to the color.
Anders waited in his corner, as he had when she’d first discovered his secret. No threat, no rush, just patience. Mere took one step, and another, until she stood in front of him. Tentatively, she reached out a hand. It hovered beside his cheek. Her gaze caught his, and those blue eyes sparked with hope and desire. The same eyes that had first captivated her all those weeks ago at the library.
Intelligent, gentle, kind. And shining with a light only for her.
Her hand finished its journey, resting softly on his skin. He covered her hand with his and closed his eyes, breathing her in. His skin was softer than she expected, and the tiny bumps had an interesting texture. He was warm, and he was still Anders. Just…different.
His arms encircled her and held her close.
“I missed you,” she mumbled into his chest. “I thought once you had your navigation system and DNA thingy, you’d be long gone.”
“Are you saying you did not wish me to come back for you?” The smile was apparent in his voice, though she couldn’t see his face.
“No. I’m glad to see you. Were you watching me on the beach?”
“Yes, I was. I—I wanted to make sure you were alone. I am sorry I couldn’t come sooner. It took more time than I expected to integrate the original alien technology with what I created using materials and methods here. The first thing I did when I finished was try to find you, but I could not find your number. I called Nadine instead, and she told me where you were.”
God bless Auntie Nay.
“Why are you here, Anders?” Her heart raced, and his thumped under her ear.
“Have you not guessed?” He lifted her chin with his fingers. Translucent claws tipped his fingers now, but they were dull, not sharp. “I love you, Meretta.”
She regarded him a moment, then grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. Mere kissed him, putting all her loneliness, all her grief, all her joy into this one act. Birds called in the advancing twilight, mingling with the soothing rhythm of the ocean. His sweet taste filled her with longing and desire.
He kissed her back, desperately, tenderly, tasting her like a rare delicacy. Screw delicate.
Mere slipped her hands under his shirt. He was still ripped, but the pebbled skin added a novel sensation to her soft strokes, creating more friction, more heat. Anders yanked the shirt over his head, letting her gaze at him. No nipples. Huh. It made sense.
