“Mine.”

Tiberius’s voice reverberated through her mind at the same time the aftershocks of her orgasm rippled through her body. It was enough to snap her out of her lusty fog and back to the present. Had she really just let him stroke her to climax in his office, right after he had told her that he was an alien prince?

She stepped back, swaying slightly as her traitorous body protested, and summoned what little remaining dignity she had left. “I don’t think so.”

“You had no trouble agreeing last night,” he told her, his dark blue eyes glistening. “You claimed me, as well.”

“That was a dream. It wasn’t real. And how the hell do you know about that anyway?”

“I know because I was there, Ryan. The dream realm is every bit as real as the one you and I are standing in right now. It simply exists on a different plane, one not readily accessible from your conscious mind.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Nothing makes sense unless you open your mind to the possibilities.”

“Oh? And I suppose that includes aliens and soul mates, too.”

“Among other things. Look beyond the confines of your limited knowledge.”

“Did you just call me stupid?”

“No. I merely made reference to the fact that humans are woefully ignorant of that which exists beyond their own solar system.”

Ryan felt as if her head was going to explode. “I have to get out of here.”

“Ryan, please.”

“Seriously. If what you say is true—that you know my thoughts—then listen to what I’m saying in my head right now.”

He pressed his lips together and nodded slightly. She felt the lightest brush against her thoughts, like a psychic fluttering.

This is too much. I need time to sort through all this. Please.

“As you wish,” he conceded, lightly brushing his fingers against her cheek. For the first time, she noticed small, thin webbing between the bases of his fingers. “But know this: everything I have told you is the incontrovertible truth. I am an exiled Aequorian prince, and you are the one fate has chosen for me, in this universe or any other, just as I have been chosen for you. The only variable here, sweet Ryan, is your acceptance.”

Tiberius stepped aside, and when he did, she felt a pang of disappointment spear through her. The question was: was it hers ... or his?

“Our connection works both ways,” he answered quietly, as if he had heard her unspoken query. “You have only to acknowledge it.”

When Tiberius opened the door, Ryan forced her shaky legs over the threshold before she could change her mind. Some part of her, a rather large part, wanted to stay and jump aboard whatever train he was riding into crazy town. She couldn’t, though. She needed time and space to sort through everything before she could hope to even begin to make sense of it.

The same man who had escorted her up to Tiberius’s office was waiting for her in the corridor.

She didn’t look back as she walked away, but she could feel Tiberius’s watchful eyes.

“Come back to me, sweet Ryan. I will be waiting.” The words floated into the back of her mind, barely distinguishable.

Her eyes snapped up right before the elevator doors closed, but Tiberius was already gone.

The ride back to her place was a blur; she was operating on autopilot as she struggled with the things Tiberius had said. Finding out that he was the owner of the nightclub now seemed inconsequential in comparison to these latest revelations.

Was it possible that he really was from another planet? After watching every episode of Ancient Aliens and The X-Files multiple times, Ryan liked to think that life on other planets was not only possible, but probable. It seemed inconceivable that in all of space, only one tiny planet was capable of sustaining life. Plenty of theorists believed that the greatest civilizations had thrived because of outside “help.” If she could accept their viewpoints so easily, why was she having such a hard time accepting that Tiberius might be exactly what he said he was? That real live aliens not only existed but walked among them every day?

Tiberius was different from anyone she had ever met, that was certain. His speech patterns and mannerisms were odd, among other things. He claimed to be able to know what she was feeling and thinking with eerie accuracy. Then there were the unusual markings on his skin, the orgasm-inducing ridges on his manhood, and the extra skin between his fingers. Oh, and the ability to enter her dreams.

Of course, it could all be some kind of complicated ruse based on her fascination with the paranormal. Tiberius could simply be an accomplished method actor with some psychic talent or he was exceptionally gifted at reading people. The markings could be tattoos. The ridges, subdermal implants. The webbing ... well, that was unusual, but syndactyly was a real thing. And the dream sequence could have been some kind of post-hypnotic suggestion.

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 else ever.

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.

“I thought I did at the time, but not even her powerful dark magic could simulate the depth of what I feel for you.”

Ryan didn’t know what to say to that. She wanted to tell him that she knew exactly what he meant, because she felt the same way, but she suspected he already knew. After all, she was the one who was having trouble accepting things, not him.

She closed her eyes, letting the steady rhythm of his heart and the safety of his arms lull her into a state of complete relaxation. Unlike their last two encounters, their intimacy was based on something other than physical gratification.

Her last thought before she floated off into oblivion was that he always seemed to know exactly what she needed.

Ryan didn’t have any more dreams after that and woke feeling particularly refreshed. That almost made things more difficult. It was hard to walk away from someone who made her feel so good.

She knew she should. She was a police officer, and he was the owner of an elite yet morally sketchy club. Oh, and he thought he was an alien prince from another M-class planet and believed he could breathe underwater.

Smiling, Ryan shook her head. Even that didn’t bother her as much as it should.

The décor at Bait made more sense now. The underwater theme. The floor to ceiling aquariums filled with everything from tiny, colorful sea anemones to sharks.

Sharks ...

Coffee mug midway to her lips, Ryan froze, the pieces suddenly coming together.

“The streets around Golden Beach are a lot cleaner than they used to be.”

“They call him the Shark.”

“He’s a dangerous bastard, but he’s not your average player. This guy’s super slick.”

Holy shit. Could Tiberius be the Shark?