Under His Skin

by Stacey O'Neale

  Sensing the rush, her mother spoke quickly. “I expect to hear back from you soon. This conversation isn’t over.”

  Pulling her hair out of her band, she replied, “Okay, Mom. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  As soon as the call ended, she made a beeline for her room, slipping on a shirt and a pair of jeans. She made her way back over to the mirror and was reminded what a mess she looked. Her straight hair was a mess of kinky, knotted, wild waves. All she could do was scrape it back into a messy ponytail. There was no hiding the puffy dark circles beneath her eyes. But really, what had she expected after hours of crying? She was a total train wreck.

  The door clicked, and Camden stepped into her apartment for the first time. His eyes roamed her small space. “Hey, Annabelle. This is a cool apartment.”

  She wasn’t surprised Camden did well with the ladies. He had that all-American thing going for him: pretty-boy face with blond hair and blue eyes. And judging by the way his white shirtsleeves clung to his biceps, she was sure he had the flawless body to match. All three Chance brothers were the epitome of perfection, but Kaden had a bit of grit to his looks. An element of masculine rawness that made him stand out in the trio of hotness.

  “Did Kaden send you?” she asked.

  He casually strolled toward her sofa. “Nope. It was Hayden’s idea.”

  Leaning into the wall, she crossed her arms. “Let me guess, you’re here to protect me.”

  “Yes and no.” The cushions squeaked as he plopped down. “I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk. Is that okay with you?”

  As much as she didn’t want to discuss her situation with Kaden, she was intrigued by his request. This was Cam, after all. In the months they’d known each other, he had always kept their conversations simple and laid-back. Apprehensively, she replied, “Okay.”

  “Great. I think we can skip over the normal pleasantries. I mean, we’re basically family now, right?” Cam waved her over, inviting her to join him.

  Family? She had considered Kaden one of her best friends, but she barely knew his brothers. Was she somehow part of their family because she knew their true identities? Nevertheless, she played along. “Sure.”

  When she entered the living room, she discovered Cam sitting cozily with one arm resting on the top of the sofa. With his other hand, he patted the empty cushion next to him. She couldn’t help noticing how relaxed he was. He behaved as if he had been to her apartment a thousand times before. She, however, wasn’t feeling all that comfortable when she sat down. She kept her back straight with her hands folded in her lap.

  “I know Kaden told you about our dirty little alien secret.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  Her eyes widened with surprise. Although he thought of her as family, she still wasn’t expecting him to be so direct. “Okay, we’ll just get right to it then.”

  He shrugged. “I prefer the direct approach, don’t you?”

  He wasn’t wasting any time. “I suppose.”

  Cam shifted his hips toward her, his body now facing her. “I know things didn’t go smoothly when Kaden explained our situation to you.”

  Smoothly? “Disaster” would probably be the best word to describe what happened. “Yeah.”

  Cam snickered. “Honestly, I’m not surprised. I’ve never seen Kaden so nervous. I was sure he was going to pop a few blood vessels before he even got out the front door.”

  She grinned at the mental image. “Was he really that bad?”

  He nodded. “You didn’t hear it from me, but he’s been a mess for months. The way we feel emotion in our human bodies takes some getting used to. Kaden’s relationship with you has made it particularly difficult for him.” He grinned. “I never would’ve guessed someone from your species could affect us in such a way.”

  Species? Oh, right, because we’re the aliens to them. Looking at Cam, it was hard to believe he wasn’t human. The movies, books, and television shows got it all wrong. There was nothing different about him, unless his ridiculously good looks were supposed to set off the warning signals. “How do you look so—”

  “Gorgeous? Irresistible? Tantalizing—”

  Annabelle laughed. “Human.”

  “Hayden’s really the guy to answer this question, but I can give you the quickie version. Our natural form is solid, but to your eyes it would probably look like…shimmering light.” He traced the lines on his palm with his index finger. “When we came here our forms bonded with human bodies.”

  That sounded like something straight out of a science fiction movie. “Who did the original bodies belong to?”

  He scratched the back of his head. “I know what you’re thinking, but we didn’t take over someone’s body. The humans were already dead. Our forms regenerated their bodies.”

  Creepy, but better than them stealing the body of someone who was still alive. “How did you end up working with the FBI?”

  “They had been tracking us since our ship landed. Once we had human forms, they approached us and eventually took us to Washington, D.C. That’s where we were given a set of rules and taught how to be human so we could exist in your world without being noticed.”

  Kaden had told her they’d spent a year in the FBI facilities. “How did you end up in Germantown?”

  “Hayden needed to be close to work but not in a crowded city. We wanted the kind of privacy a small town provides.” Cam leaned farther into the cushions with his arms crossed behind his head. “Germantown was the perfect location.”

  They were set up to live a quiet life, yet Kaden chose to pursue her and risk everything. Why would he take such a chance? “So why tell me all your secrets?”

  Smirking, he shook his head. “Oh, that was all Kaden’s fault. He broke the rules when he took your friendship to the next level.” He made a tsk sound with his tongue. “When the clothes started coming off, everything changed.”

  Annabelle’s cheeks burned. She wondered how much Kaden had told his brothers. “We kissed and now everything has changed?”

  “The sex part wouldn’t change things under normal circumstances. It’s the bond.” Cam paused as if he was choosing his words carefully. Leaning forward, his eyes bored into hers. He had never looked so serious. “I assume he told you about the bond.”

  Bond? “No.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “I guess things went bad before he could get to that. Well, in that case, I won’t say anything more. That is a conversation you need to have with him.”

  Yes, there appeared to be a lot more she needed to discuss with Kaden. It seemed silly to be discussing any of it with Camden. As a matter of fact, it had been pretty silly of her to force Kaden to leave in the first place. It must have been difficult for him to finally open up to her. But instead of being his friend, she had pushed him away. Her chest tightened, and her breath became short as regret filled her. How could I have done that to him? He deserved to be treated better than that. Annabelle put her hands over her face, her stomach lurching. “I feel horrible. I should’ve let him explain all of this.”

  Cam placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s not too late.”

  A thick lump swelled in her throat. “I acted like an idiot.”

  “That’s not a problem,” he replied in a comforting tone. “He’s been acting like an idiot for weeks now.”

  “I have to go to him.”

  “Wait one second.” He waved his hand to still her movement. “You’re still in danger.”

  For a moment, she had forgotten she was a target. This other alien wanted to use her to get to Kaden. But still, she had to see him. She couldn’t let him think she was still angry with him. They had to talk this out. “I can’t let things stay the way they are.”

  Cam nodded. “I’ll call Kaden.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Annabelle wants to talk.

  No words had ever sounded sweeter. As soon as Kaden got the call from Cam, he rushed out the door. The only noise he heard was the frantic beating o
f his human heart. The drive to her house was a complete blur. The skies could have been raining dollar bills and he wouldn’t have noticed. By the time he parked his car in front of her bakery, he could no longer feel his legs.

  Camden was waiting outside, eating what he assumed was one of her cupcakes. “I need to come down here more often.”

  Kaden didn’t have time for small talk. “Where is she?”

  “Upstairs waiting for you.” Cam nudged his arm. “We had a nice talk.”

  He clenched his fists at his sides. “What did you say?”

  Shrugging, his brother replied, “She had a couple of questions and I think I put her at ease.”

  The tension in his shoulders released. Was she finally willing to listen to him? All he wanted was a second chance to explain. “Is she still angry?”

  Cam put his arm around his shoulders. “She asked me to call you, remember?”

  He nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime, bro.”

  Kaden headed up the stairs just as Camden sped off in his car. He was nervous, anxious, excited. A riot of emotions. Shaking his head, he attempted to unravel the confusion going on in his head. With each step, his leather boots thumped against the wooden stairs. He reached the landing and froze. If only he could sense what he was walking into, he could’ve prepared. Unfortunately, reading minds wasn’t his gift. Taking a deep breath, he turned the doorknob.

  When he stepped inside, Annabelle came into view. She stood in the middle of the room wearing a tight T-shirt and skinny jeans that hung low on her hips. Her arms were wrapped around her middle like she would break into pieces if she let go. The sight of her sent a stabbing pain through his chest. He hated himself for the hurt he had caused her.

  As he made his way toward her, she didn’t move a muscle—Kaden took that as a good sign. The last time they were together, she wouldn’t let him near her. He stopped when he was about three feet in front of her. Dried tears lined her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Bells.”

  “If you had told me the truth, I would’ve kept your secret.”

  In the back of his mind, he’d always known he could trust her. But he’d let his own fears get in the way. He was so convinced she would reject him that he never even gave her a chance. She looked so fragile standing there. All he wanted to do was wrap himself around her and comfort her. “I wish I had told you months ago. I know I should have.”

  “We both made mistakes.” Annabelle sat down on the sofa. She patted the cushion next to her, inviting him to join her. “You should’ve trusted me, but when you finally did, I wasn’t a very good friend to you. I was worried you never cared about me. That everything we shared was a lie.” She shook her head. “It’s embarrassing to admit, honestly.”

  How could she ever doubt he cared for her? Although he struggled to understand his human emotions, the feelings he had toward her were strong. They were unlike anything he’d ever experienced, which scared him a little. He sat next to her. “I may have lied about where I come from, but everything else was the truth. I genuinely care about you and want you to be in my life.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “I want you to be in my life, too.”

  “Does that mean you’re okay with…everything?” He grimaced as he awaited her answer. If she said no, he wasn’t sure he could bear it.

  “I’ll admit, it’s still hard for me to accept that one of my best friends is an alien. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

  He leaned back, placing his arm across the top of the sofa. “How do you feel?”

  “Confused, scared, excited.” She grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her stomach. “Take your pick.”

  Their emotions seemed to be in sync. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but at least he was starting to understand her. Cocking his head to the side, he asked, “Where does that leave us?”

  She chuckled. “I think you should answer that question.”

  Needing to be careful how he answered her, he took a moment to choose his words. Last time, he’d put too much out there all at once and scared her away—but there were things she needed to hear. It was the only way they could truly start over. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that. My life is complicated, and I’m never going to have what you would consider a normal existence. You deserve more than that, which is why I’m hesitant to let this thing between us move forward.” She lowered her eyes from his gaze, and Kaden could almost feel her disappointment. She needed to know how he felt. “But when I’m with you, all I want is more. It’s overwhelming at times how much I want you. You make me feel alive in a way I’ve never felt before.”

  “Really?” She glanced up at him, eyes full of longing.

  After everything that had happened between them over the last few weeks, he was shocked—how had she not known how he felt about her? It was obvious, wasn’t it? “When I kissed you, it was something I’ve wanted to do since the day we met. You have no idea how much I’ve struggled with these feelings I have for you.”

  She bit her lip. “Cam mentioned something about a bond. What did he mean?”

  He jolted, making a mental note to strangle Cam next time he saw him. The last thing he wanted to discuss was the bond. This new relationship between them was still fragile, and the smallest of things could cause it to shatter. Learning she was his mate could be too much, too soon. Besides, he barely understood it himself. But there was no way to avoid the conversation. “I’m not sure I can explain this properly, but I’ll try.” He let out a nerve-filled breath. “Our species doesn’t rely on emotions to find our mates. When a mate is identified, our dormant hearts begin to beat. I never experienced the process because my wife was chosen for me, like an arranged marriage.” She watched him intently, but she hadn’t run away screaming, so he continued. “A few weeks ago, outside your bakery, my heart beat for the first time. And it hasn’t stopped since the first time we kissed.”

  Her eyes widened, and she put her palm over her chest. “Are you saying I am your mate?”

  Don’t freak her out. “It’s hard to say for sure. Things are different now that I’m in this human form. The bonding process may not be the same as it was on my planet.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “How does the bonding process work?”

  Strangling Cam might not be enough. If this conversation turned bad, he might have to kill him for mentioning this to her. “If we are truly mates, the bond would take place when our bodies joined. But there’s no way to know without actually testing it out.” Every muscle in his body tightened. “Without…having sex.”

  Her cheeks turned pink. “Oh.”

  After everything he’d just revealed, she had nothing else to say? Was it possible he’d managed to frighten her again? Kaden had to put her at ease. “It could mean nothing. My heart beating might be a side effect of my DNA merging with my human body.”

  “What about me? Would I feel the bond, too?”

  “It would be something different to you. If you wanted to be my mate, it would likely be love you felt.” He had to ask. “Do you feel love for me?”

  Holy crap!

  “This is a lot to take in.” Annabelle’s head was spinning a million miles a minute. Kaden not only had feelings for her, he thought she might be his mate. Hearing him say those words sent sizzles all through her body. She had wondered for so long how he felt, never imagining anything like what she had just heard. But was she ready for something so permanent? Was she in love with him? “I don’t know what I feel. I’m certainly attracted to you, and I want to see where this goes. I’ve never been in love before. I don’t have anything to compare it to.”

  “What should we do?”

  “I think we should take things slow.” More than anything, she needed time to ingest everything she had learned over the past forty-eight hours. “Let things happen organically, and see where we end up.”

  He smirked, showing off one of his gorgeous dimples. “Does organicall
y mean I can kiss you right now? Because it’s all I can think about.”

  A wave of heat rushed through her entire body. “I don’t think that would be a problem.”

  In an instant, his mouth was on hers. Brushing his lips over hers once, twice, he nipped at her mouth as she slid her arms around his neck. A low growl escaped his throat. She sensed his yearning, his desire for her, and she wanted more. Opening her mouth wider, she let his tongue slip inside. He thrust and withdrew, slowly at first. Then the intensity grew into the kind of kiss that weakened knees and sent butterflies fluttering in stomachs. A kiss she had seen in movies but never experienced for herself. Craving his reaction, his need for her, released a wild energy within Annabelle. Her fingers dug into his hair as she let out a moan. A second later, he had her in his lap. The quick movement made her squeal. Her legs relaxed around his waist, and their bodies melted into one another until no space was left between them. The hardness of his erection pressed against her most sensitive spot. Desire flowed inside her like an untamed river.

  When he released her from his hold, it took several moments for her to realize what had happened. She was still recovering, her lips tingling, as he sat her down next to him. “What’s wrong?”

  His jaw twitched. “I had to stop myself before every shred of my self-control was gone.”

  “I would’ve been okay with it if you had kept going.”

  He shook his head. “This wasn’t what you wanted. You said we’d take things slow, and I want to respect your wishes.”

  Damn, she had said that. “Thank you.”

  He scratched the back of his head. “Don’t thank me. I was very close to stripping off your clothes and finding out if there is a bond between us.”

  Warmth gathered between her thighs. “I’m not sure I would’ve stopped you.”

  “Careful, woman,” he said gruffly. “I’m barely restraining myself as it is.”

  From outside her window, she heard the clink of gates opening. The stores were preparing for another day of business. She was sure Drew was downstairs waiting for her and probably wondering what happened to the broken window. No matter how badly she wanted to stay—or how tempting Kaden was—she had to go tend to her bakery. The insurance company needed to be called, and she had to get someone out to fix the window. There was a long list of issues still to be resolved. “I have to get downstairs. Where will you be?”