Page 17 of The Alien's Major Dilemma

The list of people and places he’d like to destroy in the frenzied rage that would overtake him was growing while he sat there, but the top was whoever had put up the trap that had landed him on this planet.

“That doesn’t really seem like the best option,” she said slowly. “I don’t know about you but I try to avoid murderous rampages when possible.”

He laughed. He couldn’t help it. Everything about this situation pissed him off except her.

“Not my first choice of past time but everybody needs a hobby, I suppose,” he said. “Can I ask a favor before you decide to walk out and wave at the drone that’s looking for you?”

“Maybe,” she said and tilted her head. “Depends on what the favor is.”

“I would very much like to touch your skin. It looks so soft and I just want to see what it feels like.”

She stilled. Humans couldn’t manage the absolute stillness a Chelion scout was trained for but Marissa got close. He knew he was asking a lot and she had every reason to deny him. But he couldn’t help but hope to actually run his finger down her soft, pink cheek before she left.

“On one condition,” she finally answered.

“Name it.”

“I want to see what you really look like.”

Cooper blew out a breath. It wasn’t the worst thing she could ask for but he hadn’t expected it. Humans like looking at humans and he knew he’d done a good job on this disguise. It would be hard to build the skin color to the right shade of beige again but he didn’t hesitate.

“Agreed.”

Chapter 8

Marissa stiffened when Cooper stood up and took the few steps to close the distance between them. His hand was raised before she ducked back, sliding to keep her back to the divider.

“You first,” she said.

Her heart was lodged in her throat even while it threatened to pound out of her chest.

She didn’t think he’d agree and he hesitated before he dropped his hand and stepped back. His eyes were glued to her face when he took a deep breath andchanged.

It was subtle at first. Nothing like the CGI assisted werewolves she’d seen, just a slight relaxing in his jaw, then a shift of color that could have been a bit of cloud passing across the sun. Each tiny, subtle shift brought more contrast in colors, more definition around his face and neck until the shape of his nose changed and his jaw lengthened just slightly.

His skin was made up of tiny, almost translucent jade-colored scales, with patches of a darker gray on his cheeks and chin, and down his neck. His posture didn’t change but his shoulders seemed to straighten and fill out more of his uniform jacket. The cap that was part of the uniform seemed jarring and she wondered if he had hair or if his head was just covered with more of the delicate scales.

“Oh,” she said. “You can change color.”

He smiled and it looked better, more natural, than when he’d done it as a human. And he’d had a great smile as a human.

“Of course I can change color. How did you think I managed to blend in so well?”

He raised his hand and she saw the delicate scales she’d remembered seeing in the truck. Then she noticed that his fingernails had been replaced by trimmed and polished claws and she stared.

“May I?” he asked gently.

She nodded, shifting her gaze to his face, and her breath caught in her throat.

Cooper was concentrating on her so intently, looking at her with so much need, that she couldn’t look away. When the pads of his fingers touched her cheek, desire and need slammed through her so hard, she closed her eyes to hold off the torrent of emotion.

His skin was smooth and cool against her cheek which suddenly felt like it was burning with the heat of her flush. The tip of one claw pressed against her skin just before he stroked his fingers down her cheek. She bit her lip at the feel of the claw grazing along her skin with his soft scales.

She wasn’t prepared for how intimate this felt, how bare that simple touch made her feel. Her palm pressed against the divider behind her and she let out the breath she didn’t realizeshe’d been holding. His thumb brushed along her chin and she took in a sharp breath.

He smelled amazing. Beneath the dirt and desert smell that permeated everything in the region, she could smell sandalwood and vanilla, and a faint hint of something she’d always associated with soft leather.

“You are so soft,” he whispered, his voice breathy. “Like flower petals and cotton.”

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