in Sagi, stays in Sagi.
Maia wandered around the outside of the planetarium looking at the display pictures used to illustrate a variety of cosmic information. The pictures were all adequate examples, but primitive and bordering on bland compared to the real thing. Not that she could expect much more—Earth hadn’t developed the technology needed to achieve more advanced pictures and studies yet. They would get there, just as planets in other galaxies had, but it would take some time.
“Hey,” a man’s voice said from beside her. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”
Maia glanced to her side. The guy from the park stood near her, smiling. Damn it to Hades, he was even cuter than she remembered. The park had been dark, but the museum was nice and bright, and seeing him in the light made his strong jaw and straight nose even more prominent. The lighting in the park hadn’t done him any justice.
She tried to think of words to say, but her mind was muddled as she took in his tailored button-up shirt opened at his neck since he wasn’t wearing a tie. A glimpse of smooth, tanned skin peeked out from under his shirt and her eyes traced an imaginary trail down his chest, filling her mind with fantasies of it pressing against her naked breasts as he lay on top of her. Whoa.
“And who would this beautiful woman be?” another man asked.
“You know, I’m not sure we exchanged names last night. I’m Zander Arius and this is my colleague and long-time buddy, Jude Mallroy.” Zander smiled at her as if he expected her to say something.
She swallowed. Speak damn it.
“I’m Maia. It’s nice to meet you, Jude…and it’s nice to see you again, Zander.” She shook their hands, a custom she’d never quite gotten the point of. Jude gripped her hand tightly, giving her a firm shake. Too firm for her liking. It was like he tried to put all of his energy in a single handshake as if doing so would somehow impress her.
She slipped into Zander’s next, his large hand encircled hers carefully, cautious and gentle. His skin warm on hers, awakening her nerve endings as if they’d been sleeping for eternity. She suddenly had the overwhelming urge to feel his warm touch awakening the rest of her body. Yes, that sounded lovely.
Stop it.
In all her eternity, she’d never felt so drawn to anyone as she did to him. Zander. And she wasn’t about to let herself feel this way now. She pulled her hand back quickly. The last thing she needed was some strange connection with a guy from Earth to confuse her.
Some really hot guy.
Stop. It. She sighed. Scolding herself didn’t seem to be helping.
Her gaze fluttered up to his, and as she breathed in his handsome good looks, she couldn’t help but smile. He smiled back. She feared she might melt into the floor under the searing heat in his deep brown eyes as they peered out at her from the cutest wire-rimmed glasses, the frames so thin they were almost invisible on his face.
She didn’t usually go for guys in glasses, but she wasn’t usually stuck on Earth either. Seemed everything was off kilter in her world. Besides, she couldn’t remember anyone looking as cute as Zander did in glasses.
Damn it to Hades, why did this guy have to be on Earth? Why couldn’t he be from somewhere else in the galaxy instead so at least they could have a hope of dating?
“Your eyes,” Jude spoke, breaking into her thoughts. “They’re so—unusual.”
Her gaze flitted from Zander to Jude and then quickly to her shoes. Her stomach dropped and her palms instantly beaded with moisture, which she tried to casually wipe on her dress as she pretended to straighten the material.
Way to act as if you don’t have something to hide.
Crap. What was she supposed to say about her eyes? Normally people didn’t notice the little details in her irises—the tiny map of stars advertising the part of the universe she was from like a house address would here on Earth. The identifier was usually so small
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