New Species 11 True (13 page)

True had exhibited some traits at Drackwood that were reminiscent
of the male wolf featured in the animal-behavior show. The gracefulness of his
movements were similar to those proud creatures, he tended to growl and snarl
to express his feelings, and watched everything around him with a keen
wariness. He might be a human being but she’d be a fool to forget his other
heritage. Jeanie gave him her absolute trust by releasing all fear.

He’s not going to hurt me. He could have when we were
inside his cell but he never did. Relax. Breathe. God, did he just lick me?

The wet, hot tongue flicked her skin so fast she wasn’t sure
if it really happened. Another low growl sounded from him. She wanted to look
at him, see his expression, but didn’t want him to stop whatever he was doing.
Her thumb moved, stroking his silky skin. He pressed his chest more firmly
against her hand, seeming to encourage her to continue. She braved inching her
palm higher and the pad of her thumb made contact with his taut nipple as it
brushed over the tip. She hesitated when he sucked in a sharp breath.

“Jeanie.”

Her breathing increased at how husky his voice sounded. “Yes?”
She could barely whisper.

“Go lock yourself in the bathroom.”

That was the last thing she expected him to say with them
nearly pressed against each other on his bed while sitting upright. He didn’t
move away, didn’t remove his arms from either side of her, keeping her trapped
between his body and the headboard. Her heart rate increased but she wasn’t
afraid. Him wanting to put a door between them indicated she was in some kind
of danger but she didn’t believe that.

“Why?”

The tip of his nose brushed her throat. “Go.”

She’d have to shove back against the headboard and wiggle
away from him through the opening between his flattened hand on the mattress
next to her thigh and the top of the bed to accomplish that feat.

“True? Why?”

He slowly lifted his head and she met his gaze. The brown of
his eyes appeared darker but it might have been because his pupils were larger
than normal. “I want you.”

Her lips parted but no words came forth. She wasn’t exactly
surprised by that announcement after the conversation they’d had. It did
explain why he had been so adamant to find out why she’d responded to him the
way she had in the past. He’d just admitted the attraction was mutual.
That’s
a good thing, right?
One glance at his stern expression cast doubt. She
struggled to find the right way to ask him what was wrong with being attracted
to her.

“I’ll take you if you don’t get away from me right now.”

Take me where? Oh! He means sex. He’ll take me as in…holy
shit! He means it.
Images of him leaning into her and pushing her flat
filled her thoughts. It didn’t send her into a panic to get away. She’d wanted
True for what seemed like forever. He was right there in front of her and she’d
mourned his loss after he’d been freed from Drackwood, certain she’d never see
him again. A lot of lonely nights and dreams about him had left her with a ton
of regrets. She’d have given a lot just to have had five minutes alone with
him.

We’re in his room. No cameras. No guards to rush inside
this room to hurt either of us for breaking any rules now. There are no rules.
The only thing that stopped her from asking him to kiss her was the next
thought that popped into her head.
This is just going to be sex to him and
nothing more.

He abruptly rolled off the bed, putting space between them.
He faced the wall by the door, his hands fisted at his sides. “Go into the
bathroom. Shower. You need to wash away that scent right now.”

She didn’t budge. He’d snarled the words but she’d understood
each one. Part of her wanted to flee to the next room and lock the door the way
he’d suggested. It would be smarter and safer where her heart was concerned if
she never knew his touch.
I can’t miss what I’ve never had
, her logical
side stated.
Of course, that’s bullshit
, another part of her protested.
It
will just be one more regret to add to a long list if I run away from this
opportunity.

His fingers flexed. “Did you hear me? Get away, Jeanie.”

She moved, getting to her knees. The mattress was big and a
little firmer than she liked but it was his bed. “True?”

He snapped his head in her direction. It was impossible to
ignore the way his lips parted and those sharp canines were revealed in a
silent snarl. He looked pissed but instinct assured her that wasn’t the emotion
behind his fighting stance. Frustration could also drive any man into wanting
to punch holes in a wall.

This is it. No turning back once you open your mouth.
Speak now or hate myself later for being a coward who chickened out on doing
the one thing I’ve wanted most. I always said I’d pay any price to get to be
with him even one time.
“Come here.” She lifted her hand, ignored that it
trembled a little, and reached toward him.

He slowly turned around and took a step closer, then another,
as if drawn to her by some magnetic pull he couldn’t deny. She glanced up and
down his body as he walked over. True was one big man with his towering height
and bulky muscles. A little uncertainty struck when she considered that she
knew very little about how New Species actually had sex. Some of the employees
she’d worked with had hinted that the males took females doggy style and were
rough. He had human parts though, probably bigger than average too. He’d have
to be careful or he might break her.

True approached Jeanie with trepidation. She didn’t
understand that he was very close to losing his control or that she was
agreeing to share sex. He broke out in a sweat at the prospect of actually
getting her naked and under him. He paused, studying her kneeling in the middle
of his bed. She looked so human and small.
Fragile.

She made a strange sound and he jerked his focus to her
face. He noticed the way her lips curved upward at the corners. It was a sign
of amusement.

“What is funny?”

“Nothing.” She spoke so softly that he had to strain to make
sure he heard her correctly.

He didn’t believe her. “You smiled. Why?”

“Um…” She licked her lips. “I just realized that you can
actually do what most men only joke about.”

“I don’t understand.”

Her expression sobered. “It’s nothing. Come here.” She
wiggled her fingers, implying he should clasp her hand.

He didn’t budge. “What can I do that other males make humor
over?”

Jeanie bit her lower lip. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t play human games.” It frustrated him that she always
avoided his questions or dismissed them. A Species female wouldn’t.

“You can break me.”

He didn’t see fear in her eyes or smell it when he sniffed
the air. The very sweet smell of her had changed into something more tempting.
No matter how powerful a male was, he could be brought to his knees by the
scent of arousal that strong pulsing off a female, especially one True wanted
as badly as he did Jeanie. His gaze lowered to the bottom of the shirt she’d
borrowed. It hid the sight of her legs. That thin barrier was the only reason
he hadn’t lunged at her and put his mouth between her thighs to discover if she
tasted as good as she smelled. His protective feelings for her also held him in
check. She’d just stated she was worried he’d cause her harm.

“I won’t damage you.” He couldn’t hide the insult over his
word being questioned. Everything inside him felt hardwired to protect her but
he refused to reveal the weakness. “I promised I wouldn’t.”

Her outstretched hand dropped to flatten over her lower
belly. “That’s not what I meant.”

“You believe I’ll snap your neck or back.” His breath caught
from the feel of her hand on his bare skin. “To break someone implies that.”

“No.” Her cheeks turned a pinker shade. “Not in this case.
It’s a human saying.” She spoke in rushed words. “Men boast about being able to
break a woman when they have sex. It’s, um, not about really breaking anything
on them. Oh hell. Please forget I said anything. It was a bad joke but I’m
nervous. I tend to babble when I am.”

His irritation faded. “Why?”

“I don’t know. I’ve always done it.”

He took another step closer, being clearer with his
question. “Why stay in my bed if you’re unsure of whether you wish to be
touched?”

“I want you.” She chewed on her lower lip again.

The gesture was something he noticed she had done more than
a few times and mentally made note of. It was a way to read her emotions when
she felt uncertain of a situation.

“I’m not convinced.” He hated admitting that. At this point
he was willing to overlook almost anything to ease the pain in his groin. His
dick was engorged and trapped in an awkward position inside his pants. Before
this moment, he would have just taken the female in front of him at her word,
but Jeanie was different. She didn’t know that once he started, nothing would
stop him from owning her in every way possible. He was strong willed but not
when it came to her.

His desire for her overwhelmed him, causing a dose of fear
to course through him. His instincts would take over at the first taste. He
fought the haze of lust, reminding himself what would happen if he couldn’t
stop if she asked. Surprisingly, the core demand to protect her from anything,
even himself, helped dull the pounding need to pounce.

“I’ve never done this before. That’s why I’m nervous but I
do
want you, True. I swear.”

“You’ve never shared sex?” He stumbled back in horror,
nearly tripping over his own feet. That would explain how she’d been certain
her body hadn’t been used in actual breeding experiments. She’d said she hadn’t
dated for a long time before being given the drug. Humans weren’t as
straightforward about sexuality as Species. He’d been told it caused a female
pain the first time a male mounted her. Jeanie would bleed and probably shed
lots of tears. His dick softened. He couldn’t do that to her. He wouldn’t.

“I have.” Her gaze dropped.

“You’re lying.”

She looked back at him. “I’m not a virgin. I meant I haven’t
ever been in this situation before.” She reached out to him again. “But I want
to be because I’m with you.”

True knew he should turn around and leave the bedroom. The
two of them sharing sex was a bad idea. He just couldn’t resist her. His feet
didn’t move away from her but instead he drew closer. “It’s because I’m
Species,” he guessed.

“No. That doesn’t matter to me. I’ve never had sex with a
guy unless we had a long-term relationship first. You know, gone on a lot of
dates and spent a few months of getting to know everything about each other
first.”

Unanswered questions bombarded him. Why would she make an
exception for him if she needed to spend that kind of time with a male before
sharing sex? Was it a human requirement? He decided to wait on figuring out
that mystery. Jeanie was willing and in his bed. That was the bottom line.

He stopped by the edge of the bed and gently took her
offered hand. She was soft and delicate. Her scent filled his nose, making him
hard all over again. He didn’t want to talk anymore but they needed to exchange
a few more words. He forced himself to speak as he stared deeply into her eyes.

“I make noises humans don’t but I’ll be gentle and go slow.”
He already knew it was going to be the toughest thing he’d ever done. It was
difficult to use the head on his shoulders when the lower one demanded freedom
from his pants but it was important Jeanie didn’t become frightened by the
unexpected. “I’ll even mount you facing me. I know humans enjoy eye contact. I’ve
seen a few videos with humans sharing sex and I’ll try to do what they would.”

Jeanie reached up with her free hand and gripped his
shoulder. She used it to pull herself to her feet and stand on his bed. True
lifted his chin to continue looking into her eyes. She jerked slightly on their
clasped hands and he released hers.

The feel of her fingers caressing both sides of his jawline
was heaven when she did it. Her touch was featherlight and hesitant but felt
amazing. She leaned in closer, her focus on his lips. “Now you’re the nervous
one babbling. I’m not afraid and I know exactly what you are, True. Forget
whatever you’ve seen humans do in videos. I hate those things and they rarely
show anything I’d want done to me. I won’t mind you being more gentle than
normal though. You’re really strong and I already have enough bruises.”

The reminder that she’d been shot broke the last of his
restraint. She could have died and he’d never have been able to touch her the
way he’d always wanted. He growled, wrapped his arms around her back with care,
and tugged her closer. Her breasts crushed against his chest wasn’t nearly
enough with the cotton shirt blocking him from skin-to-skin contact. He lifted
her, stepped away from the bed until she no longer stood on it, and slowly
crouched until her feet touched the floor.

She’d given him permission to ignore all he’d learned about
human sex. He had planned to kiss her mouth but those weren’t the lips he
wanted to taste the most. He decided that would come later. He leaned forward,
careful of the injury to her lower stomach when he pushed against her rib cage
instead. The gentle nudge was enough to send her off balance when her thighs
came into contact with the edge of the mattress. She lay back. The soft bed
cushioned her.

True wrapped his fingers around her knees, spreading them
apart at the same time that he lifted her legs high enough to be in the
position he wanted. The shirt had ridden up to her belly, baring her completely
from the waist down, giving him a clear view of her sex, which he had been
fantasizing about.

The small, closely cropped strip of hair running along the
top of her mons and down the sides of her labia, forming a pattern, was
intriguing. She’d removed most of the other hair, not that he cared to ask how
it had been done at the moment. He’d read that some humans used razors, while
some had their bodies waxed to remove unwanted body hair.