New Species 11 True (17 page)

“I planned to carry her.”

Query glanced at Jeanie and laughed. “She sure wouldn’t
strain you.”

“No. She would not.” He accepted the keys.

“See you at seven.” Query smiled at Jeanie again. “It is
good to see you and I’d love that recipe.”

“It’s yours. I’ll write it down the first chance I get.”

Query spun around and headed toward the elevator.

Jeanie stared up at True. “I can wait on the clothes. You
almost got in another fight.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re going.” He leaned down a little,
staring into her eyes. “How close were you to him?”

She glanced at Query as he stepped inside the elevator
before holding True’s gaze. It reminded her of the look he’d had when he’d
quizzed her about Flirt. It dawned on her why he asked. “I took care of him
when he was injured. If you’re asking if he ever showed a sexual interest in
me, the answer is no.”

He blinked. “Okay. Let’s go.”

True led her outside into the bright sunshine and released
her hand. She gasped when he grabbed her around her waist with one arm, bent,
hooked her behind her knees with his hand and lifted her into his arms.

“The ground will be hot and your feet are too tender not to
burn.”

She wrapped her arm around his broad shoulders. “Thanks. I
could walk though.”

“There’s no need.” He turned, striding to a line of golf
carts parked around the corner of the building. Each one had numbers printed on
the side near the front wheel well. “I won’t risk you getting injured.”

He gently placed her on the seat and circled the cart. The
seat was small so they ended up pressed together. She didn’t mind. True started
the engine, backed up and threw it in drive. Traffic consisted of a few other
golf carts and one SUV. A few Jeeps were parked in front of buildings and New
Species walked along the sidewalks. There weren’t many but the ones she saw
turned to stare at her as they passed.

“It’s like a small town. There’s so much grass and hardly
any vehicles.”

“We have a bar here where we dance.”

That stunned her for some reason. She peered at him instead
of their surroundings. “You dance?”

He glanced at her. “Yes.”

“To what?” She was really curious.

“Music.”

“I meant what kind?”

“Something with a good beat. It’s one of the better things
we’ve discovered since being freed.”

She grew quiet, mentally trying to picture True on a dance
floor. He was big, muscular, and women would probably love to use the excuse to
rub up against him. Jealousy reared its head when she wondered who had taught
him, if it had been fast or slow dancing, and if it had led to sex.

The cart slowed to a halt and Jeanie forced her attention
outward. They’d parked in front of a large building. The windows were darkened
and the two front doors were closed. No signs stated what it was.

“Supply building,” he informed her, turning off the engine. “Stay
put. I’m coming around to get you. Don’t forget that the ground is hot.” He
lifted her into his arms. “We also have a bowling alley here at Homeland. Our
kind enjoy that sport and we even have a movie theater. Everyone loves to watch
movies on a big screen.”

Jeanie wrapped her arms around his neck. She liked True
holding her pressed against his chest and noticed again how good he smelled.
His words sank in and she laughed.

“What is funny?” He paused, staring at her.

“Bowling. I’ve never played but it just struck me as funny
to call it a sport. I thought it was a game.”

“So is football and baseball but that is considered a sport.”

She smiled. “You’re absolutely right.”

“I’ll take you bowling soon so you can experience it.” True
started forward again.

The doors were automated and opened when they approached.
She blinked rapidly to adjust from the bright sunshine to the darker interior.
It appeared to be a warehouse with tons of tall shelves. A New Species sat
behind a desk, using a computer. He lifted his head and stood as True carried
her right up to it. He gently placed her on her feet.

“The female needs clothing, personal items, and shoes if you
have them.”

The feline male frowned. “She’s the one from Mercile?”

“She’s from Drackwood and don’t take that tone,” True
warned. “Do you have Gift items in stock or not?”

Jeanie had heard that term before and wanted to ask what a
gift was but refrained. The grim-looking New Species behind the desk didn’t
seem happy to have her inside his warehouse. She tensed, hoping that True wasn’t
about to get into yet another argument with someone over her. Guilt seemed
inevitable because she kept putting True in the position of having to defend
her. The two males glared at each other. The tension was tangible.

“It’s okay if you don’t have anything in my size,” she
whispered, wishing she’d talked True into staying at home after all.

“No. You will get things.” True didn’t look away from the
other male. “She’s a guest here, staying in my home.”

The other male relented by dropping his gaze. “Fine. How
long will she be with you?”

“Indefinitely.”

The New Species glanced down Jeanie’s body, seeming to size
her up. “What is her scent preference?”

“Vanilla and coconut for her hair,” True instantly replied.

It shocked Jeanie that he’d remember what kind of scented
shampoo and conditioner she normally used. Species had a great sense of smell
but she had showered at their hospital, using their products, before he’d taken
her home with him. He retained that information from the past.

“I have that,” the male confirmed. “I can guess her size. I’ll
supply her for two weeks but you should go online to order her things. The
Gifts do that.” He spun away, disappearing behind a tall shelf.

True turned to her and his smile appeared forced. “He won’t
take long.”

“What is a gift?” She kept her voice low.

“Small female Species.”

“Why are they called that?”

A muscle along his jaw strained. “They were created by
Mercile to be used as gifts to investors. We’ve retrieved some from information
in the few records we recovered.”

“Gifted to investors? What does that mean?”

His beautiful eyes glinted with rage. “They were purposely
created smaller and weaker so they couldn’t effectively fight back.” He
hesitated. “Mercile was funded by some rich human males who wanted to sexually
abuse females. The Gifts being part animal was considered to be a bonus and
they paid a lot of money to get them. Most of the records were destroyed,
making it difficult to figure out where the money came from and who might have
them so we could attempt to rescue the females.”

Jeanie stared up at him as she absorbed his words. She
swayed on her feet and might have fallen over if he hadn’t grabbed her hips. “Oh
my god.” It sickened her, imagining something so appalling.

“I’m sorry. I should have worded it kinder.”

She gripped his arms, happy for the support. “I destroyed
the mainframe computer at Cornas.” She felt sick. “I didn’t know, True. Did I
erase information that could have helped find some of them?”

He pulled her against his body. “I don’t know.”

She clung to him, closed her eyes. Her hands slid up his
arms to grip his shoulders. Her legs seemed to turn to jelly. “I just wanted to
stop the security guards from being able to gas the New Species they held at
Cornas.”

“It’s okay.” He rested his chin on the top of her head and
wrapped his arms firmly around her waist in a tight hug. “You felt you had no
choice. I believe that. You did what you thought was best. You did save their
lives.”

But how many did I cost?
That question haunted her.
She didn’t dare say it aloud.
No wonder the task force team wants to know
what was on those computers so bad and why they acted as though what I did was
such a terrible thing. It might have helped them find some of those women.

Jeanie hated making True worry but she just didn’t have much
to say. The New Species at the warehouse had offered to show her what clothing
they had in her size but she couldn’t muster any interest. They could have
given her grain sacks to wear and she’d have just said thank you. She was in
shock.

True had kept hold of her until she’d pulled out of his arms
when the other guy had returned. She didn’t want him to have to justify giving
her any comfort or possibly getting into another fight. Humans who’d worked for
any company associated with Mercile Industries were hated by New Species for
good reasons and she had just discovered yet another one.

She shuddered, thinking about men as cruel as Dean Polanitis
getting their hands on a Gift New Species. She’d never seen any of them at
Drackwood or Cornas but according to True, they weren’t kept inside the
facilities. The horror of what those women must suffer left her reeling.

She’d experienced firsthand how horrible the drug testing had
been at Drackwood. She hadn’t been sexually assaulted though. To imagine years
of sexual abuse at the hands of someone atrocious was a nightmare. She’d rather
be beaten and verbally abused than to have some sicko use her to satisfy
whatever deviant sexual behavior he could think of.

True carried her back to the golf cart and left her there to
retrieve half a dozen bags. She sat very still, not even daring to glance up as
vehicles passed. He quickly returned and drove them back to the dorm. The
engine shut off.

“Are you all right?”

She forced herself to look up at him. “Why did you save me?”

“I shouldn’t have told you about Gifts. I didn’t know it
would upset you this much. Mercile gave them away a long time ago. I doubt
Cornas had information on their computers.”

“What if they did?”

“What if they didn’t? You’re upset without knowing if there
is a reason.”

She nodded, trying to grab hold of that hope. “Okay.”

“We’ve rescued some of them. Most were long dead by the time
we tracked them down.”

“Dead?”

He frowned. “I’m not telling you more.”

“Please?”

“They didn’t survive long. Let’s go inside.”

She got out of the cart before he could round it. “I can
walk.”

He growled, not happy, but reached for the bags. “Stay on
the grass. The sidewalks will be hot.”

She didn’t care if her feet burned but knew it would upset
him so she kept to the grass. He punched in a code and swiped his card to gain
access to the dorm. It reminded her of Drackwood and Cornas, with their
security measures. The community room was empty when they entered the building.
He led her directly to the elevators. No words were spoken until they reached
the third floor.

Flame remained stationed in the hallway, leaning against a
wall. He smiled. “That didn’t take long. All your personal stuff has been moved
into the new home.” He straightened and opened the door for them. “I had them
deliver lunch. I hope you don’t mind.” He slipped True a card. “Same code.”

“Thank you.” True gripped her arm, steering her inside.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

“Is she okay?” Flame sounded concerned.

“She will be. Thank you. Don’t let anyone disturb us.”

“You got it.” Flame firmly closed the door.

Jeanie turned when she reached the center of the room,
watching True place the bags on the counter between the living room and
kitchen. A tray rested on the table with two covered dishes. “You eat. I’m not
hungry.”

He frowned. “You need to.”

“I kind of lost my appetite. Do you mind if I go lie down?”

She didn’t wait for an answer, just walked into the bedroom.
The sleigh bed was a leather monstrosity, set higher than the one at his old
place. She paused, hating that she was the reason they’d had to move. The
mattress stood waist high and she’d have to climb on it. The bright-blue
bedding was pretty but she preferred True’s.

“Jeanie?”

She turned, staring at him where he braced his arms against
the doorframe. “Yes?”

He released it, came closer. “Tell me how to make you feel
better.”

Her gaze traveled down his body, pausing over his wide
chest, lowered to his narrow waist and tight stomach, to the sweats that
covered his muscular, long legs. She stared at the carpet, not daring to
answer.

He stepped closer until she had to look up or just stare at
his crotch. She examined his full lips, wishing he’d kiss her. That would
distract her from all the pain and misery. Regrets were aplenty too.

“Jeanie?” He reached out and his hand curled around her hip.
The other one brushed her hair back and his thumb caressed her jawline. “What
do you need?”

“You,” she got out. It surprised them both, judging from the
way his brown eyes widened and her cheeks warmed.

True made a soft, animalistic sound that was kind of sexy. “I’m
hoping you mean what I think you do.”

It was an encouragement to her, to reach out and glide her
palms up his chest. She wished the shirt was gone, longing to touch warm skin
instead of the soft material stretched over his firm body. Her fingers curled
around the back of his neck, grasping him there, and tugged to lower his head.
He complied and she tilted her head slightly, licking her lips to wet them as
she rose on tiptoe.

“Kiss me? Please?”

He didn’t need to be asked twice. His mouth lowered and she
closed her eyes. The first brush of his mouth against hers sent shivers down
her spine. Those firm lips were softer than they appeared to be as they met
hers. He parted her lips, his tongue slipping inside to explore. Excitement
surged as Jeanie clung to him. The hand cupping her face lowered to her hip
until both hands encircled them and he spread his fingers.

True growled and she pressed even tighter against him,
kissing him frantically. He responded by sliding his hands around to her ass
and gave each cheek a teasing squeeze. She gasped when he used his hold to lift
her.

Jeanie spread her legs and wrapped them around his hips as
he walked forward. Surprise registered when instead of carrying her to the bed,
she ended up perched on the edge of the dresser. It was lower than the one at
his old apartment. They were hip to hip. His stiff cock pressed against her
pussy as his hands slid out from under her ass to hug her hips again. The kiss
was broken when he tore his mouth away.

She opened her eyes in frustration. “Don’t stop,” she
pleaded.

His brown eyes were narrowed and his breathing had become as
erratic as her own. “I can’t,” he rasped. He dipped his head once more, almost
kissing her again but hesitated right before touching her lips. “I need to slow
things down or I’ll frighten you.”

He never stops surprising me.
“No. You won’t.”

He didn’t look convinced when he studied her eyes, seeming
to search for whatever answers he sought.

“Don’t hold back,” she assured him. “I know you won’t hurt
me. I want you, True.”

He stared deeply into her eyes.

“I know what you are, who you are, and I want
you
.”
She couldn’t state it any clearer. No one ever needed to remind her that he
wasn’t completely human and she accepted that he probably would be different
from the few lovers she’d known. “Take me.”

He kissed her, invading her mouth with his tongue. Her eyes
closed to savor the sensations. He gripped her hips and yanked her pelvis
against his, grinding his trapped cock against the sweats that covered her
pussy. The solid feel of him rubbing against her clit through two layers of
material felt incredible but she wished they were naked.

She moaned against his tongue as her arms curled around his
shoulders and she clawed at him through the shirt. It didn’t tear no matter how
much she tried to burrow through the cotton to reach his skin with her
fingernails. True used his hold on her hips to keep her locked in place as he
rolled his hips, tormenting her until she was ready to come in her pants. Her
legs adjusted higher, wrapping tighter around his waist.

He stopped moving and she wanted to scream when he pulled
away from her mouth. They both panted. She opened her eyes again, staring up at
him.

“Let go.”

She eased her hold on him and leaned back a little, her
hands bracing on the dresser.

“Wh—”

She gasped when he tore at her shirt, shredding it apart as
easily as if it were paper. He threw it behind him. His shirt was torn over his
head next, baring that sexy chest. She reached up and touched his skin, loving
how warm and firm he felt under her hands. She worshiped him with her gaze and
touch.

His eyes lowered to her bare breasts and he lifted her
higher until she wasn’t seated on the hard surface anymore. He dipped his head
and she gripped his shoulders to keep her balance. One of his hands palmed a
breast while his mouth covered the other. He didn’t gently lick her or tease
her. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, letting his sharp teeth scrape over
the sensitive tip. She moaned as he sucked on her harder and she tightened her
legs around his waist. The sensation shot to her clit when he ground his pelvis
against the vee of her sweats.

She was going to come and her pants were still on. She
moaned and thrashed, clinging to him, arching her back and trying to buck her
hips against the hard length of his cock trapped inside his pants. A growl tore
from his throat and his mouth released her breast. His head rose, his eyes
narrowed. He looked wild and sexy as their gazes met.

“Too rough?” he growled.

She shook head, her body aching too much to care if he was
rough. He released her breast and grasped the back of her sweats. She felt a
tug and heard material tear. She looked down. He’d torn the sweats apart down
the back. His hands gripped the material on the sides of her thighs and tore
them more, until her pussy was bared to his view. One more strong jerk and he
completely removed them and tossed them aside.

True eased her down until her bare ass rested on the dresser
and wiggled his fingers between their bodies, grabbed at his own pants next and
yanked the front of them to free his dick.

She twisted enough to peer down at the limited space between
them to stare at his cock. It appeared unbelievably hard and it jerked a bit as
though it moved with each heartbeat. She couldn’t look away from the thick,
rigid flesh between them.

He was beautiful to her. Large but she had expected that.
Nothing on a New Species male would be small. The head of his cock was thicker
than the shaft, slightly mushroomed, and perfectly formed.

“Jeanie?” He demanded her attention with barely restrained
urgency in his gruff voice.

She looked up at his face.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

His mouth came down on hers again. One of his arms hooked
around her hips and he set her on his forearm to protect her ass from the
unforgiving surface. He used his hand between them to adjust his cock until the
thick tip nudged her very wet pussy. The shock of the sudden stretch of her
vaginal muscles as he filled her and the pleasure she felt made her cry out
against his mouth. He froze, pulling away from the kiss.

His intense gaze searched her eyes, gauging her reaction.

“Don’t stop. It feels so good I can’t help but be vocal,”
she assured him.

He snarled and pushed inside her deeper, to fully possess
her body. His mouth found hers again, kissing her frantically as he bucked his
hips, pounding in and out of her hard and fast.

Jeanie moaned her pleasure and tore her mouth from his,
terrified she’d bite his tongue. Her legs squeezed tighter around his waist as
her arms braced on his shoulders. He adjusted his hold on her until both his
hands gripped her ass to hold her in place while he kept driving up inside her.
She couldn’t tell if it hurt or if it just felt so good it overloaded her
senses but she knew she’d die if he stopped.

His cock seemed to grow thicker, as if it was swelling. His
body shook as his muscles tensed. He moved faster and that was all it took for
Jeanie. She moaned louder as pleasure lanced through her body. She buried her
face against his shoulder and screamed out as the climax struck.

He made a noise—a combination that was somewhere between a
shout and a groan. His cock definitely swelled inside her and she felt him
coming too. Jet after strong jet of his semen bathed her inside. His hips
stilled, locked against her and his large body shuddered. He gasped a few
times.

“Oh wow,” Jeanie panted. She licked his injured skin and
brushed a kiss where she’d left bite marks on the curve of his neck. She hadn’t
broken the skin but it was noticeable enough to make out her dental pattern. “I
bit you. I’m sorry.”

He chuckled softly. “I liked it. Bite me often.”

His hands released her ass and he wrapped his arms around
her waist, hugging her tightly to his body. He turned, walking, still locked
inside her. His dick, deeply buried inside her pussy, tugged with each motion
of his body. She whimpered a few times from being oversensitive and the large
man inside her made her aware of his presence with every step he took. He
reached back and forced her legs higher as he sat on the bed so she was on his
lap. He lifted his hands when he wasn’t holding her weight anymore to tenderly
cup her face.

“I’ve never had sex that way before.” He seemed shocked. “It
felt so good. Are you okay?” He glanced between their bodies at the place where
she’d been shot.

“It was incredible.”

She stopped talking to avoid saying something she’d regret.
It had been more than just sex to Jeanie. The urge to tell him how much she
loved him—had loved him for so long—was too tempting but she didn’t want to
make something so special into an awkward moment for True. Men didn’t want to
hear that kind of confession after sex, especially when they didn’t return a
woman’s feelings.