Smiley

  His chest touched her breasts and every movement brushed his hot skin against her hard nipples. He rode her faster, hitting that magic spot that sent sparks of rapture straight to her brain. She moaned, lost in the sensation of their joined bodies. It was a tight fit and she could feel every thick inch of him. More of Smiley’s weight came down on her but the solid mass of his body stretched above her was comforting instead of crushing. She wanted to get as close to him as possible, until they fused together. His pelvis ground against her clit.

  Vanni screamed as the climax hit. It was ten times stronger than the other ones Smiley had given her. She finally knew what mind-blowing meant, as if a bomb detonated inside her skull. Her pussy seemed to have the same reaction as those muscles convulsed, squeezing his rigid shaft so tightly she worried something might get damaged on one of them.

  “Oh hell,” he groaned.

  She forced her eyes open despite her difficulty to focus on anything but the waves of pleasure still surging through her. Smiley lifted his chest away from her. A pained expression contorted his features into something almost frightening. He clenched his teeth, showing fangs since his lips pulled back in an almost-snarl. He’d frozen on top of her when she’d come but he started fucking her again in short, violent jerks.

  Vanni’s eyes widened and she struggled to breathe. She couldn’t draw air into her lungs. The extreme pleasure coursing through her was too much. Smiley groaned as his cock drove deeper, stayed there, and he started to come. Heat pulsed inside her as his semen filled her. Another climax struck Vanni. It was too strong.

  I’m dying. Terror nearly overrode the pleasure but it crashed through her again. Her eyes closed and blackness came, taking everything away.

  Smiley braced his arms to keep from collapsing on top of Vanni. His jaw hurt a little from grinding his teeth to prevent himself from yelling when he came. He hadn’t wanted to scare her. Tremors racked his body in the aftermath of what he’d just experienced. None of his past sexual encounters with females had ever come close to what they’d just shared. He understood the term “turned inside out” after the volatile eruption of his nuts. He’d be shocked if they still contained a drop of semen.

  He stared at her. Her eyes were closed, her face turned slightly away. “Vanni?”

  She didn’t answer or react in any way. He cleared his throat, hoping his gruff tone didn’t sound too harsh. “Are you okay?”

  She didn’t move. His gaze lowered to her lovely breasts. They moved with the rise and fall of her chest. He shifted position, used one elbow to brace his weight and cupped her cheek, gently turning it to get a better look at her. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully but it scared the hell out of him.

  “Vanni!”

  Her breath fanning his face assured him she was alive but she didn’t respond or open her eyes. Panic wasn’t an emotion he felt often but he did then. He’d been told of a story by a Species who’d been given a breeding drug. He’d woken to find himself still on top of a female but she’d died. He’d killed her during their coupling.

  “No,” he whimpered.

  He slowly withdrew his dick from the tight confines of her pussy. “Vanni? Open your eyes. Tell me you’re okay. Tell me I didn’t harm you.” He wasn’t above pleading.

  He needed to get help. He lifted up, forgetting where he was, and the back of his head slammed into the roof of the SUV. The pain barely registered as he looked down between them. He sniffed, not seeing or smelling blood. He’d lost control when she’d climaxed. The feel of her, the sounds she made, had driven him into a frenzy. Her pussy had tightened to the point that he couldn’t move at first—almost torture since he’d been right on the edge. The second her muscles had eased their grip on his dick, those urges couldn’t be denied. He’d come so hard he’d been oblivious to everything else.

  “Vanni?”

  She still didn’t move but she was breathing. He grabbed his jeans and tried to jerk them up his thighs. The material was trapped under his knees. He threw himself forward and to the left, slamming his shoulder into the seat. He got the pants up but didn’t bother to fasten them. Her skirt tangled with his boot when he slid closer to the door. He looked down and grabbed it. The fabric ripped but he got his foot free.

  One glance at Vanni made him aware of her nakedness and he tried to cover her with the flimsy garment. The thing was long enough to go from her breasts to her knees. He took a second to close her limp legs. Protecting her modesty seemed important at that moment. He reached out, grabbed the handle and shoved the door open.

  “Get a medic!”

  He wouldn’t leave her side. He adjusted the skirt over her and brushed his fingers through her hair. “Vanni? Come on, open your eyes.”

  Heavy footsteps sounded and Brass leaned into the SUV through the open door. “What is wrong?”

  “She’s out. I don’t know if I hurt her or not.”

  The other door was yanked open and Ned was there. Smiley wanted to attack when the guy touched Vanni. He grabbed her wrist and batted Smiley’s hand away from her hair to press his fingertips against her throat.

  “What are you doing?”

  Ned met his gaze. “Checking her pulse. It’s slow and steady. What happened?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “They were sharing sex and now she’s unconscious,” Brass grouched. “I don’t smell blood.”

  Smiley was glad to hear that. His sense of smell wasn’t as acute as the canine’s. It meant he hadn’t caused internal bleeding. “Is she all right?”

  Ned released her and frowned. “I think she just passed out. Her heartbeat is stable. I don’t exactly have a blood pressure monitor on me but I probably should examine her.” He reached for the skirt covering her body.

  “Don’t.” Smiley lunged, bumped his head on the roof of the SUV again, but effectively stopped the human when he leaned over her still form and grabbed the backs of the seats to keep from falling on top of her. It put his face inches from Ned’s and he showed his fangs to make the threat clear.

  Ned almost tripped, making a hasty retreat. “Okay. Don’t bite me. Fuck.”

  “It’s the drug.” Snow arrived at the other side of the SUV. He pushed Ned out of the way, his cool stare fixing on Smiley. “Easy, Smiley. Where’s your normal chipper attitude?”

  “Fuck you. He isn’t going to see her naked.”

  Snow blinked a few times and frowned. “Okay.”

  Shane arrived, a little out of breath. He stared at Vanni, and Smiley didn’t like it. He rumbled gruffly. Shane’s hands went up. “I have medical training. You yelled for a medic.”

  “He won’t let us examine her,” Ned whispered. “He’s scary pissed and defensive.”

  “Under the circumstances, that’s normal,” Brass reminded them. “Smiley? Look at me. Sit down.”

  Smiley eased his ass down and released the backs of the seats so he was no longer leaning over Vanni but kept close. He focused on her. Her expression was peaceful. She didn’t seem to be in pain.

  “Smiley?” Brass’ voice softened. “She probably just passed out. It’s a painful drug and humans aren’t as tolerant of it as we are. It’s for the best.”

  That whipped his head around to glare at Brass. “How can you say that?”

  “She isn’t suffering. We need to get her to Homeland before she wakes. I’m listening to her breathing. I’ve spent enough time around human females to know how they breathe when they are sleeping. That’s all it is unless you think you broke some of her bones. Did you become too aggressive?”

  “No.” He was sure of that.

  “We need to get her to our doctors.”

  It made sense. He nodded sharply. “Drive.”

  Brass hesitated. “Shane and Ned, I want both of you to travel with them in case she needs medical help. If she wakes in pain, you can call for a helicopter once you reach an isolated area where one can land without causing a stir. A backup team will follow in the other SUV. Snow and I have to stay here
with Justice.”

  Shane climbed into the driver’s seat and adjusted it to fit his long legs. The engine roared to life. Smiley relaxed a little now that some of the fear had eased. He had to believe she was just exhausted or the drug had knocked her out. It beat the alternative that she was gravely ill.

  Smiley’s dick hardened painfully and a sharp stab of pain hit his gut. He groaned.

  “Smiley?” Brass leaned into the SUV again. “What’s wrong?”

  “Pain,” he rasped, holding his stomach, his breathing erratic.

  “Sorry. I don’t want you to suffer,” Brass stated.

  Brass gripped his shoulder and Smiley glanced at him when the male forced him to turn. Smiley saw the fist a second before it landed on his jaw.

  Chapter Four

  “I would hate to be in the other SUV,” a man stated.

  “Me too. Smiley is going to be pissed that Brass decked him when he comes around. They don’t fuck around, do they?” The second voice belonged to a guy too.

  Vanni lay on her side in some kind of vehicle. It was dark when she opened her eyes and it took a few seconds for memory to return, fear coming with it. She was alone in the backseat of one of the SUVs—probably the same one she and Smiley had been in. Someone had put seat belts on her. One was around her thighs, the other around her rib cage. Her skirt was draped over her like a blanket but she was naked underneath. The feel of leather against her skin assured her of that.

  “No shit,” the first one stated. He was in the driver’s seat.

  “Sometimes I wonder if we’re crazy to work with New Species. What about you, Shane? Do you ever think you should be doing something else?”

  “Nope. I love the NSO. It’s just been a bad night, Ned. Nobody expected an attack like that to go down at the hotel.”

  Ned was silent for long seconds. “I was right there just twenty feet away. You expect this shit in third-world countries, not at home.”

  “What shit?”

  “Terrorists being women. I saw her sit next to Smiley and didn’t give it a second thought. She looked innocent enough.”

  “I heard her say she didn’t drug their drinks.”

  “You buy that?” Ned snorted. “How are you so naïve? I forgot. You’re like a full-grown Boy Scout and think all chicks are as sweet as your sisters. Wake the fuck up and live in the real world. We’re lucky she wasn’t an assassin. I’d have felt like a real asshole if she’d killed him in that bar. I’m guessing she’s some hooker they hired.”

  “She doesn’t look like one.”

  Ned laughed. “How would you know? Have you ever paid some chick to fuck you?”

  “No.”

  “Exactly. I have and not all of them are dolled up all the time. I did one who reminded me of my third-grade teacher. It was kind of hot since I had a crush on her.”

  “You’re sick.” Shane cursed softly. “The engine light just came on. Radio it in.”

  “Just pull over at the next gas station. Why bother them? It’s probably a loose battery cable. That happened to one I drove last week.”

  “The oil light is blinking now.”

  “So we’ll buy some oil and I’ll put it in. It will take a few minutes. Otherwise we’re going to have to wait for the other SUV to catch up and they’ll transfer her to it while we’re stuck waiting for roadside service. I just want to turn her over to Medical and go home.”

  “She needs to be taken to Homeland as fast as possible. They are only about thirty miles behind us.”

  “She’s out cold. It won’t matter and hell, we’ll probably be on the road before they reach us. Just pull over at the gas station.”

  “Fine. I’m radioing it in though when we stop.”

  “Boy Scout.” Ned chuckled. “You’re probably terrified Smiley will tear you a new asshole if he thinks you might have had a few minutes to examine her. Did you see the way he damn near bit off my face?”

  “They are protective of women.”

  “He should want her strung up for drugging him. I wouldn’t give a damn what happened to a chick who laced my drink so I had to fuck her.”

  “Shut up, Ned. We don’t know if she’s guilty or not.”

  “I think she is. He sat at the corner of the bar. She was the only one to take that empty seat next to him and was close enough to dope his drink.”

  Vanni wanted to protest but kept quiet. They thought she was still unconscious and she wasn’t sure how they’d react if she let them know she was awake. Did the NSO really think she’d do something so awful?

  “I just hope both of them are going to be okay.”

  “She’ll probably end up arrested and he’s going to have a hell of a headache from that sucker punch. Take the next exit.”

  “I see it.” Shane sighed. “I hope you’re wrong. Smiley seemed to really like her.”

  “I’d say so. I don’t even have the super nose they do and I want to roll down the windows. It smells like a brothel in here.”

  “Keep the windows up. I don’t want her to get cold.”

  Ned laughed. “No comment about the brothel remark, huh? Do you even know what sex smells like? Don’t tell me Boy Scout is still a virgin.”

  “I’m not. Why are you being such a dick tonight?”

  “I’m tired and just want to go to bed. Pull into that truck stop. They’ll have oil. I’ll run in while you make the call to the other SUV. Pop the hood for me.”

  The SUV slowed and they made a few turns. Vanni closed her eyes when they drove under the bright lights in case one of them turned around to check on her. She didn’t know what else to do but she didn’t want to talk to either of them. The SUV stopped and the engine shut off.

  “You go in,” Shane ordered. “I’ll stay here with her.”

  “She’s dead to the world. Just pop the damn hood and I’ll buy the oil.”

  “Fine. I guess that’s okay.”

  The doors opened and closed. Vanni hesitated and the vehicle jerked a little. She lifted up to peer between the seats. The hood was up and she could see through the small space between it and the engine. One man stood there. She turned her head and watched the other one walk inside a gas station. They were parked away from the other cars that were getting gas. One glance around the area showed a few food places and a lot of cars.

  She fumbled to get free of the seatbelts then frantically put on her skirt. Her bra was on the floor with her shirt. She didn’t take the time to put it on but instead shoved it into the pocket of her skirt after she pulled the white top over her head and yanked it down to her waist.

  A search of the floor failed to locate her shoes. Her ring caught her attention though. She stared at it with dread before picking it up. She put it in her pocket and hunched down to stare through the gap between the open hood and the engine compartment. The man remained there. The other was still inside, in line, holding something against his chest.

  A big semi pulled into the lot and parked about ten feet away. The loud engine stayed on while a man opened the passenger door, slid out of the cab and headed toward the gas station.

  Vanni took a deep breath. She wasn’t in pain anymore. Most of the drug must have left her system. She had two options. Stay in the SUV and be taken to Homeland with everyone around her thinking she’d drugged a New Species, or try to escape.

  No interior lights had come on when they’d opened the doors and there’d been no dinging sound. She remembered they hadn’t come on when Smiley and she had entered the SUV. She tested the door on the driver’s side and found it unlocked. The noise of the semi’s engine drowned out any sound when the door opened. Her heart pounded with fear of being caught but she slid out into the windy night and pushed the door just enough for it to catch but not close all the way.

  The pavement was cold on her bare feet as she crouched and tiptoed to the back of the vehicle. Several cars were parked about thirty feet away near a restaurant. She hesitated, checking to make sure the guard was still in line behind a few custome
rs who were ahead of him. He wasn’t looking her way.

  Just do it! She kept low and ran. It hurt her feet but she was motivated to get away. It was a relief when she made it to the cars and ducked, hiding behind one. No one shouted at her. Keeping low, she moved closer to the restaurant. She needed to get out of there before they discovered her gone. She had no money but she could call her best friend collect.

  Vanni reached the side of the building and straightened, crossing her arms over her breasts, trying to hide that she wasn’t wearing a bra. She’d just go inside and ask to use their phone. She’d lie and say her car broke down. The fact that she had no shoes, money or even her purse might give that lie away. She considered saying she’d been mugged but then the police would get involved. That was the last thing she wanted. They’d contact the NSO and hand her over to them. It would defeat the purpose of escaping.

  A woman came out of the restaurant as she approached the front doors. She wore faded jeans, a sweater and appeared to be in her fifties. Vanni glanced at her face, nodded and walked around her.

  “Are you okay?” The woman stopped. “You look like hell.”

  Vanni paused and turned. The concern on the other woman’s face was clear. “I had a fight with my boyfriend and just left him next door,” she lied.

  “Aw. You poor thing. They won’t let you go in there without shoes.”

  Vanni hadn’t thought of that. “I’m just going to ask to use their phone and have my friend pick me up.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “It’s about an hour from here.” She gave the name of the city.

  “I’m heading that way to go visit my sister. Do you want a lift? I have a daughter about your age. I always try to pay it forward. You can use my cell phone and have your friend meet us when we get closer to your home.”

  “Thank you.” She jumped on the offer. “I’d appreciate that so much.”