“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.
Chapter Eleven
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.
He caressed her cheek. “You will be safe if I mate you.”
Hope that he loved her back flared so bright she couldn’t even draw air.
“They can’t ever send you away from me. It’s the best way I can think of to protect you. I owe you my life and freedom, Jeanie. It is something I’m willing to do.”
The sharp stab of pain to her heart hurt so much she sucked in a breath. “What?”
“I could mate you to save you from going to Fuller, regardless of what the task force decides.”
It tore her apart inside. He was such a good man to offer to marry her for honorable reasons but she couldn’t accept. It wouldn’t be fair to lock him into a relationship just because he wanted to protect her and felt he owed her his life. She swallowed the lump of emotion that nearly choked her, carefully choosing her words.
“That is very sweet of you, True. I appreciate it.”
He frowned.
“I can’t though.”
“Why not?” He released her face and gripped her hips instead. “It’s a life commitment to only share sex with you.”
Longing to have that with him was a bitter pain inside her chest. “To save me?”
“Yes.”
Jeanie battled her morals. She’d give anything to spend the rest of her life with True but it would be wrong to take advantage of his sense of duty. Loving him meant she had to do what was best for him, regardless of what would make her happy. The fear of him one day regretting that decision, or worse, growing to hate her for accepting what he was willing to sacrifice, won out. “I want you to want to mate with me for the right reasons, True.”
He appeared stunned. “You are refusing my offer?”
“I want you to mate me for the right reasons,” she restated.
“You are saying no? Do you understand that you’ll be safe from Species law as my mate? They can’t ever send you to prison or punish you for anything you’ve done in the past. It will protect you.”