“I know. I smelled it on you strongly.”
Lauren finished putting on the last bandage. “Well, I shouldn’t smell like fear anymore. I feel safe with you.”
Wrath inhaled deeply and his body tensed. His gaze dropped to her lap to stare between her thighs. He inhaled again slowly and a soft growl burst from his parted lips. His eyes widened when he met her gaze.
“You’re aroused.”
She felt the color drain from her face. “What?”
He rolled to his knees, gripped the edges of the cot, and sniffed again. The color of his eyes seemed to darken as she watched. His lips parted, a deeper growl came from him, and she saw those sharp fangs of his when he bit his lower lip.
“You’re scaring me,” she admitted.
“You’re aroused. I can smell you, Lauren. Why?”
Shit. He can smell I’m turned-on? She wasn’t about to tell him she’d been watching him while he touched himself in the shower or admit what a turn-on it had been to see him masturbate.
He tilted his head and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Another growl eased from his throat. He moved closer to lean down and Lauren gasped when Wrath dropped his face onto her sweatpants-covered thighs. He inhaled again as his face pressed tightly against her lap and a low rumble came from him.
Wrath wanted to howl. The scent of Lauren’s need drove him nearly insane. He knew she was alarmed at having his face buried in the seam of her thighs while he breathed in her feminine scent but he couldn’t draw back for anything. She smelled so good he couldn’t force his body to move.
Blood rushed to his dick, filled it, and he had to spread his legs to make room for the massive hard-on he suffered. The desire to shove her down, tear her clothes from her body and fuck her was so strong he had to grip the bed until his arms shook from the strain. She’d be terrified if he didn’t regain some control. She was human, not a Species female, and he didn’t dare try to tempt her into sharing sex with him the regular way. He’d terrify her by snarling and showing pure dominance. It wouldn’t impress her to show off his strength.
He took another deep breath, groaned, and battled for logic to take over. He hadn’t been with a female in a very long time and they’d always been Species. He no longer trusted himself after the years of being drugged. Sex had turned into a brutal battle of wills and that was why he hadn’t tried to initiate sex with anyone since he’d been freed. He doubted even a Species female would want to take him on. He couldn’t be sure it would be safe.
Memories flashed of those human women, lying on beds with their legs spread wide while they’d used their fingers and sex toys on their own bodies. The images had aroused him as the machine forced his seed from his body. He opened his mouth to breathe through it but Lauren’s scent was strong enough to taste. It just made it worse. His dick throbbed painfully, the desire to fuck her intensified, and he whimpered.
Don’t, he ordered his body. Take control. Another memory flashed, a foggy one of trying to attack a human female, a real one, and it cooled his desire. The day he’d been freed from captivity he’d been high on the Mercile drugs he’d been forced to take, enraged by what they’d done to him, and he’d gone after an innocent because he’d hated all humans.
Brawn had fought him to protect Becca, his mate. Wrath had been too confused to understand their bond in his altered state. He’d just seen her human body and wanted to kill her in a fit of revenge. It haunted him, always would, and his body relaxed. His dick stayed hard but he managed to leash his desires.
“Wrath?” Lauren’s voice shook with fear. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t want to scare her, refused to hurt her in any way, and that helped calm him. She had a need and he wanted to meet it. He could do it without losing control. It would be a test and he wanted to tackle his fear head-on for her.
He made a decision. He was Species. Strong. A male in control of his own body, free, and no one could make him hurt anyone else. Lauren was so sweet, she scented so good, and he was curious.
Chapter Six
Wrath lifted his face and Lauren was shocked at the pain she saw in his dark gaze.
“You smell so good.”
His voice was super deep, gruff, and should have frightened her. She admitted experiencing some fear but he wasn’t hurting her. His behavior was more shocking than terrifying. Her body heated up more as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes. He was so close she could have just lifted a hand to touch him, and time seemed to stand still.
His breathing increased and he seemed to be searching her gaze for something. She just wasn’t sure for what. He growled and his hands released the edge of the bed to lightly settle over the top of her thighs. Fingers rubbed and slid upward to the waist of the sweatpants, where they hesitated. He suddenly pushed. She landed flat on the mattress. His fingers hooked the waistband and he tugged. She stared down at him, his gaze held hers, but she didn’t protest.
“I won’t hurt you, Lauren. You smell so good.”
“Wrath?”
She didn’t know what to do but she didn’t want to tell him no. A little voice reminded her that she shouldn’t be considering having sex with a stranger, something she’d never done, but Wrath was different. That whole rule about not even kissing a guy until the third date suddenly seemed pretty outdated and stupid when someone as sexy as Wrath was so close and she wanted him so much.
“Close your thighs for me.”
She hesitated for a second but did it. Her body felt alive, ached, and the desire that darkened his intense gaze was reason enough to do as he demanded. She pushed her legs together and lifted as he pulled the material over her hips. It slid down her thighs until he removed them.
Lauren knew she should twist away and tell him to stop. He was New Species, a stranger, and she didn’t know much about him but desire overtook common sense. She couldn’t ever remember being more drawn to a man. She was sick of regrets—she had a lot of them but this wouldn’t be added to her list.
He dropped the sweatpants on the floor, removed her socks too, crouched over her, and gripped her knees. “Open up for me. I won’t hurt you.”
“I…” She was self-conscious about her naked body and especially of showing him her sex—spread open for him to examine. No guy had ever really looked at her there. She’d always been too embarrassed and they hadn’t exactly pressed the issue. Curiosity was strong though over finding out what he’d do.
“Are you afraid of me?” He sniffed. “I don’t smell fear.”
Her cheeks grew warm. “I, um, the lights are on and they are pretty bright.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“You want to have sex, right? Can we turn down the lights first? I don’t want you to see me.” She pushed the shirt over her lap to hide her bare lower half.
“Why?” Confusion was an easy emotion to read on his face.
“Nobody has ever really looked at me down there and if I spread my legs…you’re on your knees. You’re going to get a really good view.”
“Your face is a bit red.”
“I’m embarrassed. My sexual experience isn’t, well, I haven’t slept with many guys and the ones I did, they didn’t want to see me with bright lights on. I can’t say I wasn’t upset by that. I’m a little overweight and aware of how I look naked.”
“Open up for me. I want to see you and I think you are very attractive.”
“You are curious?” She could understand that. “Have you ever seen, hell, are you…” She couldn’t say it. Wrath was way too attractive to be a virgin.
He sat back on his heels, frowning. “Am I what?”
“Have you seen a girl naked before? I never really thought about it before but you were locked up for a lot of years. All of your life, from the stuff I read. I guess it was like prison.”
“I’ve shared sex but it has been a long time.” His features softened. “Are you shy?”
“Yes.” She blew out a relieved breath, grateful he wasn?
??t a virgin. The thought of having to teach him about sex stressed her out. Talk about pressure. “I’m not comfortable being naked in bright light.”
“You will learn not to be shy with me. There is no reason to be.” His thumbs rubbed her inner knees. “Open up for me.”
“You want to take a look at my, um, down there?”
“I want a taste.” He licked his lips and dropped his gaze to her lap.
Her mouth opened but no words came out. The thought excited her yet left her unnerved. “I’ve never, I mean, no one has ever…” Embarrassment hit and she realized she probably shouldn’t have admitted that aloud. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Don’t be afraid by my dominance. I won’t hurt you, Lauren.” He suddenly slid his fingers between her knees, dragged her down the bed and forced her legs apart.
It shocked her and his strength made it impossible for her to slam her knees together. Wrath suddenly bent. Hot air blew over her exposed pussy and a hot tongue traced her clit.
Shock made her gasp and her fingers clawed at the bed. She didn’t fight but her body tensed. Wrath snarled, a loud, animalistic sound, and he licked her again. He pressed tighter against her pussy, moved his tongue and she moaned as the sensations of pleasure reached her brain. It felt really good. Her back arched off the mattress.
He was merciless with his tongue, licking and sucking on the bundle of nerves. He growled, it sent vibrations against her clit, and she panted. He wasn’t gentle as he shoved her legs wider and nuzzled his mouth tighter against her sex.
It felt so intense it nearly hurt. It half mortified her when her hips bucked against his mouth but she couldn’t stop, gripped in the throes of passion. His mouth grew more aggressive and a moan tore from her throat. Wrath was doing amazing things to her with his lips and tongue. The sensation was overriding everything inside her until all that was left was pleasure.
She climaxed hard, her body jerked from the force of it, and Wrath tore his mouth away from her clit. Her vaginal walls twitched in the aftermath but his tongue suddenly pushed inside her pussy. She cried out his name, half from the shock and half from how good it felt.
He fucked her with his tongue, burrowed in deeper, and snarled. She didn’t care how scary he sounded. Fear was the last thing she felt as he withdrew and speared her again. She stopped worrying about anything but the way it made her shiver with ecstasy.
He slowly withdrew his tongue and she opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling, tried to catch her breath, but gasped loudly when his finger pushed inside her pussy. He slid the thick digit in deep, withdrew it, and a second finger stretched her slowly.
She clawed the bed and arched her hips against his hand. He paused.
“You’re so tight. Am I hurting you?”
She shook her head, unable to answer him.
He pressed in more, made her take both of his fingers, and her muscles squeezed around them. He snarled, suddenly jerked his hand away, and released her thigh so he wasn’t touching her anymore at all.
Lauren lifted her head to stare down at him, still crouched over her. Their gazes locked and he looked at her with such longing in his eyes that she reached for him. Her hands opened, urging him to come closer. He moved higher but didn’t allow her seeking fingers to brush against his skin.
“I want to bury myself inside you,” he rasped. “But I can’t.”
She frowned. “I’m protected against pregnancy. I take a birth-control shot every three months. If you don’t have condoms it’s okay. I don’t have any STDs. Do you?”
“We carry no diseases. That is not why I can’t bury myself in you. I want to so much it hurts me. I am so hard it is painful. I want to taste you and touch you all over but I will take care of my pain. I just don’t want to alarm you.”
“I don’t understand that part about you taking care of your pain.”
He lowered his head and brushed his chin across her stomach. His hands moved up her body, pushing her borrowed shirt higher until it was bunched over her breasts. His eyes fixed on her breasts and he growled again. He moved over her and she felt his heavy, stiff cock brush against her thigh. His head lowered, his mouth opened and he licked the underside of her breast. His tongue ran upward until it reached her nipple. Wrath’s mouth closed over the pebbled bud.
Lauren gasped when he sucked her taut peak inside his really hot mouth. She felt his sharp canines but they didn’t hurt. She raised her thighs, gripping his hips with her lower legs to urge him to fuck her. She arched her hips until the head of his cock pressed against the slit of her pussy. She moaned and tightened her legs around his hips, pulling him closer until he began to enter her. His cock was thick and her body protested, not easily taking him, but she wiggled her ass, spread her thighs wider and dug her heels into his skin.
“Take me,” she moaned.
Wrath’s body tensed over hers and a low sound came from him, almost a whimper, and he tore his mouth away from her breast. His hands flattened on the bed next to her shoulders, shoved up, and he twisted his hips. She had no choice but to release him since he was strong enough to force her to. He threw his body back away from her and landed on his ass off the bed on the floor.
Lauren jerked upright to a sitting position to gawk at him, wondering what had happened, and the enraged expression on his face made her freeze. He clawed his way to his feet and stumbled toward the bathroom. He didn’t close the door and just yanked the shower door open. He bent, the water came on and he stepped into the stall. The shower door slammed closed.
Lauren was shocked. She watched him through the glass but he didn’t look at her. He grabbed the body wash, dumped a generous heap on his palm and lowered his hand to fist his stiff cock. His hand moved furiously, pumping the hard flesh.
Her gaze jerked up to his face. His eyes were squeezed tightly closed and his head lowered. He kept his eyes closed. She heard a vicious growl tear from his throat and his hand moved faster, almost violently. His body tensed, his muscles bunched and then he growled loudly. She lowered her attention to his hips and watched as he came. His semen hit the tile in front of him as his body shook from every pump of his fist, which made him keep coming.
What the hell? Lauren felt hurt as well as shocked. She’d offered him her body but he’d preferred to masturbate. Was he too good to enter her? Was she not attractive enough? She fought tears. She knew the guy was hot but she still thought he wanted her since he’d nearly attacked her with his mouth.
She rolled over and yanked her shirt down to cover her body, which he must find unappealing to reject it. She heard the shower turn off but kept her back to the bathroom while fighting tears. The guy would rather touch himself than make love to her. It was devastating to her feelings and her pride.
A minute later he walked into the bedroom. “I’m sorry.”
Lauren wiped at her tears and turned her head. He had a towel wrapped around his waist again. The look on his face was grim as their gazes met.
“Why are you crying?”
She hated the sound of pain in her voice. “You would rather jack off than enter me?”
He blinked. “I would never enter you. I would hurt you and I’d never risk causing you pain.”
Confusion hit her hard. “How would you hurt me?”
He moved closer, cautiously, and crouched next to the bed. The look in his eyes softened. “I am larger than your males and rougher. I would hurt you, Lauren. I would be too violent and take you too hard. I will never enter you or make you suffer my body inside yours.”
Lauren didn’t even know what to say to that. She was speechless. She finally found her voice. “Then be gentle.”
He swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I don’t have that kind of control or trust myself that much.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know but I do this to protect you. I will never hurt you, Lauren. Never.” He blinked. “I would like to hold you and sleep with you in my arms. May I?”
She grapp
led to understand his logic but the main point was that he wanted to sleep with her. She nodded. The guy wouldn’t fuck her but he’d engage in oral sex. He was really good at it too. He was afraid he’d cause her pain and she could understand why it might be a concern. His cock was large. Maybe he’d hurt a woman before because he was so well endowed. She’d always heard bigger was better but she figured it just might hurt.
He smiled. “Thank you. I would enjoy holding you in my arms. Let me put on boxers.”
He stood, spun, and opened a drawer to grab a fresh pair of boxers. He just dropped his towel this time, kept his back to her and she got to view his great ass again. She watched him bend as he slipped on the boxers. His dark gaze locked with hers when he turned and slowly stalked closer to the bed. It was majorly sexy to see him move that way, something almost primal, and she remembered he wasn’t completely human.
Wrath reached out to her when he paused at the edge of the bed and she put her hands in his. He gently pulled her to her feet. He smiled and released her to ready the bed for them by pulling down the blankets. Lauren didn’t mention that they were going to have a problem fitting on that bed together unless they were really tangled together in the limited space. Wrath turned her.
“Take off the shirt. I want to see you and touch you again.”
She hesitated but Wrath didn’t. He reached for the shirt and slowly pulled it over her head. Lauren felt self-conscious instantly as she stood naked in front of him. His heated gaze lowered and slowly slid down her body. A soft growl rumbled from his parted lips. His eyes met hers.
“Lie down for me and open your thighs. I want to taste you again.”
Her heart missed a beat, stunned that he wanted to go down on her again. Oral sex meant tasting to him? She made a mental note of that but moved to lie on the bed flat on her back. Nervousness struck at being completely exposed to his view but he didn’t seem to notice her excess weight, judging by the way he quickly took a seat on the edge of the mattress. One hand curved around her inner thigh, pushed them apart, and he twisted his body to face her as he lowered to get closer. Another one of his sexy growls filled the room and she was learning fast that it meant he was turned-on.