Obsidian

  Her back arched again as she pressed tighter against him and one leg wiggled out from under his. She bent it and her inner thigh hugged his waist as her leg curled over his ass, pulling him closer to her. It was a sign of compliance that he’d won their battle of wills. She was giving him consent to take her body.

  He wanted to howl in frustration since he knew that wasn’t possible. His finger moved faster and he applied a little more pressure against her clit, carefully though, since she wasn’t his kind. Her breathing grew ragged and her hips rode his hand when he lifted his weight just enough to brush his cock more firmly against her pinned leg.

  He felt her body go rigid under his and jerked his face away from her throat. His lips sealed over her parted mouth to muffle her sounds before she cried out since he didn’t have a free hand to do it. The way her vaginal walls clamped down snugly around his finger was pure torture. She came apart under him as she climaxed. The muscles around his finger fluttered strongly as she bucked from the intensity of it.

  It shocked him when she screamed. He muffled it enough that he felt certain the guard down the hall wouldn’t hear anything but fear gripped him. Had he hurt her somehow? His finger straightened inside her and he could feel how much sleeker she felt from her release. Her body turned limp under his and she turned her head, pulling away from his lips. She panted softly and it made him curious enough to stare at her face.

  Her eyes were closed and her face flushed. He slowly withdrew his finger from her pussy and couldn’t resist tasting her. He groaned the second his fingertip touched his tongue and he sucked on it. Alli’s spent passion was so good he wanted more. She didn’t fight when he cautiously shifted his weight to release her. He lowered a little, fully intent on spreading her thighs to bury his face between them.

  Her blue eyes opened suddenly and he froze. He’d never seen anyone stare at him that way before. It wasn’t anger in her eyes but he couldn’t identify the emotion either. Her hands released his shoulders and she cupped his face.

  His gaze lowered to her mouth when her lips parted, curious what she’d say. It would help him figure out the strange yet fascinating way she peered at him. Her tongue was light pink as it wet her lips and she lifted her head, her hold on his face helping her close the distance between them.

  It puzzled him when she closed her eyes before pressing her lips against his. Hers were incredibly soft and yielding. He didn’t know what it meant or why she did it. It became even more baffling when she opened her mouth and sucked on his bottom lip. It didn’t hurt. He’d been prepared for her to injure him with her teeth as retribution for dominating her body. It was more of a soft tug and it was nice.

  Alli let go and her tongue slid between his lips. The feel of the tip of it touching his fangs did painful things to his dick. Blood rushed there until he wasn’t sure if he’d ever been so hard in his life. Her face turned just slightly and she took more of his mouth with hers. The sensation of her exploring him that intimately nearly made his control snap. He held very still and allowed it.

  She suddenly stopped and pulled back, breaking the contact. Her eyes opened and he could identify the emotion he saw when she stared at him then. Confusion. He could relate.

  “Don’t flee this room,” he rasped, his voice coming out thick and gruffer than he intended. “Do you understand?”

  She nodded sharply.

  880 pushed away from her, rolled off the bed and rushed inside the bathroom. His dick made moving an excruciating experience but he made it out of the room. The second the door closed between them he tore at the front of his pants. His hand fisted his shaft and he roughly pumped it. His back pressed tightly against the door as he held his breath to avoid making noise. He came violently within seconds.

  Chapter Eight

  Alli shoved her skirt down her legs as she sat up. The bathroom door remained closed but water came on. Shock held her still otherwise, her brain reeling from what had taken place. She couldn’t think straight even with 880 out of the room.

  Why is he in there? She’d kissed him or tried to, urging him to take her. She stared at the door that separated them as he showered. She’d given him the green light to do whatever he wanted to her body. Why hadn’t he taken her up on it?

  It could be his dead mate. That possibility made her feel guilt-ridden. He’d just woken from his coma after watching the murder of the woman he loved. He’d been injured when he’d gone insane trying to reach her killers and attacked the bars of the cage they’d kept him locked inside.

  Her arms hugged her waist as she stared sadly at the closed door between them. She’d spent months watching him sleep and learning as much as she could about his life before he’d been rescued. No files existed and the Mercile employees who’d been arrested weren’t forthcoming with much information. They’d heard on the news that the Mercile facilities were being targeted by the police and had stolen a few of the New Species. Those lowlife jerks had tried to use their sperm to sell to some European company who’d wanted to create half-breed babies to sell on the black market as if they were some form of pets for the rich.

  They’d probably stolen a mated pair of New Species in hopes of them having a child. There were only a few known cases of Mercile putting the males and females together long enough for them to become bonded. The best theory so far was that Mercile had hoped a mated pair would create a viable pregnancy. Another was that they’d used the women to control the men. The employees who’d stolen them must have given up on the female becoming pregnant and just killed her.

  The water shut off in the other room and Alli braced for his return. She had no idea how to act or what to say but she wasn’t going to leave. His mental state concerned her. Would he feel guilty for touching her? Regret it? She didn’t even know why it had happened in the first place if he didn’t want her.

  He opened the door abruptly, jerking her from her thoughts. His hair was wet and he wore only a towel draped around his lean hips. A lot of tan, sexy skin showed, covered with water droplets. His stomach was flat with perfect six-pack abs on display. Dusky nipples were puckered—a temptation to lick and suck on them. One of his hands flattened near his lower belly to rub away water and she wished it were her palm on him instead. Or her mouth. She just wanted to explore every masculine inch of him up close and personal. The silence stretched, reminding her that he was probably watching her too. Alli peered into his eyes to judge his mood but he regarded her coolly, either unaffected by what had taken place or just really good at hiding his emotions.

  “You can’t shower.”

  That wasn’t what she expected him to say. “Okay.”

  He crossed the room to the dresser and opened the top drawer. His back was to her when he just dropped his towel to reveal his bare, beefy ass to step into a pair of loose cotton sweatpants. Her gaze lifted from the dark-blue material to the faded scars on his back. She was tempted to ask how he’d received them but refrained. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him pain by making him relive his past.

  880 turned and approached the bed. She tensed a little but he just sat heavily on the edge. His attention fixed on the muted television. Time crawled by as she waited for him to say or do anything but he just kept his back to her. He didn’t move but she finally did. She rolled over and crawled off the bed. A hand shot out and captured her wrist.

  He stared at her when she met his gaze. “Where are you going?”

  “The bathroom.”

  “I said you can’t shower.”

  “I took one this morning. I was going to use the bathroom.”

  His fingers released. “Don’t lock it.”

  “Fine.”

  The mirror was steamed over when she entered the bathroom. He obviously enjoyed really hot showers. She quickly used the bathroom and opened the storage cupboards to locate an extra toothbrush. It didn’t take long to brush her teeth, wash her face, and finally snag a hairbrush on her way back into his room.

  880 watched her silently when s
he opened the door and cautiously approached. He glanced at her hand. “What are you going to do with that?”

  “I thought I’d brush out your hair.”

  His eyebrows lifted.

  “I’ve done this for you at least a hundred times.”

  Surprise registered on his features. “You did?”

  She eased her knee on the mattress and scooted behind him. Her hand trembled a little as she started at the bottom to gently work the brush through the wet strands. “Yes. You’ve been using conditioner still. Good. I was worried they’d forget to show you what it was. We don’t want it to become a tangled mess again.”

  He turned his face enough to watch her. She met his gaze before going back to her task. There was something intimate but nice about tending to him. Familiar. He wasn’t lying still anymore, though, flat on his back. It also made it easier to reach it all with him sitting. She loved his long hair.

  Ted Treadmont had wanted to cut it after their patient was brought in but Alli had fought him tooth and nail. She’d personally cleaned it the first time and tended to the worst of the knotted mess it had been. It had taken her hours to work the tangles out since they’d estimated at the time of his rescue that he probably hadn’t been cleaned in weeks. It was worth all the effort as she studied her handiwork.

  “All done.”

  880 twisted his body to face her and his hand shot out to jerk the hairbrush from her fingers. He frowned. “Why would you brush my hair?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “You wouldn’t stroke it.”

  It reminded her that she’d slapped him and she eased back on her haunches on the bed. “Did you use to brush it out when you were held in captivity?”

  “My mate tended to my hair as I did hers. We used our fingers to comb it out after we bathed.”

  “She had long hair too?”

  He nodded. “The technicians didn’t cut our hair often. It was too dangerous.”

  “Why would it be?”

  A low rumble came from him. “We tried to kill them.”

  “Oh.” She was glad she was sitting.

  “They were the enemy.”

  “Right.”

  “Humans cause harm.”

  “I don’t.”

  “You’re a doctor.” He tossed the brush to the floor and turned toward her more, his hands braced on the bed as he half crouched. “I’m tired. We are going to sleep.”

  She’d slept poorly since she’d been arrested. It couldn’t have been past seven at night but she didn’t point out how early it was or how they’d already taken a short nap. The idea of sleeping didn’t sound bad. “Okay.”

  His gaze lowered. “Unbind your breasts.”

  The breath caught in her lungs but she nodded, reaching behind her. It didn’t take long to unfasten the bra and pull the straps down her arms. She reached up the front of her shirt and just pulled it off. 880 snatched it from her fingers to study it.

  He shocked her by lifting the cups of her bra up to his nose and drawing in a deep breath. He stared into her eyes the entire time and then just tossed it away to the floor. His fist gripped the blankets to pull them down farther.

  “Get under the blankets. You don’t keep body heat well.”

  “Your body temperature runs slightly hotter than a typical human’s. Mine is normal.”

  “Get under them.”

  “You could say ‘please’.”

  He snarled, flashing fangs. She moved, crawling up the bed and rolled over, lying on her side facing him. He dragged the covers over her legs to her waist and sprawled out on his back next to her. One hand grabbed his wet hair to drag it to the top of his pillow and he turned to look at her.

  “Lift your head.”

  She did what he wanted and he stretched his other arm out to offer her a pillow with his biceps. It was intimate again as she lowered her cheek to rest against his hot skin. He was still a little damp but he smelled nice.

  “Closer.”

  Her gaze held his as she wiggled a few inches over until her shirt pressed against the side of his ribs. He was so big. He reached with his other arm and clicked off the television. The room darkened since the sun was almost down.

  “Sleep.”

  Alli watched him close his eyes but she couldn’t just drift off. Her mind was too filled with questions and worries about 880. Did he regret touching her? Why had he done it? Those thoughts just wouldn’t fade.

  “880?”

  “What?” He didn’t open his eyes.

  “Why did that happen between us?”

  His lips pursed and she didn’t think he’d give her an answer. Long seconds dragged by. The tension around his mouth eased. “It distracted you from your fit of rage.”

  She let his words sink in and hated the pain it caused. “Oh.” He hadn’t wanted to touch her at all but instead had used her body to manipulate her. It made what had happened between them seem dirty and cold. Alli suddenly rolled to face the other way but kept his arm under her face since he seemed adamant about that.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Nowhere. I’m still here.”

  “Your voice sounds strange.”

  “I’m tired,” she lied.

  “I want you tighter against me.”

  She wiggled back until her butt pressed against his hip and her back rested along his torso. “Is that better?”

  “You can’t stroke me in that position.”

  Her hands fisted. “Here’s a life lesson for you. You can’t always get what you want. I’m here and that should be enough.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Goodnight, 880.” She closed her eyes.

  Silence descended and she tried to fall asleep. He wasn’t a typical man and maybe he didn’t see anything wrong with what he’d done or the reason for it. It still hurt but she was trying to get past it. Taking it personally would just hurt more.

  “Alli?”

  “What?”

  “Stroke me.”

  Her teeth clenched and she lifted an arm up to curl her fingers around his hand. She caressed the back of it. It would have to do because she didn’t want to face him. It would be too tempting to watch him until the light completely faded from the room.

  “Alli?”

  “What?”

  He sniffed. “What are you feeling?”

  “Tired.”

  “I don’t believe you.” He growled. “You’re being dishonest and human. I don’t like that.”

  She debated on denying it but if he wanted an argument, she wasn’t going to back away from it. “Why do you want to know?”

  He paused. “Have I injured your feelings? My mate would grow very silent when I did that and refuse to look at me. You are acting that way.”

  She released him and rolled, sitting up. Giving him a piece of her mind might clear the air. He looked sexy stretched out on the bed with his hair flowing over the other side of the pillow. It pissed her off.

  “I’m a person with feelings, 880. How would you feel if I touched you just to change your mood and for no other reason?”

  “I asked you to stroke me. That would help me sleep. It’s what I want.”

  Irritation flared. “Would you welcome me stroking you if I did it to manipulate you into doing what I wanted? That’s how I feel. Sex isn’t something you use that way. I get that you’re different but let’s look up the definition of decency tomorrow, shall we? It seems you need to learn what that is.”

  His eyes narrowed. “It would depend on where you rub me and what you wanted from me. That would determine if it angered me or not.”

  “You’re such a man.” She turned away and lay down, giving him her back.

  “I’m a male. I’m not human.”

  She refrained from calling him a pig.

  “Alli?” He growled her name. “Don’t turn away from me. We are talking.”

  “No. We’re done. I’m going to sleep.”

  “Alli.”

  T
he tone was threatening. She turned her head and shot him a glare. “Don’t snarl at me.”

  He turned on his side, facing her. “Do you want to strike me again?”

  “No. I want you to be quiet and let me cool down. That’s all you need to do. Keep your hands to yourself. Don’t even think about trying your version of mood therapy on me again.”

  “You’re stressed.”

  “Damn straight. A man should touch a woman because he wants to and she wants him to. It’s not supposed to be about controlling someone.”

  “You enjoyed it.”

  “I really don’t like you at this moment.” She couldn’t believe he was going to throw that fact in her face when she was angry.

  “Do you know why I refuse to allow you to shower?”

  “You’re a control freak?”

  “I like the way you smell.” He inhaled deeply. “I don’t want you to wash away that sweet scent.”

  She gaped at him.

  His gaze lowered to her hips. “You taste good.”

  She was taken aback. His meaning was clear.

  “I couldn’t resist doing that but I should have. You’re still on my tongue.” His voice deepened. “You should be frightened of what I want to do to you.” Those gorgeous eyes of his met hers. “I wanted to mount you but you’d break.”

  That snapped her out of her dazed state. “I, um…” She wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Lie down and curl into me, Alli. We should sleep.”

  Temptation to discuss that topic was almost overwhelming. He was a big man, strong, but she didn’t think he’d actually hurt her if they had sex. Of course she wasn’t sure what his version of mounting meant. He could be used to rough sex that would leave her bruised and sore. That wasn’t an appealing concept.

  She swallowed hard and inched closer to him as he stretched flat onto his back. He was warm when she curled up to his side and closed her eyes. He didn’t speak again and she remained silent too.