She was amazed by the amount of her food supply and the huge portion sizes. Of course Species probably ate an eight-pound tri-tip in one sitting but she sure couldn’t. She turned away, decided to wash her new clothes before wearing the rest of them and settled on taking a long bath to kill time before dinner was ready.
The jets were wonderful and the water warm. She evaluated her life. Her love life might suck but she was living in a nice place and loved her new job. The doorbell rang, caused her to start but she grinned. It had to be Justice! She toweled off quickly and put her clothes back on, her mind working on a way to talk the thick-headed man into letting down his guard and to come back when the coast was clear. The doorbell rang again and she rushed out of her bathroom.
“I’m coming. Hang on!”
Jessie twisted the locks as her heart raced and she smiled, excited to see him after the night before. Two large Species males stood there instead. Both of them were out of uniform, sporting jeans and T-shirts and they stared at her with a grimness that assured they weren’t happy.
The one on the right spoke. “I’m Night. Your belongings were delivered and we were asked to bring them. Do you mind if we unload the Jeep now and carry your boxes inside? We have to inform you that your things were searched by security. It is standard procedure but nothing had to be confiscated.”
“Okay. Thanks. Sure,” she agreed. “Let me grab my shoes and I’ll help.”
The Species on the left frowned his displeasure. “No. You are too small and would only slow us down. Just sit and remain calm. We mean you no harm.” He took a breath. “I am Sword. You are in no danger.”
Amusement sparked at his words, as if he feared she might be terrified of them but their tension forced her to hide it. They really seemed on edge about dealing with her so she lowered her gaze. They were Species and she wanted them to feel at ease with her. Good etiquette went a long way toward gaining that goal.
“Thank you. I’ll wait inside and remember I’m not in danger.” She backed up.
“Good.” Night grunted, spun on his heel and marched down the walkway. The other one followed.
Jessie lifted her gaze to watch them grab boxes from the back of the packed Jeep and finally allowed her chuckle to escape. It was cute how they assumed she’d be terrified of them and sweet that they wanted to assure her they weren’t there to murder her. She laughed again, her gaze turning to the living room and spotted an area where they could stack the boxes.
“You can just dump them over there.” She pointed, keeping back. “Thank you. I’m sorry there are so many of them. I didn’t realize I’d accumulated that much stuff.”
An idea formed when one of them sniffed the air, his attention on the open archway to the kitchen and both of them kept doing it as they brought in more boxes. She inhaled the tantalizing aroma of the tri-tip, realized they might be hungry and decided to try to make friends. It beat sitting around all night dwelling on Justice and how to work around the problems they had. The guys finally carried in the last two boxes.
“Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Would you like to stay for dinner? I have plenty and it’s a human custom to feed people as a way of showing appreciation.”
The men glanced at each other, their apprehension near comical.
“I have tri-tip. It’s steak that’s thinly sliced and it’s got some pinkness to it. It’s not as rare as most of you enjoy but I think you’ll like it. I’d appreciate the opportunity to make new friends. I just moved here and don’t know that many people.”
Sword answered for the both of them. “We accept. You should feel welcome by us and friends are important.”
“They are.” She smiled. “Why don’t you have a seat on the couch? You can kick off your shoes, turn on the television and relax while I go slice it up and pop the potatoes in the microwave. It shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes.”
They closed the front door and ambled toward the couch. Jessie turned, entered the kitchen and took out the tri-tip fifteen minutes early. It appeared really cooked on the outside but would be rarer than she normally ate it, in other words perfect for her guests. It was quick work to wash three potatoes, jab them with a fork and bake them in the microwave. She cooked up some veggies, chopped some chives for the potatoes and set the table for three.
Excitement gripped her at the prospect of talking to the two males. She was familiar with the females but their counterparts were completely different. She hoped that getting to know them would help her the next time she dealt with Justice. They might be friendly enough to answer any questions she directed their way.
Jessie walked into the living room. “Dinner is ready. Do you want to follow me or I could bring your plates out here if you prefer the coffee table.”
Both men stood instantly and cautiously approached as though they feared she might bolt from terror. Sword seemed to be the more talkative of the two as he spoke.
“We’d be honored to eat at your table in the kitchen. Thank you, Ms. Dupree.”
“Please just call me Jessie and I’m the one who is honored to have you as guests.” She led them into the kitchen and headed for the fridge. After asking what they wanted to drink, she got them sodas and sat down at the table to smile at both males. “Dig in. I’m not formal and don’t worry about table manners. Just make yourself at home, okay? There’s plenty of food and I hope you can eat it all or I’ll have to use the leftovers to make a ton of sandwiches. You’d be saving me the trouble.”
Night stabbed a slice of meat, stared at it as if he were afraid to take a bite but then stuffed the entire thing into his mouth. Jessie paused to watch his reaction, hoped he liked it. He grinned as he chewed. His surprise evident as he stared at her until he swallowed.
“This is really good! Thank you, Jessie.”
“Yes,” Sword agreed, swallowing his first bite. “It’s delicious. I didn’t know it could taste this way. We just chop them up into big flat slabs and sear them. You should tell us how to cook it this way.”
“I’d be happy to write it down for you. It’s easy.” She pointed to the rotisserie machine. “That does the work. I just season the meat, put it in and wait for it to be done. Anyone can do it.”
They ate in silence, the men consuming vast amounts of meat. Jessie resisted the urge to grill them with questions. At least wait until they are done and full, she reasoned. Night finally stopped eating, put down his fork and stared at her. She met his gaze.
“Weren’t you afraid to invite us to dinner? We are two fierce males in your home that you don’t know. We believed you would be terrified.”
Sword cleared his throat. “We didn’t want to bring your boxes because we thought you might see us and cry.” He made a horrible face and shivered. “I can’t stand crying.”
Jessie fought a laugh but couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. “I’m used to being around larger men so I’m not easily frightened. Do you know what my last job was?”
Both men shook their heads. Jessie started telling them about her job with the task force, the men she worked with and all the Species she’d met and saved. Both men listened intently with interest. She finished with how she had gotten grazed by a bullet and had ended up at Homeland.
“You know we won’t attack you and force shared sex on you?” Sword looked sincere. “One guy said you would probably see us both and think we had come to rape you.”
Night laughed. “He said you would hurt our ears with your shrieking as soon as you opened the door.”
“And the crying.” Sword laughed. “I was hoping you would think I was a rapist and just scream instead of bursting into hysterical sobs. That would hurt my ears less.”
Jessie laughed. “Tell your friend I’m sorry to disappoint him.”
“He will be disappointed when we tell him about the dinner you fed us.” Night grinned. “He was asked to go but I owed him a favor. He told me I had to come in his place to make us even.”
Sword laughed again. “
You should take him a piece of the steak. I would laugh to see his face when he tastes the meat she fed us.”
Jessie stood. “Let me get you a bag and you can take him a few pieces.”
“You are a good human, Jessie.” Night beamed. “I’m glad that I don’t make you scream or cry.”
“Me too,” Jessie chuckled, placing a few slices of tri-tip into a plastic Baggie before returning to the table.
They were still laughing when a vicious growl jolted all of them from the moment. Jessie spun at the loud, startling sound and gaped at the sight of Justice standing in the open archway between the living room and kitchen. Rage glittered in his narrowed eyes, his fists were clenched at his sides and not even the impeccable, tailored gray suit could soften the dangerous vibes he put off.
He wasn’t looking at her but instead seemed solely focused on her dinner guests. The sound of a chair hitting the floor made her head twist in that direction. Both Night and Sword had stood quickly, their heads lowered until their chins nearly touched their chests and their gazes locked on the floor. They stepped back away from the table and fear paled their features.
Jessie frowned as she turned to stare at Justice, then the males, gauging what was going on. Justice was furious for some reason, his men were terrified of his show of temper and she was clueless as to why he was acting so nuts.
“Hello, Mr. North.” She refused to call him Justice since he’d made it clear he didn’t want anyone to know they had spent time together. “Thank you for having my things delivered. I don’t know why you’re upset but we were having dinner. You’re welcome to take a seat if you’re hungry.”
Justice’s furious dark gaze met hers. He growled at her and his sharp teeth showed. Jessie crossed her arms over her chest while staring right into his eyes. She wanted to ask him what his problem was.
“Leave,” Justice growled. “Now.”
Both men walked around the edge of the room to keep as far from their leader as possible, hugging the walls and keeping a safe distance. She glanced at the table, spotted the forgotten bag of tri-tip and grabbed it. She stormed after the men. She avoided Justice by walking around him too.
“Wait.”
The two men were at the door when she stopped them with her voice and held out the food. “You forgot this for your friend. I don’t know what is going on but I’m sorry about that.”
Night glanced at her. “Never stare a Species in the eyes when he’s growling at you. He’s pissed about something.” He took the bag. “Thank you, Jessie.”
A vicious roar filled the room behind Jessie. Night flinched and both men fled. Jessie ground her teeth and closed her front door slowly. She heard the Jeep pull away and took a few deep, calming breaths before turning to face the pissed-off man behind her.
Justice glared at her from about eight feet away and growled again. His cat eyes flashed with pure rage, his hands were still fisted and he was showing perfect straight teeth and his sharp-looking fangs. Jessie glared back, lost her own temper and no longer had to worry about any witnesses since they were alone.
“What was that?” she yelled. “I invited them to dinner after they carried in all my stuff and I thought it would be nice to make some friends. How dare you just walk into my house and scare them off. I’m not missing the part either about you just inviting yourself into my home. Did you miss the doorbell? Are your hands broken so you couldn’t knock?”
Another low growl came from his throat. He reached up, gripped his tie and tore it off. He reached for his jacket next, not bothering to unbutton it, as material tore and buttons rained down on the tile floor. Jessie watched him and her anger faded from the shock.
“You don’t allow males inside your house and invite them to stay,” he snarled. “They came in here and they stayed too long. I imagined the worst when they didn’t leave.”
“You were watching my house?”
He kicked off his dress shoes and one of them hit her couch. The other sailed in the air until it hit the wall by the door. He breathed rapidly, all traces of the well-groomed, usually calm man were gone. This was a side of him she’d never seen and had to admit it was scary. She tried bravado since it had always helped her in the past.
“Why are you watching my house? Did you forget that you told me last night you’re not coming back here again? I remember that conversation really well. I also remember how you climbed out a window so no one would know the mighty Justice had been in bed with a human. You didn’t come back. Does sleeping with me rate right up there with having fleas?”
Justice’s eyes narrowed and he growled. “Run,” he warned in a deep voice. “You need to get away from me.”
“This is my house,” she gasped. “You leave. I’m not going to go hide until you get over your temper tantrum.”
He lunged. Jessie felt the danger instantly. This wasn’t her ex-husband. He’d yelled at her when he got pissed but Justice looked savage as he came at her. This involved more than yelling.
“Shit,” she hissed. She tensed and remembered Breeze’s words. She put her head down, closed her eyes and froze. Then she started to pray.
He was next to her instantly, breathing heavily. Her heart pounded as she wondered if he were capable of hurting her. She wasn’t sure anymore. Seconds ticked slowly by until it felt like an eternity passed. Justice’s breathing slowed as he took deep breaths. Relief washed through her as the sense of danger passed. Breeze’s advice had been dead-on.
“Jessie?” Justice’s voice still came out sounding animalistic but softer and he didn’t sound threatening.
She opened her eyes to stare at his chest less than a foot away. “What? Is it safe yet for me to move or are you going to hurt me?”
“Damn it,” he hissed, spinning away.
Jessie looked up to see Justice’s back to her. She didn’t know what was going on or why he had acted that way, not sure at that moment if she wanted to know. She headed to the kitchen, just walked away. Space between them sounded like a really good idea.
She cleared the table and rinsed the dishes to load them into the dishwasher. She put away the small amount of leftovers and dragged her feet to avoid the living room. She hadn’t heard the front door open, which meant he was still out there.
“Jessie?”
She turned to find Justice in the kitchen by the door looking normal now, except for his disarrayed clothing and missing shoes. “What was that about?”
“I can’t be with you and this is why.” His expression was unreadable. “I saw them come in and I thought about one of them touching you when they didn’t leave. I lost it. If they had laid a finger on you, I would have killed them.” His voice broke and he cleared his throat. “I would have killed my own males. I’m calm now but you’re to never let males inside the house again. You are never to be alone with one again. Anywhere.”
Jessie stared as his words sank into her stunned brain. He didn’t want her but he didn’t want anyone else to have her either. The son of a bitch.
“Let me tell you how it’s going to be, Justice. You don’t tell me who I can and can’t have inside my house. I work for the NSO but my personal life is my own. You lost the right to give me your opinion,” she stressed that last word, “about what I do or don’t do the second you decided you didn’t want to see me anymore. You don’t want me so don’t you dare tell me I can’t spend time with other men.”
He moved so fast she didn’t have time to try to defend herself. Justice grabbed her, the world turned upside down and shock kept her from fighting back as he stomped toward her bedroom with her thrown over his shoulder. He kicked the door shut behind them hard enough to make it slam and dumped her flat on her back in the center of her bed in a fast movement that left her dizzy for a few seconds.
Justice glared at her. “If you want someone, you’ll have me,” he snarled. His fingers clawed between the buttons of his expensive dress shirt, tore the thing open and ripped it away from his chest. He hands lowered to his pants. “I?
??m the only male who touches you.”
Jessie was shocked but not fearful. She was breathing hard though, a little angry still but as she assessed her emotions, mostly surprised. Her gaze flicked over Justice as he tore out the thong that held his hair, letting it spill over the tops of his shoulders. The sight he presented was one she’d never forget.
He looked sexy, fierce, primal and every muscle in his body was outlined from the adrenaline he obviously experienced. The pants tore away, he threw them and she had another big clue as to what he was feeling. He was aroused, his cock at full attention and it distracted her enough to miss seeing his hand shoot out and grip her ankle. He yanked her toward him, forced her body to slide on the bedding and his other hand fisted her pants. Material tore and during the seconds she remained in her stunned stupor, he completely ripped them from her body.
Instinct and years of training took over as her foot shot up and slammed hard into his stomach. The impact was enough to break his hold on her ankle and send him stumbling back with a loud grunt of pain. Jessie rolled, landed on her feet on the other side of the bed and glared.
“I’m not going to allow you hurt me.” Her voice shook and her arms rose in a defensive posture.
He glared at her, rubbing his stomach. There was a red mark. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to fuck you. You wanted to see the real me.” His chin lifted and he spread his arms open. “Here I am, baby.”
Chapter Twelve
Oh shit. Well, I said I wanted him to stop holding back. I guess I should have been careful of what I wished for. Jessie pushed back her thoughts, gave him a thorough once-over and arched her eyebrows.