“A penny for your thoughts.”
Trisha forced a smile. “They aren’t worth that much. I’m feeling sorry for myself. I wanted this position to learn about New Species but I’m getting stonewalled at every turn.”
“Yeah. The NSO aren’t real talkative. I’ve been here longer and I still don’t know much. We’re supposed to care for them but they won’t tell us squat about their physiology to help us do it.”
“NSO?”
“New Species Organization. It’s what they call themselves around here. I’m surprised you haven’t seen the uniforms they outfitted some of their people with. I don’t think they appreciate our security and have created their own teams. I don’t blame them. You missed out on the attack that happened here not too long ago.”
“I heard something about it on the news.”
Paul winced. “It was bad. Those protesters and human rights bastards broke down the front gates and about fifteen trucks full of gun-toting morons came pouring inside. The buildings are thankfully built to withstand attacks and security was able to get most people to safety when the gates were being breached. Those bastards came in here as though someone had declared New Species hunting season. Ever been on a deer hunt?”
“No.”
“That’s what it reminded me of. There were a total of seventeen fatalities by the time it ended. It was the longest forty-some minutes of my life before I had help. That’s why they wanted to hire a doctor. I was swamped with injures that day and in way over my head.”
“Seventeen fatalities? I didn’t hear that the numbers were that high.” The news horrified Trisha.
He shrugged. “Some of them died later from gunshot wounds. The hired security sucked. The New Species guys teamed up to kick some ass when they showed up here to stop a few of those bastards from trying to ram open the medical doors. I was alone, thinking they were going to get inside and kill me since they weren’t real picky about who they shot. If you were breathing, you were target practice to those goons. The New Species officers wear black SWAT-type uniforms with NSO written on the front of their vests in white lettering.”
Slade had worn a uniform like that when he’d stopped her earlier. “So men who wear those are NSO security guards?”
“They call themselves New Species officers, and yeah. You don’t want to mess with those guys. One of them told me he was an experimental prototype at the facility where they held him. The rumor is that some of them were trained to fight and kill just to show off what they could do and how fast they were. I heard Mercile Industries might have had a contract with a few third world countries to sell their enhancing drugs to the highest bidder. The New Species deny it but who knows what the truth is. Either way, they are badass. They aren’t denying the fact that they were tortured regularly and beaten to see how much damage they could survive and heal from. Have you seen some of those guys up close? Jesus! They are huge and add in the fact they are fast, have enhanced hearing, sense of smell, and vision, and they just kick ass in general. I was in the Army and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to find myself facing off a few of them even with my entire unit backing me up.”
Trisha glanced down at her watch. She didn’t want to hear any more about how mean and dangerous New Species probably were. They intimidated her enough without listening to the speculation. She’d also learned, since meeting Paul, that he had a tendency to ramble for hours if given the opportunity.
“I am off shift. I guess I’ll go home.”
“How do you rate the housing? Isn’t it great? They gave me a two-bedroom, cottage-style house. My wife loves it.”
“They are nice,” Trisha agreed. She stood, reaching for her purse. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Call if you need me.” She tapped her pocket. “My cell phone is on.”
“Will do, Doc…uh, Trisha.”
Trisha left the medical center and walked down the street. Her house was only a block away inside the human employee area where dozens of cottage-styled homes had been built. They’d assigned her to a cute little blue one. She peered up at the moon, deciding it was a beautiful evening.
“It’s kind of late for you to be walking by yourself,” a husky male voice rasped from behind her.
Trisha gasped as she spun around, trying not to show her surprise at seeing Slade. He wore his black uniform and her attention fixed on his right chest where the letters NSO were printed clearly over a small patch. Her gaze lifted to the most amazing blue eyes. They were a dark shade that she couldn’t help but stare into.
If he was an NSO officer, he had to be pretty tough, a survivor of the worst of the abuse, and possibly had been trained to fight to be one of their prototypes they filmed to show off what horrendous things they’d done to his body, if Paul had his information right. That meant Slade could be super dangerous. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart.
“I didn’t see or hear you,” she admitted.
He flashed sharp teeth when he grinned. “My point exactly. You shouldn’t be out walking alone. It could be unsafe.”
“This is a highly protected facility with security guards all over the place.” She frowned. “I think I’m pretty safe.” Except with you, she amended silently. He’s way too attractive. Look at those gorgeous eyes and that mouth. I wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Don’t go there, she mentally ordered her thoughts. He doesn’t remember.
Wide shoulders shrugged. “Are you still interested in learning something about the breeding process between our two species?”
That question had her heart racing instantly. “Did you talk to Mr. Fury and Miss Brower? Have they changed their minds about allowing me access to them?” Excitement at the concept of talking to the couple who lived together was instant and strong. She could learn so much from them. She’d be doing something real instead of sitting behind a desk waiting for people with paper cuts to come see her. “I’d love to talk them into running a few simple tests.”
“Nope.” He took a step toward her. “They still aren’t interested. I was just wondering if you were still hoping to study the breeding process between our species.”
Her excitement died. “I’m very interested. Is there another couple that I haven’t heard about? I’d appreciate the opportunity to speak to them if there is.”
He took another step, stopping just feet from Trisha, making her realize he was a good foot taller than her. Trisha immediately felt intimidated by his size. A memory flashed of him pinning her under his large body on his hospital bed. She swallowed hard and tried not to allow the attraction she felt show in her features.
“I could go home with you.” He winked. “You could examine me all you want, Doc.” His attention lowered and he stared at her breasts before meeting her gaze again. “I would be more than happy to volunteer to show you personally how we could have sex together. I’m up for an hour of meaningless sex.”
Trisha backed up a step, stunned. She knew she shouldn’t be since he’d once talked to her worse. He didn’t remember it but she did. It hurt her feelings that he’d offer her so little, something so trivial, when he had become a fixation in her thoughts.
“No thank you.”
The skin next to his eyes crinkled with amusement while he shrugged again. “It’s your loss. You know how to find me if you change your mind. I’ll walk you to your door.”
“No thanks.”
“I’m escorting you home.” He kept his amused expression in place. “So walk, Doc. Or we could stand here. Either way, I’m sticking with you until we reach your place.”
Trisha spun away from him and strode quickly down the sidewalk. She could feel him behind her but he didn’t make a sound. For a large man, he could move very quietly. She turned her head as she reached her yard and gasped over how close he was to invading her personal space.
“Home safe,” he whispered. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come inside, Doc?”
“I’m sure,” Trisha stated firmly.
Her hands trembled wh
en she darted to her front door. Would he try to force his way inside her house? Press the issue of offering to have sex with her? She unlocked the door and spun to tell him to leave but he had vanished.
Trisha stepped off her porch and glanced in both directions down the sidewalk but he wasn’t within sight. She frowned. Where did he disappear to so quickly? He irritated her badly. She hurried inside and locked the door firmly behind her.
Trisha dropped her purse on the entryway table as she headed for her bedroom. She passed the empty guestroom, remembering that she needed to order a desk and some file cabinets to create a home office.
She peered around her bedroom. She hated the large four-poster bed with the thick wooden poles that shot up toward the ceiling. It took up too much space inside the room. The house had come furnished but nothing had been to her liking.
She stripped out of her clothing on her way to the bathroom. Does Slade remember me? He could be playing some sort of sick game to see if I’ll say something. She just wasn’t sure. He was pretty convincing if he wanted her to believe they’d never met in the past. She turned on the shower and waited the few minutes it took for it to heat up.
She stepped under the spray of hot water with a sigh. Why was she attracted to him? She couldn’t deny that he appealed to her. Maybe it was curiosity. She wasn’t sure of her motives but every time he looked at her she remembered the rough, hot feel of his tongue teasing her throat, the way he’d moved against her with his heavy body while he’d nearly made her come just from rubbing his cock against her, and the memory of the sounds he made. The growls had been sexy.
“Mental brain wash,” she sighed.
She threw her head back and washed her hair, shaved her legs, and then stepped out of the shower. She heard a distinctive sound. Her pants were buzzing inside her bedroom where she’d dumped them when she’d disrobed. Trisha wrapped a towel around her middle to dash from the bathroom. She bent down, fought with her slacks, and yanked the black cell phone out.
“Dr. Norbit here.”
“Trisha, it’s Paul. We have a situation. Can you come back?”
“I’m on my way.” She hung up and ran for the bed. She dropped the cell phone on it and spun. She took a step toward her closet before slamming right into a wide, solid body.
Trisha gasped. Two large hands gripped her bare shoulders as her head jerked up. She gaped at Slade’s amused expression. Her body was pressed against his, he held her firmly by her shoulders, and his lips curved into a smile.
“You weren’t answering your phone. They need you down at medical.”
“You are inside my house,” she gasped.
“I have pass keys to all the homes. I’m security. You should answer your phone if you don’t want someone to check on you. Your nurse has been calling for five minutes and finally called us.”
“I was taking a shower!”
His focus lowered. “I see. You look good in pink, Doc. You’d look better though if that towel were on the floor at your feet.” His body shivered a little against hers as his attention drifted to her shoulders. “It’s tempting to lick off all those drops of water.”
Her heart hammered from surprise and probably a little excitement at the concept of him doing just that. The look on his face made her swallow hard. He suddenly released her though and backed away.
“I’ll be waiting for you in the living room. Get a move on, Doc. Someone is hurt and we need to get you back to medical right away.”
Trisha watched the tall New Species leave her bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him. It took her long seconds to pull herself together from the shock of finding Slade inside her bedroom and from him touching her. He’d let himself into her house and he’d seen her almost nude. She looked down at the small towel that barely covered the tops of her breasts and fell to mid-thigh. She forced her legs to move to the closet to pull on clothes quickly.
He waited for her by the front door. Trisha’s hair dripped water but she didn’t care. She didn’t have time to dry it. She walked outside and turned as the large man closed the door, watching her.
“Up for a jog, Doc?”
Trisha nodded as she headed down her porch steps. She turned toward the medical center, preparing to run but instead gasped suddenly when Slade swept her up into his arms. He had the audacity to flash his sharp teeth as he gave her a big grin and winked.
“Hold onto me, Doc.”
He started jogging down the street. Shocked, Trisha threw her arms around his neck to hang on. She couldn’t believe he carried her as if she couldn’t reach the clinic on her own steam.
“Put me down.”
“Almost there, Doc. Shut up and enjoy the ride.” He wasn’t even out of breath when they reached the building. He slowed to a stop and carefully eased her onto her feet next to the door. He winked at her again before turning away. “I’ll see you when you’re done,” he called over his shoulder.
Trisha still reeled from the shock of his actions when she walked inside. There was a waiting room area that had been separated by a long counter. She saw Paul leaning over someone lying on a bed in the open area. Trisha shoved away thoughts of Slade and what had just happened. She moved quickly.
“What do we have?”
Paul turned. “Severe laceration. He’s going to need stitches, Trisha.”
The next half hour remained busy for Trisha. One of the human male secretaries of Homeland’s director had accidentally sliced open his palm with a kitchen knife while attempting to make dinner. Trisha cleaned the wound, gave him ten stitches, and bandaged the injury. She gave him pain medication and a tetanus shot. The medical center had its own fully stocked drug cabinet and she just dispensed what medicines he needed. She watched him leave.
Paul finished cleaning up. “You do nice work, Trisha. I doubt he’ll have much of a scar.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve got this. You go on home. I’ll do the paperwork. You’re off.”
“Sorry I didn’t answer my phone. I was taking a shower.”
Paul grinned. “I see. You need to comb your hair. It’s kind of in clumpy, damp curls.”
“Good night,” she sighed, walking outside.
Relief hit her when she didn’t see Slade anywhere. She walked about ten feet before she sensed him. She stopped and turned to watch him stride down the sidewalk, moving right for her. He smiled as their gazes met.
“Ready for me to escort you?”
“I can find my own way, thanks. I’m thirty years old. I have mastered getting home.”
“You can’t be too careful these days, Doc. You never know what kind of animals are wandering around.”
She shot him a look. Like you? She didn’t say it out loud but was tempted to. She kept walking. He stayed beside her this time. She had to move quickly to keep up with his longer legs.
They reached her yard and Trisha turned to study the man who peered down at her. She unlocked her front door and opened it only wide enough for her body to fit through. She turned, faced Slade, and backed into the safety of her home.
“Don’t ever walk into my house again. What would you have done if I’d still been in the shower?”
He grinned. “Walked in there to tell you they needed you at the center and handed you a smaller towel than you had on. Maybe a hand towel.” His gaze roamed her body slowly and he smiled wider. “Or a washcloth.”
She tensed. “You enjoy needling me, don’t you?”
He just shrugged, still smiling.
“Is there any particular reason or am I just special?”
His smile faded. “Maybe I’m interested to see how our two species breed too.”
“Well, find someone else to harass.”
He shrugged. “Fine by me. If you aren’t interested, you just aren’t. I was just looking for a sex partner but I won’t bother you again. You should have taken me up on it, Doc.” His eyes narrowed. “I just wanted a few hours to answers all those questions you have. You’re pretty enough that
I thought it might be worth my time. Night, Doc.” He turned away and started to leave the porch. He was halfway to her sidewalk when she opened her mouth.
“Only a few hours, huh? And pretty? Last time you kept calling me a beauty.” Trisha allowed her anger to flow. “Last time you offered to have sex with me for days, 215. Should I feel insulted?”
He spun around. She knew shock when she saw it and it etched his handsome features. That answered her question. He really didn’t remember her. She glared at him.
“I think I liked you better when you were recovering in my hospital. You were more appealing half dead than you are fully healthy. That’s really sad.”
She slammed the door closed the second he took a step toward her. She twisted the locks, slamming the bolt into place.
“Doc? Open up the door.” He growled the words from the other side of the door.
“Good night, Mr. Slade.”
He twisted the doorknob but the lock held. She heard keys jingle. He would try to unlock her door? She bit her lip.
“I’m calling security,” she threatened. “Remember them? They were good at stopping you before even though you said no one would come to save me last time.”
He uttered a soft curse. “You’re the Doc from the hospital, aren’t you?”
“Oh, so you do remember me.” She leaned against the door.
“Your hair is different.”
She touched her damp hair. She’d tried her hand at being a redhead the previous year when she’d worked at the hospital where they’d met. Now she was back to her normal color, a honey blonde. “This is the real me. I decided I didn’t want to dye it red anymore.”
“Open up the door and talk to me.” He growled the order.
“Why? So you can insult me more? Be a bigger ass?”
Trisha tensed when only silence answered her question. Would he try to get inside her house another way? Why would he even care if she were the same woman he’d accosted a year before? She listened but didn’t hear a thing on the other side of the door.
“Mr. Slade?”
He didn’t answer. Trisha finally moved from the door to rush around the house to make sure all the windows were locked. She relaxed certain that he had gone, and didn’t plan to bother her. She entered her bedroom and clicked off the light. She slept wearing sweats just in case he returned and decided to surprise her with another unannounced visit.