Page 26 of Numbers


  “That was nice of him.”

  “Some of our males have really enjoyed learning things, but especially cooking. We like food.”

  “It was really good. There were so many flavors.”

  “What did they feed you after you left Mercile?”

  “Mostly oatmeal, eggs and lots of soup. It wasn’t that good. I barely got meat since I was only allowed to use plastic spoons.”

  “No wonder you are so thin.”

  She smiled. “I actually missed the meat strips from Mercile.”

  “I’ll cook you a steak. I am good at that.” He stood.

  “Not right now. I’m full.”

  He grinned. “Sorry. I’m eager to get you better. The females at the women’s dorm are baking for you. They are going to drop off a cake, a few pies and some cookies today.”

  “That’s really nice of them.”

  “Everyone is concerned about you, Candi. They want to help you gain weight. I went there while you showered this morning and told them Tammy said you need lots of chocolate.”

  It touched Candi to learn that so many people wanted to help her. It also made her wonder if any of those females were ones he’d shared sex with. She didn’t ask, not wanting to ruin the morning because of her jealousy. It was something she needed to deal with. 927 was really trying to integrate her into his life and that’s what she needed to focus on, not what had happened in the time they were apart.

  “How would you like a tour of Homeland today? Everyone is excited to meet you.”

  She hesitated.

  “Too soon?” Concern showed in his eyes.

  “I just want to spend time with you,” she admitted.

  “I understand. I remember when I was freed. It was amazing to see all those Species, but it was a little overwhelming. I spent a lot of time in the room they assigned me, just touching things and trying to figure them out.” He suddenly grinned. “Television! It’s a wonderful thing. How would you like to watch a movie with me? I have some of my favorites on DVDs. Those are round disks that store it and you can play it over and over, as much as you want.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you know what is good for movie watching? Popcorn. I’m out, but I know a few males who also got hooked on that treat. I’ll go knock on their doors and see if they have any. I’ll be right back.”

  “Popcorn?”

  “You’ll like it, and it has lots of butter. That’s probably helpful to gain weight. I’ll be right back.” He moved fast, unlocked the door, and left.

  She shook her head, amused. 927 seemed determined to feed her until her stomach burst. She stood and carried the plate to the sink. She paused, glancing at the dishwasher. She had no idea how to use it. He’d given her a tour of his home that morning, and pointed out what things were. She decided to hand wash her plate, something she was confident she could do. Someone knocked on the door so she turned away and opened it.

  Breeze smiled at her. “How did it go? I heard you spent the night with Hero.”

  “I did. He let me sleep with him.”

  “Good. I’ll relieve the officer since he’s no longer needed.”

  “Come in.”

  “I’m on my way to work so I just have a minute.” Breeze lowered her voice. “Did it work? I smell him on you, but you showered. Did he mount you?”

  “No, but he held me while I slept. He’s afraid he’ll cause me damage.”

  Breeze glanced down her. “Understandable.”

  “He’s going to wait until I weigh more.”

  “Does he understand that could take a bit of time?”

  “I don’t think so. You should have seen the huge breakfast he fed me, and now he went to get some kind of treat. Popcorn. He might hurt me with too much food instead of sharing sex with me.”

  Breeze chuckled. “A for effort.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Sorry. You look so human I forget. It means he’s trying and going all out to do it.”

  “He has his friends cooking for me.”

  “Aw. That’s so sweet.”

  “I know. I just wish he wouldn’t worry so much about me. I’m strong.”

  “Did you tell him that?”

  “Yes, but he’s not listening. He told me I could have a baby and he’s afraid, in my condition, it could be very bad.”

  Breeze entered and closed the door. She lowered her voice. “He’s not here, right?”

  Candi shook her head. “He went to find popcorn.”

  “Okay.” Breeze lowered her voice. “I heard you yesterday. You have almost zero experience with males and sex since you only were mounted once when you were young and drugged up. Are you afraid of touching Hero?”

  “No.”

  Breeze smiled. “Good. Our males have a high sex drive. It means they constantly get hard-ons. They all keep lotion in their nightstand drawers and use it. You could do that for him and he could use that lotion on you if he doesn’t actually want to mount you.”

  “Lotion?”

  Breeze groaned. “You’re probably the only Species female not to know about masturbation. Have you ever seen a male completely nude?”

  Candi shook her head. “927 never removed his pants at Mercile in front of me. He even had me close my eyes and turn away when he needed to use the toilet. Christopher ordered him to hide that from me. I never pushed because I didn’t want him to be punished. He’d get hard sometimes and I could see the outline of what he looks like down there.”

  “What about the feline?”

  “I closed my eyes. He took me from behind so I couldn’t have looked even if I wanted to. I didn’t.”

  “Did he prepare you? Go down and put his mouth on you?”

  “No. I didn’t want him to touch me in any way he didn’t have to. I just wanted to get it over with and asked him to do it fast.”

  Breeze snarled and annoyance creased her features. “That had to have hurt.”

  “I try to forget everything that happened inside that cell.”

  “I don’t blame you. It won’t hurt with Hero.”

  “It wouldn’t matter. He’s my male.”

  Breeze reached out. “I’m going to hug you. Deal with it.”

  Candi didn’t mind when the female put her arms around her and gave her a squeeze. “Thank you.”

  Breeze released her and lowered her head, peering into her eyes. “Okay, males like to put their mouths on your sex down there. It feels amazing. You’ll like it. Don’t be shocked when Hero wants to do that. There’s nothing to fear. Our males really enjoy it if you put lotion on your hands and rub up and down on where he gets hard. Expect a mess when he gets off. That’s normal. I can understand why he is leery to share sex with you, but you can do those things without fear of getting pregnant. He’d have to come inside you for that possibility. Is that clear enough?”

  “Yes.”

  “Find his lotion and get him undressed. That should motivate him to want to touch you back. It’s going to be at least a month or two before you’re at a size that will make him feel secure with mounting you. I don’t want him picking fights with other males out of sexual frustration, and sleeping with you every night is going to make him snap at some point. I also don’t want you to have to suffer his bad moods. Our males get testy when they are sexually frustrated. You’ll both be happier.”

  The door opened and Hero entered. “Breeze.”

  “I was just checking on your female.” She smiled. “My shift is starting. I have to go. Carry on.” She left.

  Hero closed the door and locked it. He showed her two flat bags wrapped in clear paper. “I got us popcorn. I’ll throw them in the microwave. How long was Breeze here?”

  “Not long.”

  “What did she say?” He entered the kitchen.

  “She said it could be months before I gain lots of weight.”

  He spun, horrified. “Months? No. I’ll feed you plenty.” He turned away and yanked open a metal box thing that was built into th
e cabinets, and opened the packets. “Meat will help. Every meal will have some.”

  She didn’t say anything. He was in denial that it would take time. It was their first day spending their new life together. She didn’t want to argue with him. Everything Breeze had said replayed through her mind. It would be easier to change his plan to wait to mount her than to allow that much time to elapse.

  “I’m deciding what movie to show you first.”

  “I remember them but it was before I was brought to you at Mercile.”

  “Did you have a favorite?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t remember that much about them. They were cartoons.”

  He smiled. “I have some movies that are cartoons. That helps. There’s one about a superhero family. I think you’ll like it.” He grinned at her.

  “Okay. I’m going to use your bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

  “Our bathroom,” he corrected. He faced the microwave and put one of the packets inside. “This will take a few minutes. I’ll find the movie.”

  She liked that he was excited. “I’ll hurry.” She rushed out of the room and entered the bathroom. She even took the time to brush her hair and teeth. It didn't take long to search the drawers and find the bottle of lotion. She returned to the living room.

  Hero didn’t glance her way, too busy pouring something into a large bowl. She shoved the lotion behind one of the cushions on the side of the couch and took a seat. He’d turned on the television and a colorful menu showed on the screen. Two sodas were placed on the coffee table with napkins. He strode toward her with two bowls and a grin on his handsome face.

  “This will be fun.”

  It brought her pleasure to see his joy. “I’m excited.”

  He took a seat a few feet away, placed the bowls on the table and reached for the remote. She studied his clothes. “Can you do something for me?”

  He froze and turned his head. “What?”

  “I want to curl up to you. Your jeans are rough. Can you put those soft shorts on?”

  His eyebrows rose.

  “The ones you wore to sleep with me.”

  He frowned. “They are called boxers, and that’s not a good idea.”

  “It is. I want us to be comfortable.” She glanced at his chest. “No shirt either. I want to be able to touch your skin.”

  “It’s best if I keep fully clothed. I’d prefer you wear more, but you seem to only like wearing my shirts.”

  “Please?”

  He growled. “Fine.”

  “Don’t get angry.”

  “I’m not. I enjoy torture.” He stood fast and marched into the bedroom.

  Candi grinned. Her male looked cute when he was annoyed. He might not admit it, but she knew why. He expected sexual frustration. She glanced at the cushion next to her. He wouldn’t be if she had anything to say about it. She just needed him to relax before she attempted to get him completely naked.

  He wore black silky boxers when he came out. Candi swallowed hard. She’d rather watch him than some movie. Her male was beautiful and she loved seeing so much of him. He sat down again and snatched the remote off the table. His body looked tense and so did his expression, but he started the movie. He dropped the remote, grabbed one of the bowls, and placed it on his lap.

  “Thank you.” She inched over and leaned against his side. He remained rigid but didn’t complain when she snuggled closer. He actually lifted that arm and wrapped it around her back to hold her close. He used his other hand to eat his popcorn.

  It smelled good, but she wasn’t ready to eat more. Her gaze fixed on the big screen and she had to admit to a little excitement at the prospect of watching a movie. She just didn’t plan to see it all. It was just a matter of time before Hero let his guard down. She’d strike then.

  Hero loved the sound of Candi’s laughter. He glanced at her face and saw sheer joy as she watched the movie. He leaned forward a little and shoved the empty popcorn bowl onto the table and turned his body a bit toward her. It felt right to have her against his side. She didn’t take her attention off the television, but leaned more solidly against him, resting her cheek on his chest. Her hand stroked his skin. Her soft fingers were playing hell on him when they brushed over his nipple. His dick hurt. He’d been hard since she’d started running her hands over him, but managed to keep his dick trapped between his thighs. He didn’t want her to become aware of how she affected him.

  The shower beckoned to him. He would tend his needs once he locked a door between them. His gaze lowered to her curled legs. The shirt rode up too high, exposing her thighs. He longed to touch her there, but kept his hand loose on her hip. It had been hell sleeping with her, but he’d thought the days would be better when they were out of bed. He’d been wrong. He wanted Candi so bad it was all he could think of.

  He stared at the movie but couldn’t get into it. That was new. He’d watched it dozens of times and always enjoyed the story. He hadn’t had Candi next to him then though. She laughed again and ran her hand from his chest to his stomach. He clenched his teeth when her fingertips stroked the skin just over the waistband of his boxers. His dick throbbed when he imagined her sliding that hand lower.

  She kept her hand there, rubbing and exploring. He tensed, unable to take it anymore. His dick was getting too hard to keep it trapped. “I need to shower.”

  She lifted her head and peered up at him. He tried to mask his emotions. “What? Now?”

  “Now.”

  She sniffed. “You smell good. Why do you need a shower? We’re watching the movie.”

  “Candi…” He paused, deciding to be honest. “I need to put some space between us. Finish watching the movie. I’ve seen it many times. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

  She didn’t pull away from him, but instead lowered her chin. “Oh.”

  He cringed when he followed her gaze. The boxers were long ones that nearly went to his knees but the outline of his engorged dick was clear, despite him trying to keep it between this thighs.

  “Ten minutes. I’ll be back.” He pulled his hand off her hip.

  She sat up, and when she was off him he stood fast, ready to flee. She snagged the back of the waistband of his boxers. “Wait.”

  He twisted his head to look back at her, frowning. “Let go.”

  She stretched across the couch and dug her fingers behind the cushion. She withdrew his lotion and smiled. “Sit down.”

  He was too stunned to do anything but glance between the bottle and the smile on her face.

  “Sit down.” She yanked on his boxers. They slid down his hips and legs. She let go of them and they landed around his ankles.

  He still resisted. She’d never seen him without something covering his dick. That wouldn’t be the case if he turned. Her hand stroked one of his ass cheeks and he growled.

  “Do you know what you’re doing, Candi?”

  “No, but I think I can figure it out with your help. Turn toward me or sit down.”

  “I don’t want to frighten you.”

  She smiled. “You’re mine. Let me see all of you.”

  He lifted one foot and then the other, kicking the boxers away. A smart male would make a dash for the bathroom as he’d intended, but he was too aroused to think straight. Candi wanted to use lotion on him. He turned and tensed, watching her face to judge her reaction. He’d flee if he spotted fear.

  Her eyes widened and her lips parted. She said nothing as she studied his dick. He glanced down at it. It wasn’t trapped between his thighs or hidden now. Her hand lifted and she gently brushed her fingertips across the top of his shaft. His knees weakened at that hesitant touch, but he locked them. She didn’t look afraid.

  “You’re so hard and big.”

  “Yes.” He couldn’t deny that.

  “Sit,” she urged, pulling her hand back. She uncapped the lotion and poured some into her hands. “How do you like to be touched?”

  He sat, the leather couch still warm from his body. He
was excited and afraid at the same time. He spread his thighs and leaned back, shoving his hips forward a little to give her access to him.

  “What feels good?”

  Candi expected an answer. “Anything,” he growled. He looked up at her face and she smiled.

  “You look angry.”

  “Hurting. Excited. Not angry.”

  She dropped the lotion bottle on the table and rubbed her hands together. He had a difficult time breathing as he watched her. She’d reduced him to the ability to say few words. He tensed when she reached for his dick, and moaned when she wrapped both hands around his shaft. She explored him, rubbing her palms and fingers around the sensitive flesh. He growled when she stroked the tip.

  “You make me hurt too,” she whispered. “I like touching you. Am I being gentle enough?”

  He nodded. He couldn’t speak. Her hands felt amazing. He wanted to come just from knowing it was her, and from seeing his Candi’s hands bringing him pleasure. He clenched his teeth until his jaw hurt. She played with him, stroking up and down his shaft, rubbing circles over the crown of his dick, gripping him a little more firmly to give the shaft a squeeze.

  “What feels best? Tell me.”

  He had to tear his gaze away from her hands to look into her eyes. “Up and down. A little more strength. I’ll come fast. I’m almost there.” He wouldn’t lie to his Candi.

  He groaned when she stacked one hand on top of the other on his shaft and gripped his dick harder. She slid them to the base and then up until she swirled her thumb across the crown, and then back down. He threw his head back and stretched his arms out along the back of the couch, gripping it so he wouldn’t grab her instead.

  “You’re so perfect,” she whispered. “So beautiful. Should I rub you slow or fast?”

  He didn’t care. It didn’t matter. Candi brought him pleasure. He opened his mouth, breathing heavily. His ass left the couch a bit. He locked his body so he wouldn’t start rocking his hips. He imagined what it would be like if he was inside her and that was it. He came hard, unable to warn her before he did. It was just blinding rapture and his semen exploding outward. She kept touching him, almost killing him, and he blindly grabbed at her wrists and pulled her hands off his dick.