New Species 02 Slade (11 page)

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Her voice

softened. “I just want to know why you refuse to say my

name.”

Pain lanced through Slade at the reminder of his

past. Anger quickly followed. Is that how she viewed

him every time she looked at him? As a victim? As the

half-wild creature he’d been when he’d awoken inside

the hospital room assuming she’d just been new enough

to the testing facility to be foolish enough to remove his

restraints? Usually, given an opportunity, he would have

instantly killed a human male but she’d been female.

He’d never kill a female. He’d grabbed her instead.

Even half out of it, he hadn’t wanted to harm her. Once

he had her body pinned under his, her scent had filled

his nose, and he’d peered into those incredible eyes, her

pouty lips, and his body had roared to life. He’d wanted

her more than any woman he’d ever touched.

He’d wanted to keep her for as long as possible.

Enjoy every inch of her and make her burn with the

passion he felt. He would have gone days without food

or water just to know her body. To possess something so

wonderful and forbidden. Any punishment would have

been worth the cost of pleasuring them both until they

couldn’t move. Then and only then, he’d have released

her from his arms. The memory of the time they shared

could have lasted him for years when his mind

threatened to break from the pain and agony he suffered

on a regular basis.

Of course it hadn’t gone the way he’d planned. He’d

been in for a shock when more humans rushed into the

room to pin him down, his reflexes slowed by the drugs

in his system, and he’d awoken to discover his world

changed forever. He no longer was locked inside his cell,

no longer chained to a wall, and the scents around him

assured him that nothing was familiar. They kept him

restrained but he understood why it had been necessary.

He wouldn’t have attacked them but he would have tried

to flee.

Four females in uniforms had leaned against the wall

of the hospital room to inform him he’d been rescued, his

people freed, and they’d slowly explained he needed to

calm down. They’d shown him videos on a little machine

of more of his people, taped footage of the rescue, and

sworn no harm would befall him. It had taken time for it

to sink in that they were telling him the truth. The shock

had staggered him. The females meant no harm, they

didn’t work for Mercile, and that life no longer existed.

He’d been transferred from the hospital to a remote

motel in the desert with dozens of his people. All female

military officers had been assigned to protect them at the

secured location. Humans had quickly assessed that

New Species males wouldn’t attack human females and

had used that as a way to assure they didn’t feel

threatened. It had worked. The females hadn’t even

carried guns except for the ones who patrolled the

perimeters to keep humans away.

The U.S. Government had promised them a place of

their own, where their people could live safely from the

press and from other humans who viewed them as a

threat. They’d read books, watched television, and talked

to humans who answered all their questions. The months

spent in the desert waiting for such a place to finish

construction had calmed them, assured them that they

had human rights, and his new life had begun at

Homeland. He’d gone from being a test subject to a man.

The Doc obviously didn’t agree. To her, he’d always be

215.

It hurt. All he’d wanted was to have her view him as

a sexual male, her equal, and he’d messed that up for

good by insulting her by not recognizing her when he

good by insulting her by not recognizing her when he

met her again. She obviously didn’t have forgiveness in

her heart. The pain turned to anger quickly. Damn her. If

any male deserves some leeway, it is me.

The memory of touching her, tasting her skin, and

the scent of her arousal flashed. She might not think of

him as a man but her body could be persuaded

otherwise. Lust and desire gripped him hard. Maybe she

just needed to be taught without her mind mucking up

the truth. He moved before he could talk himself out of

the crazy idea.

Two hands suddenly grabbed Trisha by her

shoulders. Slade took her to the ground, flat on her back,

and suddenly ended up on top of her. Trisha struggled

but she couldn’t get him off her. He pinned her down

with his body. She opened her mouth but his hand

clamped over it.

“Are you going to scream and tell those murderers

where we are? Sound can carry a long way.”

She had planned on yelling at him. She shook her

head against his palm. The hand instantly released her.

Trisha pushed at Slade.

“Get off me right now,” she hissed.

“Do you want to know why I won’t say your name,

Trisha?” He spoke softly to her, almost whispered.

She swallowed, surprised that he’d finally uttered

her name. “Why?”

“It gets under your skin the way you get under mine

all the time. I think it’s only fair if I annoy you as much as

you do me.”

“How do I annoy you? You’re the one who’s always

got some smartass remark to say and who constantly

makes some sexually rude comment.”

“You’re the one I want to fuck so bad you make me

ache.” He growled at her. “That’s more annoying than

me shooting my mouth off, Doc. Trust me. I don’t make

you so hard that you worry about busting out of your

pants. You do that to me.”

His words left her speechless. She’d never expected

that answer from him in a million years. Out of all the

things he could have said, those things wouldn’t have

even made her list.

With his traumatic history she could see him hating

anyone in the medical profession. She also thought he

might think her a snob because people always accused

her of being standoffish. She didn’t mean to be but she

just didn’t know how to relate to people.

“Nothing to say now, Doc?”

She didn’t know what to say.

Slade growled. “You’re one cold bitch. I wonder

sometimes if you ever heat up.” He paused. “Do you

ever warm up even a little?”

“I’m not cold.”

“Really? You fool me all the time.”

“That’s not fair of you to even say. You don’t really

know me. We’ve barely spoken unless it’s to insult each

other or say something rude.”

“Ummm.” He shifted. “Warm up for me, Doc.”

Trisha gasped when Slade arched his stomach away

from her body. His hand slid between them and fisted

her shirt. She tried to grab it but Slade moved faster. He

yanked the material all the way up her body to her neck

and pushed away her frantic hands. His finger hooked

the edge of her bra cup and gave it a yank. Trisha’s

breast was freed to the chilly air that hit her skin.

“Nice,” Slade growled before his mouth lowered.

Trisha pushed frantically at Slade’s broad chest until

his mouth closed over her hardened nipple. She gasped

at the shocking feel of hot lips and wet, rough tongue

when Slade gently sucked the tip of her breast into his

mouth. He growled, causing vibrations. Trisha froze,

ceasing her struggles. It was an erotic feeling, something

she’d never experienced before, and then Slade suckled

on her with hard tugs.

Trisha’s stomach quivered and she couldn’t stop the

moan that came from her parted lips. The sensation of

what he did to her felt amazing. She arched her chest

what he did to her felt amazing. She arched her chest

upward against his face to give him better access and at

the same time realized she wasn’t pushing at his chest

anymore. Her fingers clutched the material of his NSO

uniform to keep him close instead.

Slade sucked harder and his teeth rubbed against her

sensitive nipple. Trisha moaned louder. She found his

hair and dug her fingers around his scalp, holding his

head in place. Her heart raced and she knew her body

responded in a shocking manor when desire nearly

burned her alive.

Slade’s other hand shoved at her thigh when he lifted

his body off her enough to put a little space between

them. He pushed against it to spread her thighs wider.

She gasped as his hand cupped between her spread legs

under him. He pressed his thumb against the center of

her slacks and rubbed firmly right over her clit. She

reacted instantly as the sensation tore through her body.

“Yes,” she moaned.

Slade froze, his entire body stiffening over hers. His

hand tore away from her sex at the same instant he

released her breast with his mouth. Cold air hit her bare,

wet nipple as he jerked away from her. Trisha’s eyes flew

open and she tried to see him in the dark but he was just

a dark shadow above her.

“You do warm up,” he rasped so softly she almost

didn’t hear him.

“Slade?” Her voice came out shaky and breathless.

He uttered a vicious curse and rolled away from

Trisha. His shadowy form stood. She pushed upward,

wincing at the sudden pain that tore through her

shoulder. She stared in shock at his fading outline as he

backed away from her. She barely remembered her bared

breast and reached down to fix her bra. She shoved down

her shirt to cover it.

“I’ll be back,” he stated harshly. “I’m going to make

sure no one is near us.”

“But… ”

Trisha closed her mouth. She trembled and her body

ached. That son of a bitch. Anger poured through her. He’d

purposely turned her on and stormed away, leaving her

to deal with the rejection. That’s exactly what it had been.

She’d practically begged him to take her. She may not

have said the words but her body had done the talking

for her.

“Bastard,” she cursed.

Trisha lay back down. Her body tingled in all the

wrong places. Her breasts felt unbelievably heavy and

the one he’d touched had become so oversensitive that

her bra cup against it nearly hurt. She clenched her teeth.

She’d change her underwear if she had a spare set since

hers were soaked from sexual desire. She turned on her

side and drew her knees up to huddle in a tight ball.

That bastard! she silently screamed. He’d turned her

on just see if he could.

She attempted to find a comfortable position on the

hard, cold ground. She should have gone through her

clothes that had been spread out around the crashed SUV

to find a long-sleeved shirt but it had been warm during

the day. She shivered and huddled tighter. Forever

seemed to pass and Slade didn’t return.

Eventually fear set in. Has he just abandoned me here?

Has something happened to him? Did those men find him?

Tears welled in her eyes but she fought them back,

blinking rapidly to accomplish it. With my luck he’ll come

back in time to find me crying.

He hated tears. She had seen him react to Bart’s pain

and she had a pretty good idea that most New Species

didn’t have a lot of patience with weakness. They’d had

very harsh lives and it had been instilled in them over

the many years of captivity they’d endured that

weaknesses were bad. She’d bet her life Slade didn’t ever

cry.

Slade watched the camp grimly. The humans were

closer than he wished but far enough away to assure him

they wouldn’t catch them quickly. He’d keep moving

throughout the night but Trisha wasn’t New Species.

She’d need to rest with her weaker human body.

She hadn’t complained but he’d noticed her fatigue.

He had to admit to feeling a certain amount of pride at

how well she’d taken the stress of the situation. Humans

weren’t very tough but she’d been brave. It made him

want her more.

His cock finally softened enough for him to move

without pain. His teeth clenched. He’d nearly taken her

body on the dirt. He’d have become the animal she

probably believed him to be when he fucked her like one

on the ground.

The taste of her sweet kiss and the feel of her plush

curves against his body had driven him to near insanity.