New Species 13 Smiley (24 page)

Vanni closed her eyes and moaned. She used one arm to pillow
her head and reached down, wanting to touch him, finding bare skin at the side
of his hip. His hand slid along her belly and he pressed his thumb against her
clit, moving it in rhythm with his hips.

“Oh god.”

“That’s it, babe. Let me make you feel as good as you do me.
I love being inside you, touching you, looking at you.”

She forced her eyes open to stare up at him. She could
understand why he wanted to watch her during sex. Smiley looked fierce in the
heat of the moment—mouth slightly open, fangs showing. His gaze was fixed on
her and his cheeks were flushed. He bit his lower lip as he picked up the pace,
fucking her faster. The friction from his large cock caused pleasure to course
through her with every thrust into her body.

“You’re so damn beautiful.” His voice deepened. “I could
come just looking at you.”

She gripped his hip where she could touch his skin, trying
to avoid getting him with her nails. The tension in the arm holding her thighs
eased a little and he shifted his chest, spreading her legs farther to give him
better access to her pussy. She looked down, a little embarrassed at the way
her breasts jiggled. Smiley rumbled and she glanced up, noting that he was
staring at them too.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, fucking her even faster. “Come for
me, my Vanni.”

She closed her eyes, concentrating on what he was doing to
her body. Her vaginal muscles clenched in eagerness and then she was crying out
his name. Ecstasy robbed her of words quickly though.

She was barely aware of him pulling his thumb away from her
clit but she did open her eyes when he released her thighs so they were no longer
pinned to his chest. He bent them upward, spread them wider and leaned over
her. She thought he was going to kiss her but he latched on to one of her
nipples instead. He groaned loudly and his cock pulsed inside her. She liked
the way she could tell when he came. The warmth of his semen seeped into her as
his hips stilled.

Vanni wrapped an arm around his shoulder and played with his
hair. Her other hand opened up on his back, exploring the wide expanse of it.
He was hot, a little sweaty, but she didn’t care. His weight pinned her to the
hard surface of the countertop but she liked it. They felt connected at that
moment.

He released her nipple and licked the tip. She shivered a
little under him, a bit sensitive. He ran his tongue over the curve of her breast
to her chest and then to her neck.

“I love the way you taste.”

“I love the way you feel.”

“Do you want me to move?”

“No. I like you right here, like this.”

“Me too.” He nuzzled her neck, breathing softly against her
skin. “But I’m being a bad mate. I bet that counter isn’t too comfortable.”

He said mate.
Her heart melted a little. “I don’t
care.” She wrapped her legs around his hips to keep him in place.

“Hold tight.”

She hesitated before releasing his hair and locking both
arms around his neck. He wiggled his fingers next to her side and she giggled,
arching away from them. He slid his hand between her back and the counter. His
strength never ceased to amaze her when he lifted her. She gasped, locking her
legs tighter around him.

“I could walk.”

He grinned and hooked his arm under her ass. He was still
inside her. “You could but this is going to be more fun.” He took a small step
and his dick moved inside her. It also rubbed her swollen clit against his
lower belly.

Vanni gasped. “Sensitive.”

“I just hope I don’t trip over my pants. That would be bad.”

She recovered and laughed. “Just put me down.”

He shook his head, taking another step. “I’ll twist if I
fall so you land on top of me. This is a skill I want to learn.”

“Walking with your pants around your ankles or having me
fall on top of you if we go down?” She laughed again.

“Walking, for sure. Think of all the times I could come home
from work and nail you in the kitchen then continue it down the hallway until
we reach our bed. Tell me that doesn’t sound appealing.”

“It does.” She suddenly had images of waiting by the door
for him in sexy lingerie—a concept that appealed to her.

He took another step, then another, until they reached the
hallway. He suddenly pressed her ass against the cool wall and started to move
inside her in shallow thrusts. Vanni closed her eyes and moaned, loving the
sensation his cock created.

“See?” His voice deepened and his lips brushed hers. “Still
sensitive?”

“I’ll survive.”

He chuckled and pulled her away from the wall when he took a
step back. “We’ll wait until we reach the bed.”

She tightened her hold on him and opened her eyes. “That was
mean.”

“I plan to follow through. I just don’t want to really fall.
I’m not risking you getting hurt, Vanni. My pants are hooked on my boots.”

She twisted enough to look down. She couldn’t see his feet
for all the material covering them. He walked in small steps, his ankles
hobbled. He stumbled a little but recovered. She giggled, amused.

“Smooth.”

“That’s me, babe.”

She lifted her chin and stared into his eyes, seeing the
amused look in them. “I love that you have a sense of humor.”

They entered the bedroom and she gasped when he suddenly
turned, hurling them both toward the bed. They hit with a bounce. The soft
mattress cushioned their fall and he rolled, pinning her flat under him.

“That’s good. I like to laugh and I have the best time with
you, my Vanni.”

She liked him calling her that. “I have the best time with
you too, my Smiley.”

His grin faded and a serious expression wiped out all traces
of humor. Vanni sobered too.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“You called me yours.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I am yours. You’re mine. We’re getting married. I
already consider you my mate. Is that okay with you?” He reached up and
caressed her cheek. “Don’t break my heart. It will if you deny what is between
us.”

“I’d never do that,” she swore.

“I have so many feelings for you.” He played with her hair,
wrapping locks of it around his fingers. “Tell me I’m important to you.”

“You are.” She took a deep breath, deciding to be totally
honest. “I’m falling in love with you.”

He smiled, all the tension leaving his face. “I’m already in
love with you. I have been since we bonded in the back of that SUV. You trusted
me to care for you and put your faith in me. You’ll never know what that meant.
I went insane when I woke up and learned you’d run away from the task force
members. I couldn’t eat or sleep. I worried that you were out there afraid and
alone. That someone would hurt you. I want to protect you and keep you safe. I
want you in my arms, in my home and with me all the time. I hate being apart
from you. You’re all I think about.”

“You’re all I think about too.”

“I’m going to make you happy, Vanni. Trust that. I’ll never
hurt you or let you down. It is a
good
thing that I’m not human because
I’ll never cheat on you. I know humans do that. Species don’t. I won’t. You’re
all I’m ever going to want. I’ll never allow anyone to harm you. I’d kill them
if they tried. You are my first priority. You are the most important thing in
my life. That means I place you before all other Species, if you were worried
about that. You won’t be an outsider here. As my mate, you are Species.”

“That’s so sweet.” She was a bit overwhelmed.

“It’s not sweet. It’s a fact.”

“Are you sure you want to marry me this fast? We could wait
until—”

“Don’t,” Smiley rasped. “I am certain. Forget logic and
whatever you were taught in the out world. Your rules of dating don’t apply
here. We can be happy. We will be. There’s no need for us to date for months to
know we’re right for each other. This is just you and me. See how well we fit
together?” He adjusted his hips, his cock still hard inside her. “It’s not
about the sex though. I don’t want you to think that’s all there is to our
relationship. We’re so much more.”

“I know that.”

“Do you?” He studied her closely, peering deeply into her
eyes. “We can get through anything together if we just talk and are honest. You
could ask me anything, tell me anything, and I’m going to keep loving you. I
want to have faith that you will do that with me.”

“You’re such a good man, Smiley.”

“I’m yours, Vanni. Say you’re mine. Let’s just do this. I
know it might frighten you to take a mate this fast but trust me to be here for
you. Take a leap. I’ll catch you. Always.”

She believed him. “Okay.”

“You’ll be happy. I’ll make sure of it.”

“I need to get a job.”

“We don’t live in a money-based system. You can find
something to do if you get bored but you can stay home if you wish. I just want
you happy, Vanni.”

The idea of being a housewife was appealing. “And we can try
to have babies. I’d really like that.”

“I’d love to have children with you.”

“So it’s all decided. We are going to elope. We’ll do
something simple and fun.”

“With your friend Beth and my friends. We need to find a
minister.”

“Exactly. Stress free and it’s going to be about us.”

“It’s always going to be about us.” He released her and
lifted off, separating their bodies.

“Where are you going?”

“To remove these boots and pants.” He got to his feet but
then collapsed onto the floor.

Vanni sat up and laughed, watching him tear off his boots.
He just tossed them toward the closet and shoved his pants all the way off once
his feet were bare. He rose to his knees and braced his hands on the end of the
bed.

“I have some calls to make. Don’t move. Stay in that bed.”

“You’re going to arrange it right now?”

“Yes.” Smiley rushed out of the room. “I’m not going to give
you time to second-guess us again. We are going to seal our bond in your world
and mine.”

Vanni chuckled, the sight of his muscular bare ass the last
thing she saw before he disappeared down the hall. Human guys usually dragged
their feet about making serious commitments but Smiley didn’t have that
problem. He’d said sex wasn’t the only thing they had and she believed him. He
was still sporting a hard-on but was making calls instead of staying in bed
with her.

Smiley returned to the bedroom ten minutes later and grinned
at the sight of Vanni sitting on the bed waiting for him. “It’s arranged. We
can do it as soon as tomorrow evening.”

Her eyes widened and he froze in his tracks, hoping she
wouldn’t change her mind. Humans were so different and unpredictable. “Is that
okay?”

“That is fast. I have to contact Beth. I really want her
there.”

“Contact her first thing in the morning. We can have her
picked up and flown to Reservation. There’s something we need to do first once
we reach Reservation though.” He took a seat on the side of the bed and reached
out, taking her hand. “I planned to tell you this when I got home but seeing
how happy you looked when I came in the door distracted me. I don’t want to
dampen your mood but there’s something we must discuss. It’s serious.”

“More so than getting married?”

“No, but it is important.”

She inched closer and gripped his hand tightly. “Okay. Just
tell me.”

“Gregory Woods attempted to flee the country with his son
and security team.”

She said nothing. He wished she’d express her feelings but
the silence lengthened. She stared at him, appearing a little stunned. He tried
to think of her concerns.

“He didn’t get away. You’re safe, Vanni. He won’t be able to
hurt you or your family. He won’t have access to a phone and that means he can’t
order anyone who works for him to do anything in retaliation. We had a task
force member pose as his pilot for the private plane he hired. They boarded and
were flown directly to where the NSO took them into custody. They are being
held at Reservation. We’re going to go there tomorrow at noon. I would like to
have words with a few of them. You may view them through a wall of glass, if
you wish. I’d prefer you didn’t have any direct contact with them.” He might
kill anyone who threatened Vanni again. “But it’s your choice. I know sometimes
it helps to be able to confront your fears or in this case, the males who
caused you such distress.”

“You said his son. Carl tried to leave with him?”

“Does that upset you?” It angered Smiley that she asked
about her ex-fiancé. “He put you in a lot of danger, Vanni.”

“It’s not that. I’m just surprised he was willing to leave
his practice and his house behind. I can’t see him giving up his lifestyle for
his dad. He kept telling me they weren’t close. I guess that was a lie.”

“He had financial problems. He was about to lose everything
he owned.”

“I didn’t know.” She frowned. “I guess that makes sense now
why he was so pushy about going to the hotel with his father. He said it was to
earn money for the wedding but maybe it was to get him out of debt.”

“Either way, he’s been arrested by the NSO. Does that upset
you?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “He just walked out and left
me with Bruce and his father. He had to know what they were planning. He wasn’t
even surprised about the drugging. He was angrier that I’d gone into the bar
instead of returning to my room the way he’d told me to do. He’s not a nice
person.”

It was a relief to Smiley. “That’s right. He’s not. There’s
more.”

She shifted on the bed and he was pleasantly surprised when
she curled into him, resting her face against his chest. He released her hand
and pulled her closer. It felt right having her in his arms and that she seemed
to understand his need to touch her as often as possible. He played with her
hair.

“What else?”

The information had infuriated him when he’d been told what
the investigation had revealed. “Did you agree to let Carl purchase a life insurance
policy on you?”

“Sure. We discussed it when we got engaged. He wanted us
both protected in case something happened to one of us. We were going to do it
after the wedding.”

“He bought a policy two months ago and insured you for a
million dollars, Vanni.”

She tensed in his arms and her chin lifted. “He said it
would be about a hundred grand on each of us. Just enough to cover the costs of
a funeral and pay off what he said he still owed on his house so I wouldn’t be
left in debt.”

“He only got a policy on you. There wasn’t one for him. I
feel he may have planned to harm you once you were married.”

She paled and her fingers curled around his forearm. He
brushed a kiss on her forehead. “You’re safe now. I just don’t want you to feel
bad for him, Vanni. He’s not a decent human. He deserves to be locked up.”

“Beth always said he was a snake. I guess now I know why he
didn’t care if his father ended up hurting or killing me. It would have saved
him the trouble of getting rid of me himself. Why didn’t I see it?”

“Humans can be deceiving. You are the type to want to see
good in people. That’s not a flaw. It’s a good trait.”

“I’m an idiot.”

“No.” He leaned in and stared into her eyes. “You’re sweet
and I don’t want that to change about you. He fooled you. That’s his shame, not
yours.”

“He’s really an ass.”

“Exactly. I don’t want you to forget that. He doesn’t
deserve your sympathy or compassion. I’m going to ask him about it tomorrow. I’ll
get the truth.”

She nodded. “Are you going to hit him?”

He was torn on how to answer. When he’d heard about that
life insurance policy and Tim’s assumption that Carl planned to kill Vanni for
profit it had made him see red—Carl’s blood, to be exact. She might not
appreciate him beating on a male she’d once cared about though.

“It would be okay.” She caressed his arm. “I even want to
hit him.”

He grinned. “You’re my female. I’m certain I’ll lose my
temper and punch him a few times. You can watch, if you wish.”

She shook her head. “I’ll pass. Just don’t get arrested for
assault and I’m fine with whatever you want to do to him. As you said, I won’t
feel bad for him.”

She wasn’t into violence. He appreciated that about her.
Vanni had a gentle, tender soul. It was one of the things he loved about her.
She also seemed to accept him just as he was.

“They captured Bruce as well.” He tried to keep the anger
out of his voice but that was a male he wanted to harm. “He will pay for the
threats he made and for Tasering you.”

She shivered at just the mention of the male. “I’m glad he’s
off the streets. I think he could potentially turn into a serial killer or
something equally as bad, if he’s not already. I’ll sleep better at night
knowing he can’t hurt anyone.”

Her words brought a gruff rumble from deep within his chest.
Vanni’s eyes widened but she didn’t pull away.

“That’s my pissed-off-I’m-going-to-hurt-him noise,” he
explained. “It’s not directed at you.”

“I know. That sound is kind of sexy.”

That surprised him. “You think so?”

“Yes. I like how protective you are. You’re totally going to
kick his ass, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

She released his arm and flattened her palm on his chest,
exploring it. He tightened his abs and lowered his gaze, watching her. His dick
hardened further when she gently pushed against him. He leaned back, giving her
access. Her chin rose and a slight blush tinged her cheeks.

“Is it okay to touch you?”

“Anywhere, anytime,” he rasped. “I encourage it.” The phone
rang and Smiley muffled a groan. “I have to get that.”

He regretted pulling away from her to reach across the bed.
He just wanted to make love to his Vanni. His frustration sounded in his voice.
“What?”

“Is this a bad time?” Jericho asked. “Were you sharing sex?”

“We were about to.”

“Don’t answer the phone when you’re naked, Smiley. Here’s a
tip. You can always return calls later when you’re done bonding with your mate.”

“That’s why you called? To give me obvious advice?”

“No. The helicopter is leaving at nine in the morning. They
moved up the flight. Gregory Woods faked a heart attack, hoping Medical would
send him to a human hospital. It was a pathetic attempt on his part to escape.
He’s irritating everyone at Reservation to the point that they want to hand him
over to Fuller Prison as soon as possible. I spoke to Torrent and he’s ready to
shoot the male himself. He said the human is wailing and whining constantly and
it’s hurting his ears.”

“Thank you for letting us know.”

“Go bond with your mate.” The phone disconnected.

Vanni gave him a curious look after he returned the phone to
the cradle and faced her. “Is everything okay?”

It was a reminder that she was human. Jericho had a voice
that carried and a Species would have overheard the conversation, sitting so
close to him.

“Fine.” He stretched out next to her. “You can touch me.” He
was hopeful she still wanted to. “That was my friend Jericho. Gregory is
annoying everyone at Reservation. We’re flying there earlier in the morning
than planned.”

She lay on her side against him and placed her palm on his
stomach. He tried to keep his breathing slow and steady but his heart raced.
Her touch excited him as her fingertips stroked over his lower ribs.

“Why?”

“They want to transfer him to Fuller Prison. That’s where we
send humans who commit crimes against Species. It’s run by humans.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s a secret location that humans don’t know about. We
didn’t want to put our people in the position of being jailors to the ones who
harmed them. It didn’t seem fair or right to punish them by suffering their presence
after they were sent away.”

Her gaze lifted and she smiled. “That sounds really smart.”

“We try.” He caught his breath when her fingers played
lower, just under his bellybutton. She turned her head a little and grinned at
the state of his lower half.

“I told you that I really enjoy your touch.”

“I see.”

“I get hard for you.”

“I see that too.” She lifted her hand away and he muffled a
groan of protest.

Vanni sat up and climbed down the bed a bit, putting her
closer to his hips. She rolled over onto her knees, a position that made him
wish he were behind her. Color flooded her cheeks but she smiled.

“So we’re like married, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not real forward but I would like you to do something.
Is that okay?”

“Anything.”

She laughed. “I didn’t even tell you what I want you to do.
You really should ask before agreeing to it or I could take advantage of that.
What if I said I wanted you to take out the trash?”

“You’re not mean. I’m hopeful that it’s something sexual.”

Her laughter was the best sound ever. Her hand came down on
his thigh, the touch gentle when she gripped him just inches away from his
dick. It jerked in response, hopeful too.

“You’d do anything for me?”

“Yes. Name it.”

Her humor faded to a sincere expression. “You’re amazing.”

“I’m grateful you think so. What would you like me to do, my
Vanni?” His gaze lowered to her thighs and he remembered she was shy. “Would
you like my mouth on you?”

She sucked in a sharp breath, drawing his attention. The
blush returned and he grinned. He could tell by her reaction that she wasn’t
opposed to it. He sat up a little, prepared to do it, but she shook her head.
He froze.

“I’d like to know if you’ll lie real still and let me, um…”
She swallowed hard and shot a quick glance at his dick. “Um, you know. On you.
I don’t think I’m really good at it but practice, right? I want to. Would you
mind?”

“You want to put your mouth on me?” He winced a little at
the gruff tone of his voice. He cleared his throat. “That’s a yes.”

She was adorable when she blushed even more and ducked her
head. Her hair created a curtain, obstructing his view of his dick when she
leaned over him. He slid flat and fisted his hands to avoid touching her. The
soft strands of hair tickled his belly but he suppressed it. He was afraid he’d
startle her or make her change her mind if he moved it. Hot breath fanned the
crown of his dick and he closed his eyes.

“You can do anything,” he managed to get out. “I’m all
yours.”

Her hot, wet mouth wrapped around the head of his dick and
every muscle in his body grew rigid. The feel of her tongue hesitantly licking
at him, tasting him, made his nuts ache. He eased his legs apart very slightly,
hoping she wouldn’t notice. She took a little more of his shaft and moved up
and down, stroking him in a way that made everything around them fade into
nothingness. It was just Vanni and the pleasure she inflicted upon him. He
clenched his teeth to avoid making sounds.

She stopped, releasing him. “Am I doing okay?”

Sweat beaded on his forehead and he opened his eyes. “Yes.”

“You’re sure? You’re really tense and you are kind of
breathing weird.”

“I’m trying not to scare you.”

She twisted her head and lifted it, tossing her hair out of
the way. Their gazes met and her eyes widened. “Your face is red. I am bad at
this, aren’t I?”

“You’re perfect. I swear. I just am afraid I’ll startle you
if I make noises and I don’t want you to stop. It is so amazing when you do
that.”

She didn’t seem convinced.

“Remember my mouth on you? It’s that good.”

“It’s so good it almost hurts but in the best way?”

“Yes.”

She surprised him when she suddenly moved and pushed against
his inner thigh with her hand. He spread wider and she climbed between his
legs, facing him on her hands and knees. She opened her hands on him just above
his knees and gently pushed. He spread more, having no idea what she was doing,
but he’d let her do anything.

“Okay. Make noises. They turn me on, remember? Just don’t
grab my hair to keep me in place and choke me by forcing me to take all of you,
okay?”

He was stunned and horrified. “Why would I do that?”

She grinned. “Here we go. You don’t have to warn me before
you come. Just do it.”