Shadow (New Species #9)(14)

“You’re female.”
“And? Does that mean I couldn’t stand a chance of surviving if one of them came after me?” She couldn’t see winning that fight either since men were so much stronger.
“It means they wouldn’t wish to hunt you.” He walked away into the kitchen to wash his hands.
She stared at his back and allowed his words to sink in. “Sex?”
He visibly stiffened as he shut off the water. “Yes.” He dried his hands on a towel and opened the fridge to inspect the contents. She couldn’t see his face. “Don’t worry. I’m here and none of them will get close to you. Just don’t go outside without me there to protect you in case one of them is brazen enough to cross the boundary lines I set.”
“Shadow?” She said his name softly, wishing he’d quit avoiding her.
He slowly closed the door and turned his head until his blue gaze found her. “Yes?”
“You could just tell me that. Are you afraid one of them will seek me out to offer to share sex?”
“No. I’m afraid one of them might try to grab you and take you home with him. I warned Brass that I am not good at tracking. I have a keen sense of smell but I’m not used to the woods. It might take time to find you. Don’t go anywhere without me. I want you to promise you’ll lock yourself in the cabin if trouble arises. I’ll handle it.”
“I promise.” She didn’t want to be kidnapped. “Would they hurt me if that were to happen?” 
“They know you’re Gift but some of them aren’t right in their heads. They wouldn’t realize the emotional trauma they caused and might attempt to urge you strongly into sharing sex.”
“Seduction?”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Yes.”
“I told you, I read.” She hugged her chest. “I wasn’t aware felines or canines did that when they were interested in a woman. Usually they try to impress one by other means instead of carrying her off.”
“It’s the human in us.” He took a step closer but paused. “That’s the part that makes us go after and take something if we want it badly enough. You’re a temptation to a lonely male.” His gaze lowered. “You are attractive. Small. You couldn’t fight back well and they’d be eager to protect you.”
“Protect or seduce?”
“Both.”
“What about your instincts? What do you think when you look at me?”
He cleared his throat and turned away. “Are you hungry? I could fix us sandwiches.”
“Shadow?”
He opened the fridge. “They really stocked it well. There is enough lunchmeat here to feed an army.” He closed it and jerked open the freezer side. “It’s mostly full of meat. I’ll thaw some steaks for dinner. I’m a good cook. Do you enjoy your meat fully cooked or just seared?”
“Fully cooked. You’re not going to answer my question, are you?”
“No. I am not. I’m here to protect you.”
“No, you aren’t going to answer that question about your instincts or you aren’t going to be tempted to seduce me?” She was stunned that she’d spoken her thoughts but didn’t regret it. She wanted to know where he stood on the issue.
Shadow smothered a growl. The female should be timid but she acted as if she were a female officer with her blunt questions. They made him feel uncomfortable, though he admired her courage. He slammed the freezer closed and cut his gaze her way as he placed the frozen meat on the counter.
The expression on her face sliced his heart a little. She appeared fragile and a little frightened. “You are safe with me. My instincts are in check.”
She squeezed her chest a little tighter—he didn’t miss that fact or anything else about her. Her breathing quickened and her eyes were wider. She appeared ready to bolt and he tried to seem less threatening as he took a step back.
“I know you wouldn’t do anything harmful to me.”
“Your body language implies otherwise.”
“I’m not used to speaking to men. I’m just nervous.”
“There’s no need.” An idea came to him and he sank to his knees. It made them almost eye level. “I give you my word of honor that I’d never do anything to purposely frighten you or cause you alarm. Relax. I hate seeing your defensive stance.”
She glanced down her body and dropped her arms to her sides. Her gaze lifted to meet his. “I do that when I’m unsure of a situation. I’ve always been alone and only had myself to hold when I don’t know how to handle something. Why are you on your knees?”
“To show you that we are on the same level. I don’t want my size to frighten you.”
“I’m actually comforted by it.” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “You make me feel safe. You could handle anyone who might seek me out, right?”
He hated the way his chest tightened a little over figuring out the root of her fear. “I’d battle any male who came after you to the death. No one would get past me. I am not good at tracking from lack of opportunity but I do know how to fight. That is one skill you can depend on.”She took a hesitant step closer and then another until she paused in front of him. He could have reached out to touch her and was tempted to do just that. He resisted. Her eyes were softer now and all the tension had faded away.
“What else would you do for me?”
“What do you want?” His heart hammered and he hated where his thoughts traveled. Breeze was sure the Gift Female wanted to share sex. His dick reacted by filling with blood as he waited for her answer.
The idea of touching her made him feel a mixture of fear and eagerness. He couldn’t deny wanting Beauty. She scented of something sweet and feminine but not of arousal. No fear lingered in the air and he took her word. Gratitude flooded him that she had that much confidence in him. It was a slight miracle in itself after what had been done to her during her captivity. He just wished he trusted himself as much.
Images flashed through his mind of the ordeal he’d suffered. Beauty’s features weren’t fully Species. Her perky nose and rounded eyes left no doubt that she wasn’t canine or feline. The facial anomalies were much slighter than most Species. Her small body was very human. Fragile. Delicate. Easily bruised. A cold sweat broke out on his upper lip and forehead while he battled the urge to reach for her. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to just hold her to assure her she was safe or if he wanted to do more.
Her lips beckoned. He knew what kissing was and wanted to experience it. The task force males had given him graphic details about how to do it once they’d learned he’d never shared that with a female. The few females who had been brought to him to share sex at Mercile hadn’t been with him long enough to want to want that intimacy. “Could you forget that I’m Gift and treat me as though I were just a person?” Longing flashed in her gaze when he forced his focus higher. “That’s what I want from you.”
Her hand shook when it lifted and every muscle tightened as it drew closer to his cheek. It hovered so close he could feel the heat of her but she didn’t touch him. It dropped away.
“I can do that,” he got out.
“Stop being so concerned that you’re terrifying me because you don’t.” She stepped away.
He watched her as she stared out the window. Shadow reached down to tuck his dick farther down his thigh to hide its condition before she noticed and rose to his feet. “I could do that.”
“Good.” She smiled when she peered at him over her shoulder. “Let’s eat and then go see this river. I bet it’s pretty.”
“We can do that later. We have plenty of time. I’d like to get us settled first and check out the area before I take you for a walk.” He fought to keep his voice level. He wanted to growl in frustration that she hadn’t asked him to carry her to bed to strip her naked and share sex. 
Don’t go there, he ordered. I could harm her with my lack of experience. They should have sent someone else. I’m not the right male to be near her. Self-disgust flashed through him over the arousal he suffered, knowing it was wrong. “I am going to go out back and carry in firewood first. We’ll have a fire tonight. Would you enjoy that?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be right back.” He darted out the door, closing it behind him, and leaned against it. He had to adjust his dick again and ground his teeth in frustration. He hadn’t made it half an hour without wishing to strip her bare.
“Shit.” He took a deep breath and pushed away from the cabin. He’d be carrying wood all right. His hand slid down to adjust his stiff shaft to a more comfortable walking position. “Get control,” he muttered to himself.
Beauty grinned and hugged her chest. Her gaze returned to the window, surprisingly reflective of the kitchen behind her. She hadn’t missed it when Shadow’s hand had gone to the front of his pants before he’d risen to his feet. There was only reason he’d grab that area. He was interested in physical interaction as well but tried to hide it.
Now she just had to figure out how to get him to initiate the sex. Her mind skimmed through everything she’d learned while watching movies and reading romance novels. That knowledge seemed sadly lacking when faced with a flesh-and-blood man, giving her the opportunity to experience good sex firsthand—the teasing, laughter, closeness and soft touches. The joy.