Smiley(73)
“I’m apparently dating the bear whisperer,” she muttered, stunned but impressed.
* * * * *
Smiley hummed while he dried the dishes. He even wiped down the already-clean counters and then folded the wet towel over the holder. It was tough not to go into the bedroom but he didn’t want Vanni feeling as if she had no privacy. He repositioned the coffee table and fluffed the couch cushions. One glance around assured him the room looked tidy. He lifted his backpack and set it inside the closet to keep it out of sight in case it reminded her that he planned to move in.
She hadn’t thrown a fit when he’d mentioned bringing enough clothing to last for days. A female Species would have picked up his bag and tossed it out the front door, ordering him to fetch. She’d have slammed and locked the door with him on the other side of it to prevent him from returning. He grinned, grateful Vanni was human.
The soft sound of clicking drew his attention and he stared at Vanni when she paused at the end of the tile hallway. The button-down shirt she wore hugged her breasts and ribs. He had thought she’d look good in it but hadn’t known she would keep a few buttons open at the top to reveal a hint of cleavage. His gaze lowered to the black form-fitting skirt that fell to mid thigh. Her rounded hips were accented and it made him want to touch them. She was short but the heels made her legs appear longer than they really were.
“Does this look bad?”
His gaze jerked up to her face. She wore no makeup and had just brushed her hair into a ponytail. He shook his head.
“The skirt is kind of short and the shirt is a little tight. I tried to button it all the way up but it gaped open over my bra.”
“You look perfect.” The compliment brought color to her cheeks and it angered him a little. It was as if males rarely told her she was appealing, when they should. He wouldn’t make that mistake. “You’re beautiful, Vanni.”
Her hands clasped over her lower belly and she straightened her shoulders. “Thank you. That’s sweet to say.”
He stalked closer. “Not sweet.” His attention strayed to the vee of the shirt and he licked his lips. “None of my thoughts are.”
She stared at him. “I don’t understand.”
He gently gripped her hands, stilling their motion “You look sexy and I’d like nothing better than to remove those clothes from you. I would toss you over my shoulder to take you back to bed if an SUV wasn’t waiting outside. I’m going to do that later though. Expect it.”
That seemed to surprise her. “I’m not even wearing makeup. I mean, I look a lot better with it on.”
“No, you don’t. I prefer you just like this.”
Her gaze lowered to his mouth and he wanted to kiss her. He knew better. He’d end up following through and taking her to the bedroom. As tempting as it was, he didn’t need Justice, Fury or Jericho on his ass for ruining their plans to dispel the horrible rumors the church had started. He didn’t care what humans thought of him but they’d damaged Vanni’s reputation as well.
“We need to leave.”
She nodded and finally stopped staring at his mouth. “Okay.”
“It’s going to be fine. I won’t leave your side.”
“I trust you.”
A warm feeling settled in his belly. That was one hurdle down in the path to gaining her as a mate. “Good. I would pity the human who tried to harm you.”
Her eyes widened.
He just smiled. “You’re mine to protect and I won’t fail you.” He released her hands and stepped back, offering his arm the way he’d seen gentlemen do in films. “Allow me, beautiful. Let me escort you to the SUV.”
Vanni curled her fingers around his forearm. He wished he’d worn a short-sleeved shirt so he could enjoy her touch better. He liked skin-to-skin contact. He glanced down as they walked forward, getting a better view of her cleavage. His dick stirred at the thought of putting his mouth there later. It took effort to contain his desire enough to control his physical reactions. A raging hard-on would be noticeable.
He led her outside. Slash, Jericho, Wager and Flame were the four males he’d requested for the Species team. They were human-friendly and trustworthy. He shot a warning glare at Wager, who stared a little too intently at Vanni’s legs. Wager frowned but averted his gaze immediately. Smiley paused beside them.
“You’ve met Wager and I heard you were introduced to Jericho yesterday, Vanni. This is Slash and Flame. They are friends of mine and have been assigned to protection duty. They will travel in our SUV with us. A second vehicle will carry our human task force team members.”