Justice

Chapter Twelve

Oh shit. Well, I said I wanted him to stop holding back. I guess I should have been careful of what I wished for. Jessie pushed back her thoughts, gave him a thorough once-over and arched her eyebrows.

“Nice language. That will put me in the mood. That’s sarcasm, if you missed the point. Forget about it, Justice. Why don’t you just piss on the corner of the bed to mark your territory?”

He growled but Jessie wasn’t afraid anymore. Her shock had worn off and she was prepared for him now. He was jealous. It irritated her more than anything. He didn’t want her but he didn’t want anyone else to be with her either.

“If you think I’m going to let you come at me that way, think again. You dumped me. You need to leave until you know what you want. Then we’ll talk.”

Justice stalked around the edge of the bed with his arms still open. He planned to grab her instead of taking off and she backed into the space between a window and the headboard. She wasn’t going to dive through glass.

“I know what I want. You.”

“Stop.”

He halted but didn’t look happy about it. His gaze held hers, his nostrils flared and his arms lowered to his sides. “No. Come to me, Jessie.”

She shook her head. “I’m not that easy, baby.” She used his own term to address him. “You climbed out a window last night to hide the fact that we’re seeing each other.

If that wasn’t bad enough, you never came back. I waited up for you and it pisses me off to be treated that way.”

He frowned. “I was protecting everyone.”

“You were being an ass and you could have slept in my bed but you didn’t. No one would have known if you’d sneaked back inside. I covered for you and masked your scent with the officers. They had no idea you’d been here.”

“You want to argue right now?” He glanced down at his straining sex and then at her.

She nearly laughed at his frustrated expression. She wanted him, he was naked in her bedroom and they could always talk later. All that arguing, the fear and now the anger made her feel alive. The bottom line was that she wanted him and he wanted her.

He wasn’t questioning being with her at that moment. She reached for her shirt, saw his eyes widen as he watched her open it and took her sweet time undressing. She was going to make him pay a little for the crap he’d put her through.

She threw her shirt at him and he caught it. Her bra came off next, another item she tossed his way. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her clothing and blindly dropped them on the floor. It was easy to tell he wanted to lunge at her but he held back, fighting for control again. Now that they were on the same page about ending up in bed together, she wanted him to come at her the way he had before she’d kicked him.

Her thumbs hooked her underwear at her hips and she turned a little, kept him in view and slowly wiggled her ass as she lowered them. His gaze fixated there, a purr coming from him and he watched her bend until she stepped out of them. She left them on the floor, her hands gripped the side of the bed and peered over her shoulder.

“What? Do you want a written invitation to join me? Why don’t you climb on the bed first and we’ll discuss our issues later?”

He moved fast, came at her instead of the bed and his hands gripped her hips. She hadn’t expected that or to be lifted, twisted in the air and dumped onto her back on the soft mattress. She bounced once and hands gripped her inner thighs. He spread them far apart, bent them up and totally exposed her pussy. Her gaze lowered and she realized his cock was inches from entering her. She tensed a little, afraid he might just fuck her outright when she really wanted a little foreplay first.

“You invited me to dinner but I just want to eat you,” he rasped.

His words sank in as he took a step back, bent over her and his hair fell forward to land on her lower belly. He brushed a kiss on her inner thigh, his hold adjusted on her legs and he feasted on her clit. Jessie threw her head back, fisted the comforter and moaned at the instant pleasure his hot mouth gave her. His tongue rasped over the sensitive bud rapidly, drawing her passion to explosive levels and she released the bedding to cup her own breasts. She squeezed them, adding to the experience and vibrations were added to the mix as a deep purr came from Justice.

“Oh God, I love when you do that,” she panted. “I’m so close, baby. Don’t stop or slow down.”

He vibrated faster, that sexy sound grew louder and Jessie cried out as the climax hit fast and furiously. She bucked her hips but his strong hands held her pinned to the mattress, his mouth released her and he finally let go of her inner thighs. She opened her eyes and watched him climb over her in a way that reminded her that he was part panther. He made her a believer with the way he seemed to gracefully prowl up her body. Their gazes met and his mouth descended to take hers in a kiss that stole her breath.

She hooked her calves over the back of his ass as he drove into her. His cock parted her vaginal walls in one swift thrust. She cried out against his tongue and he snarled, tearing away from the kiss. She had over two hundred forty pounds of unrestrained male fucking her into oblivion as he rode her hard and fast. The ecstasy of being taken that way, of how good he felt, sent her into a second climax.

Justice twisted a little, shoved his face into the bedding next to her and roared out when he followed her as her vaginal walls contracted around his thick shaft. The sound didn’t hurt her ears this time, muffled a lot by the covers and she clung to him, only then realizing her arms were wrapped around his shoulders.

She explored his warm back with wandering hands, loved the feel of having him on top of her, inside her. Justice kept his face down against the bedding, his arms braced enough to keep his upper chest from smothering her with his weight and she turned to brush kisses on his neck.

“That was amazing.”

He lifted his head, met her gaze and frowned. “I wasn’t gentle.”

“I’m not complaining. The amazing part was a compliment.” She grinned. “The best quickie ever.”

A sound rumbled in his throat—a cute one of displeasure—and his face hovered inches above her own. He shifted his weight and one hand cupped the side of her face.

His thumb brushed her cheek, caressing it.

“I’m sorry I lost my temper and acted so…”

“Dickish? Anal? Jealous?” She was happy to suggest words when he seemed at a loss.

His exotic gaze narrowed. “Gruff,” he decided. “I admit to the jealousy. If you ever allow someone else to touch you, I will kill him, Jessie. I will tear him apart. Do you understand me?”

Her smile faded. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

Anger flashed in those beautiful eyes. “Yes. The thought makes me killing mad.”

His voice deepened. “Just the thought of another male kissing you, putting his hands on you, even—”

“I get it,” she cut him off before he really got worked up. “Real bad shit and violence. A coroner will have his level of gross tested.” She shifted her hands to press against his chest, her fingers caressing him. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

“There are no negotiations here.”

“Stop telling me it’s over, that we can’t see each other, and you won’t have a reason to feel jealous because I don’t cheat.” She held his gaze. “I’d have a guy in my life and in my bed. I don’t need two. I just want you.”

His anger eased. “It’s not that simple.”

“Nothing in life worth having is.”

“I made a commitment to my people and getting involved with you adds to the problems we have.” He took a deep breath and his anger faded to be replaced by sadness as he stared into her eyes. “I can think of a thousand reasons why it’s a bad idea to be with you but I’m still here. You’re my one weakness, Jessie. I want you and it seems logic doesn’t help me stay away.”

It made her melt a little inside for him to admit that. “What kind of problems do you think being with me is going to cause? Talk to me.”

“As soon as it comes out that we’re dating, it’s just going to drive those hate groups into another frenzy about how we’re animals and how wrong it is that we’re allowed to live. The religious fanatics are going to scream about the sins of animals having sex with humans.” A small smile curved his lips. “It felt sinful, it was that great, but you get the point.”

She chuckled. “Yeah. The up side is that most people think those groups are full of idiots and don’t listen to them.”

“They terrorize the gates, make death threats, and I have other things to consider as well.” His humor vanished. “They’ll target you. We’ve learned this firsthand. They don’t just come after us but the women we are with. You wouldn’t be able to leave Homeland without being in danger.”

“I’m good at taking care of myself and I happen to work and live here now. I’m not real worried about that.” She ran her hands to his shoulders, massaging the tension there and shrugged her own. “I hate shopping so I sure won’t miss the malls and I can buy anything as long as I have the internet. What’s next?”

He hesitated and his attention shifted to her hair, spread out over the bed. She knew he was avoiding something and wiggled under him to pull his focus back to her eyes. He met her gaze and she arched her eyebrows.

“What else? Talk to me, damn it. You can totally be honest. Just spill.”

“Your father.”

The two words had a chilly effect on her. “Right. My dad. Yeah, that could be a problem.”

“He might pull his support from our cause and he represents New Species in Washington. We count on him and it would get sticky if he found out about us. Messy.

Ugly. It could hurt my people.”

“He’ll take us being together well. I’m not worried about that at all. He’s a public figure though, Mr. Reputation, and there might be a shit storm about his job if his daughter—me—is with you. Some might call for him to resign because he’s too emotionally invested, considering.” She chewed on her bottom lip.

“He won’t accept you being with me.”

She relaxed. “He’ll be thrilled as long as I’m happy. Trust me on that. I’m more worried about his job than anything else. Representing New Species has become his p—

” She halted that line of talk, cut off saying “pet project” since that probably wasn’t the best term to use considering Justice might take offense. She cleared her throat. “Passion in life,” she substituted.

Justice sighed. “Exactly. Us being together might cause a lot of trouble for everyone and…”

“And what?”

“We’re not sure where this is heading.”

“Right.” She agreed. “We barely know each other.”

“That’s why I wanted to avoid seeing you,” he admitted. “We should really consider this, Jessie.”

“I want to be with you and this is where you want to be too. Am I wrong?”

“No.”

“Okay.” She sighed. “So there’re only two reasonable things we can do. It’s either stop seeing each other, which we don’t want to do, or we could just not mention we’re seeing each other to anyone until we’re sure there’s something to tell them.”

He studied her. “You wouldn’t be hurt if we kept our relationship a secret? I’m not ashamed to be with you. You accused me of that and it’s not true.”

“It’s just kind of smart right now if we keep things between us, right? I think we both agree it’s for the best considering all that’s at stake. I really don’t want to cause trouble for my dad or get those lunatics at the gates stirred up. Your poor officers already put up with so much harassment from them. I’d hate to add to it.”

He frowned. “I don’t believe in lying.”

“Not telling isn’t lying.” She smiled. “At least I’ve been assured of that from my father but he’s in politics. Just pretend you’re dealing with the press. You’ve had to learn how to handle them. As long as we’re totally honest with each other that is all that should matter.” She cupped his face. “So how about it, Justice? Do you want to secretly date? Minus the dating part because that would mean someone would see us together.”

She chuckled. “I’m not big on going out to dinner or a movie anyway. I like quiet evenings at home.”

“You’re perfect.”

“Oh, I wish that were true. You’re staying the night, right? I’ve yet to get to sleep with you and they say the third time is a charm.”

“Try to get me out of your bed.” He put more weight down to pin her securely under him.

“I’m too tired and I have no motivation to move you since I like you exactly where you are. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night and I know it’s early but I’m tired.”

“I didn’t either. I wanted to come back but I didn’t know if you’d welcome me after I fled to avoid detection. I’m sorry about that. I don’t want to hurt you but I have to think about my people and everything I do reflects on them. I’ve felt so torn.”

“I understand that more than you can imagine. My father suffered if my brother or I screwed up while growing up. Everything we do reflects on him and you represent Species to the world. You’ve got a lot in common with him but not in a creepy, I’m-having-sex-with-someone-like-my-dad way.”

He laughed, his body shook over hers and he grinned. “You make me happy, Jessie.

I’m so glad you came into my life. You’re a breath of sunshine in the dark stillness my life has become.”

“You just rock my world and my headboard.”

Amusement looked really good on him, she decided, admiring his handsome features. She was pleased he wasn’t trying to deny that something was between them anymore. She understood why he’d been reluctant to keep seeing her. Every concern he’d mentioned was valid for both of them. She had become dedicated to protecting and locating Species, not causing them more grief. They’d just keep their involvement private. It would avoid problems and it didn’t make sense to stir a hornet’s nest until they were sure of where their relationship was headed.

“At least we didn’t set off any alarms tonight.” He slowly withdrew from her body and rolled onto his side, opened his arms and silently urged her closer.

Jessie didn’t hesitate to snuggle into his warm embrace. It felt amazing to be sheltered against him and that feeling of being where she belonged, with whom she belonged, hit her again. She didn’t allow it to freak her out since she was too tired to worry about possible future heartbreak. He was worth the risk.

“Sleep, Jessie,” he rasped, kissing the top of her head. “I’m here and I’m not leaving.”

“This is nice,” she admitted. “You should sleep here every night.”

Justice’s heart squeezed at Jessie’s soft invitation to share her bed on a permanent basis. He wanted to. Longing struck hard and fast to do just that. The idea of her belonging to him brought out emotions he’d never experienced before. He closed his eyes, inhaled her scent and his arms tightened around her.

This happiness must be what Fury, Slade and Valiant feel when they hold their mates. That thought jerked his eyes open and his heart raced. The idea of keeping Jessie at his side, in his bed and committing to her in every way didn’t strike fear into his heart. It left him feeling achy and his cock hardened in response, wanting to claim her.

Damn. Calm, he silently urged his body. Jessie’s breathing had changed, she slept peacefully against him and he refused to wake her to make love to her again so soon.

He held back a snort. He had taken her in a way that wouldn’t have been considered loving in anyone’s book. He’d been too rough, too frenzied to show her he was her male and that only he should be the one in her bed.

The memory of storming into her house shamed him. He would have killed Night or Sword if he’d discovered one of them trying to share sex with his Jessie. The rage lingered, just thinking about another male putting his hands on his woman. Mine. Yeah.

That’s how I think of her and I have it bad. He pulled her flush with his body, held her a little tighter, making sure he didn’t crush her. She felt tiny compared to him, fragile, and his protective instincts flared to life as never before.

It wasn’t easy to admit he would have killed one of his own males but he didn’t shy away from the truth. For Jessie he’d have done it. He would have regretted it later but he’d still have Species blood on his hands. It was unsettling to realize how deeply his feelings had grown in such a short time.

A soft buzz drew his attention and he carefully shifted Jessie enough to free his body, careful not to wake her, and roll away. He had to answer his phone or someone would search his home to make sure he was well and discover he wasn’t there. It annoyed him as he eased out of bed, grabbed his torn pants and rushed out of her bedroom while he pulled the cell out of the intact pocket.

“Justice here.” He hadn’t glanced at the caller ID.

“Sorry. Were you eating? In the shower? It took you five rings to answer. I don’t want to hear about it if you were in the bathroom doing other things.” Tiger chuckled.

“This couldn’t be put off.”

“I ate before I left the office. I was just away from my phone. What is it?”

“Guess who showed up at the gate demanding to see you right away? It’s your favorite reporter and she’s waiting for a response.”

“No.” Irritation flashed. “I refuse to talk to that female again.”

“She’s being adamant. She’s threatening to headline the morning’s paper with news of a Species getting married to a human at Reservation.”

He walked into the living room and paced. “It doesn’t matter. Tammy told her friends and it was bound to get out that Valiant married her. They were already photographed together when she was kidnapped and the team tracked her and rescued her. I expected this to happen.”

“Okay. Don’t you always say it’s better to be polite to these vultures than to make them angry enough to shred us in their newspapers?”

“I refuse to allow that female near me again.”

Tiger laughed. “She wants a piece of Justice.”

He growled in response. “She’s a menace who believes I’m too stupid to know she’s attempting to seduce me to gain access to classified information. She’s not looking for a mate but instead a series of exclusive stories to boost her career.”

“She is cute though a bit too talkative.”

“I swore I’d never allow her another interview after the last one.”

“I wish I could have seen your face when she showed you her boobs.” Tiger snorted. “I wouldn’t have minded seeing them. How did you get out of that mess?”

“I yelled for my secretary to come into office and chaperone the rest of the interview. You talk to the reporter. She may show her breasts again if she believes you’re gullible enough to believe she’s sincere in her sexual interest in you and thinks she can sweet-talk information out of you in bed.”

“Hell no. I’m avoiding human females. I’m too smart for that.”

Justice remained silent, unable to say anything since Jessie slept down the hallway, their mingled scent of passion still teasing his nose and keeping his dick hard from wanting her again.

“I’ll deal with the vulture. I’ll tell her that you aren’t here but had to fly to Reservation for a meeting. Speaking of, Miles Eron called to remind you that you’re due at his office at nine in the morning.”

“Great.” He refrained from snarling, tired of meetings.

“They are worried about our image and that’s why we hired him.” Tiger paused.

“They’ll ask you to dye your hair again. It’s getting dark. You know how our media consultants are.”

“It’s torture when they mess with me. That shit stinks.”

“That’s why I’m glad I’m not you. I’ll deal with the booby flasher and you get back to whatever you were doing.”

Justice hesitated. “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course.”

“I’m tired, Tiger. I’d like one night of uninterrupted sleep. Can you just handle anything that arises and make sure I’m not disturbed?”

Sympathy welled in the other male’s tone. “Of course. You deserve that and so much more. I’ll take care of anything that comes up. Sleep and rest. That meeting in the morning is going to be hell and we both know they are going to have that woman at the office waiting to dye your hair. I’ll stay at the office and route all calls here for that reason alone.”

“Thank you.”

“Get some sleep and don’t worry. I’ve got everything handled and I’ll call the officers to make sure they steer clear of your house. I don’t want them patrolling too close and waking you.”

“That isn’t necessary. I already told them to avoid my home.”

“They worry about you and want to make certain you are safe. We can’t allow anything to happen to you.” Tiger laughed. “Nobody else wants your job. Everyone needs you too badly because there’s not one of us who could keep so calm regardless of what the humans say or do. You’re the most tolerant, well mannered of us all. We’d be in a world of shit if you were killed because no one else could hold it all together.”

Justice’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t think that’s true.”

“It is.” All humor left Tiger’s voice. “That’s why I’m going to make damn sure you get some sleep. We’re screwed without you. Sleep deep, my man.” He hung up.

Justice closed his phone, gripped it in his fist and barely avoided crushing the thing.

He stared down the hallway toward where Jessie slept. He’d never imagined wanting anything more than caring for his people and making sure they succeeded in merging with the world outside the testing facilities. One sexy, fiery redhead had changed his life. He wanted her but he doubted he could have both.

He left his phone on the table in the hallway, closed her bedroom door and glanced at the clock. It was early to go to bed but he was tired of his life, exhausted from shouldering so much responsibility and heartsick that one day soon he’d have to give up Jessie for the good of his people.

He crawled into her bed, inhaled her scent and pulled her into his arms. She murmured his name in her sleep, brushed a kiss on his chest when her face nuzzled against him and he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Being Justice North sucked but for now he was going to have the one thing he wanted most. He closed his eyes, determined to enjoy every second he could spend with Jessie.