“Okay, enough of the pep talk before he shows up and hears me talking to myself.”

He relaxed. She turned away from the mirror and exited the bathroom, flipping off the light as she went. He switched the feed. She entered the bedroom and stared at the bed. The vulnerable look on her face made him regretful. He had asked her to trust him when he wasn’t willing to do the same. No female would ever be allowed to tie him to a bed. He shuddered at the thought.

He closed the laptop and rose. A quick trip to the bathroom gained him what he wanted and then he left through the backdoor, quickly scanning the area to make sure no one saw him cross to her yard. It was clear of patrols so he entered her home through the slider, closing and locking it behind him. He even closed the curtain over the glass.

Kat turned when he entered her bedroom. The expression on her face smoothed out and she attempted to hide her fear. The slight tremble of her hands as they reached up to grip her towel gave away her true emotions. She noticed his hand holding the box of condoms. Her eyebrows arched.

“What are those for?”

“Us.”

She licked her lips. “I don’t have any diseases and everything I’ve ever read stated you’re immune to sexually transmitted diseases.” She held his gaze. “Was that bullshit?”

“Do you want every Species in your class tomorrow to know I f**ked you? They would unless I pull out. That’s not my preference. Our sense of smell is as good as I said it was. You’d have to soak in a bath for a long time to make certain every drop of me was washed away. Are you willing to risk that or would you rather take precautions?” He glanced at the box then her. “As I said, I want this kept just between us.”

She took a deep breath. “I understand.”

He moved to the wall shelves, removing a roll of condoms as he went and placed the box in front of the hidden camera. It would just show the color of the box and not allow anyone to see what happened in the bedroom. He couldn’t be sure that Fury wouldn’t override his secure access and watch Kat if he believed Darkness might be a danger to her. He also used his thumb to crush the tiny audio transmitter located on the same shelf. Security feeds to this room would now be blind and deaf to everything they did.

He faced her and shoved the roll of condoms in his front pocket. “I’m going to borrow your pantyhose.”

“How do you know I own any?”

“I searched your suitcase before it was delivered. How are you doing without your cigarettes?”

“That so wasn’t cool.”

He didn’t feel regret. “They stink. Where are the pantyhose?”

“Top drawer, to your left.”

He turned, found them. He tested their strength and was happy with the results. He approached the headboard. “Drop the towel and get on the bed.”

She swallowed hard but allowed the towel to fall to the floor. He could see her wariness and kept his gaze locked with hers so she didn’t feel uncomfortable being completely na**d before him. He only glanced down her body when she lay flat on her back in the center of the bed, raising her arms upward until her fingertips curled around the wooden slats of the headboard. She gripped them a bit tightly, again showing her bravado was strained.

“Easy.” He sat on the edge of the bed, giving her his back to help put her at ease. “I won’t hurt you. You’ll have a little movement with the way I attach your hands to the headboard.”

“I’d feel a little better if I wasn’t actually tied down. You could just trust me to keep hold of the headboard.”

It was tempting but he shook his head. “Trust is earned, Kat. We’ve been over this. I need to be in control.”

“Right.” She closed her eyes. “I’m supposed to trust you but you don’t trust me.”

He wasn’t being fair. “I see your point but these are my terms.”

“Fine. Do it.”

She had delicate wrists. He tied the pantyhose around them and knotted the silky material so it wouldn’t tighten if she struggled. He kept her arms close together and secured them to the same bar. The headboard was solidly made and she wouldn’t be strong enough to break free. He rose and reached for the waistband of his pajama bottoms. Kat opened her eyes and stared at him. He saw a little fear in her gaze. It made him pause.

“You’ll enjoy this.” He decided to wait until later to strip out of the pants. She was already leery and he’d heard males complain that some human females were intimidated by the sizes of their dicks. The last thing he wanted was for Kat to change her mind. “Relax.”

“Easier said than done,” she muttered. She cleared her throat and swallowed. “Okay. What next, Mr. Control?”

He liked her spirit. She was a bit frightened but refused to give in to it. He rounded the bed, studying her. She was beautiful. Her body was fit but not overly muscled. Her frame was much smaller than a Species female with more fragile bones. Her pale skin would probably bruise easily if he didn’t touch her with care. He used his knee to brace his weight on the bed and leaned forward.

“Spread your thighs.”

“Just like that, huh?” The soft growl was a warning. “Okay. That’s kind of sexy.”

He smiled. “You think so?”

“Yeah. I like it when your voice deepens too.”

“Give me a few minutes and you might hear me snarl. You don’t scare easily, do you?”

“It depends on whether you’re angry or not.”