“Please, Slade.” She locked her gaze with his. “Don’t do this to me. You hurt me when you promised you’d come back for me but you didn’t. I had to kill two men and I had faith that you’d come help me but you didn’t. Two other men had to save me yet I still had hope that you’d show up. I needed you. I was worried sick until they told me you’d been found alive. I waited for you to come to me when they said you had arrived back at Homeland but you blew me off.”

“I did come back to you when you fired at those ass**les. I heard the shots but I realized Flame and Smiley reached you before I could. I wanted to save you but you didn’t need me.” He paused. “I also didn’t wish you to see me the way I was at the time. I’d killed a lot of men. I was afraid you’d see the blood, that it would make you rethink being with someone capable of that much violence, and that you wouldn’t believe that I’d never lay a finger on you to cause you pain. I’m not fully human and…” He paused, a pained expression lining his handsome face. “It was for the best if you didn’t see me that way. Just trust me on that. I want to be a male you’ll want, not one you’ll fear.”

Her resolve softened even more. He’s insecure about what he is and how I see him. He’s not such a hard-ass after all. She took a deep breath. “Slade, I know what you are. I know you’re not fully human but I accepted that. I was torn up inside over killing those men. I just wanted and needed you after I killed those men. You just walked away from me as though I meant nothing. I don’t know how you could do that if you care about me.”

“You were safe. That’s what mattered most to me. I was sure I’d scare you in the condition I was in at the time and I decided to go back into the woods instead to find the rest of those ass**les and make sure they were no longer a threat to you. I believed it was the right choice at the time. I made a mistake.”

“You gave me your word and you lied to me.”

“I’m so sorry. It seemed like the right decision at the time. I was also too out of control to hide my possessiveness of you. Anyone there would have known we’d bonded.”

“So you didn’t want anyone to know about what happened between us?” Anger and pain shot through her. “Well, guess what? Now some people know. I bet that just really humiliates you. I know, it’s not PC for New Species to sleep with a human, is it?”

“What is PC?”

“Politically correct. Some of you guys have sworn to never touch humans. It’s— Oh hell, get off me. I also hate to break this to you but your guys took one whiff of me and knew I’d had sex. At first they thought I’d been raped. I wouldn’t tell them a thing except I hadn’t been. I left your name out of it even after I got pregnant but Justice remembered how I smelled that night I was brought back to Homeland. At first he thought the father was Brass but when I told him I’d never touched him sexually, Justice knew it was you. You were the only strong scent left on me.”

“Don’t speak words that I did not say or even think. I’m not ashamed of you, Doc. I don’t care about what is PC. I was trying to protect your human nature. I know human women are very private about their sex lives and being with me put you in greater danger. Ellie and Fury are proof of that. I was also trying to protect you from what Ellie and Fury went through when they got together. Everyone bugged them about their sex life and hell, every time Fury touched her it seemed as though someone accused him of hurting her. That’s why I didn’t want those men to guess what had happened between us and I wasn’t sure if any humans were involved with the rescue who would witness us together.”

“I trusted you once and now I know I can’t. I―”

Slade’s mouth came down on hers and his lips brushed hers. He spoke against her lips. “I’m bad with words, sweet thing, but trust this.” Then he forced her mouth open under his.

Trisha tried not to feel but it was Slade kissing her. She wanted and loved him despite the pain he’d caused her. She’d always known her attraction to him wouldn’t be easy, him being New Species, her not being. They were worlds apart but when he touched her all those differences seemed to melt away until it was just the two of them. Her hands splayed on his chest, enjoying the warm feel of his skin as she started to kiss him back. Her mouth parted wider, admitting his hungry eagerness to bend her to his seduction. A moan escaped from the back of her throat.

Slade’s hands caressed her and his body turned, shifting hers with his, until they faced each other on their sides. His mouth never left hers, his tongue coaxing her passion higher. His hands gripped her nightshirt at the waist and material tore. He freed her br**sts to cup them with his palms. Strong fingers kneaded her softer flesh.

Trisha broke away from the kiss, breathing hard. “Slade?”

“Don’t tell me to stop. Please? I need you. You have no idea how much I want you, Trisha. I have hurt from how much I’ve missed you. I’m dying for you.”

His head lowered, his tongue rasped over her breast, and all thought left her when his mouth closed over her nipple. He sucked in hard tugs that made her stomach clench, her desire burn brighter, and he nipped her lightly with his teeth. Trisha’s entire body jerked from the sharp pinch of pleasure that jolted straight to her brain as a result. She moaned louder, running her hands along his chest to his shoulders, and dug her fingernails into his skin where they curved. Her mind warned to push him away but instead she pulled him closer.