“Okay.”

“You’re not returning to the apartment. I’m taking you home with me when I’m released from here.” He held his breath, afraid she’d refuse.

“I’d love to see your house.”

“You’ll live with me.” He saw surprise on her features and she swallowed.

“Okay but you have to follow the doctor’s orders so you get all better.”

“I’ll do that if you’re with me.”

She nodded.

He shoved the pillows out from behind him and eased onto his back. His arms opened and Zandy instantly curled against his side, pillowing her head on him. It felt right having her there. The teasing scent of her arousal softly filtered through his nose. It made his dick harden again as his senses returned.

“May I ask you something, Tiger?”

“What do you want to know?”

She hesitated.

“Ask me.”

“Why do you want me to live with you?”

You’re my mate. He didn’t say that aloud. She would be resistant to take one after two human males had failed to keep her happy. She’d chosen poorly in the past and he didn’t want to spook her. She’d need more time.

“I nearly lost you. I just want you with me.” He figured that was safe to say without her wanting to back away from him. “We enjoy sleeping together and you aren’t leaving Reservation. We’ll be more comfortable at my house.”

He heard a catch in her breath. “Okay.”

She didn’t say anything else and he relaxed again, grateful she wasn’t arguing. He’d get her addicted to him. She didn’t have a sense of smell to depend on but he wasn’t above using sex. A grin curved his lips. It would be a pleasure for both of them when he showed her just how happy he could make her if she agreed to be his mate.

* * * * *

Zandy had a hundred unanswered questions. Tiger was on drugs though and pestering him with them didn’t seem like a good idea when he wasn’t in his right mind. She’d wait until they left the Medical Center and the drugs cleared his system. Then they’d have a talk. She really wanted to know why he’d had unprotected sex with her, knowing there was a chance of getting her pregnant.

Was he one of those guys who didn’t care about consequences as long as he didn’t have to use a condom or was there a deeper meaning? She wouldn’t ever peg Tiger as being the irresponsible type. She was also afraid if she got too serious that he’d want to cut ties with her. He’d been really clear that he didn’t want a lasting relationship. She hoped that if they lived together he might fall for her as hard as she’d fallen for him.

Exhaustion hit her as she lay curled to Tiger’s side. They were both safe at Reservation and they were together. She’d take it one day at a time.

Chapter Twenty-One

Richard grinned at her. “Being with Tiger agrees with you. Hot sex?”

Zandy stared at him. “Is that the best you can do? I expected you to tease me more.”

“Well, I could ask if their dicks are bigger. Creek keeps assuring me that we’re smaller. I still refuse to drop my pants for her when she dares me to. So, is it rumor or fact?”

She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Fact.”

“Damn. I’ll make sure I never share a urinal area with one of them.” He laughed at his own joke. “Are you two going to do the whole mating thing?”

Longing hit her hard. “I don’t know. We haven’t discussed it.”

He frowned. “You’ve been living at his house for the past, what? Week? He hasn’t asked you to be his mate yet?”

“No and stop this line of questioning. I don’t want to discuss it.”

“I’m your friend.”

“I know. It’s just that I’ve been living with him for eight days but I don’t know if he asked me to live with him because he knows I can’t go home until my house is fixed by my insurance company or if he wants me to live with him. Things are…complicated.”

“I’m a man and I know how men think. Tiger is nuts about you. I see him drop you off every morning and the way he kisses you goodbye. He lingers as long as he can because he doesn’t want to part from you. Every day he spends lunch with you and he isn’t even a minute late at the end of the day to pick you up. That speaks volumes to me. He could have had you stay at the human-housing apartment building after you were kidnapped but instead he had you move into his place. That’s something a man does when he’s serious. Trust me. We don’t give up the bachelor pad easily.”

“He’s New Species.”

Richard waved his hands. “What does that mean?”

“You can’t compare him to a normal man.”

“Just because his dick is bigger doesn’t—”

“Shut up. That’s not what I was talking about and you know it. Who knows what it means to him to have me live there. It just might be for sex instead of code for ‘I’m serious about you’.”

“I don’t buy that for a second. He came here yesterday with a surprise picnic and you said he’s planning on doing it again today. He was so eager to spend time with you alone that he shoved me out the door before my escort could even get out of his Jeep to take me to lunch. He’s nuts about you.”

“Maybe. He’s got commitment issues though so we don’t talk about the mate thing.”