Best Friends (New Species #15)(21)

“I want you to be comfortable in my home.”

“I’m sure I will be.”

“It’s not as colorful as yours. Perhaps you could help me with that.”

She laughed, and he let all the tension in his body go. He and Mel were attracted to each other, and she was a nice female. He knew that about her from all the times he’d watched her work in the diner, hoping for a chance to speak to her alone. He had just never been allowed to go into town by himself. She’d seemed shy, and he hadn’t wanted to spook her. He’d been patient, hoping she would approach him.

The drive to Reservation wasn’t long, and he had gotten special permission to bring Mel in without her being searched. She’d shot humans to protect Species. It proved she wasn’t a threat…and they’d already run a background check on her. It was standard procedure after she’d been brought in with a medical emergency. The SUV only slowed, not having to stop at the gate. He didn’t feel it would be a good start to a date to have her patted down by a guard.

Timber glanced at him in the rearview mirror, almost seeming to read his mind. He and the other males had vouched for Mel.

They continued to the hotel, and he exited out of the side door once parked, helping her wiggle off the seat. Torrent brought her bag, and Snow accepted it. He glanced at the team. “Thank you.”

Mel stayed close to his side, her hand clutched in his. They approached the front of the hotel, and Mel’s steps slowed until she came to a stop. He glanced down, worried that she’d changed her mind.

“I thought we were going to your house.”

“I live here, Mel.”

“Oh.”

“Some of our males have homes in the Wild Zone, but most Species live in suites inside the hotel. They were remodeled after we bought Reservation.” He took her inside and led her to the elevators. “They are now like human apartments. I have a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bath. They took down walls to combine the units into larger quarters.”

She smiled. “That’s cool.”

“The NSO wants us to be comfortable and not have to share personal spaces.”

He punched the second-floor button and they rode up in silence. He stepped out first, keeping a hold on her hand, and took her down the hallway to his place. He let her go, reached inside his back pocket, and slid his card though the reader. It turned green and he opened it, motioning her to go in first. She slowly entered.

He’d left the curtains open. Sunshine lit the space to show off how clean he kept it. It was imperative to him that he impress Mel and show her that he didn’t want her to be his maid. He watched her expressions as he used his foot to close the door and placed her bag down. She strolled into his living room.

“It’s super nice and roomy.”

“Thank you. I didn’t pick much in the way of furnishings. Some human designer Justice hired did.”

She turned, facing him. “There is some color. I like light blues and browns.”

“Justice didn’t want us reminded of our cells at Mercile. They were a dingy gray.”

After a moment of silence, she licked her lips. “Are you as nervous as I am?”

“A little. I’m afraid I’ll frighten you but I won’t mean to.”

Her expression gentled. “Show me the rest of your place, if you don’t mind.”

“My home is your home.” He meant that. He wouldn’t mind if Mel stayed forever. Just imagining having her with him all the time made his chest ache. He’d been alone his entire life. The idea of sharing his living space with Mel sounded wonderful. “This part was once another hotel room, but they removed the bathroom and put in a kitchen, and then made this my living room.”

She walked to his kitchen island across the room and ran her fingers over the granite. “It’s way nicer than the one at my place. You even have a dishwasher and built-in microwave. I don’t have either of those things.”

“It’s compact but efficient. Some units have kitchens but others don’t. There are males who aren’t comfortable with cooking. We have a cafeteria on the ground floor that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is also a fridge for anyone who gets hungry in the middle of the night, stocked with snacks and sandwiches.”

“That’s convenient and pretty cool. I don’t think I’d ever cook if I had that option downstairs. Is the food good?”

“It’s excellent. Justice hired skilled humans to cook for us. Our dinner is coming from there. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t do the cooking myself. I didn’t want to risk giving you food poisoning on our second date.” He grinned. “Barbecue ribs are beyond my skill set. They will deliver our meal at six. I thought that would give us some time to talk and unwind.”

“It sounds perfect.”

“Let me show you the bedroom and bathroom.” He felt nervous again. “Not that I’m trying to lure you in there for the purpose of sharing sex.”

She smiled. “You’re nervous too.”

“Yes,” he easily admitted. “I care about you and don’t want to mess this up.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything, Mel.”

“I noticed you always say ‘sharing sex’ instead of ‘having sex.’ Is that a New Species thing?”