Best Friends (New Species #15)(81)

“Thank you.”

“I’ll do what I can. I’m rooting for you, Lash. Every male wants a mate.” He smiled and then left, closing the door behind him.

Lash returned to his bed. Mary still slept. He removed his loincloth and curled up against her side. He felt grateful that he hadn’t had to fight anyone to keep her. So far. He’d expected a full team armed with tranquilizer darts to come in after him instead of just the two males.

They’d probably bring Valiant if they did send a team, since he could match him in speed and strength for leaping distances, when few others could. They wouldn’t bother to ask Leo. He was too mellow and wouldn’t see a problem with Lash keeping a female as his own. They’d talked many times about how to gain a mate. Leo would understand what Lash had done.

He stroked Mary’s back, and she murmured in her sleep. He smiled and buried his nose against her throat, licking and kissing her. She reached out and stroked his chest. She didn’t push him away but turned more to face him. Her eyes opened.

“Again?” She seemed a bit amazed.

“I always want you,” he rasped.

“You should have been a dog,” she chuckled.

He liked that she woke up in a good mood. He wasn’t even insulted by what she said. He had canine friends. “Why?”

“You’re as horny as one. I thought cats were supposed to be lazy.”

He pounced on her and jerked her arms above her head. It didn’t frighten her. She just arched her eyebrows.

“I’m not completely lion.”

“I need a shower first, Lash.”

He shook his head.

“I’m gross, and I’d kill for a toothbrush. At some point I’d like to know if you can kiss, since you apparently won’t let me go.”

He leaned in to show her but she turned her head to the side to avoid his lips. “Toothbrush first.”

He needed to let her feel as if she had some control in their relationship if he wanted it to work. He’d spoken to mated males on the subject to get advice on how to keep a mate if he ever found one. “Okay.” He eased off her and released her wrists.

“Are you going to throw me over your shoulder again? I must admit that wasn’t fun for me. I’m really worried about how we’re going to get down.”

“No shoulder this time.”

“That scares me more. It’s a long way down.”

“Trust me.”

She bit her lip.

“You can. I’d never let anything happen to you, Mary.”

He crawled to the edge of his bed and waited for her to reach him, putting on his loincloth again. He rose up on his knees and opened his arms. “Wrap around me tight.”

Her jaw dropped.

“Arms around my neck, tuck your head, and wrap your legs around my waist.”

“You’ll land, and I’m going to go flying.”

“I’ll hold you with one arm.”

“That’s worse.”

“You don’t weigh enough to hurt me.”

“I’m more worried about me. You look damn near indestructible. I’m not.”

He chuckled. “Come here. Do you want that shower? I’ll even order food.”

“I am hungry. I didn’t eat much earlier. Everyone was watching me.”

That alarmed him. Were other males interested in luring his Mary into becoming a mate? He’d make them understand that she was his. “Who was? I want the names of the males who approached you.”

“No one approached me, exactly. There was a dinner served right after the wedding. I just felt watched by all of the New Species.”

He relaxed. No other males had made their intent known, but it was a certainty that other Species had noticed her attractiveness. It was too bad for them for showing restraint, since she belonged to him now. “Shower, toothbrush, and food. I can do that.”

“Clothes too. I’m not going to run around naked all the time.”

He openly admired her body.

“Don’t even think about it, Lash. Even you have a loincloth.”

“Only because the males who visited me were complaining about seeing my dick. I find these the only comfortable thing I don’t mind wearing, and I always take it off when I sleep. I’ll order you something similar.”

“I’m not Jane.”

He frowned. “Who is that? You’re Mary. I know your name.”

“Never mind. Bad joke. I want clothes. Real ones.”

“There’s no reason for it, but we’ll discuss it later.”

She crawled closer. “If you drop me, I’m going to be pissed—if I survive. You better feel serious guilt if you kill me.”

He already didn’t want his life to go back to the loneliness it had been before Mary. “I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”

She peered into his eyes. “You mean that, don’t you?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Okay.”

He lifted her up his body, and she clung to him with her limbs. He grinned because it put her pussy right against his stomach. His dick hardened but he ignored it. He’d share sex with her again soon.

It was easy to hook his arm under her ass and get a good grip to prevent her from slipping down. He rose to his feet. She really didn’t weigh enough that it was difficult. He reached out and gripped the cable, judging the distance to the lower platform.