Best Friends (New Species #15)(92)
“No. You want me to give up my whole life to live here. Is the bed coming down so I can get in and out of it without some circus act really too much to ask? Meet me halfway.”
He sighed, not liking her words, but he understood. “We can lower it five feet.”
“Five feet from the floor?”
He shook his head. “From where it is now.”
Her fingers played with the fur on his chest. “Be reasonable, Lash. I’m thinking about moving here to live with you. The bed has to be low enough for me to climb in and out of it without your help.”
“It’s a security risk. You’re not leaving me, Mary. I won’t let you go.”
She stopped petting him and dug her nails into his chest. It wasn’t enough to hurt but he could tell he’d frustrated her. Didn’t she understand that he was trying to protect her? He opened his mouth to warn her about the dangers of attack again but she spoke before he could.
“What about a safe room? The NSO built you all of this. Maybe they’d consider it.”
He frowned. “What is that?”
“Think of a bunker. It’s a room that’s designed to be break-in proof. Thick walls, floor, and ceiling. I’m not claustrophobic. Are you?”
“What does that mean?”
“A fear of small, enclosed spaces. Maybe they could design it to resemble a cave. Don’t lions like those? We could keep it open, but if someone were to break into the basement, it could be sealed to keep us safe inside.”
He wasn’t sure. “I’ll talk to Torrent about it, or Jaded.”
She smiled at him again. “Thank you.”
“I need to take you to bed now.” He wanted his mate.
“I just ate. I can’t jump around right now. Trust me, it’s rough on my stomach. I don’t think puking would do it for either of us.”
He growled and lifted her off his lap. He stood and reached down, pulling Mary to her feet. “Come with me. Those mats will be good for something.”
“The ones I fell on?”
“They are soft and not too high.”
“Can you grab us some pillows? Maybe a blanket? I don’t want to lie naked on plastic or whatever that material is.”
He grinned. “I’ll be right back.” He let her go and ran, took a leap, and landed on the lowest platform. He turned, eyed the second one, and crouched. He leapt up and landed on it. Below him, he heard Mary curse.
He grinned. She was afraid he’d miss. She didn’t know how easy this was for him.
Chapter Seven
Mary floated on her back, staring up at the lit waterfall. Small lights were all around her in the sides of the pool. The water was still pleasantly warm. Lash had done something to turn on star-like lights across the ceiling of the dim room.
The basement had definitely been turned into one of the coolest indoor areas she’d ever seen.
A small wave in the water drew her from her thoughts and she rolled over, watching as Lash climbed into the pool with her. He was naked, and the sight of all his muscles and his gorgeous body wasn’t getting old.
She swam toward him where he stood in the pool. It wasn’t deep, probably five and a half feet. He held out his arms and she wrapped around him.
“I thought you’d wait for me.”
She smiled. “Sorry. I was dying to try out this pool. It’s amazing.”
“I wanted a bigger one but this was the best they could do.”
“It’s perfect.”
“You’re perfect, mate.”
He frequently said things like that, which made her feel sexy and wonderful. “I love the lights.”
“I used to climb trees and sleep under the stars.” He glanced up. “I mentioned that, so they put those in. It’s not the same. I don’t have a moon in here.”
His confession surprised her. “You slept in trees sometimes?” Her gaze went to the bed hanging near the roof. “Oh, is that why you like your bed so high?”
“Leo built a platform in one of his trees but I just slept in the branches. Now I see why he wanted a flat surface. My bed is more comfortable than the thick limbs were to sleep on.”
“Leo?”
“He’s like me.”
“A lion man?”
He nodded. “He has a tail, though.”
She wasn’t sure what to say about that. “Is he your friend?”
“Yes. He visits sometimes. You’ll meet him. I thought about your cave suggestion. Leo has one of those. I’ll ask for one to be built but on a smaller scale.”
“I didn’t know there were any caves in this area.”
“It’s a house they built mostly underground for him. It resembles a cave from the outside. It helps us feel safer from humans. There are security doors he can activate to seal it off in case of attack.”
It made her extremely sad that some New Species feared humans so much. She hadn’t noticed that about the ones who visited the diner. They’d all seemed at ease mingling with the townspeople. Maybe it was only a problem for the ones like Lash. It made her want to hold him a little tighter to make him forget all the horrible things he’d survived in the past. She hated Mercile.
It wasn’t lost on her that he feared humans almost as much as she feared New Species.