“That’s not necessary. We’re even now and he won’t come near me again.” Ellie stood. “Thank you for caring and for understanding. I feared you’d hate me for what I had to do. I just wanted to save him from Jacob and I needed to get the evidence to my handler. I never thought they’d beat him for it. I’m really all right and I’ll feel a thousand times better tomorrow. I just want to put this behind me.”

“Go take your bath and throw your clothes out to us. We’ll clean them to remove his scent,” Sunshine offered softly. “You did what you had to. Horrible things were done to us—that is the kindest I’ve heard. You could have been killed by the technician instead.”

“I know it doesn’t mean much but Fury is a good man.” Kit gave her a sad smile. “I know he didn’t mean to hurt you in any way. He was always really careful with us.”

Ellie nodded, her guess about Fury’s sexual history with the two women confirmed, and she tried not to let jealousy eat at her. She walked into the bathroom but left the door cracked open. The full tub of warm water waited. She undressed, handed her clothes through the door, and eased into the bath. She winced as she settled down and the water made her aware of the underside of her breast. She lifted it, tilting her head, and saw two scratches from his sharp teeth. Damn.

She closed her eyes, relaxed. At least she wouldn’t have to fear Fury plotting to get his hands on her anymore. Of course now she had sexy, erotic memories of them together to live with. She doubted she’d ever get over him.

Her ex-husband had hurt her enough to make her swear off loving anyone again. She’d promised to never allow anyone to matter so much that they filled her thoughts constantly but then she’d seen Fury that first time. Something she thought dead inside her roared to life. He’d become an obsession—first to save him, then to make it up to him for what she’d done. She’d been left with helping his people since she hadn’t known what happened to him.

Fury mattered more to her than her ex-husband ever had. She’d been sure once she’d known love, certain nothing could ever hurt her the way her destroyed marriage had when she’d learned she’d married a cheating bastard, but she’d been wrong. Her feelings for her ex were nothing compared to how Fury made her feel.

Nothing at all. Fury’s touch would haunt her for the rest of her life. She wished they’d had a real chance of being together. She’d have taken the risk of getting her heart broken again for him but…

“Damn,” Ellie muttered aloud. “Wish all you want that things were different but it just isn’t meant to be.”

* * * * *

“Fury?”

He was a little startled at hearing his name being softly spoken, unaware that anyone had sneaked up on him, and it attested to how obsessed he’d become watching Ellie inside the dorm. He turned his head just enough to stare at Slade.

“What?”

“Your obsession with the human is starting to frighten me. Do I need to report this to Justice?”

“No.” Fury’s gaze returned to the women’s dorm, to Ellie sitting on a couch with some of the women. She smiled at something said and he longed to know what had caused her amusement. “I’m just checking on her.”

“You need to let it go. We were told why she worked for Mercile. I understand your need to seek vengeance but she’s not our enemy.”

Fury held his tongue. It was better if his friend believed that was the reason he lurked behind a tree across the street watching the woman who fascinated him and refused to leave his thoughts. He could think of nothing but her. The sounds of her moans, the sweet taste of her desire and the memory of her tight, heavenly body as he took her replayed inside his mind.

His dick hardened painfully from the memory of possessing her. He’d blown it, drawn blood, and he had no idea how to fix it. He’d been ordered to stay away from her, to have no interaction at all, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t watch her from a distance. She was unaware and therefore, couldn’t feel threatened by his presence.

“Did you hear me?” Slade stepped closer.

“Yes.” His focus remained on Ellie. Her hand lifted to brush back her blonde hair from her cheek and he wished he could feel her fingertips graze his face instead. “I heard.”

“Are you a danger to her? Be honest with me. We’re friends.”

That drew his gaze away from her. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

They stared at each other for a long moment and then Slade sighed, glancing at the women’s dorm and breaking eye contact. “Our women seem to like her.”

I like her too, Fury refrained from admitting. I’m obsessed and can’t stop thinking about her. She’s all I dream about when I manage to fall asleep.

“You’ll stay away from her, won’t you?” Slade glanced at him for confirmation.

“Yes,” Fury agreed, hoping intent was the same as telling the truth.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Slade spun on his heel and retreated into the darkness.

Fury’s gaze returned to Ellie. He knew he needed to stop tormenting himself by spying on her every evening after his shift but he just couldn’t seem to do it. He’d even crept closer to the building, trying to find flaws in the security system that would allow him to climb to the third floor where she slept, just to glimpse where she lived. He wanted to know everything about her.