“It would feel so good for both of us. Do you want to help me? Take off your clothes. That’s the only way you’ll make me feel better about the things that I’ve suffered.”

She latched on to his last sentence like the drowning person she was, admitting that she found him far too appealing. She had eyes—he was a perfect specimen of muscles and tan skin, all wrapped up in a six-foot-four frame.

“Sex isn’t the answer. Talking about your problems is.”

“I’ll talk while I f**k you. I’m sure I’ll have lots to say about how good you’ll feel.”

She forced her gaze down to his hands. They were big and she knew there were calluses on his fingertips, the pads of his thumbs, and his palms. Most of the survivors had that anomaly and she’d noticed in other sessions that he had it too. She wondered what his hands would feel like on her skin. Rough? Good? Or like sandpaper? It was tempting to find out.

“Please take your seat, 466.” She looked up to stare directly into his eyes. “I will call for the guard to return.”

He shook his head but straightened and returned to his seat. She breathed easier when he sat. He once again crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “I’m not into threesomes. I know they are popular with humans but it sickens me. We get turned off by the scent of other males on females and I’d have to strangle him if he touched you.”

Her mouth dropped open. “That’s not why I’d call him!” She sealed her lips and frowned back at him. “You know that though. Are you having fun playing with me?”

He smiled. “You won’t allow me to play with you.” He licked his lips, purposely showing her his tongue. “Next time you engage in sex alone remember me because I’ll be doing the same.” Amusement flashed in his eyes. “As soon as I leave here I’m going to my room.” His legs spread a little and he adjusted his ass in the chair. “I’m already hard.”

Her gaze flicked downward before she could stop the reaction. The outline of his c**k was clear inside the sweatpants he wore. Most New Species hated any form of underwear she’d been told, and without them it was obvious 466 wasn’t lying. She gasped at his large size and he laughed.

She glared at his face. “That’s totally inappropriate. I see you need to retake the class about what to say to people and what not to. Remember Manners 101?”

“I know the difference.” He kept the smile in place. “We speak the truth here according to you and that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to go to my room and—”

“I understand,” she cut him off. “I’m your therapist and there’s a thing called ethics. You can stop having those thoughts about me because we can’t ever have a physical relationship.”

That killed his amusement. “Why not?”

“I took an oath and you’re my client. You need my help and that means not being taken advantage of. You’re in a fragile state.”

He threw back his head and laughed then lowered his chin and spread his arms wide. “Do I appear weak to you? You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.” He dropped his hands and gripped the arms of the chair. “You could bite, scratch, wrestle with me, and get as rough as you want to during shared sex. I’d enjoy it. I’d be more worried about you getting hurt.”

“You can go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The session wasn’t going to progress with sex as the topic.

He didn’t budge.

“I said you can leave, 466.”

He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Do you know how to be totally honest?”

“Yes.” She dreaded answering him, wondering what he was up to now.

“Would you let me mount you if you weren’t my shrink?”

“I don’t know you well enough to answer that. I’m also not a shrink. I’m a doctor. We prefer that title.”

“That’s avoidance.”

“It’s perfectly honest. I don’t engage in casual sex.” She shouldn’t be telling him anything personal but he wasn’t exactly a textbook client. Nowhere in school had they covered half-beast men who’d been created by a company with no ethics. “I’ve never engaged in sex with someone I wasn’t in love with.”

“You’ve never shared sex?” The disbelief on his face was nearly comical.

“I have. I’m not a virgin.”

“He died?”

“Who?”

“The man you loved. He was killed?”

“No.”

“I don’t understand.” He leaned forward, looking genuinely baffled.

“What confuses you?”

“You are telling me lies.”

“I’m not.”

“You said you only shared sex with a male you love.”

“That’s true.”

“You don’t carry his scent. Where is he?”

“I don’t know exactly where my ex-boyfriends are. I don’t talk to any of them anymore. It’s common to cease all communication when a relationship ends.”

His gaze widened and he shot to his feet. “Boyfriends?”

Something distressed him but she didn’t know how her answers had caused that reaction. “I’ve had four serious boyfriends in my life.”

He growled.

“What is wrong?”

“Love is forever.” He gave her a disgusted look. “You have no idea what real love is, Joy.”