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  “Do I really have to press this thing again? Really? Go.”

  “Don’t.”

  Her finger tapped it lightly. “I’m not spraying perfume this time to cover your scent. They’ll all know about us if I press it. I’m not screwing with you.” Her chin lifted in defiance, anger flashed in her eyes. “Don’t come back unless it’s to ask me out on a date, in public. That’s the last thing I have to say except you’ve got five seconds to be gone.”

  “Jessie, don’t do this.”

  “One.”

  “Damn it, female. We can work this out.”

  “Two.” Her back stiffened and she sucked in air.

  Anger gripped him. “I won’t be threatened.”

  “Three and I mean it, Justice. On five I’m pressing this thing and letting them inside the house. You won’t have a choice after that. Everyone will be talking about us and it will probably even find its way to the press. You know they love juicy rumors and run with them.”

  She’d be in danger. He snarled.

  “Four.”

  He spun, stormed out of her house, and leapt over the wall. He wanted to roar. He wanted to tear something apart. She will calm down. She’ll miss me as much as I will her. She just needs time. That reasoning helped as he entered his back door and threw himself on the nearest chair. He tossed his clothes to the floor and closed his eyes. Rage and sadness battled in his heart and mind.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Two weeks of misery had passed since she’d kicked Justice out of her house. He’d left her alone, had managed to avoid her completely. She forced her attention on Breeze. The big building loomed behind the Species woman and excitement shone from her eyes.

  “This is it. You’re going to have fun, Jessie.”

  “This is your big hangout, huh?”

  “Yes. It’s a bar and a dance club rolled into one. This is where we hang out with friends or hook up with a male if we would like to share sex. I will introduce you and you will make new friends. The dancing is fun and we are getting good at it. Ellie loves to dance and she taught us how. It will be good for you to do more than work or stay inside your home.”

  “I love Ellie,” Jessie admitted. She’d met the woman who ran the women’s dorm, had instantly hit it off with her and become fast friends. Ellie was the first human woman to marry a Species male. She only worked a few hours a day at the dorm but she ran it smoothly. Jessie spent all her time at the dorm when she wasn’t sulking at her house. It seemed her NSO job consisted of hanging out with the women and being their friend.

  “I love Ellie too,” Breeze admitted.

  “She’s fun but I hope she feels better soon. That stomach flu thing worries me. She threw up again today.”

  “She is under a doctor’s care and will be fine.” Breeze changed the subject. “Do you see why she is my best friend?”

  “I do.”

  Loud music blasted from the interior of the building before they reached the double doors. Breeze opened one side and waved Jessie in, her grin wide at sharing the Species club. It highly amused Jessie, who secretly figured it would probably be the lamest bar and dance club ever because these people were new to the party scene but she swore she’d try to have fun.

  The room was large, open and dimly lit. They had a bar running along one wall near the front door and tables set up in the same area. Pool tables and pinball machines had been added. At the back of the building, down some steps, a dance floor filled with moving bodies drew her attention.

  It stunned her to see dozens of women from the dorm there along with even more men. There had to be over a hundred and their ability to dance seemed pretty advanced. She watched them swaying gracefully, their movements sexy and not dorky at all. Her eyebrows lifted but she kept her smile in place as the door closed behind them and Breeze gripped her hand, tugging her toward the bar.

  “We love to dance,” Breeze shouted over the music. “Let’s get a drink.”

  Jessie ordered a mixed drink, wanting to get a little buzzed after the weeks she’d had, but noticed most of the patrons were sipping sodas straight from cans. They took seats at the bar. Breeze twisted in her seat sipping her soda and stared with longing at the dancers.

  “Go dance, Breeze. I can tell you want to.”

  Breeze glanced at her. “You come with me.”

  “I will in a bit but I want to finish my drink first.”

  “Just come out and find me when you are done. Our males are polite and won’t attack you. You have to tell them you want to share sex with them if you want to take one home with you. I love to dance!” Breeze shot off her seat, leaving her soda, and nearly ran toward the dance floor.

  Jessie was glad she hadn’t been swallowing her drink when she’d heard the other woman’s parting words. Share sex? Take someone home? Shit! She took a gulp of her drink, hoping her new friend didn’t expect her to hook up with some guy for a one-night stand. She’d had plenty of talks with the women, knew they did that often but she hadn’t expected Breeze to think she might enjoy that pastime. She finished her drink with that grim thought hanging in her head.

  The bartender was a female Species named Christmas. She was a naturally happy person and smiled all the time. She walked up to Jessie with another drink then walked away. Jessie shrugged and took a sip, admiring their customer service. They didn’t exchange money, obviously they didn’t wait for someone to reorder a drink and they made sure their patrons were never thirsty.

  Jessie turned on her seat, studied the dancers and spotted Breeze dancing with a tall Species male near the front. The grin was instant. The couple moved together, chest to chest and they flirted outrageously. She could almost imagine them having sex as the tall woman turned in the taller guy’s arms, shoved her ass against the front of his jeans and wiggled in his arms. Jessie took another sip of her drink, realized she’d probably be driving herself home since Breeze had found a hook up and decided to quit at the second drink. She didn’t want to drink and drive, even if it was just a golf cart.

  She finished her second drink and Christmas met her eyes. Jessie shook her head no. The bartender moved on and Jessie faced the dance floor again. Breeze and the male had danced four songs together, the music all fast paced but when the song ended, the next one was a slower melody, geared for slow dancing.

  Quite a few of the dancers left the dance floor to head toward the bar. She could attest after watching them dance that they had to be thirsty. As the bodies thinned a couple dancing caught Jessie’s eye. The smile slipped from her face and pain shot through her heart.

  Justice danced with Kit, a female Species she’d talked to often at the women’s dorm. Her light red hair fell to her shoulders. She stood about six feet tall and had beautiful catlike eyes. She wore a black leather miniskirt and a half shirt to reveal her taut belly. Jessie spied shapely legs that seemed to go on forever down to her sexy spiked heels. It probably accounted for why she appeared to be almost as tall as the man who held her tightly in his embrace as they moved together.

  Justice was a great dancer. He’s a panther, Jessie remaindered herself. They were graceful animals and it showed in the seductive way he moved. His muscular arms were exposed since he wore a tank top and tight, formfitting, faded blue jeans. His hair was down, not bound in his usual ponytail and he looked sexy as hell.

  Kit moved closer to him and turned until her back pressed against Justice’s front. Justice reached out and grabbed her hips, moving erotically against her as if they were making love. Kit turned her head, peered back at Justice and smiled. They looked like the perfect pair and Kit was some mix of cat, just like Justice. There was his ideal mate.

  Jessie’s stomach heaved at the realization that Kit might be the one he moved into her house one day. Jessie fought back the tears that filled her eyes but she refused to cry over the asshole and clenched her teeth to fight it. The image of them in bed together was vivid as their bodies moved to the music, touching, with Justice’s hands on Kit’s hips. One of