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  She climbed off his lap regretfully, stood in front of him, and then she turned around. He lifted the shirt she wore a few inches and ran his other palm along the back of her upper thigh. He surprised her when he slid off the bed to his knees and bent a little to study her closer.

  “It’s just a few spots.”

  She turned her head, watching him. He stopped stroking her skin and released the shirt. He lifted his head, holding her gaze. “Turn to me.”

  She faced him. His gaze lowered to her stomach and he sat back on his heels. He gripped his thighs with both hands. She saw his knuckles whiten as if he were squeezing his legs tightly. He cleared his throat.

  “I want to see the hair. Show me.”

  She fisted the shirt that fell to her mid thighs and slowly pulled it up. She’d stripped bare to put on his shirt so she didn’t have to do anything but bring the hem up to her lower belly. She studied his face, curious what he’d do when he saw it. It was tempting to just pull the shirt entirely off, but the sight of her breasts made him angry. That wasn’t her intention.

  927’s breathing increased as he visually inspected her. Every muscle in him seemed to tense from his face to his shoulders, and he flexed his arms as if his hold on his legs had increased. He closed his eyes.

  “You need to lower your shirt and back away from me,” he ground out.

  She released the shirt and retreated a few steps. “Why?”

  “Go into the bathroom. Give me a few minutes.”

  “No. You’re going to leave.”

  His eyes snapped open and she saw anger glistening in them. “Do it or I’ll toss you on my bed and fuck you.”

  She lowered her gaze to his lap. The outline of his cock was clear. His jeans weren’t much of a deterrent to the evidence of his state of arousal. He wanted her. He was trying to send her fleeing in fear, but it had the opposite effect. Hope surged. He wanted to mount her.

  Candi grabbed the shirt and lifted it, tearing it off and tossing it down on the carpet. “Do it.”

  His eyes widened and he snarled. His gaze locked on her naked body though.

  She took a step closer. “Take me. I’m yours. I’ve always been yours.”

  Raw pain flashed in his eyes as he tore his gaze off her lower body and looked up. “I’ll hurt you.”

  She understood those snarled words. “I’d welcome it.” She took another step closer and knelt in front of him. She inched closer, putting her hands on his chest. The muscles under her palms were hard and firm. “Touch me,” she urged. “Please.”

  He trembled.

  “I want you,” she whispered. “I need you.”

  He moved fast, but she didn’t flinch when his hands suddenly gripped her waist. He jerked her up off her knees. She did gasp when he threw her onto her back on the soft mattress. She bounced once and stilled, a bit stunned. A door slammed and she pushed up to her elbow. He was gone. One sweep of her gaze revealed that he really had just left her in his bedroom.

  Tears filled her eyes a second later when another door slammed. He hadn’t just left her in his bedroom, he’d left his apartment. She turned on her side, drew her knees up and curled into a tight ball.

  Hero had forgotten about the officer who was stationed in the hallway outside his door. He stepped around the male. “I’m going for a walk.”

  He took the stairs down to the first floor and burst out the back door of the men’s dorm. He nearly collided with a female and had to twist to avoid making contact, slamming his shoulder into the wall. Kit frowned at him.

  “Where’s the emergency, Hero?”

  “There isn’t one.” He shoved away from the wall and tried to step around her.

  “Not so fast.” She gripped his arm, shoved him up against the wall and stepped into him, pinning him there.

  He scowled but didn’t shove her away. “Let go and move.”

  She eased her grip and removed her hand. “You stood me up. I was coming to find you.”

  He had forgotten he was supposed to meet her at the bar. “Something came up.”

  She growled as she gave him a once-over with her shrewd gaze. “I see your erection. Who is the female I smell on you?” She leaned in and sniffed. “Not familiar.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this. I apologize, but I need to be alone.”

  “You asked me to have dinner with you. I expected we would share sex after we danced. I’m owed an explanation.”

  “I’m not your mate.”

  She jerked back a good foot. “You’re in a mean mood.”

  He regretted his harsh words. “I’m not having a good day.”

  “What happened?”

  “I don’t want to talk.”

  “Do you wish to fight?” She cocked her head. “Tell me what is wrong or we will. You look angry. I know I am. I’d like to punch you in the face for making me sit at a table waiting for you when you never showed up. Now I smell some unknown female all over you, and you’re as hard as a brick. I thought we were going to try to date like humans do and not share sex with others.” She grabbed his chest and shoved him against the wall again, his shirt ripping a little in her hands. “I agreed to that because the sex between us is good, and you aren’t one to demand too much of my time. We both enjoy our space.”

  He gently pushed her off. “Stop touching me. I need space now. Share sex with whomever you wish. I can’t attempt dating anymore.”

  She leaned in, sniffing at him. “Who is she?”

  He hated seeing the anger in Kit’s eyes. She’d been a good friend to him. They’d even become more recently, sharing sex twice. He hadn’t minded that she didn’t want a male to spend time with her afterward. He didn’t want to stay. He’d only held two females in his arms while sleeping. One had been Candi and the other had been his friend Tammy. She’d had a mate and he’d held her to keep her safe from their captors.

  He had the urge to call Tammy, but he’d left his cell phone on his nightstand. She had remained his friend and he might be able to talk to her about what was going on. They’d shared a harsh ordeal together.

  “I mean it.” Kit drew him from his thoughts. “I will punch you if you don’t explain why you stood me up and who you’ve been with.”

  “Go ahead.” He leaned his head against the wall.

  “Stubborn male,” Kit hissed. She flashed fangs. “I should bite you.”

  “Do it if it makes you feel less angry. I am sorry.”

  Her expression softened. “Talk to me. What is going on? You look bad and you are almost begging me to hurt you.”

  He shook his head.

  “You’re being self-destructive. I know this state of being well.”

  “You have no idea what I am.”

  “I know you accepted the name Species call you out of some sense of self-inflicted punishment.”

  He regretted telling her that.

  “You’re not a bad male, Hero. We all know why you killed those humans when you were in captivity. It doesn’t put me off the way it does some of our females. Most of our kind have killed humans, and it wasn’t out of a sense of giving them mercy. It was to inflict suffering and gain revenge. Is this your way of making certain I don’t get attached to you by standing me up and having another’s scent all over you? I’m not looking for a mate. I just wanted to share sex with only one male for a while. I chose you because you’re not clingy and you have pain in your heart. We’re the same that way.”

  “This has nothing to do with you,” he answered honestly. “Or us.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Do you know why I chose my name?”

  “No.”

  “One of the head shrinks likes to build small toy model cars. He said they are called kits. There’s a picture of what it is supposed to look like after all the parts are put together, but inside the box, when it’s first opened, it’s a jumble of confusing little pieces.” She hesitated. “That’s how I felt. I was a bunch of jumbled pieces contained inside this body. I look whole, but inside