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  Shadow stared at her, surprised that she was so calm. She almost seemed amused by the situation.

  “You know, ‘drowned rat’? It was a joke. I heard monkeys can’t swim though. I wonder if that’s true. I’ve never tried it before.”

  This wasn’t going as he’d imagined. He’d thought she would be screaming, perhaps bursting into tears, but she just released her hair to peer around the cramped room.

  “What is this place?”

  “We store sports equipment here.”

  “Oh. Are they fun to play? I’m not allowed. I’ve watched though and it looks enjoyable.”

  “It depends on the sport.” He almost turned around but then remembered why he kept his back to her. His dick refused to comply with his brain, which was ordering it not to be interested in the Gift Female.

  A shiver ran down her small frame and Shadow softly growled. Her gaze darted to him and widened. A hint of fear finally showed in her eyes.

  “Sorry,” he rasped. “I’m not angry or anything. I just hate that you’re cold. I need to get you help.” He reached for the door.

  “Stop!”

  His hand hovered over the handle when he glanced back at her. She’d risen to her feet. The white nightgown hugged every curve of her body and made him aware she wasn’t similar to the Species females he was accustomed to. Her hips were fuller, her belly softer and she was little. He guessed she couldn’t be more than just an inch over five feet tall. One thing was certain. She wasn’t wearing underwear. His gaze paused at the thin material plastered to her middle before he stared at the floor.

  “Please don’t risk your life by walking out into that storm. Just wait for it to pass. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have left the dorm but I wasn’t thinking rationally at the time. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

  “I’ll be fine.” His chest puffed up a little, his pride injured. “I’m tougher than a little hail.”

  “I don’t doubt that. You look fierce in your uniform and you’re very big.”

  He glanced at her face, worried that she might be afraid if she noticed those things. No fear showed in her gaze though as they examined each other. He wasn’t sure what to do.

  “Please don’t go.” She stepped closer. “Would it be so bad to wait out the storm with me?”

  He held back a groan. “You’re Gift and you need assistance from another female.”

  Her chin lifted and anger flashed in her eyes. “I know the rules but I’m not afraid of you. It’s just stupid to leave here to get help when I don’t need it.”

  “I’m a male.”

  “I see that.”

  He tried a new line of reasoning. “You shouldn’t be alone with one.”

  Her arms hugged her chest again. “Are you going to hurt me?”

  “Never.”

  “Exactly my point.” She glanced around. “We need to get warm first. I read a lot and that’s what the books say. We should take off our wet things and find something dry to wear.”

  His mouth fell open. “What?”

  She stared at something above his head to the left and pointed. “What is that up there?”

  He followed the direction of her finger. “Those are flags.”

  Beauty worried that the big man would bolt. He looked ready to as he faced the door once again. Shadow was really tall and his hair was short. It was an oddity to see a Species with it cut so close to his head. His blue eyes were really pretty and she was sure he was canine, the way he growled and snarled.

  “Flags?”

  He sighed loudly and partially turned in her direction to stare at her calmly. “Flags. We have teams and someone thought it would be nice to put them on the benches when we play.”

  “Can you hand me one?”

  He slowly reached up to the folded material and pulled. She inched closer. He towered over her by almost a foot and a half. Her head didn’t even reach his broad shoulders. Shadow was careful not to touch her when he passed it over. The soft, silky material was dry and thicker than she’d hoped. She unfolded it to stare at the white fabric with an orange lion’s head printed on the center of it.

  “It looks as if it’s made out of flames. That’s pretty.”

  “I guess.” He shifted his stance. “The other one has a wolf face. Or a dog. I’m not sure which was intended.”

  “Is there a third one for the primates?”

  “No. Just the two. I don’t know why but there probably should be one.” He appeared uncomfortable.

  “These are big. What do you guess? Maybe four feet by two and a half?”

  “I am not sure.”

  “We should wear these.”

  His mouth pursed into a tight line. “No.”

  “You could tie it around your waist as though it’s a towel and this one will fit me if I wrap it around my body like a dress.”

  “No.” His voice deepened. “I’ll go radio your location to Security and they will send out a female officer.”

  The wind still battered the sides of the small building but the hail had passed. “The rain is still really coming down hard. You shouldn’t go out there.”

  “I must.” He grabbed the door handle.

  “Don’t!” She hated the way she almost pleaded with him but the truth was that she didn’t want him to leave. She’d never been alone with a Species man before but he wasn’t frightening to her. Curiosity got the better of her and she just wanted to spend some time with him. “Please?”

  His head whipped around and his eyes narrowed. “You’re afraid to be left alone?” His expression softened. “I will radio it in and return immediately.”

  Guilt ate at Beauty as she flat-out lied. It was wrong to do that but she didn’t want him to go just yet. “I’ll be terrified. Stay with me.”

  He released the door. “This building is built well and it’s safe.”

  “Don’t leave me.”

  He relented. “I’ll stay.”

  “Thank you.” She realized she’d survive guilty feelings at the deception. “I’ll put this on and you can grab that other one. We’ll be dry to wait out the storm.”

  “I’m fine.” He looked away. “You change. You’re cold.”

  She backed away from him and dropped the flag on the box where she’d sat. The nightgown stuck to her body as she tugged it over her head. A chill ran down her as the air touched her bare skin. It was cold. She squeezed out her hair as well as she could before touching the flag. It wasn’t much protection against the cool temperature but it was dry as she secured it around her body. It covered her from just over her breasts to her knees.

  “I’m decent.” Her attention focused on him. “I’ll close my eyes. You really need to remove those wet clothes. Please? I know you’re tough but I’ll worry.”

  He turned his head to stare at her. “It isn’t a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  His chest expanded as he took a few deep breaths. “Never mind.”

  Amusement sparked. She wasn’t dense. “Do you think I’ll be terrified if you’re mostly undressed with me? I won’t be. You’re Species.”

  The glint in his eyes turned almost harsh. “I’m male.”

  He slowly lowered his gaze to sweep down her body. His interest quickened Beauty’s heartbeat. He didn’t need to say more. She’d heard men were always eager to share sex with a woman. The idea of him touching her didn’t send her into a panic. The sounds her next-door neighbors made when they had company pretty much assured her that consensual sex wasn’t a bad thing.

  “Please take off your wet things and wear the flag?” She purposely turned her back to give him privacy, the way he had her.

  A soft growl was his answer but then his clothing rustled. He was doing it. Beauty hugged her waist to keep the silky material in place and smiled at the wall. He wasn’t leaving and it would just be the two of them together until the storm passed. She finally would be able to get to know a man.

  Chapter Two

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