Best Friends (New Species Book 15) Read online

  “You wanted to test the bed. I said I already liked it.” She jabbed her finger at his chest. “Jerk.”

  He lifted a little, grabbed her arm, and yanked it upward, out of his way. “That is a jerk.”

  She shook her head, staring into his gorgeous but very inhuman-looking eyes. He definitely wasn’t like anyone she’d ever known. It wasn’t a bad thing. He did like to play, and he hadn’t hurt her. Just surprised her. “Very funny.”

  He lowered his body, and she spread her thighs to make room for his hips to snuggly fit. His hot skin pressed tight to hers but he didn’t smash her under his weight, making it possible for to easily breathe.

  “Kiss me.” That sexy growled tone made her belly quiver. She reached up and threaded her fingers through his thick mane of hair, pulling his face closer. She closed her eyes right as his lips brushed hers.

  The texture of his tongue as he tasted hers made her moan. Everything about Lash was different, but so much better. It was even forgivable that he could be a big bully. It made him hotter since he could be equally as sweet.

  He shifted his weight on her, one of his hands cupping her breast and kneading it. She moaned louder, frantically kissing him. Lash was a master at getting her hot. He knew just how to touch her. Especially when he ground his stiff, hard erection between her spread legs.

  “In me,” she panted.

  He frustrated her by lifting away, instead, and sliding down the bed. As soon as he spread her legs wider and buried his face, licking at her clit, she forgave him. He was a master at doing that, too. It didn’t take long for her to cry out his name, coming hard.

  Lash flipped her over and came down over her back, using his knee to encourage her to spread her legs. As soon as she did, he entered her from behind and pinned her beneath him. She clawed at the bedding as he moved slow and deep inside her.

  “Fuck,” she groaned.

  “I am,” he growled.

  He slipped one hand under her and against her clit. With every thrust of his hips, it pressed her already oversensitive bundle of nerves against his palm. He moved faster, taking her harder. He got her off a second time, and he made a sexy, animalistic sound as he followed. She could feel the heat of his semen filling her.

  He rolled onto his side, taking her with him. Then he wrapped his big body around hers, cuddling as they both tried to catch their breaths.

  “I like my bed better. It’s softer.”

  She smiled. “It is, but this one is on the floor, and I can get on and off it without the circus act.”

  “I will ask about a safety room.”

  “Safe room,” she corrected.

  He grunted, carefully withdrawing from her body. “Safe room. We’ll do that today since they are already working on my domain.”

  She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. “You do realize it’s probably going to take some time to build something like that, don’t you? Like weeks or more.”

  He scowled.

  “This is a nice suite. It won’t be bad. That is, if the NSO agrees to making us a safe room and letting us stay here that long.”

  “They will want me happy.”

  “Arrogant,” she muttered.

  “It’s not a bad word.”

  “Right. I heard you the last time. It’s going to be a big pain for the NSO to add anything to that basement. Just keep that in mind and maybe say ‘please’ when you ask.”

  He grunted and released her, rolling away. “I’m hungry. Are you?” He walked to his loincloth and put it on.

  Mary sat up on the bed and scoot to the nearest edge. “No cuddling after sex, huh?”

  He froze, his gaze meeting hers. Then he slowly approached.

  “I was kidding.”

  “I’m your mate. You need this cuddling? You will have it.” He lunged the last few steps and jumped on the bed next to her, hooked her waist with his arm and yanking her flat. Then he curled up against her side, nuzzling her face with his while a deep purr sound came from him.

  Mary laughed as he started stroking her stomach. It tickled a little. She rolled to face him more and touched him back. “I do like cuddling and the sound you’re making.”

  “Good. I want you to like everything about me.”

  “I mostly do.”

  His golden eyes narrowed, and he paused the purring.

  “You need to learn manners.”

  “So you say. I’m nice to you.”

  “You can’t say the same about other New Species.”

  “I do what they want to avoid causing problems. That’s all that matters.”

  “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on that. I’ll keep working on you, though.”

  “That means you’ll stay. Say it, Mary. You’re my mate.”

  Mary licked her lips and took a deep breath. He wanted confirmation, which was scary. She’d thought Mel was nuts to agree to marry Snow as quickly as she did, but now she understood how it had happened. The two New Species were drastically different in personalities, as far as she could tell from the little interaction she’d had with Mel’s man, but they were both vastly different from human guys.

  “Say it, or I’ll lick you until you do.”

  Her gaze went to his mouth. “I’m almost tempted to hold out. I love what you do to me.”

  He started to scoot down the bed, but she grabbed hold of his face to stop him. He paused, watching her.

  “I’m your mate,” she whispered.

  He grinned. “You are. I’m happy that you realize it now.”

  “Are you sure you want to be committed to me for life? No take-backs.”

  “Take-backs?”

  “Changing your mind.”

  “You’re mine, Mary. I will never let you go.”

  She really hoped he was telling the truth. Past breakups hadn’t been easy but she’d tended to get involved with selfish jerks. Lash would absolutely break her heart if she lost him. He’d made her feel more in just a couple days, both physically and emotionally, than anyone else ever had.

  “You are mine,” he repeated, his voice deepening. “I will never let you go.” He cupped her stomach with his big hand and gave it a gentle pat. “I will fill you with my cub, and then do it again. We will have many sons.”

  It reminded her of what he’d told her before. “That lion guy like you has a son, right?”

  “The male’s name is Valiant,” he confirmed. “Noble is cute. They are expecting another cub soon. We will be, too.”

  That freaked her out just a little. A baby cub? She had so many questions but decided to wait until later to ask, when she was feeling more prepared to deal with the answers. Instead, she cuddled into his warm, big body when he started to purr for her again. It really was a soothing sound.

  * * * * *

  Lash gently eased away from Mary after she’d fallen asleep. He walked out of the bedroom and opened the door. Flirt stood there with his phone in hand, playing some game. The male turned, flashing him a smile. “I changed duty with Creed. I thought you’d appreciate having a male protecting you who you know better, since he spends most of his time at Homeland.”

  “I’m hungry.”

  “Right.” Flirt closed the game and tapped at his screen. “What do you feel like?”

  “Mary likes the meat with white gravy all over it, and I want steaks.”

  “What kind of meat?” Flirt scowled.

  “They sent it to me before. Mary liked it, but she didn’t want any of my fish.”

  “I’ll have them check and resend whatever it was.”

  “I need to speak to Jaded, too.”

  Flirt grinned. “You are going to ask for mate papers?” The male stepped closer, glancing into the room behind him. “Your female agreed to make it legal?”

  Lash blocked him by filling the doorway. “Mate papers?”

  “Oh. You probably don’t know about them. When a Species mates to a human, we have paperwork to sign to officially make them one of us. It’s some