He pulled her tighter against his chest and she found her cheek resting against the curve of his throat as he held her. She stared at the woods around them and figured he might be doing the same.

“It’s really beautiful here.”

“It is. Do you know what makes this place perfect?”

“What?”

“We’re here together.”

Damn. I could totally fall in love with him. He sounded so sincere that she turned her head enough to see his face. He glanced down and honesty shone in those beautiful eyes of his. Correction, she amended, I am falling in love. Not good. Love at first sight or in our case, after having sex, is a mistake. He’s still a man, despite being so different. He’ll break my heart.

He shifted his body, forcing her away from his chest. He glanced around and sighed. “The water is cold and I don’t want to risk getting you ill. Your body temperature doesn’t run as hot as mine, nor do you have my endurance. I need to warm you.”

Tiger fought panic and confusion as he followed Zandy out of the water. He hovered close to her to make certain she didn’t fall and every protective instinct inside him demanded nothing less. His gaze lowered to her ass as she climbed up the embankment. She was rounded and soft, very different from a Species female. Her skin was so pale he could see the traces of blue veins on some parts of her body. It fascinated him.

He bent and grabbed the blanket, shook it, and turned to open it for her. “Here. I’ll help you dry.” What is wrong with me? He wasn’t sure but the desire to tend her was strong. A Species female would have hit him by now and never allowed him to coddle her in any way. Zandy stepped closer and he wrapped the blanket around her body firmly while drying the water from her skin. She didn’t even stare at him as if he’d lost his mind.

He was pretty certain he had. The urge to just bend, toss her over his shoulder and carry her to his Jeep was strong. She was little and couldn’t put up much of a fight if he took her to his home. Images of tying her to his bed and using his mouth and hands to convince her to stay there made him step behind her to hide the fact that his dick had just hardened.

Sex had never felt as good as it did with Zandy. She was amazing and giving. He bit back a purr, remembering how tight and hot she felt wrapped around his cock. Soft and wonderful. Her small body fit perfectly against him and made him feel completely male. His hands lingered on parts of her body while he continued to help her dry. He didn’t want to release her. The fact that she was submissive to him without him having to display aggression during sex left him reeling.

No, she’s not anything like a Species. This is how it starts, he realized. Those poor males who ended up with human mates had to have felt what he did. Protective. Possessive. Maybe even blown away by intense feelings while sharing sex. That sobered him enough to back away from her and get dressed. This is probably the definition of broadsided. He had been broadsided by a small female with green eyes.

His hands shook as he pulled on his underwear and pants. His interested dick protested being contained but he ignored it. He had bigger problems at that moment. He needed to figure out how to handle the situation and the emotions he’d never experienced before.

Instincts were a bitch. He was more than aware of their constant existence, a side effect of being altered with those feline genes. He glanced back in time to see her bare body as she neatly folded the blanket and bent over to display her ass while reaching for her clothing.

He closed his eyes and took calming breaths. The baser side of him wanted to just take her. Keep her. The human side of him knew it would be wrong to do that. The part of him that remained in the middle prevailed. He used logic and common sense. He didn’t know much about her. He didn’t need or want a mate. His duties took up a lot of his time and he’d be sidelined if he took a mate. Justice made sure all males were given safer jobs if they had families.

Sometimes he lived at Reservation while at others he resided at Homeland. He also worked closely with the human task force. He enjoyed being around the human males and leaving the NSO occasionally. All that would change if he became too attached to a female and she actually agreed to be his mate. Slade managed to divide his time but his mate was a doctor whose job demanded she work in both locations.

The whisper of a zipper made him open his eyes to watch Zandy finish dressing. She was human and wouldn’t fit in his lifestyle. He’d already bitten her and mounted her too roughly. He’d make a bad mate even if he were willing to consider the idea. It would also put her in danger but that worried him little. She’d never leave NSO if she were his and he’d make certain she was safe.

Humans date. That option didn’t alarm him. That way he could have her without committing for life. If she was willing. He hoped the sharing of sex had been so intense due to the sexual frustration he’d experienced after the first night he’d met her. He’d wanted her but never thought she’d be in his arms again.

Tiger knew he was clinging to that concept a little too hard but he could live with that because it didn’t unsettle him. Dating a human couldn’t hurt and perhaps it was the pent-up desire he’d had for her that had made their coupling so incredible.

The female turned and smiled. His dick jerked, wanted her, and so did he. He knew he should force a smile in return to assure her everything was fine. He didn’t. Words blurted out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“Why don’t you go home with me tonight? I have a private house on Reservation. You could share my bed.”

He wanted to roar when her smile faded and she glanced at the ground instead of agreeing instantly. Rejection stung him as sharply as if she’d slapped him. Every muscle in his body tensed.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Her gaze rose and met his.

Anger and pain burned through his chest. He’d been torturing himself with thoughts about a mate but she didn’t even want him beyond the time they’d spent together. The idea that she hadn’t enjoyed his body as much as he had hers made him feel even worse. He knew he’d been too rough despite her protests and now he had proof. Shame wasn’t an emotion he suffered often but it struck then.

“I mean, it wouldn’t be the best idea, right?”

“Why not?” He worried about her answer but needed to hear it.

“Well, for one thing, we have to pass the guards at the gate. I work for the NSO now and I’m pretty sure it’s probably against the rules to date other employees. Secondly, I’m new and it would just look bad if it got around that I spent the night with you on the first day of my job. Third, I don’t have an extra set of clothes. It screams bad impression when you wear the same clothes two days in a row.”

Excuses. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. He respected her for that and appreciated it. His pride was stung though, despite her kindness. It was another reminder she wasn’t Species. One of their females would have just told him he’d been too controlling and hadn’t placed her sexual gratification above his own.

“I understand.” He finished buttoning his shirt, knowing he’d messed up. She didn’t even want to date him. “I’m carrying you back to your car.” He would make sure she wasn’t harmed by walking barefoot. “That isn’t up for debate.”

She nodded. “Thank you. Are you sure I’m not too heavy?”

“I could carry you in my arms all day,” he answered honestly. “Hold the blanket and I’ll pick you up.”

Zandy gripped the blanket as he approached her and didn’t protest as he scooped her up into his arms. Her scent tormented him. She smelled strongly of her distinctive scent but it was mixed with sex now and his own scent. Any Species male who came within sniffing distance of her would know they’d shared sex. That idea didn’t alarm him. It would warn other males not to approach her for sharing sex, if they were smart.