“Oh god,” she whispered.

His big hands gentled the firm hold he had on her ass and he inched away a little, unpinning her from between him and the SUV. She opened her eyes and glanced around. Four men stood about thirty feet away in the dark alley, in front of the vehicle. Their backs were turned and they seemed to be guarding the entrance from the street. A car passed but didn’t slow.

She turned her head. The door to the hotel had been closed and a black-clad guard blocked it. She looked toward the back of the vehicle and saw more guards posted down the alley. They were faced away too, but seemed to be there to make sure no one stumbled across her and Smiley.

“Vanni?”

Embarrassment was a horrible thing but she had to meet his gaze. The look of concern on his handsome face only made it worse. “Put me down.”

She lowered her legs along the outside of his when he did as she requested. Her knees shook, threatening to buckle under her weight when she stood. Smiley released her and she retreated, letting him go. The tremors grew worse and she leaned against the side of the SUV to stay upright on her own.

“Are you still in pain?”

She couldn’t speak but shook her head. She’d just dry-humped him in an alley behind a bar. Her parents would be appalled at her wanton behavior and so would anyone who knew her. Smiley wasn’t to blame. She’d practically begged him to help her and he had.

“It’s not over.”

“What?” She must not have heard him correctly.

“It can last for hours.”

“No. That—”

“It’s a short reprieve that some of us feel after finding release but within minutes the symptoms return.”

“No.” She didn’t want to believe that.

He took a few steps back. “Brass?”

The New Species turned around and rushed closer from his position at the front of the SUV. Smiley met him halfway.

“Make sure they bag our drinks. I didn’t drink all of mine. Maybe we can find fingerprints on the glass that will prove her innocent. One of the hotel guests might have put the drug in some of the empty glasses and just waited for them to be used.”

“It’s already done.” Brass kept his voice low. “We’re taking everything to Homeland to test. We need to get out of here. The reporters want to know what happened to cause us to lock down the bar and they are interviewing the humans who were inside at the time. Justice is refusing to answer their questions until we’re under way but they might obtain security feeds. They don’t record sound but they do have video. It’s only a matter of time before they realize she’s missing.”

Vanni’s eyes widened when wetness seeped down her thighs. It had to be because she’d just come but it was a lot. Her nipples beaded until it was painful and a sharp, stabbing sensation jolted her vagina and spread upward to her rib cage. She gasped and doubled over.

“Vanni!” Smiley was at her side an instant later, one hand gripping her shoulder and one on her hip.

She couldn’t breathe. Agony tore through her center and the only thing keeping her from hitting the pavement was Smiley’s hold on her. Her heart beat so rapidly she wondered if she’d have a heart attack. Pain stabbed her chest. She lifted her head and was blinded by tears as she tried to stare into his eyes. He had to be aware of her distress.

“Let me help you.”

She nodded. She’d do anything, try anything, to make it stop. He shifted his hold and forced her upright. It helped as she sucked in a lungful of air before the tears seeped down her cheeks. He released her hip and wiped them away with his thumb.

“I’m right here. I’ll do whatever you need.”

She needed him to make the pain go away. Kissing him and his touch turned the pain into pleasure. It was almost instinct to fist his shirt and yank him closer. The sound of ripping material was shocking. He was taller but she used her other hand to grab a handful of his black hair, pulling it to get his mouth down to hers. Her lips met his when he tilted his head and she was the one to kiss him frantically.

The agony faded into sexual need. She didn’t care about anything except trying to climb his tall frame. He helped by hooking an arm around her waist and lifting her off her feet. Loud moans tore from her when she wrapped her legs around his waist once more. She was the one who started to move, grinding her pussy against the front of his pants.

He tore his mouth away and turned his head. “Slow down,” he panted.

“No.” She focused on his exposed throat and latched her open mouth on it, licking and nipping at him.

“Fuck.” His voice deepened.

She wanted to, badly. It meant releasing either his hair or his shirt though. She let go of his shirt and reached down, trying to work her fingers between their stomachs to locate the snap of his jeans. He bowed his back enough to give her room to do it and she clawed at the front of his pants. He suddenly turned and she was trapped between his body and the SUV again. He pinned her there and reached up with his free hand to untangle her fingers from his hair.

“Slow down,” he demanded.

She pulled away from his throat and struggled in his grasp. He let go and she gripped his jaw, turning his face enough to kiss him again. Her tongue delved into his mouth and she moaned.

“We have someone on the hotel roof!” a man yelled. “This is Shane. Send someone up there now!”

Vanni ignored the warning. She gripped Smiley’s hips with her thighs and writhed against the bulge in his pants, moving up and down against him. It felt really good on her clit but she wanted more.

“Smiley!” one of the men yelled. “Get her under cover.”

Smiley pulled her away from the SUV, holding her tightly against his body with her arms and legs wrapped around him. He took a few steps and turned, getting them both inside the SUV. She ended up straddling his lap with his ass perched on the edge of the seat to give her legs room so they weren’t crushed between it and him. Someone slammed the door, sealing them inside.

Vanni went for Smiley’s mouth. They were in the roomy backseat of the SUV and alone. The windows were tinted and she hoped no one could see in. He kissed her with enough passion to steal her breath. She wiggled on his lap, frantic to come again.

Smiley broke his mouth from hers, leaving both of them panting. “I’m rolling you. Spread your thighs.”

She didn’t want to let him go but he forced the issue when he gripped her hips and lifted her, turning at the same time. She fell back flat on the leather seat and he scooted all the way to the door, still holding her. One of her legs was trapped between his hips and the back of the seat. He jerked her closer, until her ass was against his side.

“Open up for me.”

It was a struggle to do as he asked when she wanted to lunge up and climb on his lap again. He let go of her hips and fisted her skirt, shoving it up to her stomach, and used his other hand to grip her inner thigh and push it toward the front compartment. It hit the passenger-side seat. He released it and she cried out when his fingers snagged the center of her underwear. One strong tug and they were torn away. His thumb rubbed over the wet seam of her pussy and upward, caressing her clit.

Vanni threw back her head at the teasing touch and arched her hips. “Yes.”

“I’m here. Trust me to take care of you.”

It felt too good and she thrashed on the seat, clawing at the leather above her head. She didn’t want to dig her nails into Smiley and hurt him. It was the only sane thought she had. It might cause him to stop playing with her throbbing clit. It was the center of her world at that moment, aching so much it seemed her heart had traveled down there and she was sure he could take her pulse.

His hand returned to her hip, shoving her down to keep her flat on the seat. Vanni closed her eyes. Every muscle in her body seemed to tense and then she cried out, coming hard. She sucked in air and would have screamed if Smiley hadn’t released her hip and bent forward, his hand clamping down over her mouth.