New Species 10 Moon (25 page)

“Don’t you dare come in here,” he called out. “Go away!”

Joy glanced at the closed door. Moon’s Species hearing would account for how he’d know the house had been breached. He faced her with a grim expression.

“You and I are going to have a long talk later. I have to go. Harley is waiting and I’d hate to beat up Flame because he’s concerned about me being with you so soon.”

He was leaving. It wasn’t a surprise since she’d overheard him making plans with Harley but it still stung. She wanted to linger in bed with him. There was a lot to say and she really wanted to know if what they’d shared was only sex to him…or more.

“Will I return tomorrow to find you gone again?” Anger suddenly narrowed his eyes and sounded in his deepening voice.

“I’m not going anywhere.” A hundred things popped into her head that she wanted to tell him. “You’ll come back to see me?”

“Tomorrow,” he confirmed. “Medical wants me to return tonight for another checkup but they’re letting me go home tonight with Security standing by. Other than Security only Harley can be there. The doc wants to be sure I’m drug-free and safe to be around. You know how doctors are.”

“They are worried.” She could understand that.

The silence stretched as they watched each other. Moon broke eye contact first as he lifted off her and withdrew from her body. They weren’t locked together anymore now that the swelling had abated. He slid off the end of the bed and she sat up, grabbing at the covers to pull over her naked body. It was slightly uncomfortable suddenly to be so exposed.

Moon kept his back to her while he dressed. A part of her resented that he wasn’t sticking around. She was reminded of the bitter history of her last boyfriend. Jeff had a way of making her feel used after sex. He’d never spent the night or even bothered to stick around to cuddle afterward. It was impossible not to compare the past with the present as Moon crossed the room.

Pride kept her silent as he opened the door. The rational side of her knew they hadn’t planned to end up in the spare bedroom for spur-of-the-moment sex and that Harley was waiting at Moon’s home for him to arrive. He had to go. Another part of her wanted to cry because he could have made a phone call to say he’d be late so they’d have some time to work a few things out.

He took one step into the hallway but stopped. He didn’t glance back but his body language indicated he was torn between going or staying. She hoped he’d turn around and come back.

“Don’t leave.” He still didn’t move, as if he were waiting for a reply.

“I won’t,” she answered.

That’s when he slowly looked her way and his gaze found hers. “I’ll see you tomorrow. And Joy?”

Her heart hammered at that intense look.

“What?”

“Be here.”

It was an order. Pure and simple. She nodded. “I promise, Moon.”

He closed the door when he left. Her shoulders sagged as she released the tight grip on the bedding. It slipped away from her breasts. She glanced down and her fingers trembled a little as she traced the bite pattern he’d left there. The skin wasn’t broken but he’d definitely left another mark. It was sensitive but didn’t hurt.

“Damn,” she whispered.

She was madly in love with someone who might not be able to forgive her for the past. Just because he’d gone to bed with her after he’d become lucid didn’t mean he wanted a future with her. She wasn’t that naïve. Sometimes sex was only sex. The saving grace was that he wanted to see her again. It might be to tell her to go to hell but she’d have to wait until he came back to find out.

The sticky feeling between her thighs became more apparent. A shower was in order and food wouldn’t hurt either. She had a feeling that it was going to be a very long night. No way would she stop worrying about their next conversation until they had it.

She wrapped the blanket around her body when she stood, not sure if Moon had thought to lock the front door. The last thing she wanted was to walk down the hallway butt naked and run into Security, checking on her well-being.

No one stopped her as she fled the short distance to the master bedroom and locked the door. The blanket dropped at her feet and she headed toward the bathroom, debating whether to take a long bath instead.

A slight buzz sounded and she paused, glancing around. It came from her purse, where it rested on the nightstand. She changed direction and slid her fingers into the outside pocket, glancing at her phone as she checked the caller ID.

“Great. Just what I need.” She slid her thumb over the screen and jerked it to her ear. “Hello, Eric.” Her boss had left six messages already and he was probably pissed that she’d taken off without giving him notice despite the calm tone he’d used. He was pretty mellow but he did have a business to run. “I’m so sorry I haven’t returned your calls. I told you an emergency came up and I haven’t had any free time.” She remembered his last voicemail. “Things are a little better but I still need a few days.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He hesitated. “We, um, have a serious problem.”

Dread hit. Was he going to fire her? It was a possibility. As much as she hoped things would work out with Moon, being fired was not an option. She didn’t want that on her work record.

“Someone broke into our offices a little while ago.”

That was the last thing she’d expected to hear. “Was anyone hurt?”

“No. It’s Susan’s birthday and we threw her a party at the burger joint down the street. Our entire wing was closed so no one was there when it happened.”

She cringed. The receptionist was a sweetheart. She made a mental note to call a florist as soon as they hung up to send a gift basket. She had the woman’s address stored in her phone.

“That’s horrible. Did they steal the computers?” There was a television in reception too but nothing else came to mind that a thief might target. “How did they get past hospital security or down the elevator without being caught?”

“They didn’t steal any electronics.”

“Let me guess. A junkie thought we store drugs up there?”

Eric hesitated again. “I need you to come down here immediately.”

“I can’t.”

His voice lowered. “You need to come in, Joy. Whoever they were, they broke into our file cabinets. We’re all going through them to see what is missing or has been tampered with but you’re the only one who can check your files. You could tell if any are missing or if anyone messed with them.”

“We keep session notes in there.”

“Exactly. Personal, confidential, very private information.”

“You think they were going for the files? Maybe they believed that’s where the drugs were stored. Someone high on drugs might have thought the cabinets were locked because they held narcotics.”

“I have three clients who have stalkers. One of them has a sexual addiction that could put his job at risk.” His voice lowered even more until she had to strain to hear him. “A few are having extramarital affairs. We’re liable if any sensitive information has been breached and we don’t warn them. What if it was someone’s stalker? What if they were looking for information to use to blackmail someone? Do you get where I’m going?”

Unfortunately, she did. “I understand.”

“Good.” He spoke in a more normal voice. “The police have arrived. How long will it take you to get here? They are waiting for us to figure out if any of our clients were targeted. Do you have any high-risk cases?”

“Four.” Jenny, who lived with an abusive boyfriend who took jealousy to an extreme level. She had encouraged the poor woman to leave him but it was a slow process. That jerk would probably kill her if he ever got his hands on those notes and read about their discussions. Paul was gay but wasn’t ready to make that known for fear of hurting his career. He was a professional athlete with a lot of fans. The press would tear his life apart if they got wind of his secret. Maggie was new and it was too early to tell if someone really was watching her the way she claimed. It could be a possible stalker or a case of paranoia. Lesley was a rape survivor who had come in after her attacker had been released from prison. He had made threats and the constant fear she experienced had caused her to seek help.

“Joy?”

“I’m still here. I was thinking.” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and calculated. “I can make it there in about two hours.”

“I want you here now.”

“I’m not in town.” She didn’t mention needing to shower before she left. “It’s going to take me that long to drive there and I will probably get a speeding ticket or two at that rate.”

“Get here ASAP.”

“I’m on my way.” She ended the call and rushed into the bathroom. She had no choice. She was responsible for her clients. She had to go.

Moon wouldn’t come back until morning. She could easily drive to the hospital, deal with the crisis and return to Homeland before he arrived. She had no way to contact him so she’d leave a note on the door and a message at the gate. She wouldn’t risk any more misunderstandings between them. If she was delayed for some reason and he found her gone… Well, she didn’t even want to think about what could happen. She didn’t wait for the water to warm before stepping into the stall. She had to hurry.

* * * * *

“This was great. Thank you.” Moon grinned and pushed away from the counter to lean back in his chair. “You somehow make better steaks than I do.”

Harley chuckled. “It’s all in the seasoning. I keep telling you to use salt and a little pepper before you sear them.”

“You could leave Security to work in the cafeteria.”

“Hell no.” Harley sipped his soda. “I couldn’t stand to be stuck indoors all day even if it was to cook.”

It was a common issue with Species and the reason they had humans working at Homeland. Humans didn’t mind being cooped up inside buildings. “Fresh air is wonderful.”

They exchanged a knowing look, both remembering all the years they’d been locked in cells at the mercy of Mercile.

“So…” Harley arched an eyebrow. “Are we going to keep avoiding the subject? We’ve eaten and I updated you about the Gift Female and Shadow. They are happy and in love. Breeze is fully recovering at Reservation. I’ve talked. You haven’t.”

Moon sighed.

“You came in smelling of shared sex. She’s still all over you since you didn’t shower before dinner. What are you doing?”

“Spending time with my best friend.”

Harley grumbled deep within his throat to sound his displeasure.

“I don’t know.” It was tough to admit. “Joy’s always been a complication.”

“Is she leaving?”

“Not right away,” he hedged.

“Damn it. Stop that. What is going to happen between you two?”

“I don’t know.” It frustrated him. He stared down at his legs, resisting the urge to kick the kitchen island he sat in front of. It might feel good to put a hole in something.

“You have to give her some credit for trying to help you when you were drugged out of your mind.”

He looked up and held Harley’s gaze. “Which she shouldn’t have been allowed to do. I could have killed her.”

“That’s what I said at first but I got outvoted. I changed my mind once I realized she was the only one you could connect with. She is an adult female who knew the risks.”

His temper flared. “I was dangerous.”

“True.” Harley shrugged. “But you wanted to fuck her more than anything else. She could have gotten you to bark and do dog tricks just by flashing her tits.”

It took control not to reach over and punch his friend. It would be satisfying to knock him right off the barstool onto his ass.

“Quit pushing my buttons.” He knew him too well. “You are hoping that if we go a few rounds fighting that I will confess that I still have feelings for her once I calm.”

Harley’s quick grin made him regret not following through with his fist.

“There’s no need to push me to talk. She ties me up in knots. I went to human housing because I couldn’t stay away. You being there was my excuse to see her.”

“Ouch. I missed you too.”

“Don’t.” Moon was in no mood to play games. “You know you’re a brother. She’s the one I think about when I’m alone.”

“Stroke material, huh? Is she the one you picture when you—”

Moon snarled, flashing his canines. “You’ve either really missed sparing with me or you’ve grown foolish while I was drugged. I meant that the memory of her has tormented me when I feel lonely. It’s not just sexual.”

All humor vanished from Harley’s features and his eyes narrowed. “Are you going to allow her to leave Homeland or not? That’s what I want to know.”

“It’s not up to me. We’re going to talk tomorrow.”

“She’s little and it would be easy for you to keep her around if you wanted to make sure she stays. Refuse to let her leave. I’d like to see her try to get around you to walk out a door if you said otherwise. You’re no longer a newly free male who is finding his footing in life. You’re in control now instead of the other way around. She’s got no authority here.”

“I can’t force her to stay if she wants to return to her world.”

Harley snorted. “I would if I ever wanted a female that bad.”