New Species 13 Smiley (17 page)

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Smiley hummed while he dried the dishes. He even wiped down
the already-clean counters and then folded the wet towel over the holder. It
was tough not to go into the bedroom but he didn’t want Vanni feeling as if she
had no privacy. He repositioned the coffee table and fluffed the couch
cushions. One glance around assured him the room looked tidy. He lifted his
backpack and set it inside the closet to keep it out of sight in case it
reminded her that he planned to move in.

She hadn’t thrown a fit when he’d mentioned bringing enough
clothing to last for days. A female Species would have picked up his bag and
tossed it out the front door, ordering him to fetch. She’d have slammed and
locked the door with him on the other side of it to prevent him from returning.
He grinned, grateful Vanni was human.

The soft sound of clicking drew his attention and he stared
at Vanni when she paused at the end of the tile hallway. The button-down shirt
she wore hugged her breasts and ribs. He had thought she’d look good in it but
hadn’t known she would keep a few buttons open at the top to reveal a hint of
cleavage. His gaze lowered to the black form-fitting skirt that fell to mid
thigh. Her rounded hips were accented and it made him want to touch them. She
was short but the heels made her legs appear longer than they really were.

“Does this look bad?”

His gaze jerked up to her face. She wore no makeup and had
just brushed her hair into a ponytail. He shook his head.

“The skirt is kind of short and the shirt is a little tight.
I tried to button it all the way up but it gaped open over my bra.”

“You look perfect.” The compliment brought color to her
cheeks and it angered him a little. It was as if males rarely told her she was
appealing, when they should. He wouldn’t make that mistake. “You’re beautiful,
Vanni.”

Her hands clasped over her lower belly and she straightened
her shoulders. “Thank you. That’s sweet to say.”

He stalked closer. “Not sweet.” His attention strayed to the
vee of the shirt and he licked his lips. “None of my thoughts are.”

She stared at him. “I don’t understand.”

He gently gripped her hands, stilling their motion “You look
sexy and I’d like nothing better than to remove those clothes from you. I would
toss you over my shoulder to take you back to bed if an SUV wasn’t waiting
outside. I’m going to do that later though. Expect it.”

That seemed to surprise her. “I’m not even wearing makeup. I
mean, I look a lot better with it on.”

“No, you don’t. I prefer you just like this.”

Her gaze lowered to his mouth and he wanted to kiss her. He
knew better. He’d end up following through and taking her to the bedroom. As
tempting as it was, he didn’t need Justice, Fury or Jericho on his ass for
ruining their plans to dispel the horrible rumors the church had started. He
didn’t care what humans thought of him but they’d damaged Vanni’s reputation as
well.

“We need to leave.”

She nodded and finally stopped staring at his mouth. “Okay.”

“It’s going to be fine. I won’t leave your side.”

“I trust you.”

A warm feeling settled in his belly. That was one hurdle
down in the path to gaining her as a mate. “Good. I would pity the human who
tried to harm you.”

Her eyes widened.

He just smiled. “You’re mine to protect and I won’t fail
you.” He released her hands and stepped back, offering his arm the way he’d
seen gentlemen do in films. “Allow me, beautiful. Let me escort you to the SUV.”

Vanni curled her fingers around his forearm. He wished he’d
worn a short-sleeved shirt so he could enjoy her touch better. He liked
skin-to-skin contact. He glanced down as they walked forward, getting a better
view of her cleavage. His dick stirred at the thought of putting his mouth
there later. It took effort to contain his desire enough to control his
physical reactions. A raging hard-on would be noticeable.

He led her outside. Slash, Jericho, Wager and Flame were the
four males he’d requested for the Species team. They were human-friendly and
trustworthy. He shot a warning glare at Wager, who stared a little too intently
at Vanni’s legs. Wager frowned but averted his gaze immediately. Smiley paused
beside them.

“You’ve met Wager and I heard you were introduced to Jericho
yesterday, Vanni. This is Slash and Flame. They are friends of mine and have
been assigned to protection duty. They will travel in our SUV with us. A second
vehicle will carry our human task force team members.”

“Hello.” Vanni smiled at the males. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He watched her face closely, hoping none of them would
appeal to her. She didn’t keep her gaze on any of them for longer than a few
seconds. He did notice that she glanced at Jericho again. The male had said his
eyes frightened her. Smiley drew her a little closer against his side.

“It’s good to meet you.” Flame grinned. “We’ll have fun
shopping. That’s the main point of this, besides showing the humans that Smiley
isn’t a monster you hate.”

Smiley snarled, not liking the way Vanni’s smile faded at
Flame’s remark.

Flame backed away. “I’m sorry. That was intended to be a
joke.”

“She didn’t laugh.” Smiley tried to control his temper but
it was hard to do, knowing Vanni had been offended. “You drive, Flame.
Silently.”

“Okay.” The male fled around the SUV.

Jericho opened the passenger door. “Please get in, Vanni.
You take the middle seat. Smiley and I will sit by the doors.”

Smiley helped her climb in and watched her fight the skirt
to keep it from inching up her thighs. Jericho clamped a hand on his shoulder
when he attempted to scoot in after her.

“Get a grip,” the male whispered.

Smiley wasn’t sure what he meant.

“You’re acting irrational. You’re Smiley, not Grumpy Ass,
ready to tear off the heads of males who look at your female. Everyone knows
she’s yours.”

Smiley jerked out of his hold and climbed into the SUV.
Jericho slammed the door and he winced. His friend had a point. He wasn’t
behaving as he normally did. Vanni drove him a little insane. Wager had no
business appreciating the sight of her legs and Flame shouldn’t speak to her at
all.

She put on her seatbelt and he tried to relax. He didn’t
want her to see his stress. She touched his hand. He met her gaze.

“Are you okay?” She sounded worried.

“Yes.”

The door opened and Jericho took the seat on her other side.
He didn’t like his friend that close and fought the desire to remove her belt
and place her on his lap instead. It was unreasonable and stupid, yet the urge
still goaded him.

Vanni stroked the back of his hand. “I’m not afraid. I feel
safe. You can relax.”

He wished it were that simple. Jealousy was a new emotion
and he didn’t like it one bit. He recognized it though. Vanni wasn’t his mate.
Yet.
That left room for other males to draw her attention. He had to resist glancing
at her stomach. His son might be growing there but that wasn’t why he wanted
her. It just meant he’d have a valid reason to beat on any male foolish enough
to flirt with her.

“Listen to her,” Jericho ordered. “Chill out. We have two
teams on this mission and this will be a short, surprise outing. We don’t
expect any trouble but we’re prepared if anything happens. We even have the
helicopter on standby in case we need an emergency airlift.”

No one had mentioned that last part to him. “For a medical
emergency?” His gut twisted. Did they think someone would shoot at Vanni? He
wouldn’t risk it. “I’m calling this off right now.”

The red in Jericho’s eyes flashed more prominently than
usual, showing his anger. He knew immediately what Smiley was thinking.

“In case the roads are congested, Smiley. No one expects
violence. This outing is needed to show the humans you didn’t harm one of their
own. We might have to helicopter her and you out if the media has a chance to
catch us if we’re stuck in traffic. You know those bastards would drive on the
sides of the highway to reach us.”

“Oh.” He calmed a bit. “That’s a good plan.”

Jericho crossed his arms over his chest. “Just shoot me.”

Vanni gaped at his friend. “What?”

Jericho didn’t look at her but glared at Smiley. “He
understands what I mean. I’d rather be shot than suffer foolishness.”

Smiley faced forward and turned his hand, lacing his fingers
with Vanni’s. He cringed a little inside but was grateful Vanni didn’t question
him. She let it go. He knew what Jericho meant. The male would rather take a
bullet than fall in love with a female.

He wasn’t exactly being a good example to his friends. He’d
been moody and rash since meeting Vanni. Everyone seemed to appreciate his good
humor so he needed to show her more of that. A few deep, calming breaths
helped. He’d be on his best behavior while taking her shopping and show her how
much fun he could be. Females appreciated a male who could make them laugh.

Vanni wasn’t a fan of Miles Eron. The sixty-something head
of the NSO public relations team wasn’t the friendliest guy. “Look happy at all
times,” he demanded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I’m not
sure I like that outfit.” His gaze scanned Vanni. “Cindy? Get your ass over
here.”

“Yes?” A woman with unruly curly hair—the mass was barely
contained in a ponytail on top of her head—stepped forward.

“What the hell were you thinking? Her shirt barely fits.
Give her yours.”

“I disagree. She looks fantastic. Craig did her shopping
though, not me. I stand by his choice. It’s a good look for her.” The woman
lifted her chin, openly regarding Miles with contempt.

“The shirt is too damn tight. You’ve got massive boobs but
take yours off and give it to the girl.” Miles waved his hand. “Now.”

“Vanni looks perfect.” Smiley glowered at Miles. “Don’t ask
your female to disrobe in the company of males.”

“As if I’d do it,” Cindy muttered. She raised her voice. “This
isn’t 1950, sir. Women are comfortable and flaunt their femininity. She is a
pretty woman with a gorgeous figure. Let it go.”

“Who pays you?” Miles pointed at his own chest. “I’m the
boss.”

“You’re a chauvinistic ass,” Cindy muttered.

“What did you say?” Miles advanced.

Her voice rose. “I said I know you’ve got an eye for class.”
She paused. “But with all due respect, you’re wrong on this one. That’s why you
hired me, remember? I’m the voice of the younger generation.”

Justice chuckled. “Enough, Miles. Vanni looks fine. They
need to leave.”

Smiley tugged on her arm and led her out of the building.
Vanni looked back and caught Cindy waving goodbye. She felt sympathy for her as
she returned the gesture.

“Wow. Is that Miles always such a jerk? I couldn’t work for
him.” She looked to Smiley for an answer.

“He can be abrasive but he’s good at what he does. You look
perfect. That female was correct. He’s an ass.”

“And apparently a little hard of hearing.” She grinned. “That
was kind of funny.”

Smiley laughed. “Cindy does it often when we have meetings.
We crack up because he has no idea what she said or why we’re amused.”

A little jealousy rose in Vanni. “You know her well then?”

“Cindy is a nice female. She accompanies Miles to a lot of
our joint meetings when media issues arise. They mainly work at Reservation but
came here last night to help us handle the situation.”

“Great. I’m a situation.” She didn’t like the sound of that.

Smiley helped her into the SUV. He kept touching her. “You
didn’t cause this problem. Place the blame where it belongs. The Woods Church
has had it in for the NSO for a long time.”

Jericho took the seat next to her. The big primate flashed a
half-smile, making him look less menacing. She wanted to ask Smiley if he’d
ever dated Cindy but didn’t want to do it with four other New Species in the
SUV with them. Flame and Slash sat up front. Wager took the third row seat. She
glanced back at him but he was staring out the rear window.

She leaned against Smiley. “What’s he doing?” She jerked a
thumb toward Wager.

“He’ll make sure we aren’t followed and he has a weapon at
ready in case it’s needed.”

Vanni regretted asking the question. “Weapon?”

Smiley took her hand and clasped it. “It’s standard
procedure.”

“I have a weapon too.” Jericho unfastened the strap on his
Kevlar vest and reached inside, pulling out a handgun. He showed it to her and
then returned it, replacing the strap. “The safety is on. We’re well trained.”

“We sometimes hide them in public when we leave NSO lands.”
Smiley squeezed her hand.

“You’re not on duty?” She’d noticed everyone in both SUVs,
except Smiley, wore NSO uniforms.

“No. This is our outing and it’s their job to protect us.”

She was glad Smiley wasn’t carrying a gun. They scared her. “Do
you think it’s really necessary for them to be armed? I mean, we’re just going
to a clothing store, right?”

“Standard operating procedure.” Slash spoke from the front. “We
need to be prepared to defend our lives at all times when we’re not at Homeland
or Reservation. A lot of the officers carry weapons at Reservation though, even
when they are off duty. The walls are vast and always expanding. It’s possible
an intruder could breach one but Homeland is smaller and more secure.”

It saddened Vanni that they had go to those extremes. She
couldn’t imagine living in a world where the majority of society had to keep
guns strapped to their bodies. Smiley lifted her hand and brushed a kiss across
her knuckles. She stared up at him, a little awed. He did the sweetest things
when she least expected.

“We have no crime within our society. When we encounter it,
it usually involves humans. It’s rare to have anyone breach our walls. It’s
more of a precaution.”

He could read her too well. It was kind of nice though. “I
just hate that you have to live like that.”

“It’s our way of life and we enjoy the freedom. That’s the
cost of it. There are a lot of humans who don’t wish us harm.”

Flame chuckled. “The mate hunters.”

“What are those?” Her interest was piqued.

“Never mind.” Smiley shook his head. “Just humans who are a
little too friendly.”

“Or wish we were.” Slash chuckled.

“Now I’m really curious,” Vanni admitted.

“They are females who flash their breasts at our officers.” Jericho
snorted. “They think we’ll be driven insane with lust and take them home.”

“Oh.” Vanni had no idea the NSO had groupies.

“We tend to ignore them.” Smiley lowered his voice. “They
aren’t the kind of humans you take home.”

“Why not?”

“They are crazy,” Jericho answered. “One of them is a
ninety-six-year-old female. She’s a regular at the gates. That is a sight I
could have lived without.”

Wager laughed. “She wore nothing and opened her long coat to
flash Darkness. He ordered one of the task force members to take her a warm cup
of coffee. It seemed to him that she must be cold.”

Smiley’s chest rumbled and she liked that cute sound when he
was deeply amused. A grin lit up his face and she smiled back.

“What about you? Have you been flashed?” She didn’t really
like the idea of women chasing after him.

“I stick to the outer-region walls when I walk them. The
humans tend to gather at the main gates.” Smiley shrugged. “I mostly do
interior duty.”

“Smiley is good with humans,” Flame offered. “He’s had some
very important assignments and is respected by all.” He released the wheel with
one hand as they exited the main gates and tapped Slash. “Tell her.”

Slash turned in his seat. “Smiley is a great guy. He’s
intelligent and very tame.”

“Enough,” Smiley ground out.

Vanni glanced between the two men. Smiley seemed angry.
Slash faced forward and muttered something under his breath that she didn’t
catch.

“I don’t need help,” Smiley stated.

She bit her lip and fought a laugh. It didn’t take a genius
to figure out they were talking him up to her.

“I would never use the word tame.” She couldn’t believe that
came out of her mouth. She darted a glance at Smiley to see his reaction and
felt heat rise in her cheeks at the way he his eyes widened. “I wouldn’t,” she
insisted.

“What word would you use?” Smiley arched an eyebrow.

“Amazing.” She was flirting with him and enjoyed it.

He smiled. “I like that one better.”

She ducked her head and rubbed her thumb against his.
Holding hands seemed like such a silly thing but it felt good. He’d brought
over clothes to stay with her. The note he’d left implied he wanted more than
just sex. Walking into that bar might have seemed like a nightmare right
afterward but she was almost grateful she’d been the one to sit next to him. It
had brought Smiley into her life. She didn’t regret it.

At least not right now.
I hope I still think that
next week or next month.
She pushed back the negative thoughts. No
relationship was a guarantee to a happily-ever-after. She’d learned that the
hard way, twice. It had hurt deeply to know the first love of her life was a
cheating bastard who’d led her on for years with no real intentions of settling
down or being the type of man who’d make her happy. He’d just been an excellent
liar and actor. Losing Carl hadn’t hurt though. It had taught her never to
settle for someone just because she was lonely.

She lifted her chin and peered at Smiley. He was watching
everything they passed. She studied his profile. He was a handsome man but even
better, he was a good one. They’d gone through a traumatic experience together
and he’d seemed more concerned about her welfare than his own. It showed strong
character and a good heart.

A slow burn of anger built inside her. Carl and his father
wanted to hurt New Species. She glanced forward at the two men in the front
seat then at the one next to her. They were scary-looking, admittedly, with
their altered features and muscular bodies. That didn’t make them bad people.
They were all there to protect her, a stranger. She hadn’t met too many people
in her life who would take risks for someone they didn’t know.

Vanni realized how bad things could have been if the other
woman had taken the seat next to Smiley that night in the bar. The Woods Church
would have made him out to be some rapist who drugged his victim. They’d spout
those lies to anyone who would listen, damaging the NSO, who’d all been nothing
but kind to her and didn’t deserve to be slandered.

She debated whether the media would believe her if she told
them what had happened when she’d returned the engagement ring to Carl. Gregory
Woods and men like that horrible Bruce shouldn’t get away with their evil
deeds. It wasn’t right. They could do it again and pull some innocent into it
as they’d done with her. No one should ever go through being locked up
overnight and threatened with death.

“Vanni?” Smiley reached over and caressed her arm.

She stared up at him. “Yes?”

“Are you okay? Don’t worry. Your safety is my top priority.
I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to you. This will be fun.”

“I believe you.”

“We’ll buy you clothing. Don’t look at price tags. Money isn’t
a concern.”

“All right.” She’d pay them back though, if she ever got her
wallet and credit cards returned. She made a mental note to cancel them later.
She’d been too disorientated to really think about those things until that
moment. The last thing she wanted was the Woods Church charging purchases in
her name.

“We’re almost there.” Smiley squeezed her hand.

She glanced out the windshield and realized Flame was
driving the SUV into a shopping center. Her musings had left her unaware of how
far they’d traveled. It put her at ease when she saw the name of the store they
parked in front of. She had worried they’d take her to a fancy dress shop but
this was one of the chain stores where she normally bought clothes. There weren’t
a lot of cars in the parking lot since it had just opened.

“Are you ready? I will be with you.” Smiley studied her
eyes. She knew he looked for any show of emotion and tried to gauge her mood.

She nodded, forcing herself to relax. Smiley opened the door
and kept hold of her hand as she slid out behind him. The NSO officers
surrounded them, putting her and Smiley in the middle. A car passed, the driver
openly gawking at the team. The woman nearly hit another car before slamming on
the brakes.

“So it begins,” Jericho sighed. “Expect the cell phones to
come out.”

Smiley released her hand and pulled her against his side,
wrapping his arm around her waist. “Just smile. They tend to want to take
photos with us but we’ll keep them back. I don’t want anyone getting too close
to you.”

“Don’t snarl at anyone,” Slash warned, his gaze locked on
Smiley. “You smile. I don’t care what your instincts say. Got it?”

“I know.” Smiley complied. “See?”

“You look constipated but trying to look happy about it,”
Flame muttered.

Vanni laughed. Smiley actually smiled then. It reached his
eyes and transformed his features. He hugged her tightly as the human task
force team members opened the doors but stayed outside. They took positions as
if they planned to guard the entrance.

Customers and employees turned to gawk at them. Vanni
straightened her shoulders and felt gratitude that Smiley was beside her. His
arm around her waist was comforting.

Flame strolled over and yanked a cart free from a line of
them and chuckled. “I love carts. I always want to jump inside one and be
pushed.”

“You’d break the thing. No playing,” Jericho said sternly. “Keep
a sharp eye out but look happy about it.”

Vanni noticed one of their group was missing. “Where is
Wager?”

“He’s staying with the SUVs. No one will be able to tamper
with the vehicles without him knowing.”

Smiley’s explanation killed some of her joy. She tried to
hide her distress.
Are they paranoid or has it happened before?
She didn’t
want to ask. They were supposed to be there to have a good time and be seen
together in public to prove Gregory Woods a liar. That returned the smile to
her face. She really hated him, his son and that church.

“Just toss everything at me,” Flame offered. “I’ll follow
behind.”

“You’re having too much fun,” Jericho said and sighed. “You
remind me of a hyper child.”

“You remind me of a grumpy father,” Flame shot back.

Slash shook his head. “Humans are watching. Behave!”

Vanni laughed and looked up at Smiley. “Are they always like
this?”

“Yes.” He eased his hold on her and lowered his voice. “We
have twenty minutes before this could get out of hand. We have to stay for at
least ten to make sure enough photos are taken. Relax and buy lots. You’ll need
everything from the skin out.”