“Vanilla.”
“We’re so different.”
“Stop looking for excuses not to be my mate. We’re compatible. Do you want me to take you to our bed and show you again?”
Her gaze left his, and she scowled up at the platform. “That is a deal-breaker, Lash. We’ve got to compromise about that.”
“It’s safer for us up there. I sleep better knowing we’re where humans can’t get to us if they breach security.”
“I refuse to let you leap around with me all day. You don’t eat chocolate because it upsets your stomach. That’s what happens to mine when you take me up there or get me down.”
“Humans do attack the NSO, Mary.”
She sighed and stared at him, finishing her brownie. Her mind was working. He could see emotions flashing in her eyes. He waited, knowing she’d talk to him soon. He liked that about his mate. She had lots of opinions and words to say.
“What happens if we do have a baby? It’ll crawl. It could fall off the platform. Did you think about that?”
He hadn’t. “I’ll have them put lots of mats under it. You weren’t hurt when you landed on the mats after you fell out of the vent. It’s almost as high as my bed. Our son won’t get hurt.”
“Deal-breaker, Lash. That means I can’t live with that. The bed has to come down.”
He growled, not liking her demand.
She wiggled in his arms but he refused to let her go. She set the plate down and twisted to face him, placing her hands on his chest. He liked it when she petted him, which she did at that moment.
“Are you trying to manipulate me by touch?” He wasn’t about to admit it was working. He felt himself softening, wanting to give her anything she asked for.
“No. You want me to give up my whole life to live here. Is the bed coming down so I can get in and out of it without some circus act really too much to ask? Meet me halfway.”
He sighed, not liking her words, but he understood. “We can lower it five feet.”
“Five feet from the floor?”
He shook his head. “From where it is now.”
Her fingers played with the fur on his chest. “Be reasonable, Lash. I’m thinking about moving here to live with you. The bed has to be low enough for me to climb in and out of it without your help.”
“It’s a security risk. You’re not leaving me, Mary. I won’t let you go.”
She stopped petting him and dug her nails into his chest. It wasn’t enough to hurt but he could tell he’d frustrated her. Didn’t she understand that he was trying to protect her? He opened his mouth to warn her about the dangers of attack again but she spoke before he could.
“What about a safe room? The NSO built you all of this. Maybe they’d consider it.”
He frowned. “What is that?”
“Think of a bunker. It’s a room that’s designed to be break-in proof. Thick walls, floor, and ceiling. I’m not claustrophobic. Are you?”
“What does that mean?”
“A fear of small, enclosed spaces. Maybe they could design it to resemble a cave. Don’t lions like those? We could keep it open, but if someone were to break into the basement, it could be sealed to keep us safe inside.”
He wasn’t sure. “I’ll talk to Torrent about it, or Jaded.”
She smiled at him again. “Thank you.”
“I need to take you to bed now.” He wanted his mate.
“I just ate. I can’t jump around right now. Trust me, it’s rough on my stomach. I don’t think puking would do it for either of us.”
He growled and lifted her off his lap. He stood and reached down, pulling Mary to her feet. “Come with me. Those mats will be good for something.”
“The ones I fell on?”
“They are soft and not too high.”
“Can you grab us some pillows? Maybe a blanket? I don’t want to lie naked on plastic or whatever that material is.”
He grinned. “I’ll be right back.” He let her go and ran, took a leap, and landed on the lowest platform. He turned, eyed the second one, and crouched. He leapt up and landed on it. Below him, he heard Mary curse.
He grinned. She was afraid he’d miss. She didn’t know how easy this was for him.
Chapter Seven
Mary floated on her back, staring up at the lit waterfall. Small lights were all around her in the sides of the pool. The water was still pleasantly warm. Lash had done something to turn on star-like lights across the ceiling of the dim room.
The basement had definitely been turned into one of the coolest indoor areas she’d ever seen.
A small wave in the water drew her from her thoughts and she rolled over, watching as Lash climbed into the pool with her. He was naked, and the sight of all his muscles and his gorgeous body wasn’t getting old.
She swam toward him where he stood in the pool. It wasn’t deep, probably five and a half feet. He held out his arms and she wrapped around him.
“I thought you’d wait for me.”
She smiled. “Sorry. I was dying to try out this pool. It’s amazing.”
“I wanted a bigger one but this was the best they could do.”
“It’s perfect.”
“You’re perfect, mate.”
He frequently said things like that, which made her feel sexy and wonderful. “I love the lights.”
“I used to climb trees and sleep under the stars.” He glanced up. “I mentioned that, so they put those in. It’s not the same. I don’t have a moon in here.”
His confession surprised her. “You slept in trees sometimes?” Her gaze went to the bed hanging near the roof. “Oh, is that why you like your bed so high?”
“Leo built a platform in one of his trees but I just slept in the branches. Now I see why he wanted a flat surface. My bed is more comfortable than the thick limbs were to sleep on.”
“Leo?”
“He’s like me.”
“A lion man?”
He nodded. “He has a tail, though.”
She wasn’t sure what to say about that. “Is he your friend?”
“Yes. He visits sometimes. You’ll meet him. I thought about your cave suggestion. Leo has one of those. I’ll ask for one to be built but on a smaller scale.”
“I didn’t know there were any caves in this area.”
“It’s a house they built mostly underground for him. It resembles a cave from the outside. It helps us feel safer from humans. There are security doors he can activate to seal it off in case of attack.”
It made her extremely sad that some New Species feared humans so much. She hadn’t noticed that about the ones who visited the diner. They’d all seemed at ease mingling with the townspeople. Maybe it was only a problem for the ones like Lash. It made her want to hold him a little tighter to make him forget all the horrible things he’d survived in the past. She hated Mercile.
It wasn’t lost on her that he feared humans almost as much as she feared New Species.
Mary slid her fingers into his hair and drew closer to his mouth. He immediately parted his lips as she kissed him. He growled, his chest rumbling against hers.
They’d learned each other’s mouths on the mats across the room. She was shocked to discover he’d never kissed anyone before. But Lash had picked up kissing fast and was already a master at it. That didn’t surprise her. He was a very passionate man. The things he could do to her body had her urgently rubbing up against his even now. He always made her come, never leaving her high and dry like other men had in bed. He always got her off first to make certain she was wet enough to take him without pain. That was a good thing, since he was larger than a human in that department.
A ringing sounded and Lash snarled, ending the kiss. “Someone is coming.” He turned in the water, lifted her, and set her on the edge of the pool. “Go into the bathroom now. Stay there until I come get you.”
The phone near the door went silent, and she hesitated.
“You’re naked. I refuse to let males see you this way.” Lash pulled himself out of the water next to her, hooked her around her waist, and slid down the fake moss-covered embankment with her.