His temper flared. “I was dangerous.”
“True.” Harley shrugged. “But you wanted to f**k 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.”
“I’m still angry at her for the past and she never came to Homeland to see me until this happened.”
“Ah.”
“What does that mean?”
Harley leaned in closer and peered at him, frowning. “The female is yours. Face it. You’ve come in late for other meals right off a work shift stinking of sweat. You always shower to wash it away no matter what I put on a plate or how hungry you are. I’m smelling her because you’re having one of those weird reactions we experience when a female has us by the balls. You probably need her scent on you in order to keep sitting there instead of sniffing after her to get another whiff.” A smile curved his lips. “Deny it to yourself but I know you too well. You have that whipped expression we’ve both witnessed on the males who have mated.” He laughed. “That’s the one. It’s that oh-shit look as it sinks in that it’s true.”
Moon knew the color had drained from his face. His best friend was right. He wouldn’t lie to Harley.
“Go to human housing and wallow in your female. Be sure to tell her that I expect to still spend time with you. She made a mistake. Get over it. I refuse to watch you sulk and beat on the task force members we train with when you unleash your anger on them. They aren’t cute and f**kable. She is. Don’t allow her to leave because you hold a grudge.”
“Sometimes I think you’ve grown too human.” It amused him though and Harley was right. He might hate what she had done to him once but she’d come back. They had things to work out but he did want to try. That meant he needed to ask her to stick around to be able to do that. He didn’t want to dwell on the past when Joy could become part of his future.
“I spend way too much time with Trey and the guys. They are a bad influence in the best way.” He jerked his thumb toward the door. “Go get her.”
As Moon slid off the chair the doorbell rang. He glanced at Harley, who shrugged.
“I’m not expecting anyone.” Moon crossed the room in quick strides. It wouldn’t be Joy. Her escort would have called first to get his permission to bring her to his house.
“Everyone was worried about you. Word spreads fast. It’s probably someone wanting to make sure you’re really back to normal after being told you’re home.” Harley followed. “Let’s hope it’s not a female to offer you a sympathy f**k. They won’t know you’re already taken until they smell her all over you.”
Moon jerked open the door and bared his teeth when he glared at the human waiting on his porch. It wasn’t anyone he wanted to see. “You.”
“Hello, Moon. Are you going to ask me in?”
He stepped to the center of the doorway, spread his arms, and gripped the frame to completely block the entrance with his body. “No.”
“You’re being extremely rude.”
“Go away, Kregkor.”
“I have come to evaluate you.”
“You’re not my shrink. I don’t need one.”
The annoying human gave him a chilly smile. “You’ve suffered a trauma and might still be experiencing side effects. Please invite me in. We’ll discuss all that has happened to you and how you feel about it.”
“He thinks it sucks that an ass**le shot him.” Harley paused behind him. “He’s fine now that the drugs have left his system. Evaluation over.”
“True.” Harley shrugged. “But you wanted to f**k 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.”
“I’m still angry at her for the past and she never came to Homeland to see me until this happened.”
“Ah.”
“What does that mean?”
Harley leaned in closer and peered at him, frowning. “The female is yours. Face it. You’ve come in late for other meals right off a work shift stinking of sweat. You always shower to wash it away no matter what I put on a plate or how hungry you are. I’m smelling her because you’re having one of those weird reactions we experience when a female has us by the balls. You probably need her scent on you in order to keep sitting there instead of sniffing after her to get another whiff.” A smile curved his lips. “Deny it to yourself but I know you too well. You have that whipped expression we’ve both witnessed on the males who have mated.” He laughed. “That’s the one. It’s that oh-shit look as it sinks in that it’s true.”
Moon knew the color had drained from his face. His best friend was right. He wouldn’t lie to Harley.
“Go to human housing and wallow in your female. Be sure to tell her that I expect to still spend time with you. She made a mistake. Get over it. I refuse to watch you sulk and beat on the task force members we train with when you unleash your anger on them. They aren’t cute and f**kable. She is. Don’t allow her to leave because you hold a grudge.”
“Sometimes I think you’ve grown too human.” It amused him though and Harley was right. He might hate what she had done to him once but she’d come back. They had things to work out but he did want to try. That meant he needed to ask her to stick around to be able to do that. He didn’t want to dwell on the past when Joy could become part of his future.
“I spend way too much time with Trey and the guys. They are a bad influence in the best way.” He jerked his thumb toward the door. “Go get her.”
As Moon slid off the chair the doorbell rang. He glanced at Harley, who shrugged.
“I’m not expecting anyone.” Moon crossed the room in quick strides. It wouldn’t be Joy. Her escort would have called first to get his permission to bring her to his house.
“Everyone was worried about you. Word spreads fast. It’s probably someone wanting to make sure you’re really back to normal after being told you’re home.” Harley followed. “Let’s hope it’s not a female to offer you a sympathy f**k. They won’t know you’re already taken until they smell her all over you.”
Moon jerked open the door and bared his teeth when he glared at the human waiting on his porch. It wasn’t anyone he wanted to see. “You.”
“Hello, Moon. Are you going to ask me in?”
He stepped to the center of the doorway, spread his arms, and gripped the frame to completely block the entrance with his body. “No.”
“You’re being extremely rude.”
“Go away, Kregkor.”
“I have come to evaluate you.”
“You’re not my shrink. I don’t need one.”
The annoying human gave him a chilly smile. “You’ve suffered a trauma and might still be experiencing side effects. Please invite me in. We’ll discuss all that has happened to you and how you feel about it.”
“He thinks it sucks that an ass**le shot him.” Harley paused behind him. “He’s fine now that the drugs have left his system. Evaluation over.”
