Brawn - Laurann Dohner [2]
“You’re still mad that I wasn’t around much when you were a kid? I was working.”
“You were always volunteering! Don’t think I didn’t know you asked for the toughest assignments that would keep you out of the house the longest just because you and Mom didn’t get along. You were hardly there. I am not angry anymore because I grew up and got over it. What makes me mad is that you were hardly there to tell me what to do as a kid so what makes you think you can pull this crap now? I would rethink it. Stop telling me what to do, where I can live, or who I can talk to.”
“He’s New Species, Rebecca. You’ve learned enough about them to know why I don’t want you near him. They were locked up all their lives as test subjects and they were prisoners who suffered physical and emotional abuse. No one could be completely right in the head after that. They are all big and were shoved full of altered shit. He’s going to be part man and animal. You’re a good-looking girl and he will notice that. I don’t want you near him and that’s an order you will follow. You are not to talk to him or hang out with him.”
That did it. Becca laughed. “You don’t give me orders. I still haven’t said he could stay in my home. I get why he needs to but that doesn’t mean you have the right to lend out my home or make me move back in with you. It’s not happening.”
“You will do as I say.”
Her good humor fled. “That’s it. I’m done. Here’s the program you’d better get with. He can stay in my guest room—there are two. I’ll give him the one down the hall from my bedroom. I’d hate to live in your house so I would never subject anyone else to that. While he is here, I can talk to him if I want. Hell, I can hang out with him. I can do anything I want with him and you can’t do a thing about it.”
“What would you like to do with me?” The voice behind her was a deep rumble.
Becca started and turned to gape at the owner of that masculine voice. He was really tall and his straight black hair fell over his broad shoulders to his waist in a silky curtain of hotness. He had to be a good foot taller than her five-foot-five height. His catlike blue eyes met her shocked ones. His cheekbones were prominent, his nose flatter than normal and a set of full lips were curved downward in contemplation. Overall, he was strangely good-looking and really big. The hair was just sexy as could be—a bonus.
His skin was a golden tone and she could see a lot of it since he wore a red tank top stretched tightly over a broad chest. Thick, muscular arms were displayed to her appreciative eyes. The guy was built like a body builder or a male stripper. Becca instantly imagined him moving to music and her stomach clenched. She’d definitely put some bills in his G-string.
Her focus lowered to a trim waist and the black cargo pants that molded to bulked-up thighs on those long legs. They were the type of pants a lot of her father’s men wore and she’d have pegged him as military if it weren’t for the fact that he was obviously New Species. She silently wondered if her father or a member of his team had handpicked the guy’s attire. Oh yeah, she decided. I’d definitely want to see him strip out of his clothes.
“You’ve arrived already.” Her father didn’t try to hide his annoyance. “This is my daughter, Rebecca. She’s moving out of the guesthouse that you’ll be staying in while you’re here.” He moved forward and held out his hand. “It’s good to see you again.”
“I’m Brawn.” The large man’s gaze flicked away from Becca’s and he dropped his navy-blue duffel bag to the ground and shook hands with her father.
“I remember,” her father admitted gruffly. “You’re one of the council members and we were introduced recently at a meeting. I just didn’t want to be forward by calling you by your first name without permission. I wasn’t informed if you’d taken a last one.”
“I didn’t. I’m just