Kissed Cyborg (Bound by Her Book 3)

by Nellie C. Lind

  She turned toward the blue couch and put her bag on it. “We’re not moving.”

  He frowned too. “I didn’t ask.”

  “No, but you were thinking it.”

  Silver took a step closer. “So, you read minds now?”

  “Don’t be stupid. Of course, I don’t.”

  He flinched, and for a split-second, hurt masked his handsome, masculine features.

  The change in the air was instant. It became heavy as a brick and almost impossible to breathe.

  Had she said something wrong? Had he flinched because she’d called him stupid?

  “Whatever,” he muttered and headed for the bedroom.

  Faye followed and watched him place his heavy bag on the floor, clearly stating he was moving in.

  Silver threw himself on the bed with a satisfied groan and placed his arms behind his head. The content grin was impossible to miss. The hurt seemed to be washed away.

  The bed was king-sized, and yet, when he spread out, it looked small. He filled it with his six-foot-three frame, and biceps bigger than her thighs. She barely dared to compare his long legs to any part of her body.

  She crossed her arms over her breasts and glared. “What’re you doing?” Trying to sound irritated failed when her voice trembled.

  Silver propped himself on his elbows. “What does it look like? It’s getting late, and we should get ready for sleep. I’m exhausted.”

  Her chin dropped. “I’m not sleeping with you! There’s a perfectly fine couch in the living room, and you can use it.”

  He frowned. “Do you expect me to sleep on the couch for the rest of your life?”

  Faye held her breath. He hadn’t said his life. He’d said her life. That was like another reality slap right in the face.

  He didn’t expect to survive her death.

  They really needed to get rid of the damn bond as soon as possible. The last thing she wanted was him dying with her when the day came.

  “I won’t apologize for kissing you. I won’t apologize for binding you to me. You had it coming for what you and the others did to Shade, but you already know that. That being said, you know where we stand. The bond is temporary. As soon as Nightmare and Celise figure it out, you’ll be free. We’d agreed to keep this relationship on a friendly level, but we’re barely that. You don’t want to get any closer to me than I want to get closer to you.”

  The silence that filled the room was deafening, and the way Silver glared at her amazed her that her heart was still beating. His dark look alone could kill her in a second.

  Instinctively, she took a step back.

  “You’re forgetting, my feelings for you are here to stay.”

  She’d never heard his voice that cold before.

  “What did you think would happen when you kissed me? I doubt you even thought it through.”

  Faye stood her ground. She wouldn’t allow him to scare her. “No, I didn’t think it through. All I wanted was for you and the others to stop beating Shade, and apparently, it worked. Besides, I didn’t even believe you could get bound to me from one simple kiss. It sounded too weird.”

  “And yet, here I am.”

  “Yes, and I still think you should sleep on the couch.”

  Silver flew up from the bed in a millisecond.

  She squeaked and before she could process it, he had her pressed against the wall, locked in between his strong arms.

  The sound from when he slammed his fists against the wall echoed in her head.

  Anger radiated from his shining cyborg eyes.

  Maybe she should’ve listened to Celise, after all. A sleepover didn’t sound so bad right now. She held her back straight even if every part of her body wanted to curl up. “Don’t you dare hurt me.”

  “I can never hurt you. It’s impossible. You’re my everything, whether I want you to be, or not. Without you, I’m dead. Literally.”

  “You’ll live a long life once the bond’s removed.” She licked her lips.

  Silver slammed his hand into the wall again and roared out in pure fury. “Do you even have the slightest idea what you’re doing to me right now?” He grabbed her shoulders and squeezed, but not hard enough to cause her pain.

  Then he leaned closer.

  His warm breath grazed her face, and Faye shivered.

  A gentle gasp left her mouth when he placed his cheek against hers. She felt his desperation in that tiny action, and even if she wanted to ignore it, she couldn’t.

  He loved her.

  Whether he wanted to or not.

  Was he even able to keep this relationship on a friendly level? Did he want to?

  Her hands trembled when she reached for him. Faye hesitated for two long seconds before she placed them on his broad back and slowly stroked him.

  Slowly, Silver started to calm, and let out a deep exhale.

  Her heart tripped, increasing her breathing as their gazes locked together.

  Whomever Claire, his late bound one, had been, she’d created a magnificent cyborg. It was hard to not look at him and admire his masculine handsome features.

  His blond hair hung down his shoulders, and no matter how the wind messed it around, it still looked good. It’d only been that one time, when he’d been chained to the wall, that he’d looked like a complete train-wreck.

  “Tell me,” she asked with a low voice. “Tell me what I’m doing to you. Help me understand you better.”

  “You know how the bond works.”

  She nodded. “I do, but I don’t know how it makes you feel.”

  Silver remained silent, just studying her. He didn’t push her hands away either. Instead, he allowed her to keep caressing him. There was something in his eyes that told her he desperately needed to be touched.

  After a long silence, he sighed and rested his head against her shoulder.

  Faye froze. Having him this close, having his body against hers with the wall at her back, made her feel tiny once more.

  His strength was even evident from the gentle feeling of his head on her shoulder.

  “Why do you want to know?” he asked.

  “I told you the day I came to set the bond. I want to get to know you.”

  He snorted. “You’re not the slightest interested in me. All you care about is the removal of the bond. That’s all you ever talk about. I’m not even allowed to sleep by your side. You want us to stay away from each other.” The coldness in his voice started to return.

  Faye felt his muscles tense. “That’s what you want as well.”

  “I never said that.”

  “But—”

  Silver slammed his hand against the wall again, making her jump. “No buts. I never said that, and I never will. I hate you for what you did to me. I hate you for taking away my freedom. I’ll never forgive you for kissing me and making me want you, but I never wanted us to stay away from each other once the bond was set. To me, that’s suicide.”

  Confusion sang inside her. Her hands sank to her sides. “I … I don’t understand. You always made me believe you don’t want anything to do with me.”

  He grabbed her wrist and lifted it. He pinned her arm against the wall. “I don’t want anything to do with you, but my love for you burns stronger. You have me wrapped around your little finger, and I want to be your happy little puppy.” He pulled back and looked her deep in the eyes. “I want to give in.”

  She was unable to move. Even if she noticed pain in every word he uttered, she couldn’t get away from how he affected her.

  He made her body come alive. His words ignited every nerve ending of her lower parts, making her sex clench, and butterflies awaken in her stomach.

  Faye wanted him to give in. She wanted to find out what it would be like to be completely and fully loved by someone.

  She’d had a few relationships over the years, but none of them had worked out, and none of them had ever been like the love a cyborg could give her.

  That complete devotion.

  She�
�d never had that with a human man, but she’d never wanted a cyborg either.

  The responsibility and determination had scared her. She’d learned it was impossible to grow tired of your cyborg, and yet, Sphere’s bound one had abandoned him.

  Everything was so different now.

  One part of her wanted to hug Silver. That part wanted to hold on to him and never let go. She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt for him.

  For some reason, he always made her heart flutter, but would she ever feel more? Would she ever be able to become a true bound one? A bound one a cyborg—her cyborg—deserved?

  Faye couldn’t stop her gaze from lowering to his lips. Neither could she stop herself from tilting her head and lean closer.

  Whatever drove her, she had no control. It was a need she had to fulfill. A need that was caused by a mix of emotions.

  It was everything from sadness and pity, to desire and want. Her loneliness surfaced. Being alone for several years had been starting to get to her, but she wasn’t alone anymore.

  Silver was here, and he could become everything she ever wanted him to be.

  She pressed her lips against his, feeling the heat from his. She didn’t miss his nearly-silent gasp, nor the gentle wince or the tension of his muscles. Faye liked the way he pressed himself closer to deepen the kiss.

  She liked the way she affected him.

  Silver tugged his head away, interrupting the kiss. He panted, and the anger returned. “What’re you doing?” The coldness in his voice was back.

  She frowned. Her lips felt empty, missing his. “I’m kissing you.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  Faye winced and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What did she say to that?

  “If a friendly relationship is what you want, then that’s what we’ll have, no matter how much it hurts me,” he hissed between his teeth. “But don’t ever play with me. Don’t ever. Play. With. Me.” He slammed his fist against the wall a third time before he stormed out of the room.

  She heard the front door open, and then slam shut.

  The house suddenly felt so big …

  … and quiet.

  CHAPTER 17

  Fury rippled through Silver’s veins as he stalked down the sidewalk. He needed to get away from Faye even if his bond wanted him to go back. It made him want to hold her, to breathe in her scent, and never let go. But he wanted to just get away.

  This entire situation drove him crazy. It was obvious she didn’t have any interest in him.

  He was only a responsibility, and damn, that hurt.

  He’d been furious from the moment she’d kissed him in that abandoned house. At first, Silver hadn’t understood what’d happened, but then he’d felt the bond come alive.

  The bond had taken over, and his only thought had been to go to her, to finish the binding, but Nightmare and the other Fighters had stopped him. They’d dragged him out from the place.

  He barely remembered how he’d gotten back to the Fighters headquarters, and the following days had been a mess as well. All he remembered was pain, and that fierce tormenting need to seal the bond.

  It’d felt like an eternity before Faye finally showed up to seal the bond, and here he was now.

  Deeply in love.

  Hating every minute of it.

  There was only one way for him to go. He had to accept the bond and the love for her. Struggling against the bond would only make his life more complicated, and he had enough of pain as it was.

  The knowledge she’d never love him back broke his heart into pieces.

  Silver cursed.

  She’d just had to kiss him.

  Even if Nightmare and Celise would be able to remove the bond, his love would never go away. That was the only part that was real. The bond wasn’t designed to remove the love. Why should it, when it was designed to kill him the moment his bound one died?

  Silver closed his eyes and paused.

  An image of a smiling Claire popped up in his head.

  His beautiful Claire, with long blonde hair and big green eyes. Her mesmerizing smile had always made his heart pound harder, and he’d spent hours just devouring her beauty. That had been enough to make his day.

  How naïve he’d been back then.

  At the same time, not knowing the bond’s real function had been a sweet oblivion.

  He’d been happy, really happy.

  Now, all he had was pain.

  Silver sighed.

  There really was only one way out of this, and that was accepting the bond.

  For now …

  He remained still, and calmness slowly swept over him.

  The bond liked his way of thinking. It wanted to be accepted. It wanted him to go back to Faye and hold her, but he wasn’t ready to do that.

  Was he even ready to give in to the bond?

  It was the right way, the only way, because who knew if Nightmare and Celise would ever figure out how to remove the bond. In a worst-case scenario, he was stuck with Faye for life.

  He shivered. Being stuck with a woman that would never love him was a complete nightmare. How on earth would he be able to live like that?

  Silver opened his eyes, staring out in front of him.

  Could he make Faye fall in love with him?

  Did he even want to?

  “Silver?”

  He turned when he heard someone say his name and met the surprised gaze of Hunter.

  The dark-haired and tall cyborg stared with wide eyes and a slack jaw, but then he relaxed and smiled. “I guess the woman that kissed you got her hands on you.” He reached for his hand. “I thought I’d never see any of you again.”

  Silver’s lips twitched as they shook hands.

  If Hunter only knew.

  “You won’t get rid of us that easily.”

  The other cyborg frowned. “Us? You’re still one of the Fighters?”

  “I’m a bound cyborg, accepted by MedAct. Meaning, I’m a good boy now.” His grin widened.

  Hunter snorted. “You mean, you’re a wolf in sheep disguise.”

  Silver chuckled. “You know me so well.”

  His old friend shook his head but kept smiling. “I know you, and I know Nightmare, but all my information about the Fighters is gone. I deleted it to keep you guys safe. Did you do the same?”

  “No, and I won’t. A lot of things have happened since you left. I planned to call you later tonight.”

  Hunter studied him with a frown.

  Silver didn’t blame him for being suspicious. Every Fighter had vowed to delete that fragile information if they were ever caught by MedAct.

  “Let me guess,” Hunter said. “Nightmare wants me back.”

  Silver nodded. “You’re needed. Tomorrow, me, my bound one, and a few others are meeting Jade Silva. She’s going to do her basic stuff, but the real point with the meeting is to steal codes from her computer.”

  He had no issues telling Hunter the truth. The cyborg was trustworthy. He’d been one of Nightmare’s best men, and he still was, with or without the information about the Fighters.

  “What codes?”

  “They’ll help us get into a place where we’re going to steal some equipment.”

  Hunter blinked. “What for?”

  He beamed. “We’re going to create a female cyborg.”

  Silence filled the street, only the wind was heard. For a long moment, neither of them spoke and Silver didn’t rush. Hunter needed time to process what he’d just said.

  Then the cyborg gasped. “You’ve found the answer?”

  “Not yet, but we’re getting there.”

  Hunter took a step closer. His eyes were wide with curiosity. “Tell me.”

  “I will, but not here. Is there a place we can talk?”

  He nodded. “Mine and Avril’s house is just around the corner. We can talk there.”

  Silver hesitated. “Is your bound one home?”

  “Yes, but don’t worry. She knows
everything.”

  He gaped. Hadn’t expected that. “You told her?”

  “Of course. We spent a few days at MedAct after the bond had been sealed. We’d thought Jade would keep us there for weeks, but she let us go after less than a week. Since I’m a previous Fighter, she helped us get a house inside the walls of Glaswell. Not everyone is fond of previous Fighters, but in here, we’re safe.”

  Silver nodded. He’d never seen it happen, but he’d heard stories about previous Fighters who’d gone back to living a regular cyborg life. Humans didn’t trust them and had in groups attacked some of them. It hadn’t ended well.

  “I’ve known Avril since she was a child,” Hunter went on, “so don’t worry. She’s trustworthy.”

  Silver frowned. “And did she believe you?”

  He shrugged. “She does believe me but isn’t really sure what to think. She doubts the Fighters would go through all that for nothing, though.”

  “Just as I thought. I guess that means you must bring her tomorrow to Shade’s house. We’ll be meeting there. Your bound one will find the proof she seeks there.”

  Hunter studied again, silent. “Things have really changed since I left, haven’t they?”

  He could only laugh. “You’ve no idea. You’re in for a surprise, but for that, we need to activate your memories.”

  A spark of hope awakened in his old friend’s eyes. “Nightmare gave you the activation codes?”

  Silver snorted. “You think I’d seek you out without having the codes with me? Who do you take me for?” He gave a wicked grin.

  Hunter smiled again. “Even if it has been a few weeks, it feels like forever. I’ve missed you guys.”

  “You’re missed, too. Nightmare nagged me about bringing you back almost every day.”

  He frowned. “Really?” Suspicion sounded in his voice.

  “Well, he told me to bring you back … twice.”

  Hunter burst out into a loud laughter. “I figured. Being spoken about twice by Nightmare means I’m very important.”

  “Something like that. Lead the way to your house. We have a lot to talk about.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Silver opened the door to Faye’s house as quietly as possible. It would take some time before he saw this place as home.