And yet, at this moment, I’m being dragged through the small parking lot of a motel. Sapphire and Gage are holding me up, my arms draped over their shoulders.
Translation: I’m so God damned weak right now that I’m being carried. An epic moment of emasculation and it’s happening in front of the girl I’m attracted to.
Perfect.
“Dear God, dude. Maybe it’s all the hardware inside you, but you weigh a fucking ton,” Gage complains.
“Shut the fuck up,” I grouse, jaw clenched. “I’ve seen your file. Somehow, you’re three pounds heavier than I am, with just one bionic arm.”
“You’re talking too much for a guy that just lost most his blood,” he mumbles under his breath.
Sapphire giggles next to me. The sound eradicates my annoyance instantly.
Hell, I’ll diss Gage and let him have at me all day if it means getting that reaction out of her.
“Lean him up against here,” Gage says once we reach the darkest part of the parking lot. They prop me up against the wall and he moves back. “I’m going to go rent us a room. Think you can stay on your feet for long?”
My reply to that? I give him the finger.
Sapphire, still tucked into my side, giggles at the way Gage glares at me. She presses into my shoulder, trying to muffle her laugh.
My arm tightens around her and brings her closer. What? It’s a reflex.
Okay. Fine. There’s no way I can deny that I did it on purpose.
Don’t care, either. I’m lightheaded, annoyed, worried for the rest of the crew, and Sapphire’s safety. Her small body pressed to mine feels too damned good and right now I can’t pass that up.
“I need your number so we can stay in contact,” Gage tells Sapphire.
It takes me a few seconds to assimilate that question, process it’s meaning, and when it hits me, I tense so hard I almost fly off the wall.
He’s asking for her number.
He should have it. For security and communication reasons, he needs to have it.
The newly awakened, possessive creature inside me prowls back and forth, hissing. Snapping its teeth at Gage and trying to convince me that his face is the perfect target for my fist.
I push it back with every bit of strength left in my body. Because he’s my teammate. My friend. Because in just a day, the girl next to me has come to mean… something to me and her safety comes first.
I watch as they exchange numbers. The beast inside me throws back its head and roars. Clearly, I am now functioning at a whole new level of idiocy.
Not mine. Never will be.
Have you ever be been so angry at yourself that you have to fight back the almost uncontrollable urge to bash your head into a wall? I’m there right now.
It’s time to get my head out of my ass. No matter what it takes.
Gage tries dialing the others one more time. One by one, the calls go to voicemail. He lowers his phone, eyes locked with mine.
Right now, we cease to be rivals, and go back to being what we’ve always been.
Comrades.
The rest of our team might be dead. Or worse, captured. That fucked-up fact bounces back and forth between our stares.
“Call me if something happens. Stay out of sight until I come back with the room key.” With that, Gage is gone, swift steps taking him back out of the parking lot.
Once he’s out of sight, I squeeze Sapphire’s shoulder. “You okay?”
She shakes her head, smiling. “Shouldn't I be asking you that?”
“I’m fine.” I’m not, but she doesn’t need to know that my legs are straight-up watery. A rescan of my vitals repeats those damned words again.
Systems failing. Blood loss at 15%. BP at 75/50.
I shut the scan down.
Sapphire moves to stand before me and tilts her head back. I don’t let go of her shoulder, nor do I move my arm. I have her in a one-arm hug. One I should break, and it’s not that I don’t want to—well, I don’t, but I also can’t.
She places her hands on my upper abs. I inhale sharply as my heart skips a beat. “I can reprogram the nanobots now. We have to speed up platelet reproduction and seal up the wounds.”
I cup her neck in both hands, stopping her. My wounds grate against the insides of my gloves. I ignore it. She’s talking fast. Too fast. And now that I’m really looking at her, I notice how dilated her pupils are. She’s stuck in hypervigilance and there’s no way all this shit isn’t getting to her. “Sapphire, are you okay?”
Sapphire brushes it off with a small smile. “I’m fine. I—”
“Don’t need to lie to me.” I cradle her face in my palms. It shuts her right up and almost prevents me from being able to utter a single word. Damn, I want my naked hands on her skin. Focus asshole. “You can be honest with me, Sapphire. I know what you’re going through. I went through the overload at first, too.”
“The overload?” she asks, the space between her brows furrowed.
“Yeah. Your brain is processing stimuli much faster.”
“That’s a good word for it then.”
I run my thumbs across her cheekbones. “On top of that, what you’ve been through isn’t easy.”
“No,” she admits. “But for months before being transferred into this body, I had the entirety of human knowledge at my disposal. A lot of that info was transferred with me. The world is fucked-up. This is just more proof of that.”
I blink in surprise at hearing her curse.
“Now, are you going to let me heal you, or not?”
I drop my hands to her neck and smile. Beneath my fingers, her already fast pulse accelerates even more. The smile drops off my face at her stunned expression. “What?”
“You have a dimple. Right here.” She taps the side of my mouth with her index finger.
I battle the urge to turn my head and suck that finger right into my mouth. "I know," I whisper.
She drops her hand back down to my chest. "Healing time?" Her eyes are big and wide, and her tone almost child-like as she asks.
I hold back my laugh. This girl is just too adorable. "Let's just wait until we get in the room, okay? Don't want anyone passing by and interrupting."
"But—"
"No 'buts'. I'll be fine until then."
I hope.
The God damned scan starts to beep, trying to get my attention.
If I die, fucking Gage better look after her.
"But I'm worried about you, Deimos."
And that's when I lose control of one of my urges and pull her in close. So fucking sweet. How is any man supposed to resist that?
Sapphire runs her hands across my chest, beneath my open jacket, and around to my back. She flattens them there, then presses every inch of herself into me.
Every. Inch.
Tilting her head back, she leans her face against mine.
I go stone-fucking-still.
Mother of God. What is she doing?
"Sapphire."
She snuggles deeper and rubs her cheek on the scruff covering my jaw. A small rumble echoes in her chest. "This feels so good." She hums. More rubbing.
I swear, I can almost hear her purring.
I'm going to die. Right here. Against this wall.
And it'll have absolutely nothing to do with the blood loss.
She moves and the corner of her mouth ghosts across my jaw. Oh, God. A damn tease. A small glimpse of how those lips would feel like on my skin.
"Sapphire."
"Deimos, this feels amazing."
I know, baby. I swallow back those words. They're heavier than a rock as they slide down into my gut. I want to be honest with her so damned bad, but I can't. I'm about to flip us over and press her into the wall. Then I’ll be all over her, my hand up that short skirt of hers.
Panting, I place my hand on her shoulders, right where her neck begins. Push her away. Do it. Of course I don't. She's ruined me. Without even trying, she's ripped my self-control away from me.
; She's going to have to move on her own because I sure as shit can't bring myself to. "Sapphire, we can't do this."
"Why?"
I can tell by her tone that letting me go is the last thing on her mind.
And there's the exhilaration again, rushing into my mind and leaving me even more lightheaded. I move her hood and hair away from her ear and lean down to whisper into it, "Because you're making me so fucking hard."
I don't have time to panic at what I've just admitted to her. She whimpers, and hearing it wrecks something in me. A flash of heat sears me. My cock jerks and throbs against her, begging me for her. God, that sound she just made...
Footsteps sound out, coming closer.
Shit. Gage.
GAGE STOPS A FEW FEET from us, a white card-key dangling from his fingers. "Is everything okay?"
Sapphire tenses, then moves back.
I ignore the way my insides tighten at the distance. I ignore every throb my dick gives, although it feels like the effort of doing so robs me further of my strength. What's left of it anyway.
Gage's next question slaps me with enough guilt to smother all three-billion people in this country. Eyebrows tight, expression concerned, he asks me, "Are you okay?"
No. I'm so far from it that I'm sure I'll look back on this moment and laugh at it one day. A long, long time from now.
But right now, I'm hard as hell and he's going to notice if he looks down. The last thing I should be thinking about is sex.
Remember that moment before he left to rent the room? When I remembered who we are to each other?
If his attraction for her is anywhere as strong as mine is, this can't be easy for him. I'm fucking up my A-game, and messing with his own.
It gets worse. Guilt is present. I won’t deny it. I’m not usually the type to cockblock my comrades. But it also kills me that he might want her as much as I do and it makes me want to pull her back into my arms. Dry-hump the breath out of her in front of him, if necessary, to show him who she belongs to.
Jesus. She’s not mine. Why the fuck doesn’t my mind get that?
“His blood pressure is really low.”
Holy shit. Sneaky little thing. Had she been scanning me while hugging me?
Sapphire’s comment distracts Gage before he can happen to look down and see my current predicament. He takes her word for it and nods at a door about ten feet from us. “This one was available. Farthest one from the street.” He rushes to open the door.
I push off the wall before either of them can think of carrying me again.
Gage looks like he’s about to offer me his help anyway.
I shake my head, hold it up high, and find my own way into the room.
You know what they say about pride, right? Yep—as soon as I step into the room it all abandons me, along with my equilibrium. The walls of the room spin gleefully around me and I’m almost knocked off my feet.
“Gotcha.”
You guessed it. It’s Gage, saving my arrogant ass from a rough meeting with the floor.
“Get him on the bed,” Sapphire says.
She sounds worried again. I want to reach out to her, but my brain is engaged in survival. My BCI is as well. I lose control over my processors, and the emergency protocol becomes engaged. Now it isn’t just the spins I’m stuck with; it’s the flashing red image that overcomes my vision, and the bold white words that won’t go away.
Biological systems at critical. Emergency medical attention needed immediately. BP at 60/40.
In other words: I’m about to pass the fuck out.
Gage sets me down on the bed. Sapphire urges me to lay back. The hood she’s wearing can’t contain her hair. Waves of it fall down over her chest and frame her face. Her expression is tight. Definitely worried.
“It’s okay,” I say, hearing how pathetic and weak my voice is. Fitting, since that’s what I am right now.
Sapphire shakes her head. The worry is replaced by a whole lot of pissed-off. “No, it’s not okay, so stop pretending you are. Shut the hell up and let me fix you.” She climbs onto the bed next to me with a small huff.
Oookay then.
Damn, she’s hot when she’s bossy. Can’t even be annoyed at her for ordering me around like that. I’m torn between wanting to salute her and reaching out for her.
I raise my hand to do just that when Gage clears his throat. He remains by the door, eyes on Sapphire. “I’m heading out to try to find the others. Are you sure you’ll be able to fix him on your own?”
Despite how blurry my vision is becoming, I recognize what the look on his face means. He doesn’t want to stick around and witness whatever Sapphire is going to do to me.
Sapphire nods at him.
I tilt my head, but don’t try to sit up. That shit won’t work and I’ve been embarrassed enough already. “Clark. Try to find him first.”
“Don’t even have to tell me.” And he flicks the card key toward Sapphire. She catches it, her arm moving in a blur. He nods at me, spins around, and is out the door.
The sound of him closing it seems too loud.
Sapphire starts moving immediately. “Okay, stay like that. Don’t move. Lower your defenses. Don’t try to fight me like you did last time.”
The corners of my lips twitch despite how close to passing out I am. “Yes, ma’a—”
She flips one leg over me.
My heart almost jacks right out of my chest. The force is so strong I cough with surprise. Black temporarily overcomes my vision. Then, my heart sputters inside me, stuck between pounding at full-speed and not having enough energy to do so.
I’m going to pass out. Right there. And it isn’t just one thing. It’s the blood loss and her. She’s making my damned heart race while my body struggles to maintain my blood pressure.
Sitting on my abs, she fists my hair and yanks my head back.
Holy motherfuck. What’s happening?
“No. No. No. You stay with me, Deimos. Don’t go under. I need you awake to integrate the bots.”
I hear what she’s saying, but her voice is far, far away. The feel of her isn’t. Pure heat, wrapped around my abs and sides. She tugs my head back again and I’m forced to meet her eyes.
“Please. Tell me you’re going to stay awake.”
Her plea computes. Enough for me to give her a nod. I open my mouth to tell her that she has to get off me so I can focus—
BP at 50/30. Internal organ failure imminent.
A prick to my neck makes my head jerk to the side.
“Sorry. Another round of nanobots. Don’t want to take any chances. I’m sorry. You’ll excrete any extra, I swear.” Her words are a rapid blur and she’s shaking so hard on top of me. She shoves her fingers back into my hair to keep me still. “Now look at me. Lower your defenses. Deimos, please, I can see your blood pressure reading. It’s bad.”
I place my hands on her thighs and nod at her. “I’m with you. Let’s do this. Not going anywhere. Won’t leave you, okay?”
She nods, her lips turning up in small smile. “Okay.”
My defenses are already lowered. I’m using all my leftover strength just to stay awake for her. I nod one more time.
She stares into my eyes. For a few seconds, nothing happens, and the darkness is calling to me from the back of my head.
Then I hear it.
Son of a bitch, I hear it!
Her voice. Monotone. Robotic, even.
Inside my head.
System reboot commence.
The red of the medical scan collapses. Blue fizzles to life in its place. White letters and binary code rush past.
Downloading software package. Applying update.
“TALK TO ME.” Sapphire’s just finished helping me out of my jacket and wiping the blood off my face. I won’t even get into what her tending to me like that did to me. Sitting next to me, she’s now preparing to remove my gloves. “Deimos—”
“I’m awake,” I mumble, trying to focus on her passed the white letters I st
ill see.
Integration at 9%. Repair initiated. Platelet reproduction doubled.
Damn, it’s slow. But it seems to be enough. I’m no longer fighting with every breath to stay awake.
“Good. But your eyes being open isn’t enough. I need you to talk to me and tell me what’s going on there.”
I move my hand and grab hers, squeezing down lightly. “You’re shaking. Too much.” Worried about you.
She looks like she’s lost as much blood as I have. Which isn’t true. It’s her emotional processors on the fritz.
“I’m fine. Please. We can’t work on sealing the wounds ‘till I get these gloves off.”
She isn’t going to let this go. I can tell. Get back on your own feet then you can take care of her. With a sigh, I give in. “I’m awake. Talking. Do your thing.”
Her grimace is apologetic. “These are probably stuck to your wounds.”
“I have no doubt,” I tell her.
“Gonna hurt and possibly rip off bits of your skin that had already started healing.”
I shrug. “Yeah, but I can’t heal until you do it. So…”
Unexpectedly, Sapphire leans forward. The soft brush of her lips against my forehead makes me choke on a gasp.
Did she… but no one has—not even my mother...
Man, she’s making me think about shit long buried.
She pulls back and gives me that smile again. The one that makes my chest feel way too tight. “Strong man. Fighter to the core, aren’t you?”
I stare up at her, eyes wide.
Her cheeks go pink. Sheepish, she hides behind her hair and reaches for my gloves again. “Ready?”
My heart is roaring in my head. I know I’m strong. My team knows I’m strong. Anyone who knows about me knows I’m strong.
But if any of them admire it, they’ve never said so. Never even hinted at it.
I never even wanted them to.
Why would they tell me? We’re comrades, but I’m their leader. We hang, but I never let them too close.
No one gets close.
Right now, I realize, she is. She’s getting in there. She’s going deep into the core of me.
Calm down, it’s the blood loss talking. Has to be. No way I’ve developed the ability to care this much. No way I’m letting someone in. Not now, not under these circumstances.
The Exchange Part 1 Page 7
