by Rena Marks
“Pax.”
“Hmm?”
“What’s it like on the outside?”
His hands paused briefly. “The weather is warm still. The Xeno Sapiens have become more social than ever before. Sometimes there are barbecues. Sometimes volleyball games are going on. There is a beach for swimming. I believe there is a dance hall. Part of the mess hall has been converted into a restaurant.”
“Why don’t you ever attend?”
His hands stilled again, just slightly, before they resumed stroking over her skin. She realized suddenly that his hands paused when he had to think. What would he have to think about?
“Most of my friends are mated,” he said gruffly. “I don’t want to be a third wheel.”
That response kind of surprised her. “There are no other single Xeno Sapiens?”
“Yes. Of course.” That was all. He offered nothing else other than that. Perhaps he didn’t want a mate?
“I’d kill to be out there, mingling with people,” she said softly. “You have no idea how much you miss it until it’s gone.”
“I’m here to visit with you,” he said. His black eyebrows rose as if affronted that she was lonely.
“You don’t always open up,” she said quietly. “There are sometimes when I feel like I’m a burden to you.”
His hands stilled. “Like now?”
Yes, this was one of his quieter days. Surely he knew that. “Yes.”
His hands resumed rubbing her skin. “I know I’m moody. Some days I’m happier than others.”
“Everyone can get moody, Pax. It’s okay. I just don’t want to be your burden on those days you don’t feel up to it. You don’t have to force yourself to come in here.”
She could almost feel his wince.
“It’s not that,” he said, his voice low.
“Then what is it?”
He was quiet for some time before he spoke. “I—I enjoy spending time with you,” he said. “Even at times like now. When I’m not my most enjoyable personality.”
She flipped over on the table, breasts up in the air. His hands fell away from her skin. She took them and placed them on her—above her breasts. “You don’t have to keep massaging me if you’re uncomfortable.” Though, considering how many times he’d fucked her, she couldn’t imagine why he was being so prissy.
He moved to massage an arm, staying quiet as he rubbed.
“This personality isn’t what I would call your ‘not most enjoyable,’ you know. It’s just…when you’re so reserved, I feel like you push me away. Like I’m a chore for you.”
His eyes met hers. “You’re never a chore, Serena. Never. And I’m aware of one other time when I’m grumpy as hell, so my reserved time, as you call it, is right in line with that grumpy shit.”
“You’re kind of cute when you’re grumpy,” she said. “Though you’re not really grumpy. A little impatient with life, but not grumpy with me.”
He looked a little surprised. There was that oddity again, like he wasn’t even in the room when he was in an impatient mood. Or, as if he saw himself differently than she saw him. “I’m not grumpy with you?”
“No. You’re grumpy with situations. But not with me. Never with me.”
His hands skimmed down the sides of her breasts, ever so professionally. This mood—this was the one who’d run out on her. Who’d gotten her hot and bothered when he discovered she could feel sensation in her intimate parts and then ran. Hell, if they were going to name Pax’s various personalities, this one was chicken-shit.
“So you don’t mind me like this? Boring. Staid. Unimaginative.”
“No,” she whispered. “I don’t see you like that, Pax.”
“Sometimes I’m fun to be around.” He paused for a second. “Happy.”
“Yes,” she said. “And I appreciate you then. We get along great. But I also appreciate you now. I don’t ever see you as boring or unimaginative. Hell, it takes an incredible amount of imagination to think up useful devices—and don’t even get me started on the brain you must have to bring those things to life.”
He squirmed uncomfortably. “I’m not all that.”
“I think you are.” She let her voice ring out. She wasn’t going to pretend.
“This might be a little case of hero-worship,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “Robyn warned me it might happen. I’m your only contact to the world.”
“Yeah, and let’s be honest here, Pax. The fact that you’re hot as hell compounds matters.”
“You think I’m attractive?”
“Are you kidding me?” She sat up, noticing how his eyes strayed to the area between her legs for a brief second. “The way you forget those glasses are on your face half the time and wrench them off when you realize you can’t see? The way you walk around, prim and proper as if you’re just looking for someone to mess up that shock of thick, glorious hair.” And she knew how thick it was because she had run her fingers through it during his forgetful periods. But what was wrong with him that he couldn’t always remember each visit? What was wrong that he didn’t want her to ever mention them?
“I don’t really need glasses,” he murmured. “They’re auto-magnifying so I don’t have to use a microscope.”
“See what I mean?” she gasped. “You’re brilliant. Who the hell would think of a mobile microscope?”
He flushed as if embarrassed. “No one else would really need it.”
“That’s what makes you so adorable,” she whispered.
“But I’m sure you like me in my other moods better,” he insisted.
“You don’t get it, do you? There’s a bit of you in all your moods, Pax.” He just didn’t remember.
And he didn’t respond. She could tell he didn’t believe her.
“Pax?”
“Mmm?”
She reached out and snagged his tie, slowly fisting it until she could pull him close. His chest rose and fell with each tug that brought him closer to her.
When he was just a small span away from her, she spoke. “I like you just like this. Adorable. Endearing. Mussed.” She reached up with her opposite hand and tousled his hair, the way she had so many times.
A small smile tugged at his lips. “Someday I’ll take you out of here. You’ll enjoy the outside again. I swear.”
She shrugged. Neither of them moved apart. And they were both aware that her knees were on either side of his hips, splaying her open for his view. “I know. Hell, I can switch places with you in that bubble suit and go out myself. But considering I’m naked as a jaybird, the stares are going to get annoying after a while.”
Something dark roved across his face. “No one else can see you like this, Rena.”
He’d slipped. He used the shortened version of her name. First time ever while in this personality.
“No one but you, Pax,” she agreed. And then she did something she swore to him she’d never do.
She initiated a kiss. She lifted her lips and pressed them to his. She could feel the firmness of him, of course. But she couldn’t taste him. Couldn’t lick him. It was a platonic kiss. Saddened, she pulled away.
He dropped his forehead to hers. “I can’t deny I liked that.”
“I liked it a little too much. I’m sorry if I compromised you. I know you want things professional.”
“I just—I want you to make good choices.”
“Like what?”
“Like would you pick me if you were able to go outside and meet others?”
She certainly didn’t think she wouldn’t, but he seemed determined, so she shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.”
“Someday, we may. I’m going to be back soon, okay?” he asked. “I want to go work on an idea for another bubble—this one opaque—to take you outside.”
“Do you have to go now?” There was the tiniest bit of panic in her voice because she knew—she felt it in her bones—when he returned, he wouldn’t be the same person. He wouldn’t just ignore the kiss she just gave him�
�he’d forget it.
“You’ll be all right,” he murmured. “There’s no fire here. Nothing will break out. We have safety checks in place. And I’ll be nearby.”
He thought it was because of her nightmares. What could she say? That they would never get close enough to be honest with each other because he’d forget each episode? No, of course, she couldn’t tell him that. It was easier to let him assume it was her nightmares of being burned alive. “Okay,” she said simply, as she leaned back and closed her legs.
He’d almost seemed unaware of her casual, spread out state before him. Almost. Because before he turned, he kissed her lightly on the nose. And when he actually turned? That was when she caught the huge bulge tenting the front of his pants.
He walked rather stiffly back to his private lab. Huh. He did want her. Just like before. Maybe she should try to tease him a bit more when he was in this mood? But for now, she’d have to find something else to do.
Naked yoga. She should pull up a hologram and practice a bit of naked yoga, perhaps. Though, it was less fun without Pax gawking at her. Sometimes he pretended to avert his eyes. Sometimes he leered.
She grinned. You just never knew with Pax. Never knew what his personality would be like.
“Computer?” she called.
“Yes, Serena?” The deep, sexy voice rumbled low. It made her grin. When he was in his happiest mood, Pax had teasingly changed the computer voice to respond to her commands in this tone. It was one day when he’d brought her barbecue from the day he’d had at the beach. Barbecue and stories of all the individuals that had been present. She felt like she knew most of the inhabitants of Xenia.
“Yoga routine by Havana, please.”
“As you wish.”
The hologram appeared before her. It was a standing routine, because the soles of her feet were the most healed. They weren’t quite as sensitive as the rest of her. That was without the touch therapy, which gave her a few hours reprieve.
What made the soles of her feet different?
That bit of information had to be something useful to Pax. Why would they be different from her palms? Different from anything else on her person?
She felt like there was something there they were missing. She had to find him.
He’d said he’d be back shortly. But she was kind of curious about his secret laboratory. Would the computer allow her access?
“Computer?”
“Yes, Serena?”
“Open hall door, please.”
A click signified access. Huh. She had access all this time. Who knew? She walked to the door, gritted her teeth, and reached out to pull it open.
Noises—grunts, really—rung out as soon as she did. And as she entered the room, she gasped.
Pax was bent over a small lab table. Naked. Around his waist wrapped shapely, female legs.
He was fucking the hell out of someone.
Chapter Six
SHE SHOULD BE appalled. She should back out of the room and avert her eyes. She should allow them some privacy.
So many thoughts hit at once it was hard to process them individually.
After the shock wore off, the emotions hit. The jealousy. The hurt. Why not her? She’d made it clear on more than one occasion she was interested. Hell, he’d pleased her more than once, though she wasn’t allowed to talk about it. But then he chose this…other woman. And who the hell was she? Why had Serena never seen her?
And even now, in her horror, she could appreciate the play of muscles across his broad back. The tapering of his lean waist. The strong, taut ass that moved rhythmically in sensual circles. Circles he’d performed on her when he dry-humped her. But, of course, she never got to see him naked.
“God, Pax, yes!” The woman moaned. “Give it to me!”
Shock made her gasp. What the fuck? The woman’s voice. It was…hers.
“Who’s that?” The woman looked right at her. What the hell? Her own eyes looked back at her.
“Fuck!” Pax pulled from her, jerking away as if she burned. “Serena.”
“Yes?” The woman sat up, unperturbed about her nakedness. Unperturbed that she’d been fucking just a brief moment ago. Strangely disconnected from the situation. But when she sat, Serena could study her.
It wasn’t just her eyes. It was her. It was a living, breathing copy…of her. A clone. Something.
“Who—H-how—Why?” She wasn’t sure what she was trying to say.
“Shit, Serena.”
The woman answered. “I am Serena Model APB-795.”
“Turn off,” Pax growled.
The woman froze and suddenly, she didn’t look so much like her anymore. Not without the expressions rolling across her face. No, instead she looked like a dead…her.
“What have you done?” she asked him. Even to herself, she sounded horrified.
“I—uh—well, fuck,” he cursed again, his cheeks pink. “What does it look like I’ve done?”
His cock was shiny with fluids. But no longer the magnificent specimen that had stood at attention. Now it was somewhat…deflated.
And now it was so obvious what he had done. He’d created a sex doll. In her image.
She threw her head back and laughed. Somewhat hysterically, but laughter spewed from her lips. Uncontrollable laughter that just wouldn’t stop.
His face tightened.
With rough, jerky movements, he reached down and pulled up his pants, covering himself up.
“Wait, Pax, please. I’m sorry. It’s just…ironic.”
“What is?”
“That I’ve been lusting after you and you created a…creepily realistic life-sized blow-up doll in my image.”
He looked vaguely insulted. “She’s not a life-sized doll. She’s the beginning of artificial intelligence. I used a splice of the program of Robyn’s house computer programming, replicating the language and looping it. She has the capacity to adapt to situations. She grows daily in intelligence.”
He was bragging about his sex doll?
Serena sobered. “So when she asked who I was…she was serious? It wanted to know?”
Despite the incongruous situation, he looked almost proud as he nodded. “Surely she noticed she was built in your image.”
“Oh, she noticed all right.” The doll had looked up and down her entire form.
“I’m, uh”—he coughed into his hand—“really sorry about this.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I needed to see this. While I wanted you, Pax, I was thwarted at every move. Now I know you wanted me, too.” She wasn’t even about to get into the times when he made himself forget what was happening between them.
“Serena, I know there’s an underlying attraction between us.” He glared at the sex doll. “Obviously. But I can’t compromise you that way. I am your entire world—”
Robyn’s speech again? “Oh, enough of that already,” she snapped. “You weren’t worried about being my entire world when you went down on me yesterday.”
He looked confused. “What?”
How could she make it clearer? “When you fucked me with your tongue, Pax. Yesterday. And a few days ago. And a week ago. For months and months now. Even though you told me I wasn’t supposed to mention it—”
“I—what?”
Before she could respond, he doubled over with a yell. “Fuck! No! Goddamn it, no!” His body twisted. She stepped away.
He was insane. Completely freaky. She’d been a little off the mark when she put her trust in this Xeno Sapien—had let him touch her intimately. She took another step backward when the most astounding thing happened.
Something emerged from his body.
She could only watch dumbfounded as the bubble type object spat from his solar plexus, growing and morphing into…Pax. A full-grown, clone of Pax. And then—with an ear-splitting scream—it happened again. And again. And again.
On the fourth time, Pax almost shot backward. He was caught by the
first one who had emerged. “Whoa, there, buddy,” the second Pax whispered into his ear, a strong forearm across his abdomen. “Breathe. Just breathe. Don’t fight it. We’re coming whether you want us or not.”
Pax doubled at the waist as his body clenched in spasms, his breath coming in short gasps. He raised his hand toward her and croaked out her name. “Serena.”
She took a step backward. Away from him—away from all these things—six of them—and away from the abomination on the table that looked like her in the throes of her death. She had no idea what was going on other than secrets. Tons and tons of secrets being kept from her.
She wanted to cover herself. Cover her nakedness that she’d grown used to displaying for him within the year. But, of course, she couldn’t.
“Serena,” one of the others said softly. “Don’t be frightened. Baby, you know me. You know us. All of us.”
Baby? Sometimes, when Pax was in a particularly flirtation mood, he called her baby.
“Rena, I know you’re scared,” another said.
Shit. When he was his happiest—when he and she were getting along so great, he’d call her by her shortened version of her name. Only to forget it by the next visit and call her Serena again.
“I’m Happy, my pretty,” another one said. “You always thought I was Pax.”
“You’re happy?” She shook her head. That didn’t make any sense.
“Technically, I’m Number Eight. The eighth personality to manifest from Pax’s body.” He pointed at someone else. “He’s Number Four. That’s Number Two. But I prefer to go by the name others call me when I’m out. Happy.”
There was more than one Pax? “I can’t call you Number Eight. Four. Whatever.”
“You can call us whatever you want. Whatever makes it easier for you to understand. To accept us. We are all part of Pax. Similar and different. One of him—and yet our own entities.”
“Why is there only six here if you’re Number Eight?”
Jesus. Did they kill someone off?
“Not everyone always comes out.”
Pax’s breathing had slowed, calmed somewhat. But he still leaned against the look-a-like who held him tenderly—like a brother. Drawing strength. Both of them watching her reaction.
