Archer chuckled and gave her a quick recap of how he’d spent the past few hours. He left out a couple of details, namely the issues he’d had with hallucinations while wearing the armor suit. Leigh quirked an eyebrow when he talked about the training area and Vivian’s arrival, as though she could tell that there was something he was leaving out. He continued on, describing the interview.
“You did an interview… with Rachel Madison?” asked Leigh, her eyes a little wide.
“Yeah,” said Archer. “I know, she’s like one of the big name reporters, right?”
“She’s one of the big name people, Archer,” said Leigh. “A celebrity in her own right, but more politically minded than the airheads in the reality shows and weekly dramas.”
“Should I be worried about her?” he asked.
Leigh shrugged.
“I don’t know if worried is the right word for it,” she said. “Cautious, maybe. You probably want to try to be her friend rather than her enemy.”
Archer shrugged.
“Well, let’s hope that she feels the same way,” he said. “I’m pretty unpredictable right now, as far as the movers and shakers go. Even I don’t know what I’m going to do next.”
Leigh giggled, and stood up to start clearing the table.
“Here.” Archer stood up to help her. She moved over to his side of the table and he stepped back, letting her slide in front of him.
It put them in close proximity, Leigh facing the table, Archer standing behind her. Their movements seemed to slow down, as though both of them wanted to draw out the moment for as long as they could. Archer felt his blood pumping down to a certain area of his body as he took in her smell and admired the nape of her neck. He let one of his hands rest on her waist.
“Sir,” she whispered. She slowly turned around.
“Leigh.”
Archer stepped in close and kissed her softly on the lips. Her body melted into his, supple, but still holding the ready, eager tension of passion. They kissed again, deeper this time, bodies grinding together, and then Leigh set a hand on his chest, stopping him. She cleared her throat.
“I should… finish clearing the table,” she said, with great effort.
“Yesterday, you said something, while we were both in the bath.”
She told me that she needed me to fall in love with her.
Leigh’s cheeks blushed crimson, and she looked away.
“I was… being emotional,” she said. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“It’s okay, though,” he said. “Look, Leigh, I enjoy-”
“Don’t.” She pressed her hand more insistently on his chest. “Please. I’m your attendant, Archer. It’s best if I stick to my role.”
Archer shook his head.
“Are you worried that I’ll hurt you?” he asked. “That I’ll make promises that I can’t keep?”
She finally met his eye, and Archer saw strength in her expression, rather than girlish submissiveness, or confusion, or any of what he’d expected.
“You’ll be one of Tempus’s most eligible bachelors once you officially join the Metal Squad,” she said. “It’s a weapon. It will take time for you to get used to, but being single, having status like you do… it’s something that you’ll be able to leverage for influence, Archer. Don’t waste that advantage on… an attendant.”
“That’s a cynical way of looking at it,” he said.
“It’s just reality,” said Leigh. “Sir.”
She gave him a quick kiss, rubbed up against him slightly as she turned back around, and then finished clearing the table.
CHAPTER 17
After dinner, Leigh headed to draw him a bath, while Archer wandered back into the living room. He’d thought that Trevor’s possessions had been mostly put into storage when he’d first seen the apartment, but he was slowly realizing that in reality, his brother just hadn’t been a very materialistic person.
For the first time he sat down at the desk. The writing surface was bare, but when he opened the top drawer he saw a framed photo of a girl staring back at him. He picked it up, examining it a little more closely, and recognized her face.
That’s Vivian. Makes sense, the two of them were engaged. But Trevor… always seemed too cold to do things like frame photos of other people.
The photo had been taken at night, in that very apartment. Vivian was on the balcony, looking out over the city. She wore a thin white evening gown that was almost translucent in places. The photo was too dark for Archer to see anything scandalous, and he was actually glad for it. Vivian’s auburn hair was the most vibrant element of the scene, contrasting against the dark blue of the night and the grey of the apartment balcony’s cement floor.
Archer set the photo back into the drawer, wondering if it would be worth making the gesture to give it to Vivian. He wasn’t mad at her for the way she’d reacted that afternoon, especially after what Karen had told him about what the armor skins did to emotions. Still, he figured it would probably be better if he waited for her to cool off before trying to mend fences.
He opened the second desk drawer and was confused by what he saw inside. A half dozen sketchbooks, all of them worn from use, along with several packs of colored pencils. Archer pulled out the sketchbook on top of the pile and flipped it open to the first page.
The first drawing was stunning, a composition of a field with a few scattered fruit trees, the sun rising in the background at the center of the image. The green of the leaves mixed with the red and yellow of ripe apples.
The tree trunks were intricately textured, each flake of bark given life through tiny, painstaking details. Even the grass on the ground of the field was slanted to the side, as if blown by a gust of wind.
Archer flipped through a few more. They were mostly of other nature scenes, most of them of areas that clearly couldn’t have existed in any of the parks within Tempus. A few were of Vivian, and those made Archer see the girl in a new light, almost like he was seeing her through Trevor’s eyes. He got to one that was of her in her underwear, the curves of her body expertly emphasized, nipples visibly hard through her bra, a seductive smile on her red lips.
This is borderline voyeuristic. I shouldn’t be looking at this.
He hesitated, and then closed the sketchbook, slipping it back into Trevor’s desk and feeling deeply confused. It had been more than half a decade since he’d last seen his brother in real life, instead of in snippets on the TV. It was possible that Trevor could have changed since then, wasn’t it?
He opened the bottom drawer of the desk. Several knives, a pistol, and some type of handheld explosive lay casually across the inside of it. Archer touched the edge of one of the knives, drawing his finger back after confirming that it was as sharp as it looked. This was the Trevor that he knew. Paranoid, violent, and willing to kill at a moment’s notice if he needed to.
“Sir?” called Leigh. “The water is ready.”
“Alright.”
He shut the drawer and stood up, not wanting to dwell on his older brother for any longer than he needed to. The image of the hallucination in the training area flickered through his mind. Trevor had looked and acted so real, so appropriately smug. Archer scowled and shook away the memory.
He walked into the bathroom. Leigh was bending over the faucet, turning the water off. Archer resisted the urge to press himself up behind her, instead pulling off his t-shirt and tossing it aside.
“Will you be joining me in the bath again tonight?” he asked.
Leigh flashed a smile at him that was so flirtatious and seductive that it was almost unfair.
“If you wish it, sir, I will,” she said, playfully.
“I want you to make the decision for yourself.” Archer slowly unzipped his jeans and pulled them down, enjoying the way Leigh’s eyes flashed over his package through his boxers.
“If I say no, will you force me to join you, sir?” asked Leigh.
“Of course not.” Archer walked over to her
slowly, each step seeming as though it raised the temperature in the room by a degree. He stopped within inches of her, feeling his cock hardening as he met her gaze.
“Well, I guess it is my duty to take care of you, and make sure that you’re clean,” she said, her voice trembling a little. “I am your attendant, sir.”
“I don’t want my attendant in the bath with me,” said Archer. “I want a woman.”
He took the final step forward, his erection poking into Leigh’s stomach as he pulled her against him and kissed her neck. She made a soft noise, and then let out a tiny laugh.
“If you want a woman…” Her hand played across his hard on. “Then you should be ready for her to be a tease.”
She stepped away from him. Archer grinned and pulled his boxers off, lowering himself into the water. He watched as Leigh stripped off her dress and then climbed into the bath across from him, still wearing her bra and panties. He frowned.
“I’ve already seen you naked,” he said.
“I didn’t know what kind of man you were, last night.”
Archer stared at her, not sure what to make of the comment.
This is definitely some kind of game to her.
“So last night, if I’d pushed hard enough, you would have let me…?” He trailed off, leaning his head from side to side to make his point.
“Isn’t it more fun for both of us if I don’t answer that?” She smiled, her face radiant and brimming with sexuality. Her bra and panties were white, and the fabric turned sheer upon touching the water. He could clearly see her nipples, along with a hint of pink of her velvety folds, and if anything, it was more erotic than if she’d been fully exposed.
Leigh moved to grab the shampoo and soap. She gestured for Archer to turn to face the side of the tub, slowly cupping water and dripping it over his head as she washed his hair. He loved every second of it, and not just for his own arousal. There was something intimate about it, beyond anything he’d experienced with another person before.
“You can rinse your head now,” whispered Leigh. “Sir.”
Archer turned around. She was all but straddling him in her current position. He slid underneath the surface of the water, rinsed his hair, and then rose against her, pulling her into a tight, erotic embrace.
Leigh let out a soft moan as Archer ran his hands across her butt. He kissed her neck, and then her cheek, and then her lips, his hard cock poking against the panties as he did.
“Oh…” Leigh bit her lip and let her crotch grind against his naked, eager erection. Archer slid his hands up her side and groped her breasts.
The temptation of what he could do, if he wanted, was almost impossible to resist. Leigh was his attendant. He could strip her panties off and fuck her senseless, even if she said no. He could have his way with her, force her to do the most depraved things he could think of, defile her until she was comfortable being a true and utter slut for him.
I could, but I won’t. I feel bad for even thinking of it. I don’t want to be that type of person, and I don’t want to change her, either.
Leigh seemed to sense the conflict inside of him, and from the empowered expression on her face, she was drawing strength from it. She slid her hand along his thigh and touched his cock with an almost exploratory gentleness. Archer let out a quiet moan, and could see in Leigh’s eyes that she knew that she had the power over him now.
“Would you like me to take care of this for you, sir?” she asked, her breath and lips tickling the sensitive side of his neck.
Archer nodded, his heart pounding in his chest as her hand began to stroke up and down, gliding over his erection. Leigh’s movements were slow, clearly intended to tease, but the buildup between them had gone on for so long that he already wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to hold out for.
She kissed him, tentatively pushing her tongue into his mouth. Archer kissed back and groped at her breasts, his cock stabbing blindly toward her inner thighs. Leigh’s hand held firm around his girth, but she started stroking faster.
Archer decided to give her a taste of her own sweet, seductive medicine. He let his palm press against Leigh’s crotch, and enjoyed the sound of her soft, somewhat surprised moan. His eyes met hers as his hand slipped into her panties.
“You don’t need to do that…” she whispered, near breathless from arousal.
“Do what?” asked Archer. “Oh, you mean this?”
He gently slid his index finger into her, and Leigh made a cute, high pitched sound of pleasure. Her grip tightened a little on his cock and pumped faster. Archer slid a second finger into her, enjoying the way her back arched slightly.
Archer looked at her and saw a deep, innate lust in Leigh’s eyes. He knew that his own expression was probably a match for it in lewdness. Her hand was stroking, and his fingers were probing, and the two of them were in their own realm of horny, teenage sexual intimacy.
She would go with it, if I tried to take her now. Even though she isn’t ready.
He could see that much in Leigh’s eyes, too. He hadn’t stop to wonder if she was a virgin or not in their previous encounter, but now, the fact seemed as clear as day. He kissed her again, first on the lips, and then on the upper flesh of her big breasts. His finger touched Leigh’s clit and she let out a pleasured squeal.
The water was splashing as Leigh’s hand worked his cock. Archer kept his hand moving against her crotch as he pressed himself harder against her, his primal urges taking over. Leigh stroked him off with deliberate speed, knowing that if the encounter went on too much longer, it would spiral completely out of control.
“Oh, Leigh!” Archer twisted, sliding between her thighs. One of Leigh’s nipples popped out of her bra, but she didn’t seem to notice, or at least care. Water splashed over the sides of the tube. Leigh worked his erection with beautiful, pleasurable ease, even as her body began to tense and shiver from her own oncoming release.
“Archer!” she cried. He pushed forward kissing her deeper. Leigh’s hand was like a surrogate for her womanhood, and he was thrusting into it now as he felt himself reaching his bursting point.
Leigh cried out in pleasure, and her entire body shivered with a deep, fulfilling orgasm. Archer thrust into her soft hand one last time and then groaned as he came, blasting his cum onto her stomach and into the water as the pleasure swept over him.
CHAPTER 18
The bath continued in soft, companionable silence. Leigh washed herself along with Archer’s back. He rinsed off, and the two of them climbed out together.
She’d already set clothes out for him, and Archer pulled on a t-shirt and sweat pants while Leigh disappeared into her room to get her own outfit. He watched her walk out of the bathroom, her butt swaying from side to side with each step, underwear still wet and sheer. He felt something more than just lust for her.
Careful. You just met her yesterday.
He made his way out into the living room, giving the TV the attention it deserved for the first time since he’d arrived. It was unreal to him that he now technically owned something more valuable than what he would have made in a year of working in the coal district.
There was a remote control device sitting on the stand next to it. Archer picked it up, tapped the big red button in the top left corner, and grinned as the television turned on. Two actors were sitting across from each other at a table with a gun in the center, talking to each other in whispered voices.
“Tower Inheritance,” said Leigh, from behind him.
“What?”
“It’s the name of the show,” she said, smiling. “I used to watch it in the female employee dormitory. It’s one of the more popular weekly dramas.”
She’d put on a loose fitting purple robe. Archer couldn’t tell if she was wearing anything underneath. He patted the spot on the couch next to him and she walked over and sat down.
The two characters were engaged in a heated discussion about a murder that one of them had supposedly committed. It all seemed so contriv
ed to Archer and he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling when one of them tried to force a dramatic moment.
“I know, it’s cheesy,” said Leigh. “We can watch something else, if you want.”
“No, it’s fine,” said Archer. “It just seems like the reality of politics is so much less exciting than this.”
Leigh shrugged.
“It’s not too far removed, from what I’ve seen,” she said. “I feel like most of the people who live in the citizen’s district are insulated from the truth.”
“Well, obviously,” said Archer. “It’s a defense mechanism. The coal district is too raw for them to see, even when they’re looking right at it.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Leigh turned to look at him. “We’re here, in Tempus. We call it a haven, and treat it like the world ends at the wall.”
Archer frowned.
“Are you talking about trying to build outward?” he asked. “Like what the expansionists are always pushing for?”
Leigh shook her head.
“We might be missing something big, Archer,” she whispered. “We’re here, in Tempus. Blind to the reality that there might be a better place, or a better way of living. A promised land, if we could just find a way to get to it, outside of the toxic politics of the Overseer and the Senate.”
Archer sighed.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I think Tempus has some serious equality issues when it comes to the tower elites, the citizens, and the smogs. But it’s something we have to fix from within. And I don’t think the politics here are so bad that it’s not achievable.”
The weekly drama had come to its conclusion while they were talking, and the opening credits for a nightly news program were in the middle of playing. Archer listened as the two anchors introduced themselves.
“Our investigation into the disappearance of Trevor Clark continues tonight,” said the male anchor. “One of our reporters, Rachel Madison, had a chance to sit down with Trevor’s brother, Archer, earlier today.”
Jesus, I’m on the news. This is pretty wild.
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