The Magnificent Cyborg

by Honey Phillips

  “I was sixteen and desperate to get away from home. My mother was a useless drunk and my latest stepfather was getting… persistent. Danny was young and good-looking and full of promises.”

  “Nicky was like that,” Jo said ruefully. “He charmed me out of my virginity and then disappeared. Even though I eventually got over it, I should have realized then that he wouldn’t make a good partner for a trip to Mars.”

  “Nicky? Tall, thin, way more confident than he should be?”

  “That’s him. You had a run-in with him?”

  “You could say that. I had to kick him out of my establishment.”

  Jo sighed. “I’m sorry, even though I have no reason to apologize for him. I don’t know what he expected to find here on Mars but apparently he thought it was going to be easy.”

  “That was Danny’s problem too. He always wanted the easy way out.”

  “What did he do to you?”

  “He sold my virginity on our wedding night.” She had never told anyone that before. Somehow the sympathy on Jo’s face and the intimacy of being two of the few women on this planet erased her usual reticence.

  “Oh, Cherry.” Jo leaned forward and took her hand. “I’m so sorry.”

  “You’re apologizing for someone else’s behavior again,” she scolded gently as she squeezed Jo’s hand. “He told me it was so we could have a beautiful new life together, and I wanted to believe him. But a month later, he wanted to sell me again. By the end of our first year together, he had three more girls working for him.” She looked off into the distance, the past flashing before her eyes. “He didn’t force any of them to join him. Just gave them a smooth line and an opportunity to escape, and for many of them, it was a better alternative.”

  Tears filled Jo’s eyes but she didn’t say anything, simply holding Cherry’s hand. To her astonishment, she suddenly felt lighter. It was the first time she had openly admitted how much his betrayal had hurt her and giving a voice to it felt freeing.

  “What happened to him?” Jo asked.

  “Turns out, he was good at being a pimp. We were making money and he didn’t know how to handle it. Somewhere along the way, he discovered that he liked to gamble. He ended up gambling with the wrong people. They ‘took care’ of him when I was twenty-one.”

  Funny, even after what he had done to her, even after what she had become, she had still mourned him, still remembered the boy he had been.

  “Then what?”

  “I made a deal.” It had taken every bit of courage she possessed to approach his enemies. “I went to the man who killed my husband and I asked him to let me take over for Danny. He was a businessman. He agreed.” She wasn’t about to tell Jo the price she had paid. “He provided protection—and took a large cut of the profits—but he let me handle the girls and make sure they were treated properly.”

  “Was that what you were doing when you met Wyatt?”

  She shook her head. “No. That little arrangement lasted for another five years, and one day I woke up, looked in the mirror, and realized this was what the rest of my life was going to be like unless I made a change. One of my customers had been with me exclusively for a while and he wanted to marry me.” She shrugged again. “He was old and ran some businesses that weren’t entirely legal, but he was rich and he treated me well and I agreed. That was the marriage for money.”

  Jo’s eyes were like saucers. “It’s like something out of the movies.”

  “Not exactly. But he was good to me and I grew… fond of him. But that’s enough about the ancient past,” she said lightly. Jo didn’t push the matter.

  “Would you like me to show you around?”

  “That would be wonderful. This is the first time I’ve really been out of the city since I arrived.”

  Jo showed her around the small homestead, and Cherry dutifully admired the thriving flock of chickens and the updates that they had made, but the attached greenhouse drew most of her praise.

  “You have a wonderful crop growing here. So much variety.”

  “It’s turned out very well, hasn’t it? The chickens really help.”

  “Chickens?”

  “Chicken poop is a great fertilizer.” Jo giggled at the look on Cherry’s face. “I could give you a few to raise to help with your flowers.”

  “That’s quite all right. They seem to do just fine on artificial fertilizer.”

  Jo’s face turned serious. “If we succeed in breaking ties with Earth Government, they may cut off supplies like fertilizer.”

  “And if that happens, I will accept your generous offer. But in the meantime, I think I’m more of a city mouse.”

  “I’m pretty sure no one ever would ever call you a mouse,” Jo laughed and swept Cherry off to the kitchen.

  The men returned a short time later and Cherry tried to suppress her envy as Clint hauled Jo into a brief but passionate kiss. She cast a quick look at Wyatt from under her lashes and realized he was looking at her. Did he envy the other couple as well? Her first attempt to put the past behind her had failed, but now that she suspected that Wyatt hadn’t chosen to forget her, her feelings had changed. Was there any possibility they could have a future instead?

  After a plain but delicious dinner, Jo talked them all into a card game. It only took a couple of hands for the others to realize just how good Cherry was at playing cards.

  “Damn, darlin’,” Wyatt said admiringly. “It’s a good thing we aren’t playing for money or you’d have taken my shirt.”

  As she went to help Jo get some snacks, she bent down and whispered in his ear. “It is a shame. I rather like you without your shirt.”

  He choked, and Clint made an odd noise as she sashayed into the kitchen area. Jo was trying to muffle her laughter.

  “I don’t know what you said to him, but all of the cyborgs have enhanced hearing. Whatever it was, Clint heard it too.”

  She actually felt the heat rising in her cheeks—she never blushed—but she managed to shrug it off.

  “It was the truth. I do like him better without his shirt.”

  Jo laughed, and even Clint grinned. Wyatt just shook his head.

  When bedtime rolled around, Jo gave her a questioning look. “We have two air mattresses. Should I put them together?”

  She spoke quietly but Cherry knew that Wyatt was listening. After a moment’s hesitation, she shook her head. She might be willing to consider the idea of starting a new relationship with him, but despite her teasing, she didn’t have the courage to start so quickly.

  As it turned out, the beds were still quite close because of the small size of the dome. Wyatt frowned down at the mattresses after Clint and Jo had gone to bed.

  “Would you like me to rest outside?”

  “It’s below freezing out there.” The terraforming efforts had made the daytime temperatures relatively livable, but the temperatures still dropped sharply at night.

  He shrugged. “We were designed to handle it.”

  “It can’t possibly be comfortable for you.”

  “Darlin’, we weren’t designed for comfort. I could stay in the stall with Maverick if that would make you feel better.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s fine if you stay here.”

  He raised an eyebrow, suddenly looking so much like the old carefree Wyatt that her heart skipped a beat. “Since you like my chest so much, I reckon you won’t mind if I take my shirt off. Just so I can be comfortable when I sleep.”

  “Suit yourself.” So what if her voice sounded unusually breathless? She deliberately turned her back on him and went to change into her own nightwear. She had brought her most conservative nightgown—which wasn’t saying a whole lot. Although the hem reached the floor, it was only held up by two thin straps, and the silky blue material did little to disguise her body.

  As she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, she suddenly felt ridiculously shy. Grabbing the shirt she had been wearing, she threw it over her shoulders as she left the small bathro
om.

  The lights had been dimmed in the main dome but there was enough of a glow for her to see that Wyatt had indeed removed his shirt. He was sprawled on top of the covers and his cyborg side gleamed a soft metallic gold in the dim light. Hastily averting her eyes, she slipped under her own blanket.

  “Sleep well, darlin’. We’ll head out early tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Wyatt. Thank you for investigating, and thank you for letting me come.”

  “You’re welcome to come with me anytime.”

  The words hung between them in the quiet room as their eyes met, but in the end, cowardice won out and she turned away.

  Chapter Nine

  Cherry was very conscious of Wyatt on his mattress just a short distance away, but even though she knew that cyborgs didn’t need much rest, he fell asleep long before she did. The only sound from his direction was his slow, deep breathing.

  She, on the other hand, couldn’t fall asleep. The discussion with Jo had brought up so many memories of her past. She found herself thinking about her second husband, Saul. He had been, well, not a good man, but very good to her. He did everything he could to make her happy and liked nothing better than showing her off until the sickness became too much for him. That last year had been agonizing for both of them as he slowly slipped away, but she had never considered leaving him.

  He was her husband and had kept his side of the bargain. She would keep hers.

  It was only after he died that she realized how precarious her position had become. As the wife of a prominent member of the Gambini family, she had been treated with at least the appearance of respect. After his death, she had soon realized that other members of the family saw her as available property. Even though her marriage to Saul had worked out, she didn’t want to be a part of their world any longer. So she had gone to see his brother.

  “Come in, Rebecca,” Vincent said jovially from behind his big desk. His study was straight out of an old movie—expensive wood-paneled walls, bookcases lined with leather volumes that she was quite sure he had never opened, even a fire crackling in the fireplace. Artificial, of course, since there was no wood available to burn, but it looked real enough. “What can I do for you, my dear?”

  She went behind the desk and gave him a polite kiss on the cheek, ignoring the appreciative hand he ran across her bottom as she stepped back. Her outfit had been chosen very carefully: a demure black suit that didn’t reveal any flesh but still hinted at the body beneath. She even had a small black hat with a half veil perched on her elegant chignon.

  “I’m very sorry to bother you at a time like this, Vincent, but I’m afraid I have a little problem.”

  “Anything you need, my dear. I am truly grateful for the way you cared for my brother this past year.”

  “He was my husband and I wanted to make it as easy for him as possible.” She paused and dabbed at her eyes with a little white handkerchief. The gesture was not entirely false. She had grown fond of Saul over the course of their marriage and it had been difficult to watch him deteriorate, but she’d had plenty of time to grieve over that long hard year.

  “But it’s because I treasured him so much as my husband that I find it difficult to move on.”

  “Move on?” Vincent frowned. “Of course, it’s too soon for you to move on.”

  Got him. She nodded and wiped her eyes again. This was the tricky part.

  “That’s what I told Tony, but he’s young and… impetuous.”

  Vincent’s face hardened and she held her breath. Would he take his son’s side?

  “I will speak to Antonio,” Vincent said, and she breathed a silent side of relief. “I understand his… enthusiasm. If I were a few years younger, I’d be tempted to keep you for myself.”

  Her fists clenched but she managed to keep her face serene. She had known this was a risk when she came here but she couldn’t think of any other way to avoid Tony’s advances. To her relief, Vincent simply sighed regretfully.

  “But I promised my brother I would take care of you. What do you want to do now?”

  “I thought perhaps I could move back to Dallas. I grew up there.” And it was a long way away from the Gambini family and their empire.

  “Yes, I think that might be best—”

  “Father.” The door burst open and Tony strode in, his face furious. “I can’t find Rebecca—” He stopped short at the sight of her but his anger didn’t diminish. “What the hell are you doing here? And why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were leaving?”

  She did her best to keep her face composed in the face of his rage. Between what Saul had told her and what she had witnessed for herself, she knew how vicious he could be.

  “You do not enter my study uninvited, Antonio,” Vincent said, his voice hard. “I am having a conversation with my brother’s widow about her future living arrangements.”

  “I told her I would take care of that.”

  “I don’t believe your arrangements are to her liking. She will be leaving the city.”

  “What?” Tony’s face darkened even further. “You can’t let her do that. She’s Gambini family property.”

  “She’s my brother’s widow,” Vincent repeated. “And you will treat her with respect.”

  “Because the old man was crazy enough to marry her?” Tony sneered. “She’s just a whore.”

  Vincent regarded him from across his desk. “How many times did you go to visit your uncle, my brother, while he was ill?”

  He shifted uncomfortably. “Lots of times.”

  “Twice,” she said quietly. “Once to ask him for money, and once to ask him for me. He refused both times.”

  “Bitch,” he snarled.

  “Enough!” Vincent slammed his hand down on his desk. “I have given you far too much leniency, Antonio. Rebecca never left his side. She deserves our respect.” He nodded at her. “Go ahead, my dear. He will not trouble you again.”

  “Thank you, Vincent.” As she headed for the door, she did her best to avoid looking at Tony, but she could still feel the heat of his anger. When she stepped outside the room, her knees started to shake, and she had to take a moment to compose herself.

  “Is everything all right, Mrs. Gambini?” One of Vincent’s guards bent over her.

  “Yes.” She managed a shaky smile. “Yes, I think everything is going to be fine.”

  And it had been. She had moved back to Dallas and begun a new life as a wealthy widow. She had volunteered at charities and soon become part of the social scene, trying to ignore the fact that she felt increasingly distant from those around her. And then, she had met Wyatt. And everything changed.

  She was so lost in the memory of Wyatt that it took a moment for her to realize that he was moaning in his sleep, low agonized noises that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She went to him immediately, kneeling next to his mattress.

  His head was tossing back and forth, and when she reached out a hand, the heat of his skin almost burned her.

  “No. No, not all of them. You can’t…”

  “Wyatt.” Ignoring the heat, she stroked a hand across his forehead.

  He tossed his head again and then seemed to still. His eyes fluttered open, almost glowing in the dim light. For a minute, he didn’t seem to know where he was but then his eyes fastened on her with painful intensity.

  “Rebecca,” he whispered.

  Her heart skipped a beat. Did he finally remember?

  “Yes, it’s me—”

  She didn’t get any further. A huge sigh escaped his lips and then he was dragging her down. His mouth closed over hers, urgent, hungry, so much like the old Wyatt that she couldn’t resist. She met him just as eagerly.

  He pulled her closer, his hands roaming over every inch of her body, tugging at a taut nipple, caressing the curve of her hip, delving between her legs and groaning again at the wetness that met his touch. Her body was on fire with longing. She had missed him so much, missed this, and the brief taste they had sh
ared only increased her hunger.

  Her hands fumbled at his pants before she finally opened them far enough to reach inside and grasp him. God, he was perfect, even longer and thicker than she remembered. Her fingers wouldn’t close around him but she didn’t let that stop her. She tugged at his length, a hard, demanding stroke, and he arched into her hand. She could feel him quivering at her touch and she wanted more. Tearing her mouth away from his, she kissed frantically down his body until she could reach that magnificent cock. Just as her mouth closed over him, he grabbed her hips and effortlessly flipped her around so that his mouth was between her legs. He speared his tongue into her needy channel, and it was her turn to quiver, but she was determined to satisfy him first.

  Working her way down his length, she took him deeper, deeper, until she reached his base. Her mouth was stretched wide, her eyes watering, as she tried to take all of him, but she didn’t hesitate, drawing back only to take him again. His tongue abandoned her pussy, replaced by a thick finger as he began a frantic assault on her clit, lashing the swollen flesh into a frenzy of need. He added another finger, and she hummed around the broad cock filling her mouth. His hands tightened on her hips, and she felt him grow impossibly harder as she increased her pace. The pleasure he was wringing from her body, the same pleasure she was demanding from him, increased until her whole body was ripe with tension and his muscles were tight beneath her.

  She felt him circle her bottom hole, painting it with liquid heat before pushing inside, and the sudden intrusion sent her flying into an overwhelming climax. She cried out, voice muffled by his thick length, and he exploded, filling her with hot liquid pulses as she swallowed hungrily.

  He barely softened as she withdrew with a last gentle kiss. He was still holding onto her hips, still greedily licking up the remnants of her climax as she shuddered, but she pulled away, anxious to see his face, now that he remembered her. His hands tightened for a moment, but then he let her go and she lifted herself free.