“He’s even more beautiful up close,” she murmured, extending her hand. “May I touch you?”
She was asking the horse, not him, and for a moment there was no response. He saw the disappointment on Serena’s face before she could compose her expression, but even as she began to turn back to him, Winston pushed his head under her outstretched hand. She gave a delighted laugh and stroked the smooth, dark metal skin. The horse pressed closer, and J-100 couldn’t blame him. He wanted those long, pale fingers caressing his skin as well. His cock began to harden at the thought, and he did his best to suppress it as he went to retrieve their supplies.
Once all of the equipment was arranged, he lifted Serena onto Winston’s back. His hands practically spanned her slender waist, and he had to force himself to let go of her. But then he sprang up behind her and she naturally settled back against him. The soft warmth of her body sent a heated wave of desire through him, and he realized that he had no hope of controlling his unruly body. She didn’t seem to notice his erection pressing against the soft curves of her buttocks, and he did his best to ignore it as well. But as Winston started forward, each step the horse took caused her body to shift against his and he suppressed a groan.
This trip was going to test him more than anything that had happened to him since becoming a cyborg.
Chapter Nine
Serena felt an unexpected sense of excitement as they headed out into the desert. She rarely left the city, and when she did, she was in a rover and surrounded by other people. This was a much more intimate experience. Winston’s metal body moving beneath her, the warmth of John’s body at her back, and the stark reality of the desert were all new to her.
The frigid Martian wind brushed against her cheeks, but it didn’t bother her. Instead, she felt surrounded by warmth.
“How long is this going to take?” In her excitement about the possibilities revealed by the lab, she hadn’t paid much attention to the distance from the town to the lab.
“At least two days, possibly three. I’m not familiar with that area and I’m not sure what the conditions are like.”
Hmm. At least two days with the big cyborg who already felt uncomfortably familiar. It’s just been a long time, she reminded herself. The abortive relationship she’d had on the way to Mars had been swiftly terminated once she realized that the man was even more of a bastard than she had expected. He had planned to use his daughter Kami as a tool to advance his career. Fortunately, the child was now safe with her mother and the Judge.
Serena would never let anything happen to Kami. Even when she realized that Kami had successfully acquired nanites, she had suppressed the information from GenCon. She would never condone experiments on children, no matter how much she longed for a positive result.
But now she was here with this very large and very attractive man. What could it hurt to have a little fun with him? She’d never had a relationship with one of her bodyguards before, but it wasn’t exactly as if he was working for her. He had volunteered, after all. There was no question that he was equally attracted to her—she could feel the hard length of his erection against her buttocks. The fact that he made no attempt to try anything else only increased her certainty that he could be a good temporary partner.
A tiny portion of her brain tried to argue that she already had more than a physical attraction to him but she resolutely pushed it aside. That lesson had been burned into her brain long ago on that rainy night. She would never give another man the chance to hurt her emotionally.
They had been riding while she thought, and she twisted around to see how far they had come. New Acadia was no longer in sight and only the endless Martian desert and the jagged mountains surrounded them. It was a little unnerving but it was also freeing. She didn’t have to be Serena Gatling, Managing Director of GenCon Martian Operations. She could just be herself—if she even remembered that self.
“You said you’re not familiar with this section?” she asked. “Where are you located?”
“I have a mining claim in one of the mountain ranges northeast of the city.” He shrugged, and the movement of that big muscled chest behind her caused a pleasant flutter low in her stomach. She forced herself to concentrate on his words instead as he continued. “It’s mildly profitable but frankly I don’t work at it as hard as I could. I get… restless so I frequently travel around.”
“It must be nice to be so free,” she said enviously.
“I thought so, especially at first. But while I enjoy solitude, I’ve begun to realize that I am not cut out to be alone all the time.”
“You can be equally alone when you’re surrounded by people,” she pointed out.
“You’re right, of course, but I guess I’m used to that kind of loneliness.”
“Why did you come to Mars?” she blurted out.
He didn’t tense, but she could feel his hesitation before he spoke. “I never really fit in anywhere on Earth. I thought maybe Mars would be different. Why did you come here?”
“GenCon sent me.”
“You didn’t have a choice?”
“No.” And she hadn’t, not if she wanted to keep moving towards her goal. A goal that seemed increasingly out of reach. Please let me find some sign of hope at the lab, she prayed before she forced out a small laugh and changed the subject. “But enough of the past. What do you think of Mars becoming an independent planet?”
“I’m all for independence,” he said equally lightly, but then he began discussing trade disparities with a great deal of expertise.
She smiled over her shoulder at him when the discussion came to a close. “I see you know about a lot more than just cyborgs and politics.”
He shrugged again. “I like to read.”
“I do too. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept me sane.” Appalled that she had revealed so much, she immediately tried to take back the words. “I mean, corporate life is very demanding.”
“I’m sure it is,” he agreed, his voice carefully neutral, but to her relief he didn’t press her.
If anyone had told her a week ago that she would enjoy spending the afternoon riding across the Martian desert on a robot horse with a strange cyborg, she would have scoffed at the very idea, but she couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed herself so much. The vast emptiness of Mars was as soothing in person as it was from her window—although she suspected a lot of that was due to her companion. John turned out to be both intelligent and well-read but even when they lapsed into a comfortable silence, she was glad they were together.
Her body hummed pleasantly with a constant awareness of the man behind her. How long had it been since she had felt such genuine desire? Although she didn’t dislike sex, she was more used to using her body as an asset. In this case, she had nothing to gain. Except pleasure, a small voice inside suggested.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that the temperature was dropping until a frigid breeze swirled around them and she shivered. John noticed immediately and pulled her tighter against his body, wrapping his big warm arms around her. She started to pull away, to put distance between them, and then realized there was no one around to see her weakness. What did it matter? With a sigh, she snuggled into him.
“Are you tired?” he asked gently.
“Perhaps a little.”
“I’m going to look for a place to stop for the night.” When she started to object, he tightened his arms again in what felt suspiciously like a hug. “You’ve done really well, but it is time to stop. I’d like to get the habitat set up before dark.”
“Can’t you see in the dark?” she asked suspiciously.
He laughed. “Only to a certain extent. And I suspect you’d rather be able to see when you’re using the portable facilities.”
Was she blushing? She refused to admit that she was and returned to his previous statement. “Are you looking for some place in particular to stop?”
“Up there, I think.” He leaned even closer and lifted his arm
to point out a long ridge of rock rising out of the desert like the spine of some ancient animal. “That will provide some shelter from the wind if a storm should blow up during the night.”
She shivered again. She had never been out on the surface when one of the infamous Martian sandstorms erupted, but even in the city she had felt the impact of the swirling sand hitting the dome and heard the furious roar of the desert.
“Are you expecting a storm?” she asked, masking her trepidation.
He shook his head. “No, this isn’t really the season for them. I also have some built-in warnings, but it never hurts to be prepared.”
“Did you learn that in the military?”
“I learned that the day my mother dropped me off at the orphanage,” he said quietly.
“Your mother gave you up?” Outrage mingled with her sympathy for him. All she had ever wanted was a child, and here was a woman who had squandered that precious gift. “How could anyone give up their own child?”
She felt him shrug again, but she could hear an ancient pain in his voice. “I assumed she preferred a childless life. And that was only the first in a long line of sudden changes in my life. I learned to get used to it—and to be prepared.”
She put her hands over his where they crossed her stomach and squeezed. It wasn’t exactly a hug, she told herself.
The rest of the trip to the ledge was completed in silence.
The sun was low on the horizon by the time they arrived, sending slanting shadows across the orange sand of the desert and picking up the reds and golds in the rock surface. John guided Winston along the ridge until he located a deep cleft in the side.
“This will do,” he said, guiding Winston into the opening.
Although the area was open to the sky, it felt almost cave-like as the surrounding rock immediately blocked the wind.
“Why don’t you stay on Winston’s back while I get everything set up? He puts out a good bit of warmth, and that will help keep you comfortable until I get the heater going.”
Her instinct for independence urged her to insist on helping but she suddenly realized how tired she was. The combination of the events of the morning and then the long afternoon’s journey was wearing on her, and she was content to sit on Winston and watch sleepily as John set up camp. He quickly and efficiently assembled the pop-up habitat and turned on the heater and the oxygen generator. He discreetly set up the portable toilet as well before helping her down from the horse. Her legs felt surprisingly weak, and he caught her as she swayed.
“Riding is hard on the muscles when you’re not used to it. Are you all right?”
“Yes, just a little shaky. Can you, umm, help me towards the facilities?”
To her enormous relief, he didn’t laugh but simply guided her over. When she emerged, he was waiting for her, but she felt a little steadier and refused his arm. I can’t be dependent on him.
“Why don’t you go on into the habitat while I take care of Winston?” he suggested.
“I didn’t think about not having a shelter for him. Will he be all right out here?”
“He’ll be just fine. I’ll give him some protein pellets and put him into rest mode.”
Despite John’s reassurances, she felt guilty about leaving Winston outside and stopped to pet him. He seemed to lean his head against her while she told him what a good boy he was. She looked up to find John watching her, and dammit, she was blushing again.
“What?” she asked icily.
“I was just wondering what it would take to have you tell me I’m a good boy.” He grinned when her mouth dropped open. “Go on inside, Serena. I’ll be there shortly.”
Her usual snappy comebacks had deserted her. She obeyed without another word.
The habitat had looked small from the outside but once Serena had passed through the miniscule airlock, it felt even smaller inside. It was only about six feet across. Will John even be able to lie down? she wondered. It would have felt claustrophobic, but the ceiling panel was composed of a clear material and she could look up and see the last rays of the sun hitting the rock spires towering over them.
A deep pad covered most of the floor, intended for both protection against the frigid sands beneath them and for sleeping. A raised platform held the small heater and a tiny device to reclaim water. John had also brought in their food supplies, and she was sorting through them when he appeared in the doorway.
Oh my. She had thought the shelter small before, but now, with his head almost brushing the ceiling, his big body loomed over her and she felt small and helpless and… shockingly excited.
“Come and join me,” she murmured, her voice low and husky.
His eyes heated, slowly traveling over her, and she suddenly longed for one of the soft, feminine dresses she had abandoned so long ago. Serena was professional and polished in public and boldly sexual in private, but neither of those personas seemed right. She pushed her regrets aside and held out her hand to him.
Chapter Ten
J-100 did his best to restrain the sudden and wholly inappropriate surge from his cock, but it was no use. Did she have any idea how tempting she looked? But he had promised to accompany her, not to take advantage of her, so he forced himself to nod and sat down next to her.
She tilted her head and studied him, a smile playing on her lips. He was embarrassingly conscious of his erection but steadily returned her gaze. If she had been anyone else, he would have assumed she was coming on to him, but she wasn’t the kind of woman he usually attracted. The women who tended to approach him were usually looking for a quick, hard, meaningless fuck. The fun had gone out of that a long time ago, and it was definitely not what he wanted from her.
“You surprise me,” she murmured.
“Why?”
“Any other man would already have me naked by now.”
The image made his mouth go dry, but he shook his head. “I wouldn’t take advantage of you.”
“Not even if I wanted you to?”
Still watching him, she leaned forward and ran those long, elegant fingers over his cock, smiling when she felt him jerk in response.
“Serena…” He moved her hand away but kept hold of it. It looked so fragile resting in his huge paw.
“You don’t want me?” She was still smiling, but he thought he saw the faintest shadow of doubt in those pale blue eyes.
“More than anything,” he said honestly. “But I’m not a man anymore. I have nothing to offer you.”
Ignoring the last part of his statement, she reached out and skated a hand down his chest, toying with the hem of his shirt. “You feel like a man.”
Her fingers brushed against his stomach, cool and seductive, and his resolve weakened.
“Take it off,” she urged and he silently obeyed.
“Oh my.” Her eyes widened and for a moment, she lost her air of practiced seduction. She leaned forward and touched him again, her hand slowly exploring his skin.
Giving into temptation, he lifted her into his lap. Her muscles tensed when he touched her in a reaction that felt uncomfortably like fear, but before he could convince himself to let her go, she relaxed against him.
“I’m getting used to having you in my arms,” he said softly.
“I’m getting used to being here.” She looked up at him, her face oddly vulnerable, and his chest ached.
He bent his head towards her but he no sooner brushed her lips with his than she pulled away with a nervous laugh.
“I’m not a big fan of kissing.”
Before he could protest, she slid open the fastening of her coverall to reveal pale, gleaming flesh and small, perfect breasts topped with rosy little nipples. Fuck, she was beautiful.
He ran a gentle finger from her collarbone down across the slight swell of her stomach. She shivered, then moved away far enough to shimmy gracefully out of the coverall, before holding her hand out to him once more.
“You look so beautiful. So untouched,” he murmured as he lay down next
to her. Like the statue he had compared her to earlier but warm and full of life.
“Untouched? I assure you I’m very touchable.”
Something had changed. Her voice was still sultry, but it sounded… off. He raised his head as she rolled towards him and slid a determined hand towards his cock.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing. Don’t you want me to touch you?”
More than anything. But her beautiful face was no longer soft and open. Watching her carefully, he curved his hand over a small breast, stroking his thumb back and forth across a taut, rosy nipple until her eyelids fluttered shut. Better.
He let his fingers skate lightly down across her stomach, feeling the delicate skin quivering at his touch, until he hovered over her bare mound. She gasped as he cupped the soft flesh, letting her feel the warmth of his hand but making no attempt to part her thighs. Still studying her face, he waited until her cheeks flushed, until her hips subtly lifted into him and her legs parted, before sliding a careful finger into the hidden warmth.
Slick heat met his touch, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. Her body was responding to him—now he just had to make sure that her mind was equally engaged. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, how soft, how perfect, but it had been his compliment that made her freeze. Instead, he would show her with his body.
Letting his hand rest between her legs, he watched her even as he lowered his head until he could pull a tempting little nipple into his mouth. Her eyes flew open at the touch of his lips but she didn’t protest, didn’t pull away. He sucked gently on the enticing little nub until he felt her relax. His cock throbbed hungrily, but he ignored it, moving leisurely from one nipple to the other until both were pink and swollen, gleaming from his kisses.
Her legs were still parted, and he began stroking the delicate folds with the same slow, careful attention he had paid to her breasts. The sweet perfume of her arousal filled the habitat, and his head swam. More than anything he had wanted in a very long time, he wanted to taste her, to feel her delicate body shudder with pleasure at his touch, but he would not rush her.
The Outlaw Cyborg (Cyborgs on Mars Book 5) Page 6
