Her body arched back against his arms as her climax rolled over her, the waves of pleasure heightened by the hard flesh still pressed against her, the big hands holding her so tightly, the dark eyes watching her so intently. When her shudders finally stopped, she could see the hunger on his face and she reached for him. It was his turn to shudder as he lifted her higher until she was poised over the wide head of his cock. Then with agonizing slowness, he began gradually sheathing himself in her body. Despite her excitement, her body resisted and he had to work himself up inside her, opening her an inch at a time as she urged him on.
When he finally buried himself completely, he paused for a second, his chest heaving despite the fact that he didn’t need oxygen. Then he lifted her up and slammed her back down in one long, hard stroke. A second, smaller climax rushed through her at the sudden, shocking pleasure. She heard him groan, felt the rush of liquid warmth inside her, but he kept moving. The increased wetness eased his way and he plunged into her more easily with each stroke, seeming to reach deeper and deeper.
She clung to his shoulders, desperately holding on to him as sensations overwhelmed her: the stretching fullness on the edge of pain, the streaks of heat from her exposed clit as he rubbed against it with each thrust, the aching points of her nipples as she pressed against him. His hands tightened, opening her even further to his touch, and she cried out as she climaxed again in a wave of pleasure so intense that dark spots danced in front of her vision. She heard him call her name, felt his cock jerking inside her as a second wave of liquid heat filled her, and his body finally stilled.
She was still clinging to him, breathless and happy, when his body tensed.
“What is it?”
He swore, even as he gently lifted her free.
“Storm coming,” he said briefly.
A spike of terror replaced the lazy feeling of satisfaction. They were miles from any type of habitation. “What are we going to do?”
“Make a run for it. I’m going to head for the base of those mountains. With any luck, we can find shelter amongst the rocks. Hold on now.” His arms tightened around her. “Run, Winston!”
As Winston leaped forward, she caught a glimpse of the mountains he must mean but they seemed terrifyingly far away. Especially when she looked in the other direction and saw a towering wall of swirling orange dust racing towards them. A terrified cry trembled on her lips but she pulled Serena’s poise around her like a blanket and remained quiet. Falling apart would only worry John and Winston and she wouldn’t do that to them.
Once again they were racing across the desert but this time seemed even more frightening. The fearsome power of nature far exceeded the scientists’ games. She buried her face in John’s chest as he bent over her and clutched his shirt. The wind increased, churning around them in icy blasts. Small pellets of sand began to sting her exposed skin and she heard John swear again.
“Keep your eyes shut,” he ordered, barely audible over the increasing roar.
She squeezed them shut and obeyed, doing her best not to flinch as a few larger stones found her body, despite John’s efforts to protect her. Winston's steps slowed, in spite of the escalating intensity of the storm, and for a horrified moment she thought that he had been damaged. But then she realized that they must be searching for shelter. A blast of wind hit them and Winston staggered, but John urged him forward. Another blast, then she heard John cry out.
Was he hurt? No amount of practiced poise could conceal the terror of that thought but before she could truly panic, Winston made a few last scrambling steps. The wind dropped and the roaring died down to a dull background noise. Her eyes flew open to find John smiling down at her.
“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously, checking his face for any signs that he was in pain.
“I’m fine, love. Just relieved to find a place to wait out the storm.”
For the first time she looked around. The storm had blocked most of the sunlight, but despite the dimness, she could make out the walls of a small cave surrounding them. The entrance was angled away from her but she could see clouds of dust eddying past the opening.
“I should have known you would find a way to protect us.” Her voice broke on the last word as the fear she had tried to suppress resurfaced.
“Winston brought us here. I just used my cybernetics to find the cave.” He flashed a grin at her. “You should thank him.”
“Of course. Thank you, Winston,” she murmured as she bent forward to stroke the horse’s neck. The smooth metal skin was not quite as smooth as usual. “He’s all scratched up! Is he hurt?”
The horse’s head swung around to regard her with what appeared to be an incredulous look. John laughed. “No, he’s fine. I can buff those out. And before you ask, I have a few scratches but they’re already healing. But what about you? Your skin is much more delicate.”
“I’m fine,” she said immediately. Truthfully, the few parts of her body that had been exposed felt sore and uncomfortable but she wasn’t going to worry him.
He gave her a searching glance but didn’t argue as he swung down from the horse. “Wait there for a minute. I think we have just enough room to put up the habitat.”
As he turned away, she bit back a horrified gasp. The back of his shirt was in shreds and even with the dark fabric she could tell that he’d been bleeding. A few scratches, indeed! But she could also see through the gaping holese that only a few faint marks still marred his skin and she decided not to press him.
It took some maneuvering, but he did manage to erect the habitat and a short time later, he lifted her down.
“Is Winston going to be all right out here?” she asked. There wasn’t much space left in the small cave.
“Of course. He’s protected from the storm.”
“But he can’t move around much.”
“After that run earlier, it’s probably a relief,” he said dryly. “He’s fine, love.”
Despite his assurances, she spent a few more minutes cooing over the horse before she reluctantly entered the habitat. John followed her in, watching as she gratefully removed the breathing mask.
“That’s almost as exciting as watching you remove your clothes,” he said thoughtfully.
“Probably because my clothes don’t cover much as this point.” She gave her ruined outfit a rueful glance. “Back to coveralls from now on.”
“No, love. It’s because I can see your face again.” He cupped her cheek. “See the thoughts racing through that smart brain of yours. And, of course, because I can kiss you.”
His mouth descended over hers, gentle at first, and then with increasing urgency until she melted against him. She was smiling and breathless when he finally raised his head.
“That’s definitely an advantage,” she agreed. “So now what?”
“Now we wait out the storm.”
“And do a lot of kissing?”
“And do a lot of kissing,” he agreed as he drew her into his arms once more.
Chapter Twenty
The storm only lasted for another day, but it took them three more days to reach the Judge’s homestead. John didn’t mind. Neither of them were in a hurry. They rode slowly and he stopped early each day to put up the habitat. They made love and they talked, and each day, Serena seemed to settle more comfortably into this new version of herself. The person he suspected she could have been if tragedy hadn’t damaged her so badly. It wasn’t until they were riding up the embankment to the Judge’s habitat that a remnant of the old Serena appeared, her face settling into the icy calm he remembered.
He started to mention it, then decided to let it go. If she felt more comfortable masking her emotions, he wouldn’t try and stop her.
As they reached the top of a small plateau, a big black horse appeared in front of them, his posture not threatening, but watchful.
“That’s Blackie.” Serena bent over and murmured to Winston as they came to a halt. “His family lives here.”
The two
horses regarded each other, then a tiny girl came running up. Without a mask, he realized with a start. “She’s not wearing a mask.”
“I know, but she’s fine. I’ll explain later,” Serena said quickly. “Hello, Kami.”
“Auntie Seena! Daddy went off to help you and he said you were fine, but then the bad man came and Mama melted him and then no one knew where you were!”
By the time the little girl had finished speaking, Serena had dismounted, and Kami threw herself happily into her arms. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, sweetheart.”
His chest ached as he looked at the two of them. She would have been such a wonderful mother. Kami finally stopped talking and turned to look at him. Her eyes widened.
“Who’s that?” she whispered.
“This is John. John, come and say hello to Kami.”
He dismounted, watching cautiously as Winston and Blackie touched noses.
“Hello, Kami. Does your horse mind when other horses come to visit?”
“Nope. He likes ‘em,” she said confidently, but she was watching him, not the horses. She suddenly grinned and nodded. “You’re like Daddy. I knew it. I told Mama that Auntie Seena needed a husband like Daddy.”
Husband? The thought hadn’t even occurred to him but now that Kami had mentioned it, he couldn’t think of anything he wanted more. He looked over at Serena and saw the tide of pink washing her cheeks, but her eyes were smiling. Excellent. Now all he needed to do was find a minister—or a judge…
“Does your Daddy do weddings, Kami?”
“Yep. And I do flower girl.”
He laughed, and the three of them turned towards the habitat just as the Judge emerged, accompanied by a petite, curvy blonde woman. She wasn’t exactly what he had pictured when Serena said she was a scientist.
“Serena. You disappeared.” The Judge’s tone was remarkably neutral, and John found himself bristling on her behalf.
Kami looked from one to the other. “What’s the matter, Daddy? Aren’t you happy to see Auntie Seena?”
“Of course he is. We were worried, Serena,” Addie said quickly. “No one knew where you were.”
He saw Serena’s icy mask resurface, but then she looked at him and sighed, and she was back to being his Serena. “We went after another lab.”
“Another lab?” Addie turned pale. “More hybrids?”
“Not exactly.” She looked at Kami, listening intently. “It’s no longer a threat, but I did want to discuss it with you.”
“Of course. Come on inside.”
Serena looked over at him.
“I’ll take care of Winston and be right there,” he assured her.
Still carrying Kami, she disappeared inside with Addie, leaving him with the Judge. The older man studied him thoughtfully, and he had the oddest urge to salute.
“Do you have somewhere I can put this equipment?” he asked.
“The supply shed will do. I’ll give you a hand.”
Together they unloaded Winston and the horse butted John’s shoulder affectionately before moving back over to join Blackie looking out over the desert below.
“General Biggs says you can be trusted.” The Judge broke the silence as they stowed the gear.
“He didn’t mention you to me at all.”
The other man barked a laugh. “I’ve known him all my life. He still treated me like a person, even after I became a cyborg.”
“If more officers were like him, I might have been happier in the military,” he admitted.
“A lot of fools there. I was one of them. But Addie straightened me out.”
The Judge’s face softened when he mentioned his wife, and John decided it was a good time to mention his request. “Kami said you perform weddings.”
“So it’s like that, is it? Interesting woman, your Serena.”
“I’m sure you mean that in a positive way,” he said coldly.
“Oddly enough, I do. I wasn’t sure at first, and I still don’t trust GenCon, but I trust her.”
“You should. She gave up a lot to try and keep this planet safe.”
The Judge raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Instead, he clapped John on the shoulder. “Then I suppose congratulations are in order. I should warn you that Addie and Kami will take over as soon as they hear the news.”
“I believe your daughter has already elected herself as a flower girl.”
The other man laughed. “My daughter is very fond of weddings.”
When they entered the habitat, Serena was nowhere in sight. Addie was sitting at a big table, looking oddly thoughtful. Kami informed him that she was drawing flowers for the wedding. He thanked her gravely but was more concerned about Serena.
“She’s through there,” Addie said softly. “Second door on the right.”
With a muttered thank you, he went to find his woman.
She was sitting on the padded floor of an empty room, looking out over the desert, her expression remote.
“Is something wrong, love?”
“No.” She smiled up at him, holding out her hand, just as she had done that first night. “I’ve been thinking.”
He sat down behind her and lifted her onto his lap. “About what?”
“About love. You know the reason that Kami doesn’t have to wear a mask is because she received a blood transfusion from the Judge and now his nanites are active in her system.”
“You knew about this?”
“Oh yes. And she’s not the only one. Another cyborg saved his baby son with a transfusion.”
“I don’t understand. If the process works…”
“It doesn’t always. You remember Kami said her mama ‘melted a man?’”
“Yes?”
“That too was the result of a transfusion. One that went horribly wrong. Addie originally thought perhaps it worked for Kami and Brian because they were children. But she just told me about someone else—an adult woman whose cyborg husband saved her life with a transfusion.”
He thought about the little girl, bright-eyed and inquisitive, seemingly completely human. But he also shuddered at the thought of something going horribly wrong. “Does Addie know why?”
“She has two theories. One is that the adrenaline created by an emergency situation may be a factor. The other is… love. That in each successful case, the person giving their blood loved the other person completely.”
“If that’s the case, you would have nothing to worry about,” he said neutrally, even though the words “horribly wrong” still echoed in his head.
She looked up at him, eyes bright. “I know that, John. But I think… I think I’ll wait.”
Oh, thank God. Relief swept over him.
“Addie is still making progress, and the information from the other lab may help. It’s not that I doubt your love,” she added quickly, “but even though I still want a child, I don’t need one. I’m not alone anymore. I have you.”
“Always,” he vowed, drawing her close.
“Are you nervous?” Addie whispered to Serena later that day.
They were standing inside the airlock, waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin.
“I don’t have any reason to be nervous. I know we love each other.”
“But…”
“But I’m nervous anyway,” she admitted. “Isn’t that ridiculous?”
“Not at all. I felt the same way—and we had waited a very long time.”
The airlock door opened and Kami danced in, her face glowing. “We’re ready!”
“Good luck,” Addie said softly. “You look beautiful.”
She smiled a little ruefully. Addie had loaned her a dress for the wedding, but the two of them were completely different shapes. Still, it was a pretty shade of blue, and it floated softly around her body. It was as far from one of Serena’s polished suits as it was possible to get, but it seemed appropriate for the occasion.
Kami led the way outside, scattering the little paper flowers she ha
d drawn, then Addie followed, and finally it was her turn. They had decided to get married outside on the plateau at sunset. They had come together for the first time outside under the Martian sky, and she liked the idea that they were now coming together permanently in the same way.
The temperature was already dropping, but it was worth the chill for the view. The setting sun illuminating the valley below and washed the sky with streaks of gold. John was waiting with the Judge at the far end of the plateau, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of his tall figure silhouetted against the sky. She started towards him with an eager step, but she had gone no more than a couple of paces before Winston appeared at her side. She put her hand on his mane, and he walked slowly next to her as she went to meet the man she loved.
The short ceremony flew by in a blur. She barely noticed what the Judge said or how she responded. Her whole being was focused on the man next to her, his face illuminated by the setting sun, his eyes intent on her face. She did hear the Judge say that John could kiss the bride, and she deliberately removed her mask so they could seal the ceremony with a kiss. And then his mouth was on hers and that was all that mattered.
Much too quickly, John ended the kiss, pushed her breathing mask back in place, then picked her up and carried her back to the habitat. Addie had prepared a delicious meal, but Serena would have been just as satisfied with the tasteless broth as long as John was at her side. However, she did leave him long enough to put Kami to bed when the little girl asked. She told her story—a very short story—and wished her good night. Kami held up her arms for a kiss, and when Serena bent down, two little arms tightened around her neck.
“I love you, Auntie Seena.”
A lump formed in her throat. Not a daughter of her body, but certainly a daughter of her heart. “I love you too, Kami.”
She was still smiling when she returned to the main room.
“How about a game of cards?” the Judge asked cheerfully. She gave him an appalled glance, and Addie shook her head.
“Don’t mind him. He’s teasing you. I expect you would rather have an early night.” The other woman’s eyes twinkled.
The Outlaw Cyborg (Cyborgs on Mars Book 5) Page 12
