As he spoke, he adjusted his grip so that every thrust rubbed against her clit. Unable to move, all she could do was cling to the side of the tub and take him as his pace increased, his grip firm and unrelenting as he plunged impossibly deeper. He adjusted his grip again and his thumb brushed her bottom hole, sending an unexpected rush of excitement to her overloaded system and then she was coming again in a wave of helpless pleasure as he thrust one last time and buried himself in her, seeming to swell even larger as the hot rush of liquid filled her.
M-231 found himself gasping for the breath he didn’t need as he collapsed down over Hattie, his body’s instinctive reaction to the pleasure that left him limp and drained. As his nanites rushed into action, automatically lowering his pulse and adjusting his breathing, he was filled with a deep contentment until he reluctantly pulled back and saw the red mark on her hip where his human hand had gripped her too tightly.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” Her voice sounded dazed and he anxiously turned her around in his arms. She smiled up at him beneath heavy eyes. “That was amazing. Do you have any more fantasies?”
“A few,” he said with a relieved smile. “But I will take better care of you next time.”
“If you take any better care of me, I might die from pleasure,” she said. “What are you worried about?”
“I left a mark.” He brushed his hand gently over the reddened patch.
“I consider it a badge of honor.” She eyed him speculatively. “I suppose if I marked you it would disappear immediately?”
“Probably. My nanites are very efficient at repairing damage.”
“Good. I don’t want you damaged. I’m also a fan of their ability to let you breathe underwater.” Although she blushed a little, she didn’t look away from him.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Enjoyed? I enjoyed it so much I’m exhausted.” A wide yawn split her face.
“We’ll see about that.”
He lifted her out of the tub, dried her off, and carried her to bed where he proceeded to prove to her that she was nowhere near as exhausted as she thought.
Chapter Thirteen
Despite M-231’s concerns about the vandalism and Quilby’s threats, the next week passed peacefully. He patrolled twice and once was called upon to settle a dispute between two miners. Although he hated leaving Hattie, he always returned in time to help with the endless tasks involved in maintaining and improving the homestead. He came back one day to find her contemplating the peppers growing in one of the greenhouses.
“You have a very serious look on your face,” he said, walking up behind her to drop a kiss on her neck in the exact place that made her shiver.
“I’m considering my options, although you’re making it hard to concentrate.”
“Maybe you need to take a break.” He curled his arm around her and cupped a breast, gently tweaking her nipple.
She leaned into his touch for a moment, then sighed and pulled his arm down to her waist. “I would love to take a break, but these are ripe. Since our storehouse is pretty full, what would you think about taking a load of produce to sell in town?”
“If you’re comfortable with what we have put aside, I’m sure there would be a market for it. I know there are plans to set up a town market but most of the settlers aren’t producing enough to trade yet.”
“Do you think that’s a problem?”
“On the contrary. Almost everyone in town is still using the processed food shipments. I’m sure they’ll be glad to have some fresh vegetables.”
“Good.” She tilted her head back and grinned up at him. “This will be our first official sale. Isn’t that exciting?”
“Not as exciting as you.” He slid his hand underneath her shirt, relishing the silky softness.
“Harvest first,” she said firmly, even though he could scent her arousal. “Then we play.”
“This is going to be the fastest harvest on record,” he promised as he picked up a container. She laughed and joined him.
The next morning, they loaded several bushels of produce into the rover. They didn’t need the larger transport wagon yet, although that would come as the size and variety of their harvest increased. After an internal debate with himself, he left Ghost behind and rode with Hattie in the rover. He didn’t need the enclosed cabin with its oxygen supply, but he enjoyed the intimacy of being with her in the small space.
When they entered the first saloon, the room went silent as everyone turned to look at them. Ignoring the stares, he led Hattie over to where the owner stood behind the bar.
“This is Stogar,” he said. “Stogar, this is Mrs. Lewis.”
The man grunted.
“Hi.” Hattie gave him a friendly smile. “I was wondering if you were interested in purchasing any fresh vegetables.”
Stogar barely looked up from polishing a glass. “Ain’t got no credits to spare.”
“Oh.” Her smile dimmed a little and he wanted to snatch the man across the counter. “What about trade then? Is there anything you want to trade?”
“Nope. Not interested.” He briefly raised his head and M-231 could have sworn a sympathetic look crossed his face before he shook his head. “Won’t be interested later either. Can’t be,” he added in a quiet voice.
“Well, thank you anyway. If you change your mind, let me know.”
Head held high, Hattie led the way out of the saloon. “That was odd, wasn’t it? He didn’t even seem to want to listen to me.”
“Very odd,” he agreed grimly.
They met the same response at the next two places they tried, and Hattie completely lost her smile.
“I don’t understand. You’d think they’d be ready for a change of food by now.” She scowled thoughtfully for a moment. “I know. Let’s go see Cherry.”
“The madam?” He couldn’t conceal his shock.
“I don’t like that word.”
“She runs a whorehouse.”
She frowned at him. “She runs a respectable brothel. Her girls are there by choice and she doesn’t stand for any nonsense.”
“How do you know that?”
“Winthrop had a spell right after we arrived, and I was trying to find help. It was the middle of the night and everywhere else was closed. She helped me contact the doctor and stayed with me all night. I’ve visited her a few times since then when I had the chance.”
He shook his head, still stunned at the idea of his Hattie in a whorehouse. “You don’t belong in a place like that.”
“If anyone knows what’s going on, she will. And besides, she serves food as well. Come on.”
She marched up the street and he reluctantly accompanied her. To his relief, she didn’t go charging through the gaudily painted front doors to the whorehouse but walked around back to a neat little prefab unit behind the main building and knocked.
“Cherry, are you home?”
“Coming.”
When the door opened, he had to look twice to recognize the woman. He was used to seeing her around town in bright, provocative clothing with elaborate hair and makeup. This woman was simply dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her hair in a single silvery braid, with no trace of makeup. She looked just as respectable as Hattie.
“Harriet, my dear, what an unexpected pleasure.” Her voice was the same, low and husky, with the promise of pleasure. “Ranger. I heard you had moved out of town.”
“He’s my partner,” Hattie said quickly.
Cherry raised an eyebrow. “That’s not what the local gossips are saying. But come in, both of you, and tell me all about it.”
“What are the gossips saying?” Hattie’s brow wrinkled as they followed Cherry inside, and he fought back his instinctive flare of anger.
“Oh, the usual.” Cherry waved a graceful hand as she led them into a small, uncluttered living area in soothing tones of pale blue and white. “There seems to be a divide between the ones who think you
killed off your husband so you could jump in bed with a cyborg and those who think the ranger seduced you with his evil ways.”
“But that’s not true!” Hattie cried, and he forgot his own anger in the face of her distress. He put a comforting arm around her waist, and she leaned into him.
“Of course it isn’t,” Cherry assured her. “And that dear little Mr. Smith has repeatedly told them about the situation with your claim.” Her eyes went to his arm and she smiled. “Although perhaps it’s just as well they aren’t here now.”
“It is a partnership,” Hattie insisted, and he started to pull away, but she put her hand over his. “But we… care for each other as well.”
“Excellent. You both deserve some happiness.”
“Your establishment is not as accepting of cyborgs,” he said bitterly, and Hattie gave him a startled look.
“You’ve been there?”
“No, it never appealed to me.” He almost smiled at her quick sigh of relief, but he focused on the other woman. “But I know cyborgs are turned away, unless they are there on official business.”
“You can’t change people’s perceptions overnight,” Cherry said. “They come here with their heads filled with Earth Government propaganda and it takes them a while to realize that you’re just doing a job. Keeping the cyborgs out prevents drunken idiots from picking a fight to prove that they’re as tough as you are. By the time they realize they’re not, I’ve lost a customer and I’m paying for damages. Besides,” she winked at him, “I know that some of my girls are more… friendly on their own time.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgment, then added quickly, “Not that I have any personal experience in that regard.”
“Of course not.” Cherry still looked amused as she turned to Hattie. “So what brings the two of you here? I’m delighted to see you, but I suspect this isn’t a social call.”
“We came to town to sell some of our excess produce,” Hattie explained.
“You have enough to sell already? That’s marvelous.”
“Not so marvelous. No one seems willing to buy.”
Cherry frowned and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I wonder…”
They waited for her to continue, but she jumped gracefully to her feet instead. “Let me check on something. I’ll be right back.”
“She is not what I expected,” he said after she disappeared.
“Part of me is really glad that you don’t know her well.” Hattie eyed him curiously. “I take it you weren’t one of those who secretly visited her girls?”
“I haven’t been with anyone since I became a cyborg.” Even after he began to accept his changes, he hadn’t been willing to face the inevitable disgust in the eyes of a woman. He shrugged. “After a while, it doesn’t really matter. Or it didn’t until I met you.”
“What changed?”
“I saw you. It was the first day you arrived on Mars. When you came into the terminal, I knew you were the one for me. But then I saw that you were not alone.”
“I noticed you too,” she confessed.
“Because I’m a cyborg?”
“No, Morgan. Because you’re tall and handsome and sexy.” She sighed. “You need to get this chip off your shoulder.” She brushed lightly at the seam where his cybernetic arm joined the rest of his body.
“My arm will always be there.”
“I know, but it doesn’t make you any less of a person. Why do you struggle so much with this?”
“I think because of the way it happened.” For a moment, he flashed back to that alley, the scent of rotten food filling his nostrils.
“Maybe it would help to talk about it?”
Before he could respond, Cherry reappeared, and he greeted her with a sudden sense of relief. He wasn’t at all sure he was ready to discuss his past with Hattie.
“That bastard,” Cherry said by way of greeting.
“Who?” he asked.
“Quilby, of course. Although he says he’s only acting on behalf of GenCon.”
He frowned at her. “What does he, or they, have to do with selling vegetables?”
“You know how most of the businesses and their owners were sponsored by GenCon?”
“I didn’t know that,” Hattie said.
“I did,” he said grimly. “As soon as we completed the initial terraforming, they won the contract to build and man the power plants and the atmosphere generators. That contract was expanded into managing New Arcadia. They built the dome and administered the facilities, but they also started bringing in entrepreneurs to provide entertainment for the workers.”
“They don’t own everything,” Cherry added. “The hotel, the transient quarters for the settlers, the Claims Office, all of the official building belong to Earth Government.” She grinned at them. “And my little establishment.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Earth Government sponsored a brothel?”
“I believe they thought that a little… relaxation would cut down on the need for your services, Ranger.”
“You may be right. But what has this got to do with Quilby?”
Cherry’s smile disappeared. “He has informed anyone who is sponsored by GenCon not to trade with you, under penalty of losing their establishment.”
“Can they do that?” Hattie asked.
“Perhaps not directly, but they control the power and water supplies to each building. They also supply most of the businesses with the food and alcohol they sell. It’s supposed to be a temporary arrangement until the town becomes more independent, but…”
“But that means I’ll never be able to sell my produce.”
He forced down his own anger in the face of her distress. “Not necessarily. Cherry, you said you were willing to buy, right?”
“Of course. I don’t owe anything to GenCon. Clarkson runs the restaurant at the hotel and I’m sure he’d be happy to buy some fresh produce. Akim at the transient quarters probably will as well, but with five or six months between settlement ships, there won’t be a big demand.”
“The settlers!” Hattie’s eyes lit up. “I know I’m a little ahead of most of the settlers, but Jo said even her hydroponic garden produces more than she needs. She’s been composting the excess but maybe she would rather sell it instead? And I can’t imagine she’s the only one with something to sell or trade. I know there were plans for a market. Maybe now is a good time to get it started.”
“There’s land allocated for it,” he agreed. “And it belongs to Earth Government so GenCon can’t stop us from using it.”
“Start with a bi-weekly market,” Cherry suggested. “I’ll spread the word to my customers. They can’t spend all their money on booze and girls.”
“I can pass along the information while I’m on patrol and ask the other rangers to do the same.”
“When should we have the first one?” Hattie was practically bouncing with excitement.
“A week from Saturday?” he suggested. “That will give us time to let everyone know. Maybe we could set up some stalls?”
“You leave that one to me,” Cherry said. “I’ve got a line on some materials. I’ll keep the rent modest.”
He shook his head. “You are quite a businesswoman.”
A shadow crossed her face. “We all do what we need to in order to survive. But your stall will be free. Fuck Quilby and GenCon.”
“Hear, hear!”
Chapter Fourteen
The day of the market, Hattie woke early, full of excitement. Morgan tried to pull her back into bed, but she was too excited to remain still and jumped up.
“You know, I have a better suggestion for all that energy you’re burning,” he said lazily, watching appreciatively as she dressed.
“Then I won’t have any energy left. You’re too good at wearing me out.” She bent over and kissed him but danced away from his hands. “I want to pick the lettuce this morning so it’s as fresh as possible.”
They had loaded most of their goods onto the wagon the previous n
ight, but she had waited for this morning to harvest the most delicate items.
“All right. I’ll come help you.”
He stood up and despite her excitement, she lingered a moment longer to run her eyes down his body. She never tired of seeing all that hard, naked muscle. His cock twitched.
“Unless you want to be late, you’d better stop looking at me like that.” His voice was a husky growl and she felt her nipples tighten.
“Hm. Market or man?” She mimed a pair of scales. “Tough decision.”
For once he didn’t flinch when she called him a man and only returned her smile. “I hope it isn’t that tough.”
“Oh, you win out every time, but this is about our future. Can you hold that thought?”
He reached down and grabbed his shaft, giving it a slow tug. “For how long?”
“You’re such a tease. But two can play at that game.” Driven by a wicked impulse, she bent down and swiped her tongue across the head of his cock. Mm. She licked him again, more slowly this time, enjoying his taste and the way he responded to her touch.
“Sweetheart, as much as it pains me, you’re right. The market is about our future.” He brought her head up and smiled at her. “But we will definitely return to this later.”
Reaching down, she caressed him one more time before dancing out of reach. “Tonight.”
By the time they reached the market, a number of other settlers were already setting up and an air of suppressed excitement hung over the dusty ground. True to her word, Cherry had erected a number of stalls in varying sizes and was doing a brisk business renting them out, but people were setting up on everything from stacks of plastic containers to blown-out rover tires. Cherry had saved one of the largest stalls for them and the two of them began unloading the wagon.
“Do you really think this will sell?” Morgan asked doubtfully as he lifted out several crates of chicken manure.
“Absolutely. It’s great for improving the soil, or if you’re still dealing in hydroponics, it can be added to the water to improve the nutrient content.”
The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg Page 9