Night had fallen before he finished with the new dome and attached it on the far side of the greenhouse. He adjusted the flow of oxygen to fill the new space, then entered the lab dome. The room was in darkness but the living quarters beyond were full of light. A delicious smell wafted out and he could hear Addie and Kami laughing. I want this, he realized with a sudden desperate intensity, the woman, the child, the feeling of home. They would get past this; they must.
As soon as he walked through the door, Kami jumped up and threw herself at his legs.
“Look! I’m gonna be a giant too.”
He looked down and started laughing. She had appropriated one of his shirts. The shirt swamped her small body, the hem dragging on the ground and the sleeves rolled up so many times they were thick wads of material, but her smile was so bright he couldn’t object. Addie gave him an apologetic smile.
“She found it after her bath. I hope you don’t mind.”
“How can I object to a new deputy?”
He picked Kami up and she curled an arm around his neck.
“What’s a deputy?”
“That’s a person who helps the giant,” he said solemnly.
“I can do that.” She grinned at him and another little piece of his heart melted.
“I know you can, little one.”
After supper, Kami insisted that he stay while Addie told her a bedtime story. After she fell asleep, he led the way into the lab dome, leaving the door partially open behind them.
“Now, Addie, why? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Chapter Twenty-One
The color drained out of Addie’s face and she moved away from him, pacing over to the window. “I wanted to tell you. I even started to a few times, but I was afraid.”
“Afraid of me?”
“Afraid that you would hate me.” Her voice was muffled. “I know how much you despise him.”
“I thought you despised him too. And yet you had a child with him?”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
He laughed, the bitter sound ringing through the room.
“Of course you had a choice.”
“Did I?” she asked bitterly. “Did you have a choice when he chained you to the table and drowned you?”
“I don’t believe he chained you down.” Surely not even Mingol would go that far.
“Not physically. He just replaced my birth control with a placebo and insisted on his ‘rights as a husband.’”
The dead tone in her voice cut through his anger. He had seen for himself the results of that bastard’s refusal to accept the word no.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I was furious, but he had me watched so closely there was nothing I could do.” Her face changed and a hint of emotion returned to her voice. “And then I felt her move for the first time and I was… overwhelmed with the need to take care of her. I vowed I wouldn’t let him hurt her.”
The rest of his anger dissipated, replaced by a vast weariness. “What happened after she was born?”
“He crowed a little about his ‘licensed child’ but it didn’t take long for him to realize he didn’t like being around a baby.” Running a hand over her hips with a wry smile, she added. “And he didn’t like the changes that motherhood made to my body.”
“Then he was a fool,” he growled.
“Thank you, but really it was for the best. I think he found someone else although he never said that. He simply moved into one of the executive suites at GenCon headquarters. He pretty much left us alone for two wonderful years.”
“What changed?”
“I really don’t know.” She frowned thoughtfully. “All of a sudden, he was back in the picture, always wanting to dress Kami up and take her to company events. Thankfully, he still left me alone. Then one day he announced that he would finally give me the divorce I wanted since the day we were married.” A smile twisted her lips, her eyes distant. “I was so happy—right up until the time he told me that he intended to keep Kami.”
“Addie…”
“I spent the next two years fighting him in court, but he had money, he had power, and I didn’t stand a chance. He got custody of her. I was still trying to fight it when he turned up one day and told me that he was going to Mars. With Kami.”
“They weren’t supposed to allow children until the atmosphere was breathable.”
“I know.” She shrugged, the casual gesture at complete odds with the pain on her face. “I suspected that someone wanted to test it out. To see how a child would do on Mars. Apparently, I was correct.”
It was his turn to pace as he fought to contain his anger. “His own child?”
“Of course. He was going to be appointed head of development for all GenCon Martian projects. I tried to stop it of course, but it was useless. Then he came to me and said that he would give me full custody if I completed this project for the company. But I had to come with the team on the initial flight. They would follow the next year. Eighteen months without her, but in the end, she would be with me forever.”
“And you believed him?”
“Of course not, but we have a contract. My lawyer assured me it was legally binding. It seemed like my only hope.” Her lips trembled. “But I still felt like a failure. Like I abandoned her. I think that’s another reason I didn’t want to talk about it.”
He sighed and sat down in the desk chair. “Addie, come here.”
She didn’t look afraid, but it took her what felt like an eternity to approach. As soon as she was within reach, he caught her hand and tugged her gently onto his lap. Her rigid body slowly relaxed and she nestled into his arms.
“I have… issues with trust,” he said slowly.
“I know and I don’t blame you. I know that it’s my fault.”
“Not entirely. They started long before I ever became a cyborg.” He hated discussing his past but how could he lecture her about keeping secrets if he wasn’t honest with her. “My family is military, always has been, even back when each nation had its own armed forces. My father devoted his whole life to it. He cared much more for it than for my mother, or for me. He would promise to be there for special occasions, but he rarely ever showed up. When my mother became ill, he didn’t even make it home until after she died.”
“Oh, Sam, I’m so sorry.”
“The point is that I learned very early not to believe in other people’s words.” He cupped her chin, raising her face to his. “I want to believe in you, Addie, but I need you to be honest with me. Not telling me something because you’re afraid or because you don’t want to hurt me only makes it harder.”
Purple eyes glimmered with tears. “I should have told you.”
Her head lowered and she became very intent on one of the buttons on his shirt. “Can you… Do you think you can learn to accept her even though she’s Derrick’s child?”
“I don’t care about that,” he said, realizing as he spoke that it was true. He didn’t see Mingol when he looked at the little girl, just her own sweet face.
“And maybe, one day, we could be a… family?”
Her voice was so low that if it hadn’t been for his enhanced hearing, he wouldn’t have heard her. He thought back to the ride over the desert, to Kami helping him assemble the dome, to walking in tonight and knowing they were waiting for him.
“We already are, angel.”
She finally raised her head, her face glowing.
“Do you really mean that?”
“I do. You have my heart, Addie. You’ve always had it. Do you remember what you told me the day we were escaping GenCon?”
“That I… I loved you?”
“Yes. I never got a chance to respond, but I love you too, Addie, and I never stopped.”
“Even after what happened?”
“I told myself that I didn’t. I tried to push the feeling away, bury it beneath my pain and anger, but it was always there. I’m just sorry that we missed being together for so long.”
“I never
stopped thinking about you. When I was pregnant, I used to imagine that she was your baby. Do you know why I named her Kamuela?”
He shook his head.
“It means Samuel in one of the old Earth languages. I knew Derrick would never let me call her Samantha, so I had to find another way to link her to you.”
An odd lump formed in his throat. “Kamuela. Thank you for telling me.”
“I love you, Sam. Even more now than I did then.”
Too overcome with emotion to respond, he resorted to physical action, lowering his head and kissing her, devouring her until they were both breathless. He ripped open the top of her coveralls impatiently, groaning as he cupped the soft weight of her breasts and brushed his thumbs over the taut peaks of her nipples. She arched into his touch, then pulled away.
“Kami,” she gasped.
He swore under his breath as he followed her gaze to the partially open door into the living module. The little girl was too close but he didn’t want to shut the door in case she needed them.
“Come with me.” He rose with her in his arms, striding quickly to the new dome. He left the doors ajar but the additional distance would give them time to cover up if Kami came looking for them.
Also designed as a living area, the new space had a large bed built into an alcove along one wall and he carried her there, pausing only long enough to strip off her clothes. “Now, Addie, you’re mine.”
“Yes, Sam,” Addie said, watching impatiently as he stripped off his own clothes. Her mouth went dry at the sight of his massive cock straining towards her. He gave it a long, slow stroke, watching her face, and she reached for him, her body on fire with longing. “I want you inside me.”
“Not until you’re ready.”
“I’m ready. Please. I need you.”
He came down over her but despite her urgency, he didn’t immediately enter her. Instead, he kissed her. First her mouth, then her neck, working his way down to her breasts. His mouth closed over a nipple, shockingly hot and wet as he tugged at the taut peak before scraping it with his teeth. She cried out, the sensation like a live wire straight to her swollen clit, and he raised his head.
“Too much?”
“No, no.” She tried to pull him back down and he gave a low chuckle as he obeyed. More long hard pulls followed by sharp spikes of excitement before she felt his hand between her legs, parting her folds, and sliding easily through the slick heat as he stroked her from pussy to clit. His teeth clamped down just a little harder as he stroked a finger across her swollen nub and she exploded in a short, hard climax. She was still shuddering when he filled her in one long stroke, sending her into a second shuddering climax.
His muscles felt like iron bands and she realized how much he was restraining himself.
“You don’t need to hold back.”
“I don’t want to frighten you.”
“I’m not frightened. I know who you are. I love you, Sam.”
His restraint vanished and he drove into her so hard and deep that she gasped, her fingers clutching frantically at his shoulders. As ready as she was, his size overwhelmed her, on the edge of being too much but sending a jolt of excitement through her body with each penetrating thrust. Her fingers tightened, her nails digging into his shoulders and a new wave of sensation hit her, as if he was vibrating deep inside, each stroke dragging across a place in her body that made her quiver, rubbing her clit from the inside, the sensation so intense that all she could do was cling to him as her climax roared towards her, slamming into her as he buried himself completely, calling out her name as he filled her with pulse after pulse of heat, each one making her convulse around him until they collapsed together in an exhausted heap.
“Are you all right, angel?”
“Mm.” Too tired to speak, she sighed happily and snuggled closer.
“As much as I hate to say it, we should go back to the living module. I don’t want Kami to be scared if she wakes up alone.”
She opened her eyes, studying his concerned face, and cupped his cheek. “You’re right.”
“Wait here. I’ll get a cleansing cloth.”
Despite her disappointed murmur, he pulled out, returning a moment later with a warm cloth.
“You’re very pink and swollen. Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”
She shuddered as he stroked the cloth across her still sensitive clit. “Not at all. You’ve been very careful with me before, haven’t you?”
“Of course.”
“I think maybe you could be less careful.” She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. “I liked what you did tonight.”
His eyes turned hungry and he made a slow circle around her clit. “As you wish, angel.”
Before she could respond, they both heard a soft whimper from the living module. She grabbed her coveralls. Even though the noise wasn’t repeated, she wanted to check on her daughter. Sam was already dressing.
“To be continued,” he said, smiling down at her.
“As soon as possible. Tomorrow I’ll show Kami where to find us if she needs us.”
He put his arm around her as they walked back through the lab and together, they checked on Kami, now sleeping peacefully, one arm around Rupert and the other flung over her head.
“Come back to the lab for a minute,” she whispered. “I want to talk to you.”
He nodded and followed her, tugging her down on his lap once more. “What is it?”
“I want to keep going with the experiments—if you’re willing, that is.”
“You don’t owe anything to that company.”
“I know, but I meant what I told you originally. I believe in this project. I think it’s important.”
He sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I’m willing to help.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
She kissed him, then the two of them sat in silence, looking out the window into the clear night. Thousands of stars filled the sky over the rocky outcroppings protecting their plateau. It was all so peaceful, and yet… she shivered.
“Are you cold?”
“No, I was just thinking. What’s going to happen when Derrick gets back?”
“If we’re lucky, he’ll be so enraged that his head will explode.”
“What if he comes after us?”
“He’ll have to find us first.”
“Carlos said the rovers have trackers.”
“They do, but I removed the one from our rover before I came to get you originally.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want anyone coming after you, of course. I was still angry and confused but I knew you were mine, Addie.”
Her heart soared. “I knew you were mine too,” she whispered, then kissed him. The kiss rapidly turned hot and heavy. He had her coveralls open and she was about to suggest a return to the bedroom when he brushed his hand across her clit and she winced. He immediately pulled away.
“I think you need a little time to recover, angel.”
Even though she knew he was right, her bottom lip poked out. He laughed, running his thumb across the soft flesh. “We’ll just have to make sure you get plenty of practice.”
“Mm. I like the sound of that,” she mumbled, breaking into a big yawn.
“Bedtime,” he said firmly, rising with her in his arms. “Do you want to sleep with Kami or in the other bunk?”
“Where are you going to sleep?”
He shrugged. “I told you I can rest in any position. Besides, I have some additional work I want to do tonight.”
Another thought struck her. “Sam, if you can rest in any position, why did you think we needed the bedroom dome tonight?”
His eyes glinted. “Because I hoped that the night would end up exactly the way it did.”
“Even though you were mad at me?”
“I was never mad. But I needed to know.”
“I should have told you. I’m sorry.”
“That’s behind us now,” he said firmly. “No more secrets f
rom now on.”
“No more secrets,” she agreed.
Addie decided to sleep with Kami, and he settled her down with her daughter, brushing a quick kiss across both foreheads before returning to the lab, this time closing the door behind him. Despite his earlier reassurances, he suspected that Mingol would not be so easily dissuaded. It might take him a while but given his resources, it was almost inevitable that he would eventually find them.
His face hardened. He would not be taken unawares again. Time to prepare.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The sun was just creeping above the horizon when the door to the living module opened slowly. He looked up, expecting to see Addie, but instead Kami’s small figure appeared.
“Good morning, little one. Are you always awake this early?”
“Mmhmm.” She yawned and wandered over to him, climbing up on his lap with a sleepy smile. “That man didn’t like it.”
“Is that why you went exploring?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes I wanted to see if Mama was back.”
The sadness in her voice made his heart ache and he hugged her closer.
“She won’t have to leave you again.”
“I know. She crossed her heart.” Kami played with a button on his shirt. “Are you gonna leave?”
“No, little one. You and me and your mama are going to be a family.”
“And Rupert?”
“And Rupert.”
“Good,” she said firmly, then yawned and snuggled closer.
Filled with contentment, he held his daughter as they watched the sun rise over their new planet.
The three of them were just finishing their lunch when he heard the sound of a rover approaching.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
“What is it?”
“Someone’s coming.”
“Who?” Addie’s lips trembled.
“I suspect it’s Mingol.”
“But you said he couldn’t find us!”
“Must have had some way of tracking us other than the rover. Don’t worry, angel. I can handle him.”
“But what if he uses the drug again?”
A Fistful 0f Cyborg (Cyborgs On Mars Book 2) Page 14