“That feels so good.”
“Better than your own hand?” he whispered and felt her still.
“You knew?”
“Our senses are enhanced. We can hear very well.”
“Both of you?”
She sounded shocked but he felt a sudden rush of warmth against his fingers.
“You like that idea.” It wasn’t a question.
“No! I mean, I shouldn’t.”
“Why not?” He moved higher, feeling the slickness he had heard last night.
“You’re my husband.”
“He’s my partner. I don’t mind.”
He heard the truth in his words, but he was too busy exploring her sweet little cunt to think about them. He probed the small entrance and it opened, engulfing him in liquid heat. Impossibly tight and yet she pressed into his hand, taking more of him as she squirmed restlessly.
“Is this what you want?”
“Yes,” she gasped.
He wanted to see her, wanted to strip her naked and worship her, but this wasn’t the place or the time. Instead, he forced the fabric further apart and reached through to tease the swollen pearl of her clit, even as he pressed his finger deeper into her tight little channel.
She cried out, arching against him, and came, fluttering in rhythmic pulses around his finger. Triumph roared through him, despite his own aching shaft. She was his.
Chapter Eleven
Daisy sagged back against Jonah as he lifted his hands with one last gentle caress. His arms came up to encircle her, holding her snug against his body. Contentment filled her. For the first time since she’d made that desperate trip to the transport ship, she felt completely happy. The baby kicked, gently for once, and she laughed. Even he was in a good mood.
“Thank you, Jonah.”
“No need to thank me.” His voice was strained, and she realized she could still feel the iron bar of his erection against her back.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about you. Can I…”
She waved a hand and this time he laughed. When she looked back at him, he was smiling at her. It was the first time she had seen him truly smile and the transformation was breathtaking.
“Not the place,” he said firmly. “Home, Storm.”
The horse tossed his head but turned back to the mountains.
“Do you think he knew what we were doing?” she murmured.
“If he did, he’s thinking I’m a lucky man.” An almost imperceptible hesitation. “A lucky cyborg.”
“Man,” she repeated firmly. “And I’m the lucky one.”
His arms tightened around her but he remained silent for the rest of the trip. When they arrived back at the claim, he carefully helped her down and gave her some treats to feed Storm before following her back inside the habitat.
He hesitated by the doorway, looking unusually tentative. Was he upset with her? Had she behaved too wantonly? She couldn’t stand the silence.
“What is it, Jonah?”
“I need to work,” he said. “Don’t want to leave you, but…”
Was that all? She gave him a relieved smile.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be perfectly fine on my own. I only get nervous after dark.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
He showed her the communicator and how to use it to contact him if she needed him, gave her a quick kiss, and left. She smiled after him and hugged herself. Everything was working out so much better than she had expected. The baby fluttered and she put a hand on her stomach, but she refused to worry. Everything would be fine.
She half-expected Jonah to return for lunch but he remained absent for the rest of the day. She did a little more sewing, fussed over the chicks, took a long nap, cooked dinner, and tried not to feel abandoned. Just as she was starting to worry, he appeared at the door, looking tired, his face in a stern mask.
“There you are,” she said cheerfully. “Dinner is ready. Why don’t you go wash up?”
“Daisy, I—” He looked from her to the table she had set.
“You what?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head and disappeared into the bathroom.
The meal could not have been called a success. He ate hungrily enough but said little and barely responded to her attempts at conversation. Where’s Bill when you need him, she thought despairingly. She suspected his cheerful presence would have done a lot to relieve the growing tension.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked finally, as Jonah silently cleared the table and started washing the dishes.
“You? Of course not.”
He seemed sincere and she tried to relax but as the evening wore on and he still remained distant, her own worries started to escalate. She couldn’t settle down. Even after she went to prepare for bed, her nerves were all on edge and she ended up pacing the room instead.
Jonah finally looked directly at her and frowned. “What is it, Daisy?”
“I don’t know. I’m just feeling kind of overwhelmed, I guess. I never expected any of this to happen. Mars. You. A year ago, I was working on a teaching degree, and now I’m here. I’m such a fool.”
“Not a fool,” he growled.
“No? I let a good-looking man turn my head. It took far too long for me to realize what a monster he really was.”
“Guessing you’re not the first.” He held up a hand as her face crumpled. “Just meant that I expect you’re not the first girl he preyed on.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better. Here I am. Pregnant. With his child. I’m not sure what frightens me more—giving birth or the thought that one day I’m going to look up and see him waiting for me.”
“We’ll never let him harm you,” he said gruffly.
“Thank you, Jonah. You—both of you—have been so kind to me.”
He looked away, obviously uncomfortable with the praise, and she gave in to a sudden impulse, hoping that she could break through the distance that had opened up between them.
“Would you—would you sleep with me? Not that we have to do anything,” she added quickly, afraid he would think she was pushing him. “I just don’t want to be alone tonight.”
He studied her, and for a moment she was afraid he was going to refuse, but then he nodded.
“Yeah. I can do that.”
She pulled back the covers and patted the mattress. “Then come to bed, Jonah.”
Fuck. Did she have any idea what she did to him? She looked so beautiful, so tempting, sitting there on the big bed, eyes wide with… anticipation? Don’t be a fool, he told himself. He had spent most of the day berating himself for taking advantage of her on the ride. His resolution to be a husband in name only had not gotten off to a good start.
He started to climb into the bed and she giggled, a joyful little noise.
“You might want to take off your boots first.”
“Yeah. Reckon so.”
He was as awkward as an untried boy. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he pulled off his boots, then after a slight hesitation, his belt and shirt. Her eyes widened again as she took in the sight of his naked chest.
“Want me to put my shirt back on?”
“Oh no.” She licked her lips and her gaze traveled over his chest with an almost palpable heat. “I like looking at you.”
“Not much to look at.”
“Why would you say that? You’re big and strong and—”
“No longer human.”
“I was going to say masculine. Women appreciate that, you know. Especially since I know you would only ever use your strength to protect me. You make me feel safe, Jonah.”
“I’m glad.”
She leaned forward, brushing a curious finger over the small silver bar through his nipple, and he had to bite back a groan.
“Why do you have this?”
“Got it a long time ago. Before.” His lips quirked at the memory. “Lost a bet.”
“And you’ve never taken it out?
”
“Nah. Just one more part of me that’s metal.”
Before he could get lost in bitterness, she flicked it again, sending a shot of arousal straight to his cock.
“And it feels good when I do this?”
“Yeah.”
“What about this?”
She leaned forward and closed her mouth over his nipple, sucking gently before tugging lightly at the bar with her teeth.
“Daisy!”
She looked up at him, her expression innocent but her eyes dancing with mischief. “I think that’s a yes. Lean back and let me explore.”
He couldn’t resist that innocent, tempting look. At her urging, he lay back on the bed and she knelt next to him, exploring his flesh with greedy hands. Her stomach brushed against him and she bit her lip.
“Does that bother you?”
“Not at all.” He stroked the firm mound. “Makes you even more tempting.”
He moved higher, running a gentle finger along the sensitive underside of her breasts, and she pushed half-heartedly at his hand.
“I was going to explore you.”
The hunger that had been building all day swept over him, washing away his doubts. “My turn.”
He reversed their positions so that she was sprawled against the covers, her hair a fiery glow against the pale sheets. He bent down and kissed her, his need flaring, demanding her response, and she met him eagerly, her hands trying to tug him closer even as he moved away to travel down her body. He suckled hungrily at her breasts until she was writhing beneath him, then moved lower, spreading her legs in eager anticipation. Fuck, yes. Flushed and pink, already glistening with excitement. He grabbed her hips and pulled her up against his mouth as he feasted on her, probing her slick channel, sucking on her clit, sliding down to tease her tight bottom hole, devouring her with his mouth until she exploded in a long shuddering wave, her hands fisting in his hair.
He had his pants down and his cock pressed against her small entrance before he could restrain himself. The wet kiss of her flesh against the head of his cock made him shudder with anticipation as he rocked forward, but even as wet as she was, her body resisted. He looked down, and for the first time, he truly noticed the difference in their sizes, his cock looking huge and dark against her delicate little folds, already red and swollen from his mouth. His gaze traveled further up her body and to his horror, he saw the imprint of his hands on her hips, saw the marks of his mouth on her breasts and neck. What had he done? Once again, he had attacked her without considering her small size or her fragile condition.
He pulled himself away with a groan of despair.
“Jonah?” Her voice sounded dazed and no wonder. Had her hands in his hair been an attempt to push him away rather than pull him closer?
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, hastily pulling up his pants as he stood.
“Sorry for what? Where are you going?”
“Can’t be trusted. I’ll—”
He should leave her alone, stand guard outside in the dark, but he remembered her earlier request. Even if he had done little to justify her faith in him, he wouldn’t leave her alone.
“I’ll sleep in my bunk.” Afraid to even look at her face and see the accusation in her eyes, he pulled the curtains closed.
How could he have thought this would work? She needed someone gentle, someone like Billy. The two of them would be perfect for each other—he just had to make them realize it. Ignoring the desolate ache in his chest, he vowed to step aside.
Daisy stared at the closed curtains. What in the world just happened? One minute Jonah was sweeping her away with his passionate lovemaking, the next he had pulled away from her. She had seen the shocked look on his face when he stared down at her and her heart sank as her hand went to her stomach. Had that been the problem? Had he been unable to face the thought of making love to a very pregnant woman despite his earlier words of praise?
Desolation washed over her, but she refused to give in to it. He just needs time, she told herself. Tomorrow, she would talk to him.
Chapter Twelve
Several weeks later, Daisy slammed the first harvest from the hydroponic garden down on the kitchen table with a frustrated growl. Since the night after their ride, Jonah hadn’t come near her. He did everything he could to make her comfortable, fussed over her eating habits, and would have refused to let her do any work if she hadn’t put her foot down, but he hadn’t kissed her and he certainly hadn’t touched her. When she suggested another ride, he had actually paled and made some excuse about it not being a good idea in her condition. Her condition?
She put a protective hand over her ever-growing stomach, but she no longer believed that her pregnancy was the problem. It was only too obvious that Jonah still wanted her. He watched her constantly and she could see the erections he tried to hide. But he still avoided touching her and took every opportunity to leave her alone with Bill instead, even though the relationship between the two men seemed equally strained.
She had tried to talk to him but he managed to evade her questions, choosing to bury himself in work whenever he could. Her body ached with constant, frustrated desire.
Bill, of course, had not been giving her the silent treatment, but he seemed oddly distant as well. He was just as solicitous as Jonah, but he, too, had a tendency to disappear whenever she thought they were getting closer.
When he had returned from town with the components of the greenhouse, he also brought along a small living module. He’d added it on to the other side of the garden and moved into it. Even though he was only a short distance away, she found she missed his presence.
The chicks were housed in the greenhouse as well, growing more with every week. When she went to feed them, she debated with herself for a minute then knocked on Bill’s door.
“Yeah?”
When she slid the door open, he was lying on the bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
“I said I’d get to the samples this afternoon,” he snapped without looking at her.
“What samples?”
He sat up so quickly he almost fell out of the bunk.
“Daisy! What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
His throat worked and he looked away from her.
“Where’s Jonah?”
“I don’t know. In the mines? Avoiding me as usual?”
“Yeah, well, he’s a fool,” Bill muttered, then winced. “Sorry. It’s been a… difficult month.”
She sighed and sank down on the bunk next to him, looking around the small module. Other than a heap of clothes against one wall, it was completely barren.
“Do you really prefer being in here?”
“Of course not.” He flushed. “I mean, yeah. You two need your privacy.”
She burst into tears. After a startled moment, he put his arm around her and pulled her against his side. She sagged against him and let herself cry. He felt so good, warm and strong, and her tears gradually died away. With a last hiccup, she managed to smile up at him.
He brushed his thumb across her cheeks, wiping her tears away, then suddenly bent his head and kissed her. His lips were gentle but she could feel his hunger and she responded instinctively, clinging to him as the kiss intensified. He came to his senses first, springing to his feet, and she almost burst into tears again. At least he didn’t immediately rush out of the room.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Shouldn’t you?” She scowled at him. “At least you want to kiss me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jonah doesn’t,” she admitted, the tears threatening to overwhelm her again.
“I don’t believe that. How could he not want you?”
Bill’s words were so obviously sincere that she managed a tremulous smile.
“But I still shouldn’t have kissed you,” he added.
“I wonder if that’s what he wants. Haven’t you noticed that he keeps leaving
us alone together?”
An odd expression crossed his face. “I have. I thought he was just showing me that he trusted me.”
“Trusted you?”
“Not to make a move on his wife. A trust I just betrayed.”
She tilted her head, considering his theory. “I don’t think that’s it. But I wonder…”
“What?”
“I wonder if he thinks we should be together instead?”
The words hung in the room between them as she finally found the courage to say them out loud. Under other circumstances, she would have loved being married to Bill—but she wouldn’t abandon Jonah.
There was an answering longing on his face, but he shook his head. “I arranged for you to marry him.”
“Maybe he doesn’t think he deserves a wife.”
Bill sighed and returned to sit next to her. “Maybe not, but he wants you nonetheless.”
“He’s doing a good job of resisting it,” she muttered.
“Maybe you should try crying on him. It worked on me.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I know you didn’t, but there’s nothing like a crying woman to make a man feel protective.” He hugged her against his side. “I’ll find a way to leave you two alone. And if you should happen to think of something sad…”
A startled laugh escaped her lips. “You’re an evil man, Bill.”
“Nah. I just want two people I… care about to be happy.”
This time, she reached up and kissed him.
J-817 scowled at the rock wall of the mine. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be in the increasingly cozy habitat with his wife and his partner. No doubt they were enjoying themselves just fine without him. A surge of jealousy rolled through him as he imagined Daisy giving Billy one of her sweet smiles, perhaps touching him with her soft little hand. It never seemed to bother him when the three of them were together but thinking about the two of them alone drove him crazy. He found himself snapping at Billy, even though the other man had done nothing to deserve it.
A Few Cyborgs More (Cyborgs On Mars Book 3) Page 8