by Susan Hayes
“I love you, too, you big jerk.”
“I deserve that. I will never listen in on your conversations again.”
“What about bossing me around all the time?”
“That’s never going to change. Being a pushy pain in the ass is part of my programming. I can promise you I’ll tell you why I want you to do something, and I will try to listen better. And no more making plans without including you.”
“I can work with that. So long as you accept that sometimes, I’m not going to do what you tell me, no matter how much you explain it.”
“I can work with that,” he repeated her words, and when her eyes lit up, he knew everything would be alright. They’d make this work. They had to, because he wasn’t letting her go again.
“Okay then. Why am I hiding in my home with the doors double locked? Where’s Dash? What’s going on? Oh, and I should tell you that I’ve got the cure to Cynder and the other cyborg women’s infertility on a data stick in my pocket.”
“Do you realize how much trouble you’re going to be in if they find out you’ve got hold of that?”
“They’re not going to find out. I’ll tell you all about that after you tell me about Len. I cannot believe he is the leak…and a killer.”
With one last brush of his lips over hers, he let her go and turned his attention to the panel that controlled the door. Her simple security system had worried him since the first time he had seen where she lived, and he had spent some time looking up ways to improve it. There wasn’t much to be done, but he did know how to ensure no one used an override command to bypass the locks.
By the time he was finished, he had filled her in on what Dash remembered and what the plan was. Not that it was much of a plan. Hunt the bastard down and protect his most likely target: Lieksa. Dash was already meeting with the rest of the team and anyone else at Corp-Sec he could draft into temporary service.
There were tears in Lieksa’s eyes when he finished speaking, and she dashed them away with the back of a shaking hand. “I’m not crying because I’m sad. I’m furious. How could he do that? I trusted him. I liked him! All those times he was talking to me, I thought he really cared about Dash, but he was only trying to get information. He used me.”
Mack lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed, talking all the while. “He used all of us. Len’s been on the crimson task force since it was formed. We don’t know if he was already working for the cartel when he came in, or if they got to him later. Everything we’ve done from the beginning has been compromised.”
He settled on the bed with care, ensuring it was going to take their combined weight before relaxing enough to settle her into his lap. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, the silken glide of her lips over bare skin igniting needs and desires he did his best to ignore.
“Do you think we’ll fit?” she asked.
He was so distracted by his body’s response to her touch that it took a few seconds to puzzle out what she meant. When he finally figured it out, his cock turned to stone, and lust poured through him like molten steel.
“Now?” His voice was little more than a gravelly whisper.
“We’ve lost enough time already, haven’t we? I don’t want to waste anymore. No more secrets, and no regrets.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After everything she had been through today, being in Mack’s arms felt like bliss. From their first kiss, he had the power to banish the rest of the world with a touch. Right now, she needed that, and so did Mack. He was here, guarding her instead of watching Dash’s back.
“Tell me you love me again,” she whispered.
“I love you, Lieksa Kiv. I think I’ve loved you since the first time I woke up and saw you standing over me with this concerned look on your face. You were gentle and caring, and so fraxxing beautiful there was a moment when I thought I’d died and you were an angel sent to greet me.”
“I’m no angel,” she argued as she started undressing as best she could while curled up in his lap.
“You’re our angel,” he reminded her, then slanted his mouth across hers.
She parted her lips, inviting him to take the kiss deeper and a low groan rumbled deep in his chest as his tongue swept into her mouth. Need erupted like a solar flare, and she let it consume her.
He palmed her breasts through her shirt, then gripped the fabric in his hands and tore it away, baring her chest as the tattered shreds fell to the floor.
“In a hurry?” she asked as she glanced down at the remains of her shirt.
“Yes, I am. It’s been too long since I had you naked and all to myself.”
She laughed. “And whose fault is that?”
His eyes were blazing with heat as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “I should have been with you and Dash the day of the explosion instead of staying at the office. I was determined to find the leak and end the danger to everyone. I didn’t think I deserved to spend time with you, enjoying myself when the one who shot Dash was still out there. I was punishing myself, and it never occurred to me that I was punishing you, too. I’m sorry.”
“I wasn’t sure I deserved to be happy. Not after what I’d done to you and all the other cyborgs I worked on. That’s why I agreed to try and dig up information on what was done to Cynder and the female cyborgs. I know you thought I was taking risks I shouldn’t, but I wanted to do this. I needed to do something to balance the scales.”
“As Dash recently reminded me, neither one of us is responsible for everything that goes wrong in the universe. Maybe we should assign him the permanent duty of pointing that out to you and me from now on.”
“Permanent duty?” she repeated his words as hope surged in her breast.
“I love you. I don’t see that ever changing, so yeah. This is going to be a permanent thing, isn’t it?”
“I love you both, so I guess that means you can have me for as long as you want me,” she said.
“Then you best plan on being with us forever, because that’s how long I’m going to want you in my life.”
“Forever sounds good to me.”
“Good. Later, we’ll talk about that, and about what you found at Astek, but right now I need you. I know the timing is insane and this bed is too fraxxing small, but we’ll find a way.”
She nodded and rose from his lap, laughing all the while. “We will.”
She removed the data stick from her pocket and set it on a narrow shelf above the bed before stripping off the rest of her clothes. Mack wasn’t the only one in need right now. After all the hurt, confusion, and stress of the last few days, she needed this, too.
Once she was naked, she stayed where she was and watched Mack shed his clothes. She loved watching the glide and play of muscles under his skin, and her fingers itched to trace the treasure trail of dark hairs that led from his chest down to the waistband of his pants and the thick cock she knew was trapped behind the fabric.
A wicked idea popped into her head, and she stepped in front of him, putting herself between Mack and the bed. She dropped to her knees and grabbed his pants, tugging them down to free his dick. She wasn’t waiting for him to take charge. Not this time.
She didn’t bother undressing him completely. The second his cock sprang free she leaned in and took the tip into her mouth. His fingers speared into her hair, and he uttered a low groan.
“Fraxx, that’s good. Your mouth is so hot.
She took him deeper, humming softly as her tongue flicked over his slit and then down the underside of his shaft. When she hit the sensitive spot beneath his glans, he groaned again, his hands tightening his grip on her hair.
“You could do this to me every day of my life, and I will never get tired of it.”
She managed a muffled chuckle as she worked his cock with her lips and tongue, pleasuring him as she eased him out of the last of his clothes.
Between them, they managed to get him stripped without mishap, though they both laughed more than once. His pants were stil
l bunched around one ankle when she leaned in and took him to the back of her throat, cupping his sac in her hand at the same time.
He bucked his hips and threw back his head. “If you keep doing that, I’m going to come.”
In response, she hollowed her cheeks, increasing the suction until he groaned her name. His cock swelled and jerked in her mouth, and she worked her tongue back and forth across the sensitive tip, determined to push him to the edge of his control.
When he came, it was on a ragged cry of her name, and he emptied himself into her mouth with sharp, jerky thrusts. She released him and tipped her head back to grin at him. “All mine,” she declared.
Mack’s blood was still sizzling with the force of the orgasm he’d had, but he needed Lieksa under him. He tumbled her onto her narrow bed, barely giving her time to stretch out on the thin mattress before he joined her.
He kissed his way down her body, worshipping every soft inch of her that he could reach as he made his way down to her pussy. She was wet and ready for him, the proof of her need glistening on her inner thighs. He managed to move between her legs, his feet hanging off the edge of the bed as he settled into position. The sweet perfume of her arousal washed over him and he dove in, craving the taste of her.
He wanted to feel her come on his face before he drove his cock into her hot pussy and fucked her the way both of them needed. He licked and sucked with every inch of skill he possessed, determined to break her the way she’d broken him only moments before.
He slid a finger inside, testing her and teasing her at the same time. She arched her hips and took him deeper, gripping the sheets tight as she ground her pussy against his mouth. Their lovemaking grew frenzied and wild, every touch adding to the fire burning between them until she was trembling on the brink of orgasm and his cock was hard and aching, ready to claim what was his.
“I want to watch you come. Now.” He uttered the command, and her body obeyed even as she opened her mouth to argue with him. He slipped a second finger into her passage and pressed his thumb against her swollen clit, urging her up and over the edge of her control and into the pleasures that lay behind. She arched her hips off the bed and began to tremble, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
She came with shuddering cry, pulsing around his fingers as she found her release. There was nothing sexier in the worlds than watching her come undone like this. He moved over her still-trembling body and settled himself above her so he could watch her expression as their bodies became one.
“Love you,” she whispered as she stroked her hands up his chest to his shoulders and opened her body to him, with a smile that melted his heart.
“Mine,” he uttered the single syllable with a groan before driving his cock deep into her welcoming heat.
“Yours,” she agreed, her body rising up to meet his.
Time slowed until every second felt like an exquisite hour of bliss and the world beyond the two of them ceased to exist. Her nails scored his skin, the brief bite of pain only adding to the depth of his pleasure. Every glide and thrust brought them closer. Soon he was lost to everything but the slide of sweat-slicked skin, the sweet touch of her lips, and the heat of her body sheathing his.
When she neared the end, her inner walls clamped around him, gripping in a silken vice that turned the smallest movement into a pleasurable torment. His pace quickened, his breath coming in ragged gasps as his control failed and his thrusts grew wilder and more erratic.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him, riding him as he hit his peak and took her with him. They both cried out at the same time, their bodies locked together as he emptied himself inside her.
When his senses returned she was staring up at him, her blue eyes glowing with happiness and her glorious hair spilled out around her like a fiery cloud. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and she was his. The universe had gifted him with everything he ever wanted. Now, all he had to do to hang onto it was keep her safe, find a murderer and his cohorts, and take down an entire pharma cartel.
He chuckled and planted a slow, lingering kiss on her sweet lips. “I’m starting to think things were easier back when I was a soldier. The only person I had to worry about was Dash, and the only responsibility we had was to get the information and get out alive.”
“Now, you’re responsible for the safety of the entire station, not to mention much of the Drift, you’ve got a bunch of bloodthirsty pharma dealers trying to kill you, and your girlfriend is dabbling in corporate espionage. Things probably were easier before, but there’s one thing that you’d be missing.”
“What’s that?” he asked as he managed to roll over without falling off the bed. Now she was on top of him, and he was lying on his back with his feet hanging over the edge of her bed.
“Me. Back then, there was no way we could have been together. Now, no matter how hard things get, at least we have each other. I’d sacrifice a great many things if it meant keeping you and Dash.”
He stroked her hair back from her face and marveled at the woman in his arms. There was a core of steel inside of her, and it made her all the more amazing to him. “You’re going to be stuck with us both for a very long time. We thought we lost you once already. No matter how much we screw up from here on in, you have to know that we’re not letting you go. You’re all we’ve been dreaming of for years.”
She surprised him by starting to hum the song he had sung for her on their first date, and then she melted his heart when she sang one of the lines in an achingly perfect alto. “I have everything I dreamed of in the palm of my hand…”
“You can sing?” He was already thinking of ways to get her up on stage with him.
“A little.” She said, dismissing her talent with a shrug. “When I was a kid I discovered that busking in the shopping hubs and transit tunnels paid better than stealing. I sang, one of my younger brothers could make a drum out of anything you can imagine, and another managed to acquire a battered, old guitar. We weren’t starving, exactly, but our family didn’t have money for anything but the necessities. Too many mouths to feed, especially when we were all kids.”
“You sing more than a little. If you ever quit your job at Astek, I suspect T’arv would happily hire you for gigs at the club.”
Some of the light faded from her eyes at his mention of Astek. “What is it?” he asked.
“I quit my job. I can’t work for any corporation involved in the Resource Wars. Not now that I know what they did—what they all agreed to do to Cynder and the others.”
“It’s probably time you told me what’s on that data stick. Is it even safe to have it here? Won’t they find out you’ve got hold of something you shouldn’t have?
“I’ll tell you what I uncovered, and who helped me, as soon as you tell me more about Len. How did Dash recover his memories? Where is he right now? Why would Len turn traitor?”
Mack pressed a finger to her lips and winked. “If you give me a moment, I’ll check in with Dash.”
“Tell him I said hi.”
Mack opened the internal comm channel between himself and Dash. “Got time for a quick sitrep?”
“I’m not talking to you right now. It’s been an age since the link between us has worked in reverse, but I’ve been dealing with a non-stop barrage of sex feedback for the last ten minutes. Do you have any idea how hard it is to run a manhunt like that?”
“Why didn’t you say something? I didn’t even know I was projecting. I can’t control it the way you can.”
“I know, and I’m not such a jerk I was going to interrupt your moment. I take it we’ve been forgiven for our stupidity?”
“We have. You anywhere with finding that asshole and whoever is working with him?”
Dash’s frustration bled through their link. “Nothing. We’ve got him on security vids leaving the Nova Club not long after Lieksa. He followed her for a while, but then broke off. Probably when he saw that Lieksa wasn’t alone. We tracked him to a bank of mag-lifts, and then he
vanishes like a fraxxing phantom.”
“You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“He’s going to make a play for Lieksa. It’s the only move he has left. She told him she might be able to restore my memories, and that makes her his prime target. If he can’t get to her tonight, I bet he’ll make a run for it.”
“Keep looking. Lieksa and I are secure where we are.”
Lieksa tapped his chest to get his attention. “Is he okay?”
“He’s okay. He’d rather be here with us right now, but otherwise, he’s fine.”
“Tell him to catch the lying son of a starbeast quickly, then he can join us. Though I really don’t think the three of us would fit on this bed.”
“He said he’ll do his best to finish this up quickly.”
“You should be with him instead of here, with me,” she said.
“No, I shouldn’t be. One of us needs to be here with you. You told Len you could restore Dash’s digital memories. The only way he gets away with what he’s done is if Dash never remembers. That makes you his number one target. You, and whoever he’s got working with him. Someone killed Crews while Len was still recovering, which means he’s got at least one partner out there.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you before. You were right. I was in danger. But, if we let everyone know Dash has his memory back, wouldn’t that knock me off the list of targets?”
“You were in danger, yes, but we could have handled it better.” He wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger and tugged at it until she opened her eyes again. “I don’t believe you’re going to be safe until we have Len in custody. Even if Dash doesn’t need you to fix his memories anymore, you’d still to be a target. You’re important to us and Len knows it. The fastest way to get to us is to hurt you.”
She nodded. “So I need to stay out of the way and let you do your job. I understand. I don’t like feeling useless, though.”
He smiled at her. “You’re not useless. Don’t forget, we know Len’s the traitor because of you. If we hadn’t seen him talking to you, Dash’s memory wouldn’t have been jarred. It was that gesture Len made that triggered everything.”