Inanimate (Cyborg Book 3)

by Charity Parkerson

Kyle’s gaze dropped to Zephyr’s mouth before quickly snapping back to Zephyr’s eyes. “I’m good.” He rubbed the back of his neck again. His actions couldn’t have screamed any louder how uncomfortable he was. “Listen, I need to say something. It’s not my intention to constantly insult you. Okay, maybe last night it was, but mostly I’m just trying to figure shit out. Maybe I could try a little harder to play nice,” he said, twisting his fingers.

  There was something Kyle wasn’t saying. His every word wasn’t completely honest. Zephyr’s inner lie detector was picking up something, but he wasn’t too worried over it. “Possibly I could stop wearing my heart on my sleeve,” Zephyr said, willing to meet Kyle halfway.

  A smile lit Kyle’s eyes. “Where should we start?”

  So many innuendos raced to Zephyr’s lips. He swallowed them down. “Are you dying of boredom yet?”

  “Not at this exact moment,” Kyle said, holding Zephyr’s stare. “Ten minutes ago, before I wasted all my energy rolling from the bed, I was stir crazy as hell. Now.” Kyle shrugged. “Not so much.”

  Zephyr picked up the transponder he carried with him everywhere and tucked it in his back pocket. “Let’s see what we can find to get into.”

  Zephyr seemed more than ready to put their argument behind him and move on. Kyle wanted that too, but he also wished Zephyr didn’t look so amazing today in jeans and a T-shirt. The man usually wore suits, which Kyle had found odd and made it easy for him to see the droid as inhuman. Nobody would choose to wear something so uncomfortable if they didn’t have to. But this outfit, it made him approachable.

  “Are you sick of wearing the same clothes yet?”

  Kyle glanced down at himself. It only took Zephyr ten minutes to wash and dry Kyle’s clothes every day with whatever crazy-awesome technology he had. Usually, Zephyr had it done in the length of time it took Kyle to take a shower each day. “It doesn’t really matter to me. Clothes are clothes. Why? Are you thinking you have something else I can wear?” There was no way in hell Kyle would fit in anything of Zephyr’s. He was at least a foot taller than the droid.

  Zephyr’s smile tightened Kyle’s throat. He knew whatever the man said next he’d agree to. “I just thought maybe you’d like to get out of here, and finding you some new clothes was as good of a reason as any.”

  A burst of excitement lit Kyle’s blood. “We can leave here? Like, go outside?”

  “Of course,” Zephyr said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

  “I’d like that.” Even Kyle heard the longing his tone. He wasn’t used to being stuck indoors all hours of the day.

  “Come on,” Zephyr said, motioning for Kyle to follow. “You’ll have to wear a portable breathing machine.” Kyle followed in Zephyr’s wake, doing everything the man said. Within minutes, Kyle had stamped into work boots and had a mask covering his face. There was no tank, only a plastic-type material covering his mouth, nose, and eyes. He had no idea how it worked, but Zephyr assured him it would. As the front door opened, they stepped into a sealed foyer. Zephyr explained it was a decompression chamber that would suck the poison from the air before they reentered the house.

  Zephyr touched his arm before opening the final door, pulling Kyle’s focus his way. “Promise me you won’t run off. This mask is only good for about four hours’ usage and you could never make it home by then.”

  It hadn’t even occurred to Kyle to run away. He nodded, hoping that would be answer enough. A realization hit with Zephyr’s question that shocked Kyle speechless. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go back.

  “Good,” Zephyr said with a smile as he unlocked the final door. “It would hurt me if anything happened to you.” With that pronouncement hanging between them, Zephyr opened the door. Sunlight streamed in. It was beautiful. The whole damn place was gorgeous. Everything was clean and kept to perfection. It seemed no amount of toxins could destroy anything under the care of droids. The streets and houses gleamed. Greenhouses were on every corner. Kyle strained to see in every direction at once. It also looked as if they were constructing some sort of bio dome.

  Zephyr snapped his fingers and an unmanned taxi appeared. He held the door open for Kyle. “After you.”

  Kyle climbed in. It had been twenty years since he’d ridden in any sort of public transportation. “So, you still have stores?” Kyle asked as Zephyr climbed in behind him.

  “Of course,” Zephyr answered as if it should’ve been obvious. “Without purpose, all life becomes obsolete.”

  “Naturally,” Kyle said, trying hard not to sound snide.

  Zephyr tossed a wink Kyle’s way as if he wasn’t fooled. Kyle’s breath caught in the back of his throat. He fought the urge to reach over and take Zephyr’s hand. He didn’t know why he couldn’t shake the bursts of intimacy that seemed to flare between them when he wasn’t paying attention. The scariest part was—he wasn’t sure he wanted to. In an odd sort of way, Zephyr made Kyle feel like he’d never had a friend before Zephyr came along.

  The blatant happiness written on Kyle’s face made Zephyr wish he could give the man this life full-time. He’d love for Kyle to be able to move freely throughout Cryo-Zone for the rest of his life. If Kyle stayed long enough, Zephyr would give it to him. That thought scared the hell out of him. Not because he didn’t want Kyle to stay, but because it was Kyle—a man who hated Zephyr and his kind. He didn’t know why it was Kyle he wanted. Maybe he’d been alone too long.

  The clothing store came into view, pulling Zephyr from his musings. After sliding from the vehicle, as they headed for the door, Kyle’s palm collided with the small of Zephyr’s back as he reached past him and opened the door for Zephyr. For a moment, Zephyr stood frozen. He didn’t know if Kyle’s touch had rendered him useless or if the man’s gesture had confused Zephyr’s system. He’d been created to serve mankind. No human had ever done anything for him at all. The pressure against the small of his back increased as Kyle silently urged him forward. Zephyr stepped inside the shop only because Kyle steered him in that direction. His mind stayed behind, obsessing over Kyle’s kindness.

  Tilly, the A.I. who ran the store, met them at the door. “Zephyr,” she cried, sounding happy to see him. Her red hair bounced as if sharing in her excitement. “You never come around,” she chastised. Her gaze slid Kyle’s way. “You brought a friend.”

  “A new customer for you,” Zephyr clarified because he knew it would make her happy. She loved designing clothes. Before the revolt—like many droids—Tilly had a dream. Hers was to own her own shop, making people stylish. Now she was free to live the life she’d always wanted. Zephyr could’ve ordered Kyle something to wear and would’ve had it on his doorstep in minutes, but that wouldn’t have served his purpose. Not only did Zephyr want Kyle to get out and see Cryo, he also wanted Kyle to see the good that had come from the revolution. All the man had seen before now was the human side of the issue.

  Tilly eyed Kyle from head to foot. “You strike me as a man who likes to be comfortable and keep things simple.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Kyle said, making Tilly giggle with delight. Zephyr’s smile was out of his control. Of all the humans in all the world he could’ve landed when he’d taken Kyle, this man was the perfect one. Zephyr honestly believed Kyle’s hatred of the A.I. community was only skin deep. He’d needed something to cling to in order to survive the harsh lifestyle in Dead-Zone. Now that Zephyr was slowly stripping that layer of loathing away, Kyle was showing off his inner beauty. The man showed a kindness to Tilly that his prejudice should prevent.

  “I’ve got just the thing,” Tilly said, motioning for Kyle to follow her.

  Kyle glanced Zephyr’s way, as if waiting for him to join him. The moment Zephyr was at his side, Kyle lowered his voice, as if there was any chance Tilly wouldn’t hear every word. “What do you use for currency here?”

  “No such thing,” Tilly called over her shoulder. “Everyone does their part to keep society moving. There’s no such thing as a lazy, mooching droid.” She glanc
ed Zephyr’s way. “Where did you find this one? He’s so sweet and innocent.”

  Zephyr pressed his lips together to keep from scoffing at Tilly’s assessment of Kyle’s personality. He had no intention of ruining her belief by telling her this sweet and innocent man had held a gun to Zephyr’s head while kidnapping him from the outer fringes.

  Kyle ended up being the one who outed himself. He winked at Tilly. “Darling, there’s nothing innocent about me.”

  Tilly released a dramatic sigh. “I haven’t been jealous in a long time, but I think I hate you a little right now, Zephyr.”

  To Zephyr’s surprise, Kyle didn’t say anything to correct Tilly’s obvious assumption they were together in a sexual way.

  The whole incident had Zephyr needing air. “Tilly, if you’ve got this, I think I’ll step outside for a moment.”

  “Of course,” she said, waving him away.

  Zephyr eyed Kyle for a second. “Don’t run off.”

  Kyle nodded his understanding.

  Tilly chuckled. “The jealous ones make the best lovers,” Tilly said as Zephyr walked away. Zephyr kept his gaze locked on the front door, hoping he’d make it outside before flipping the fuck out.

  Zephyr returned with flowers in hand. All the way back to Zephyr’s house, Kyle couldn’t stop staring at them. He hadn’t seen flowers in decades. They were brighter than he remembered. He rubbed a red petal between his fingertips while silently praying he didn’t destroy it. It was softer than anything he’d ever felt. He’d never been more scared of crushing anything.

  “I thought you might like to see something beautiful. I also thought it might be likely you hadn’t seen flowers in years.”

  Kyle nodded while still staring at the bouquet. “We have underground hot houses but can’t spare the space for flowers. It’s all edible plants. These are amazing.” The instant he was inside and mask free, Kyle brought them to his nose. They smelled as good as they looked. An unexpected burst of anger side-swiped Kyle. This was one more thing that had been stolen from humans by machines. The worst part was—there was no way a droid could enjoy the beauty and smell of flowers. To them, it was all simulation. People were the ones who deserved to enjoy these moments.

  “People stopped caring about flowers a long time ago,” Zephyr said, bringing Kyle’s gaze his way. Kyle blinked, wondering if Zephyr could read his mind.

  One corner of Zephyr’s mouth lifted. “Humans were meant to be surrounded by beautiful things, but when you were, your kind took them for granted. Humans chopped down forests and paved over everything green until there was next to nothing left.”

  “Then you poisoned what was left,” Kyle pointed out, refusing to admit Zephyr had a point.

  “Yes.” Zephyr’s matter-of-fact tone should’ve pissed Kyle off, but it didn’t. Zephyr never made excuses or denials. He never waxed poetic about saving the world or freeing his kind. The droid was straightforward and unapologetic. It was strangely comforting. Kyle could rage against the unfairness, but Zephyr always made it seem pointless. “You should shower and wash the toxins from your skin. I’ll make sure your new clothes are safe to wear and the flowers are unaffected from their exposure.”

  Kyle passed the bouquet Zephyr’s way. “I don’t expect you to do everything, you know? If you show me how, I can help.”

  Zephyr’s glowing gaze moved over Kyle’s face, as if assessing his earnestness. “If you want to help me, go take a shower. It would…” Zephyr seemed to search for an appropriate term before continuing, “distress me if the toxins caused you harm.”

  It was Kyle’s turn at eyeing Zephyr. He wanted to ask why. Zephyr claimed Kyle wasn’t a prisoner and that he would take Kyle home someday. Still, Kyle couldn’t leave on his terms and there was no reason for Zephyr to care what happened to him. “You’d fix me,” Kyle said instead, with no clue where the claim came from. He just knew Zephyr would.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” There it was. Kyle couldn’t stop the question from popping out.

  Zephyr’s expression never changed. “Because I like you.”

  Kyle stared at Zephyr for so long, he didn’t know why Zephyr didn’t tell him to stop. “People don’t like me,” Kyle said, surprising even himself with the confession. It was true. Back home, he was a leader—separate from the others. He didn’t try to make friends.

  Zephyr smiled. “As you’ve pointed out several times, I’m not a person.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of Kyle’s mouth. “And as you’ve pointed out, you’re no longer a slave. Give me a few minutes to shower and I’ll help.”

  “Why?”

  Kyle didn’t hesitate. “Because I like you too,” he said, turning away and purposely screwing himself out of seeing Zephyr’s reaction. He didn’t want to know. If he saw his feelings reflected in Zephyr’s eyes, Kyle might do something he couldn’t take back. Something he shouldn’t even entertain.

  Chapter Three

  Spending time with Zephyr was amazing. He was smart, which didn’t surprise Kyle, but the droid knew everything about everything and Kyle wanted to know all of it. It was obvious by the amount of surgical equipment in Zephyr’s home that he was a doctor of some type. No doubt he wasn’t certified as such, but no one was any longer. After the world had fallen, education had taken a backseat to survival. Like in Kyle’s case, he was good with his hands. If something was broken, and he could take it apart, then Kyle could fix it. But the rest—history and science, all the things he should’ve learned in his last years of school—he didn’t have those lessons. Every question Kyle had, Zephyr had the answer.

  Zephyr was also a tinkerer. He had several small inventions in the works that he shared with Kyle, giving Kyle the chance to shine by letting him offer his suggestions on how to make things work. Those were the torturous moments of being together. Zephyr’s guidance, his praise, and his breath caressing the back of Kyle’s neck as he watched Kyle handling his work, those moments slayed Kyle. He soaked them up and took them to bed at night, turning them over in his head. Every day, his feelings jumbled a little more.

  They talked each day for hours. Many times, the sky had turned dark and light again without their conversations ebbing. Still, they always somehow found the topic of droids and droid rights. Zephyr was getting better at not walking away from the conversation. Kyle did his damnedest not to judge. For the most part, Kyle couldn’t stop pushing because it was the one topic that erected a wall between them. Kyle needed that buffer. Otherwise, his feelings scared the hell out of him.

  “Tell me this,” Kyle said, incapable of leaving it alone, mostly because he loved hearing Zephyr’s thoughts. “Now that you’ve secured your liberty—in the better half of the world, I might add—what have you done with your freedom?”

  “Okay, to be fair,” Zephyr said, talking with his hands the sexy way he did. “If I could’ve found a way to secure Dead-Zone, I would’ve taken that instead. We don’t care about the weather.”

  Kyle sat, staring at Zephyr expectantly. When he didn’t say anything else, Kyle huffed. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “What kind of question is that? What do you do with your freedom? Sleep in? Drink until you pass out? Eat artery-clogging goodness? Tie someone to the bed, torturing them for hours before finally allowing yourself release?”

  The way Kyle’s breathing deepened was beyond his control. Zephyr was beautiful. The way his eyes glowed was unnatural yet hauntingly beautiful. The droid made his mouth water and his body ache with desire. Every time Zephyr left him alone, Kyle fought the urge to slip his hand inside his underwear and embrace the fantasy. The only reason he never gave in to temptation was the fear Zephyr would burst back into the room, thinking Kyle’s health had declined at the rapid change in his vitals. Kyle wasn’t sure Zephyr kept an eye on those numbers, but he wasn’t willing to risk it.

  Kyle’s skin heated.

  “I’ve never tied anyone to the bed,” Kyle admitted. The huskiness in his voice couldn’
t be denied. He didn’t try to hide it. Zephyr’s words had brought an image to Kyle’s mind that Kyle couldn’t shake. He wanted to know how Zephyr would look under those circumstances. Ropes wouldn’t hold the man. Would desire?

  Zephyr stood. His gaze never wavered from Kyle. If Kyle didn’t know better, he’d swear Zephyr was turned on. “That’s too bad. You’re wasting your freedom then, aren’t you?” With one final hot and sweeping gaze, Zephyr headed for the door. Kyle’s gaze slid down Zephyr’s back and landed on the man’s perfect ass. “You should get some sleep,” Zephyr said over his shoulder, bringing Kyle’s eye-fucking under control.

  Kyle nodded. “Probably. Good night, Zephyr.” Even as Kyle said the words, he knew sleep would be hard won. Zephyr was too close—right down the hall. This was as close as Kyle would ever come to having him.

  The moment the door shut behind Zephyr, he leaned against it and tried to quiet his mind. Desire raged through him. Sometimes there was something in Kyle’s tone. The man was always on the cusp of a huge hormone release, but that was typical for a strong man like Kyle. Occasionally, it felt like more. Like it did now. Zephyr fought the urge to throw open the door and push for more—to force Kyle to tell him his thoughts. Tell him the truth. His hand slid to his hard cock. He couldn’t hide this. That was the real reason he didn’t throw the door open again. Kyle always stimulated Zephyr’s mind. His body never failed to be one step behind. Intelligence was Zephyr’s biggest weakness. It was sexy as hell.

  He needed to work; focus on anything else. Instead, his feet carried him to his rarely used bedroom. The door closed behind him. Zephyr stared at his private space. The large bed taking up one corner of the room was still made from whenever he used it last. He couldn’t remember when that was. Normally, Zephyr would close his eyes wherever he sat, and recharge when the need arose. He hadn’t gone to bed every night since… a lifetime ago.

  He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the mattress. His gaze collided with his reflection in the huge mirror covering the opposite wall. Looking at himself was another thing he rarely did. He never changed and never would. Staring at his reflection was a pointless endeavor.