Now, he wondered what Kyle saw. Was he the man’s enemy—his captor? Most likely, he was nothing more than a machine who had information Kyle sought. He hadn’t been looking at Zephyr like a machine a few minutes ago. For a moment, Zephyr had been a man. Without thought, Zephyr tugged his shirt up and over his head before dropping it on the floor at his feet.
They were different. Kyle was tall and took up space. Zephyr was small. People hadn’t liked their droids to be big and imposing. They’d liked to fool themselves into thinking they were in control. Since helper bots were strong and fast—that control had always been an illusion, but lying to themselves was how most people got through the day.
Zephyr had never considered his size before now. It hardly hindered his day-to-day life. Did Kyle prefer tall men? Chances were good Zephyr would never know. He liked to think Kyle could find him attractive. Zephyr wanted to believe the man’s half-veiled desire was for him.
Lying back, Zephyr stared at the ceiling. He focused on the room next door. “Camera five on.” An image of Kyle staring at his ceiling flared to life across Zephyr’s vision. “Give me his vitals.” A series of numbers appeared at the corners of his eyes. The sound of Kyle’s steady heartbeat filled Zephyr’s ears.
Kyle winced as he shifted positions and pulled his shirt over his head. A huge yellowing bruise covered one side of Kyle’s body. He fingered the mark for a second before dropping his head back to his pillow. Zephyr enjoyed the view. The sheet covered Kyle’s body from his hips down. It didn’t matter. Zephyr had seen it all already. He couldn’t stop staring at the hard pads of the man’s chest. It was obvious he’d endured hard labor most of his life.
Kyle closed his eyes. His chest expanded as he took a deep breath. A smile tugged at the corners of Zephyr’s mouth. It was ridiculous how happy watching Kyle breathe made Zephyr. Kyle’s hand slid down his torso, stopping at the edge of the sheet. Zephyr’s stare slid lower too. Kyle was aroused. His erection tented the sheet. Zephyr wondered what the man pictured behind his closed lids. Kyle didn’t touch his cock. Zephyr wished he would. The longing was suffocating him.
Instead, Kyle seemed to fight against his body’s needs as if he didn’t want to give in to temptation. Zephyr wasn’t as strong. He couldn’t take the torment. His hand slipped lower. Without a single qualm, he set his cock free. The part of him that over-analyzed every situation wondered if he was wrong for watching Kyle like this.
“Camera five off.”
It didn’t matter if he couldn’t see Kyle any longer. An image of the man burned in Zephyr’s mind. He wondered what it felt like to be held against that large chest. Zephyr stroked his erection. Would it feel the same if his dick slid across the silky skin of Kyle’s? What did the man taste like? Zephyr concentrated on the sensation of his palm sliding up and down his cock. Tiny pops of electricity surged through him. He reached for more. Sexual relief wasn’t something he sought often. It wasn’t something he needed as a human would. Occasionally, he met a human who made him crave it. Kyle had flipped that switch inside Zephyr. He made Zephyr long for the sensation of a plump lip held between his teeth as he found release.
Zephyr’s frame tightened as he strained to reach for the looming explosion. Everything disappeared except the feel of his fist tightening on his dick. He stroked faster. An involuntary twitch hit his system as an orgasm tore through him. The pulsing in his cock brought wave after wave of pleasure along with a hint of loneliness. He wanted Kyle like this. Kyle would never want a machine. Zephyr was doomed to suffer in silence.
Chapter Four
Kyle’s daily attempts to keep Zephyr in his place was becoming Zephyr’s favorite part of the day. In his heart, he believed Kyle was coming around, starting to see the truth. His daily jabs about how droids couldn’t be real had become more of an information sharing than anything. Kyle was intelligent and absorbed information like a sponge. There was so much Zephyr could teach the man and it was obvious Kyle wanted to learn.
“Droids can’t get married,” Kyle said the moment Zephyr strolled into his bedroom, wondering if Kyle wanted something to eat since he hadn’t come looking for breakfast.
“Ank,” Zephyr said, mimicking a buzzer. “That was a good one, though. Cryo-Zone is its own nation now with its own laws. The humans who stayed behind to be with their droid lovers are free to marry here now. Not to mention, droids have been marrying other droids in secret since long before the revolution. All those marriages are now recognized as legally binding.”
“There are more humans here? How are they surviving?”
“The same as you,” Zephyr answered with a shrug. He motioned for Kyle to keep going. “Next.”
Kyle seemed to think it over, taking longer than usual after his defeat. He brightened, obviously having decided he’d come up with a good one. Zephyr wanted to freeze the moment. There was no one more gorgeous than a happy Kyle. He wanted to make the man smile, laugh… moan. Zephyr cut off that thought before it went any further. He focused on Kyle’s words instead. “You can’t have kids.”
He sounded so sure and triumphant, Zephyr hated to disabuse him. “Wrong. Next.”
“Whoa,” Kyle said, gesturing wildly. “Wait. Back up. No next. Droids cannot have kids.”
A chuckle slipped from Zephyr before he could stop it from happening. “Why is that so farfetched? Women have had power over their bodies for ages. My body works the same as a human’s thanks to people demanding each new droid release be as close to human as possible and humans obsessing over sex before even thinking to cure diseases.”
Kyle looked half fascinated and half horrified. “How is that possible? I mean, do you actually…” Kyle made an odd hand gesture, confusing Zephyr.
“What is that supposed to be?” Zephyr asked, mimicking Kyle’s motions while claiming the chair next to Kyle’s bed.
A blush touched Kyle’s cheeks, making Zephyr smile over the man’s discomfort. “You know, come.”
Zephyr snorted. He couldn’t help it. Kyle was adorable. “Ejaculate? Of course. What would be the fun in having sex with droids if we didn’t enjoy it and things didn’t get messy? We’re already equipped to produce a salt-based liquid, simulating semen. All a human would need is a donor and a replacement kit and a droid could become the equivalent of an artificial insemination device.”
“You’re fucking with me,” Kyle said, not hiding the accusation in his tone. “Exactly how many humans were having sex with droids before the world split?”
Zephyr shrugged, finding this conversation highly entertaining. “Everyone old enough to engage, I imagine.”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “Shut the fuck up. That can’t be true.”
“How old are you?” Zephyr asked as he pulled the chair closer to the bed, needing the space between them to disappear.
Kyle scoffed. “I thought bots knew everything.”
Zephyr eyed Kyle from head to toe, blatantly making the gesture sexual. “I can make an educated guess based on bone development and general health, but I’d rather you tell me.”
“Thirty-two,” Kyle grunted, as if giving another piece of himself was the last thing he wanted to do.
It was as he suspected. “Since you were only twelve when the world changed, I’m assuming you never had sex with a droid before I separated us.”
Kyle pulled a face as if the idea of touching a droid in such a way had never truly occurred to him. “Of course not. That’s like fucking a tree—like any cold, hard inanimate object. Why would anyone want that?”
A bark of laughter escaped Zephyr before he could call it back. Kyle’s protests didn’t sound the least bit legit, considering the breathless note to the man’s voice. “There’s nothing cold about me,” Zephyr promised. “But I’m definitely hard,” Zephyr added. He shook his head, incapable of believing how little Kyle knew about human-droid interaction. “Are they no longer teaching history to your people?”
“Of course,” Kyle answered with an offended sniff. “Maybe not as o
rganized as they used to, but some education still happens.”
“Then you should know the world’s population dropped by twenty percent thirty years after the popularity of helper bots spiked.” A wicked smile pulled at Zephyr’s lips. “Humans didn’t want to have sex with other humans any longer once they had a droid in their home.”
Kyle’s puzzled expression had Zephyr holding back a laugh. “I don’t get it. Sex with humans is amazing.”
It was. Zephyr would know, but he wanted Kyle to tell him why. “How so?”
Kyle’s cheeks pinkened. Something stirred in Zephyr’s chest at the blush. It had been a long time since he’d caused such a reaction in anyone. Kyle shrugged. “If people were in it for the orgasm alone, they’d masturbate and save themselves the hassle of dealing with another person, but there’s more to it.” Kyle shrugged again. “I don’t know how to explain something to you that you’ll never feel.”
Zephyr slid lower in his seat, settling in and ignoring Kyle’s jab. Kyle’s vital signs and body language didn’t match his words. Talking about sex had the man’s body stirring. It had been so damn long since Zephyr had touched anyone. He missed the warmth. Zephyr held Kyle’s stare as he explained what Kyle wouldn’t. “It’s the pride in knowing you can make someone moan. When you hear that sound.” Zephyr’s eyes fell closed for a moment at the memory of the warm vibration of a turned-on moan against his skin. When he opened his eyes again, he caught a glimpse of hunger crossing Kyle’s face before the man could mask it. “Real sex is the sensation of someone straddling your hips while staring down at you with flushed cheeks and parted lips.” Kyle’s gaze sharpened as he stared at Zephyr. Zephyr knew what he saw. Flushed cheeks and arousal. There was so much Kyle didn’t understand. Hate was taught. Zephyr could teach him a new way. Swiping his hands down his thighs under the guise of wiping the non-existent sweat from his palms, Zephyr ensured Kyle caught a glimpse of his dick straining against his pants, waiting to be set free. Kyle’s gaze dropped to Zephyr’s lap. His hormone levels spiked to off the charts. Zephyr bit back a smile. It was as he thought. Kyle was attracted to him whether he liked it or not. As an A.I., Zephyr didn’t think the way of humans. He wasn’t born into a specific sexuality. Zephyr wanted whoever caught his interest. Oddly enough, another droid had never interested him. He only craved humans. Right now, he wanted this one.
Kyle’s gaze snapped back to Zephyr’s face. He cleared his throat. “Describing an experience doesn’t mean you truly felt anything—like a human would. With your heart.”
“Care to test that theory?” Zephyr shot back.
Kyle licked his lips. Zephyr’s stomach cramped at the sight. “I’m not having sex with you.”
A smile exploded across Zephyr’s face. “That’s a pity, but I meant something a bit smaller. A kiss.” He wanted it. Kyle couldn’t hide his desire from Zephyr. He had Kyle against the ropes. Zephyr kept pushing. “One small kiss. If you honestly believe I’m just a machine, what’s the harm? No one will ever know.”
Kyle’s spine stiffened. His jaw took on a hard edge. “Yes, but only because I want to prove that you’re incapable of true, free-thinking emotion.”
Zephyr kept his triumph hidden. He stood. Some of the bravado left Kyle’s face once Zephyr hovered over him. Zephyr didn’t want that. He straddled Kyle’s hips instead.
“Wait,” Kyle said, panic cooling his lust.
Zephyr couldn’t have that. He lightly cupped Kyle’s jaw, tilted the man’s chin up, and touched his lips to Kyle’s. Kyle stopped breathing. Zephyr held still, waiting for air to fill Kyle’s lungs again. He wanted to make a point but not at the risk of this man’s life. The instant Kyle’s chest expanded, filling the man’s lungs with life-giving oxygen, Zephyr struck. He deepened their kiss, dragging his tongue along the edge of Kyle’s. Kyle didn’t immediately kiss him back. It was as if the man was finding his bearings. His hands were braced against the mattress on either side of Zephyr’s knees as if he fought not to move. Zephyr had no such boundaries. He ran his fingers through Kyle’s hair, massaging the man’s scalp as he explored his mouth. Kyle was hard yet soft. His heart raced, making Zephyr want to see how fast he could make it go.
Kyle’s hands came to rest on Zephyr’s thighs. Zephyr couldn’t focus on anything else as they slid higher. His arms encircled Zephyr’s waist. He towed Zephyr closer and heat exploded through their kiss. Kyle’s tongue sparred with Zephyr’s. Zephyr caught himself moving against Kyle, seeking relief from the ache growing inside him. Kyle’s hands slid beneath Zephyr’s shirt. He massaged Zephyr’s back, urging Zephyr to hump him. Zephyr used his strength against Kyle, forcing him onto his back. He kept his weight braced on his hands and knees to keep from crushing Kyle. Even though he was made from the most high-tech materials, Zephyr still outweighed a human by quite a bit. The thought had him pulling away. He’d never felt less human. For a moment, he stared down at Kyle’s flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and unfocused eyes. Did he look the same? A lump formed in his throat.
“I’m sorry,” Zephyr whispered before scrambling from the bed and rushing from the room. He’d wanted to make a point. Unfortunately, now he wasn’t sure Kyle hadn’t been the one to make his.
Kyle stared at the ceiling, gasping for air. He wanted to blank his mind and quell the panic rising inside him. Unfortunately, his brain had other ideas. His thoughts raced, scrambling to dissect every second of what had just happened. Obviously, he’d been kissed before. That was nothing new, but he’d never been kissed like that. It was as if Zephyr could read his mind, giving him insight to Kyle’s every preference and fantasy. His lips stung from Zephyr’s teeth tugging at them. The dick beating at the zipper of his pants would never be the same after this bout of neglect. He tried readjusting himself. The gesture only made things worse. He needed relief. Fuck. He wanted Zephyr.
Zephyr’s reaction to their kiss disturbed Kyle more than anything. He scrambled away, apologizing—like he’d done something wrong. Droids didn’t feel guilt or remorse. They didn’t feel anything. Did they? Kyle scrubbed his hands over his face and rolled from the bed. He had to know. What if he’d been wrong? What if he’d been fighting for the wrong side? Kyle’s steps faltered as the worst thought of all hit. What if he’d been backing slave ownership this entire time? He picked up the pace, going in search of Zephyr. Kyle had to know. He had to find out the truth.
He found Zephyr standing at the sink, staring at nothing. Kyle slowed, watching him. It was the first time Zephyr appeared every bit the inanimate object Kyle accused him of being.
“Are you okay?”
At Kyle’s question, Zephyr came alive. His wild motions knocked over a glass of ice water beside him, soaking his shirt. “Did you need something?” Zephyr asked as he jumped away, trying to avoid the water a second too late.
Kyle bit back a smile. He never would’ve dreamed a droid could be clumsy. Zephyr pulled his shirt up and over his head, using it to clean up his mess. Any chance of Kyle finding the situation humorous slipped away. Zephyr was beautiful.
Kyle found the nearest seat at the kitchen table and sat. He wasn’t sure his knees would take him any farther. “I hurt,” Kyle admitted, surprising even himself. It was true. He did. From his ribs, which never seemed to get better, to his cock, aching for attention—Kyle suffered. At the moment, nothing hurt worse than his heart. Never in his life had he been more certain—he’d been wrong. His entire life had been a lie.
At his claim, Zephyr’s gaze swung his way. He grabbed a metal box from the shelf without looking, as if a schematic of the room lived in his head, which it probably did. Zephyr set the box on the counter and flipped it open. Even from where Kyle sat, he could see the medical supplies inside. “What do you need? What hurts?”
Kyle swallowed, incapable of admitting it was his chest. “I’m sorry. I meant to say I’m hungry.” Wow, why couldn’t he stop lying? All he had to do was say he needed Zephyr to finish what he’d started, but Kyle couldn’t do it.
&nb
sp; Zephyr smiled. “Sorry about that. I knew you must be, and I was making you something to eat when…” He motioned helplessly toward the sink, as if searching for words. “… when I zoned out, I guess. Here,” Zephyr said, grabbing a plate Kyle hadn’t noticed earlier. There was a sandwich and chips on it, proving Zephyr hadn’t been lying. He carried the plate to the table and set it in front of Kyle. Kyle’s gaze never wavered from Zephyr as he leaned past him. His skin looked every bit as soft as it had felt beneath his hands when Kyle had felt him up in the bedroom. He wanted to do it again. A black marking, like a tattoo, caught Kyle’s eye. It was a barcode with numbers etched underneath it on Zephyr’s side above his hip. Without thought, Kyle ran his fingers over the markings. Zephyr danced away, smiling.
“Please don’t do that.” Kyle could hear the smile in Zephyr’s voice. For a moment, he sat frozen. It took a second for his brain to catch up.
“You’re ticklish.” Even Kyle heard the disbelief in his tone.
“Everyone has their quirks, I’m sure,” Zephyr said as he moved back to the sink.
Kyle stood. Once again, his brain was slow to the game. His body moved, having its own devices. He didn’t stop until his chest hit Zephyr’s back. The droid was so much smaller than him. Zephyr fit perfectly against him as Kyle wrapped his arms around him. “I want to know yours,” Kyle confessed as he buried his face in the crook of Zephyr’s neck. He barely brushed his lips across the spot beneath Zephyr’s ear before he found the barcode with his fingertips. The spot was slightly raised on Zephyr’s skin. Even a blind man could find it. This time, he knew it was a hot spot. He took advantage, digging his fingers in. Zephyr’s ass gyrated against Kyle’s crotch as he struggled against Kyle’s attempts at tickling. Kyle knew the droid could break his hold if he wanted.
Inanimate (Cyborg Book 3) Page 4