He set the transponder aside. “Nothing. Just an old invention of mine.”
Kyle looked unsure of his welcome and so gorgeous in his shirtless state. It was cruel. Zephyr had been alone for so long. Now he wanted to bask in the joy of being touched again, only to learn it had been a trick.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Zephyr’s mouth without his permission. He’d brought this hell upon himself by bringing Kyle here. “It’s not your fault. You finally believe I can be hurt. I guess that’s more than I expected. You never ate the food I made for you. You should do that. Your blood sugar is dropping.”
Kyle didn’t budge. His beautiful blue gaze didn’t waver from Zephyr. “Not until I convince you what happened between us wasn’t me trying to gain information.”
He’d forgotten how much pain humans brought to his life. Mira had died. He’d been forced to send Kiston away. Time had numbed him—made him mis-recollect. He didn’t like this. “I believe you. Please eat. Your health matters to me.”
Kyle didn’t look as if he believed Zephyr, but he still nodded. “All right. Would you sit with me?”
“Yes,” Zephyr said, crossing the room. If he understood anything, it was the desire for company. Instead of heading for the kitchen, Kyle stepped into Zephyr’s path, halting his progress.
He held Zephyr’s stare. “I really am sorry.” Before Zephyr could respond, Kyle closed the distance between them and kissed him. Zephyr wanted to believe he only accepted what was thrust upon him. In his heart, he knew he thrived beneath the brush of Kyle’s lips. Still, he gently untangled himself from Kyle’s hold.
“You’re forgiven. Please eat,” Zephyr said, linking his fingers through Kyle’s and tugging him toward the kitchen.
A low laugh caressed Zephyr’s ears. “You really have a one-track mind when it comes to taking care of me.”
He urged Kyle to sit down in front of the plate he’d abandoned earlier. “Yes. Your life matters to me,” Zephyr said as he moved to put away the box of medical supplies and fix Kyle something to drink. Zephyr turned, finding the man watching him.
“I think you mean that.”
With a smile, Zephyr set the glass at Kyle’s elbow before claiming the chair next to him. He did mean it. Soon, maybe Kyle would finally believe him.
Chapter Five
Passing time with Kyle was never difficult. He was living proof of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Countless days, Zephyr had sat, doing the same thing in the exact same way, and each day had gotten longer than the last. Now he did the same things with Kyle, and every hour slipped through his fingers faster than he could have ever imagined. Soon, he would have to take Kyle home or beg him to stay.
“So you’re telling me that I can create a simple Hybrid Rocket Engine with nothing more than pasta, mouthwash, and yeast?”
Zephyr heard the question, yet he didn’t. Sound penetrated his ears and registered with his brain, but Zephyr couldn’t focus on anything other than the way Kyle’s lips shaped the question. The man fascinated Zephyr on a million different levels. He didn’t think it was possible for Kyle to bore him. He didn’t realize how long he stared silently at Kyle until Kyle laughed.
“What do see when you look at me?” There was no way Zephyr could refuse to answer with Kyle’s eyes dancing with happiness. With the barest of thoughts, Zephyr cast his visuals onto the nearest wall. A smile touched Kyle’s lips. “That’s not exactly what I meant.”
“I know,” Zephyr said, crossing the room and closing the distance between them. Kyle was watching him. Zephyr couldn’t look anywhere else. “Do you see those numbers?”
Kyle’s gaze flickered toward the wall. “Yes.”
“Keep an eye on them,” Zephyr said as his lips touched Kyle’s jaw. He stared at Kyle’s mouth as he dragged the man’s bottom lip down. He wanted to taste it. “I’m sure you recognize your heart rate. See the way the numbers kick up when I touch you?”
Kyle nodded. His gaze never wavered from the wall.
“That graph to the left that just appeared is your dopamine level. It means you’re aroused. I see it every time. You can’t hide your feelings from me. When I see that graph appear, I want to push until it mixes with oxytocin. That’s where I want to keep you.”
Kyle focused on him. “Why?”
A smile tugged at the corners of Zephyr’s mouth. “Because it means you care—that you’re connected to me. That’s what I see when I look at you. Someone I want to need me.” As he made the claim, Zephyr walked Kyle backward until he had the man backed up against the edge of the couch. He kept going until Kyle had no choice but to sit while Zephyr straddled his hips. Zephyr dipped his head and captured Kyle’s lips.
He was careful not to put any stress on Kyle’s ribs as he reached between them and massaged Kyle’s erection through his pants. The man was healed, but the bones still needed time. Kyle’s breathing turned ragged. Zephyr focused on pleasuring Kyle, pushing his own needs aside. He found it ridiculously pleasing to bring Kyle to release. By the time he set Kyle’s erection free, pre-cum coated Zephyr’s fingers. When Zephyr fisted Kyle’s cock, a gasp tore from Kyle’s throat.
“I want to be inside you,” Kyle said between kisses, sounding desperate.
Zephyr wanted that too. Just not yet. Right now, he needed that perfect chemical mixture in Kyle’s brain. He tasted it in the air when it happened. Zephyr licked Kyle’s bottom lip a final time before pulling away to hold the man’s stare.
“Right there,” Zephyr said, hearing the lust in his voice. “Did you feel the shift in your chest? Come for me now, and stay there,” Zephyr demanded. He repositioned his hold, tugging Kyle into orgasm whether he was ready or not.
Being the center of Zephyr’s attention was intense. The man always went from zero to a hundred in an instant. The way Zephyr had been looking at him earlier was all the warning he’d been given. Kyle still didn’t know exactly how he’d ended up here—panting, covered in cum, and silently begging Zephyr not to stop.
“I have nothing to offer.” Kyle had no clue where the confession came from, but it was true. He had nothing. There was no reason for Zephyr to want him or touch him. Kyle didn’t know why this was happening to him. He didn’t deserve to have Zephyr’s attention. It felt like the way they ended up here was always the elephant in the room. Yet Kyle never wanted to broach that topic. He never wanted to remind Zephyr he should toss him out.
Zephyr kissed him. Their lips clung for a moment. “I don’t need anything,” Zephyr said as he changed angles. “I’d tell you all about how we have chemistry, but I’m worried about your reaction.”
A loud groan escaped Kyle. He dropped his head. “Again with the puns.”
“I could tell you in sign language,” Zephyr said, pressing his lips to Kyle’s throat. “I’m pretty handy.”
Kyle snorted. “Are you finished?”
“Only if you promise to lick me. I’ll only taste slightly funny.” Kyle’s body shook with barely suppressed laughter. No one ever made him laugh. He couldn’t get enough. Zephyr’s mouth slammed down on Kyle’s in a kiss so heated Kyle couldn’t breathe. Once again, Kyle was caught in Zephyr’s inferno with no desire to escape. He pulled and tugged at Zephyr’s clothes, determined to strip the man bare. “Need to taste your happiness,” Zephyr said, deepening their kiss.
He was happy. Everything Kyle thought he knew before meeting Zephyr was slowly slipping away. Zephyr was wiping him clean and making him into a new man. There was a tiny part of his brain that still wanted to resist. The rest of him craved this madness.
With the barest urging, he had Zephyr on the floor. It didn’t matter Zephyr had just blown his mind, Kyle wanted more. Being inside Zephyr was a sickness.
“Tell me what you want,” Kyle begged. “What will bring you the most happiness? I want to give it to you.”
“Keep kissing me,” Zephyr said, sounding desperate. “No one kisses me.”
>
Kyle got it. He understood. Most people probably wouldn’t, but Kyle knew lips could feel lonely—untouched. They could tingle with longing and feel heavy with neglect. Zephyr would never feel those things again if Kyle could help it. Slowing things down, Kyle settled in. They could do this for hours if that what was Zephyr needed. Their fingers linked. Kyle held on as their tongues stroked.
“I want you inside me.”
Zephyr’s plea nearly broke Kyle. “There’s nothing in here to make things easier on you.” The breathless note to Kyle’s voice was out of his control.
“We should go back to bed then.”
“Agreed,” Kyle said, coming to his feet and helping Zephyr to his. While holding Kyle’s hand, Zephyr led the way. Kyle watched through a lust-filled haze as Zephyr found a bottle of lube and coated Kyle’s throbbing erection. After sitting on the edge of the bed, Zephyr tugged Kyle closer. Kyle urged Zephyr onto his back and settled between the man’s thighs. His gaze never wavered from Zephyr’s as he pushed his way inside Zephyr’s asshole. Each breath came harder than the last as the man’s tight heat threatened to cripple him. Zephyr’s expression held Kyle enthralled. It was ecstasy and something Kyle couldn’t name but wanted. There was so much beauty in Zephyr. Kyle wished it belonged to him.
“You look ready to explode.”
At Kyle’s claim, Zephyr released his breath, as if he’d been holding it. “You look ready to make me.”
“Yes,” Kyle said, claiming Zephyr’s mouth and pumping inside him. Kyle’s body burned. His head was a mess. He was at constant war with himself over Zephyr. Years of hunting and hatred didn’t disappear overnight, but Zephyr did something to him. He made it easy to forget. Maybe it was because they were hidden away from the world and god only knew how many miles away from Kyle’s home. No matter what the reason was for his disconnect with reality, Kyle couldn’t deny he needed this. Deep kisses. Lip biting. Body lit. Kyle craved every second. His balls were tight. His dick tingled with anticipation. Without thought, he jacked Zephyr off, needing the droid to feel everything Kyle felt—the passion. The madness.
Tiny mewling noises vibrated through their kiss as if Zephyr couldn’t hide his pleasure. Zephyr’s fingers dug into Kyle’s back—no doubt leaving bruises on his skin. Hot jets of fluid hit Kyle’s stomach and chest. Zephyr’s ass tightened before a spasm hit, milking Kyle. Kyle held still, riding it out and letting Zephyr’s body suck him deeper, pulling an orgasm from him.
Kyle lost the air in his lungs, his ability to see straight, and—most likely—his heart. Being with Zephyr was more than intense. It was beautiful.
Zephyr dragged his lips down Kyle’s spine. Thin raised scars lined his back from his shoulders to right above his ass. Zephyr couldn’t stop licking them.
“Do scars turn you on?” Kyle asked, sounding aroused.
“All of you turns me on,” Zephyr said, licking the next line. “I’ll admit I’m surprised you haven’t had these removed. As far as I’ve seen, people haven’t allowed a single blemish to touch their skin since Yuri Ferdinand perfected the Skin Reborn device in 2489.”
Kyle chuckled. Zephyr felt its vibration against his lips as he kissed the man between his shoulder blades. “Being rugged came back in style when chopping wood did.”
“Oh God,” Zephyr breathed against Kyle’s skin. “I would love to see you shirtless, chopping wood.” His body went hard, picturing it.
“It’s not sexy in the least,” Kyle said, laughter lacing his words. “There’s sweat and dirt. Splinters stick to your skin and fly into your eyes.”
Zephyr burrowed his hand beneath Kyle’s body, determined to stroke the man’s cock. Those sexy readings appeared in Zephyr’s periphery letting him know exactly how aroused Kyle was. “Yum. Now I’m picturing you covered in sweat. That’s my favorite outfit on you.”
Kyle’s hips moved as he openly fucked Zephyr’s fist. “Damn, I want to call you twisted, but I fucking love it and would never want you to think otherwise.” Kyle rolled until Zephyr straddled his hips. Zephyr’s system paused at the expression Kyle wore. His eyes were soft. His flushed cheeks made the blue of his eyes seem brighter than usual. “I would very much love for you to kiss me.”
An unexpected smile tugged at Zephyr’s lips. “That’s what you’re craving the most right now? You’re refreshing.”
Kyle’s gaze moved over Zephyr’s face, making Zephyr wish he could read the man’s thoughts and not just his vitals. “Yes. When you close your eyes and fall into your version of sleep, it’s your kiss I can’t stop craving while I stare at you.”
“You watch me?” Zephyr asked as he slowly lowered his head.
Kyle nodded. His beautiful eyes never wavered. “I can’t look away,” he whispered.
Zephyr captured the final syllable on Kyle’s lips. For a moment, Zephyr enjoyed the pressure of Kyle’s lips against his before swiping his tongue along Kyle’s bottom lip. A hum rose in his throat. The man was like candy. He was twice as addictive. Zephyr’s system hit record—like an impulsion drove him. When Kyle went back to his kind, Zephyr wanted to remember every second with perfect clarity. Maybe he would shut down and live inside this moment until the end of time.
As their tongues met and retreated, Kyle shifted. Following Kyle’s lead, Zephyr let the man roll him beneath his large frame. His lips moved to Zephyr’s jaw. Zephyr squeezed his eyes shut and absorbed the sensation of Kyle’s lips skimming his neck. Kyle moved lower, nibbling Zephyr’s collarbone. Zephyr’s body sang.
“Can you handle the same torture I’ve endured from you for the last half hour?” Kyle asked, moving even lower and licking Zephyr’s nipple. His teeth scraped each of Zephyr’s ribs as Kyle made his way down Zephyr’s body. He stopped at Zephyr’s hip. His tongue swirled across Zephyr’s oblique. Zephyr moaned. The sound vibrated from deep inside Zephyr’s chest. No one had ever shown him the attention Kyle did. He reveled in it. Zephyr was never disappointed by sex, but no one had ever set out to please him the way Kyle did now. More than that, the chemicals pumping through Kyle’s brain said Kyle enjoyed this as much as he did when Zephyr touched him. That knowledge fucked with Zephyr’s head. Made him feel more than he should.
Then Kyle’s lips closed around Zephyr’s crown. The world tilted around him. All the times he’d tried to get Kyle to the perfect serotonin and oxytocin level to make him fall in love, Zephyr never noticed Kyle unintentionally doing the same, and succeeding.
Kyle’s hot mouth tightened on Zephyr’s cock as he sucked hard. All the background noise in Zephyr’s head disappeared underneath Kyle’s skill. All Zephyr could focus on was his body’s needs. His every muscle was tight enough to blow a circuit. A surge of ecstasy threatened to explode from Zephyr like a volcano. The throb of pressure beating at the head of his cock wouldn’t be ignored as Kyle’s throat tightened around his dick. Kyle hummed, making matters worse. A gasp ripped from Zephyr. An orgasm slammed into him, making Zephyr shake. He tried holding on to the sheets as Kyle took him even higher. Before he had time to recover, Kyle quickly shifted onto his knees and shoved himself inside Zephyr’s ass. Zephyr couldn’t stop saying Kyle’s name. The chant rang through the room, adding to the sound of skin slapping against skin, and Kyle’s ragged breathing.
Kyle nipped and bit at any place he could reach as he moved inside Zephyr. Zephyr couldn’t think. He couldn’t focus. All he could do was feel. Everything inside him was lit up like a summer sky as he tried keeping pace. When Kyle’s orgasm hit, Zephyr couldn’t look away. For the first time, he was struck. He wanted to keep Kyle forever. The man’s face hardened and the cords in his neck strained as he rode the waves of pleasure. All Zephyr could do was stare. This man belonged to Zephyr. Life had never looked more unfair. Kyle had a life elsewhere. In a place where poison didn’t live. This wasn’t his home.
Kyle rolled to his side while still clinging to Zephyr. Zephyr could feel the exhaustion rolling off him in waves. The man struggled for air.
“Zephyr,” K
yle whispered—his eyes closed and more asleep than awake. “Even though you’ll never feel anything for me, I feel something for you.”
The devastation was real. Kyle might have been half asleep, but he meant his slurred and quietly spoken words. After everything they’d shared—conversations and body to body—Kyle still didn’t believe. He never would. It was like being stabbed through the heart. He’d held on too long. Once Kyle had healed, Zephyr should’ve taken him home immediately—avoided this wreckage. Why had he thought he could change him? Kyle had hated the A.I. community his entire life. Had he honestly believed endless conversations that felt like friendship and awesome sex would fix things? He was such a fool.
Zephyr waited until Kyle’s breathing deepened and his brain waves showed signs of restful sleep before slipping from the bed. It was time to do what he should’ve done from the start. It was time for Zephyr to save himself.
Chapter Six
Kyle shook from the inside out. He’d never been colder. The effort it took to pry his eyes open made him wonder if his eyelids had frozen shut. Shouts came from the distance. Where was Zephyr? Even once his eyes opened, all Kyle saw was white. As far as the eye could see, everything was an endless nothingness. He blinked. The scenery didn’t change. The blank surface shimmered. Kyle reached out, fingering the glittering substance. It was ice. The fog lifted from his brain. He was in Dead-Zone. There was no mistaking the place. He didn’t understand. When he’d fallen asleep, Zephyr had been at his side. Now, he was back in Dead-Zone. Wait. Had it been a dream? Had he ever been to Cryo?
The shouts moved closer. Huge shadowy figures loomed above him. One said his name. Kyle didn’t recognize the voice and the light the man held blinded Kyle. He couldn’t see a thing.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Are you hurt? We thought that droid had killed you. Have you been here this whole time? How have you survived?”
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