Faster than I could blink, I ended up in his arms. He carried me from the shower, setting me on the floor to grab a towel from a rack. Wrapping the towel around me, he pulled another from the same rack and carefully ran it over my arms and legs absorbing any stray drops of water. “Let me find you something to wear, then I’ll work on your hair again.”
He spun to leave the bathroom, and I grabbed his arm. “Wait.” I tied a quick knot to hold my towel in place, reaching for a dry towel. “Come here, Sunshine. I’m not the only one whose is soaking wet.” I pushed the now-drenched hoodie over his shoulders and it hit the floor with a wet splat. I eyed the top of his pants but thought better than removing them.
Surprisingly, after the time in the shower together, I didn’t feel self-conscious about being naked in front of him. Let’s face it, over the years, more people had seen me naked than I cared to count. Not all the experiments allowed me to remain clothed, and the frayed dress I wore grew so tattered and thin it barely hid anything at all.
At first, I hadn’t wanted him to see me after the years of abuse. I wasn’t the same girl he knew before. My time being used as a crash-test dummy for Dr. Rosenfield’s experiments had done a number on my body. I was her first and longest surviving plaything, kept in stasis when not used, I couldn’t tell you the damage they did to my insides.
Oh, but I could feel it. The last few days spent in captivity, I knew I was going to die, my body finally giving out. Weak and in pain, I waited for death. Not a single guard came to my cell, and Dr. Rosenfield had simply vanished, abandoning the cruelty and neglect she had inflicted. Now, I felt better than I had in years. Whatever Dax had given me worked its magic. Whatever Acer had seen in the shower hadn’t sent him running. He had been a complete gentleman.
I, on the other hand, didn’t think I could look and not touch, especially since I knew what he packed inside his pants. I had seen it, though I was never allowed to touch. Now, there was no one to stop me. I think I touched Acer more in the past few hours than he had ever been touched in his whole life. I didn’t want to send him running by getting too grabby.
So, the pants stay on. But, it was okay. I had an amazing view of his muscled and metal chest. I took the towel and began rubbing his frame dry, moving it carefully over his chest, down his arms, and up his neck. Once his front was dry, I motioned for him to turn around and did the same to his back. By the time I was done, the towel was soaked, and I still needed to dry his face. I dropped the wet towel on the floor and caught another one hanging from the rack. “Turn. Please.”
He spun around, his gold eyes burning as he stared down at me. I lifted the towel and gently caressed his cheek, catching the shiny drops glinting under the bathroom light. I did the other cheek before I ran the towel over his smooth head. All the male cyborgs were created bald. Their female model counterparts the only ones given hair. I never did learn why it was done that way, but I never found the male cyborgs lacking because of it.
Of course, my cyborg was unique. There was no synthetic skin covering his skull, just smooth and shiny metal. I dropped the towel and ran my fingers over it, enjoying the cool sensation and the silky way the metal glided under my fingertips.
His hand shot up to capture my wrist, halting my exploration. He tugged it down to his lips and placed a soft kiss to the inside of my wrist. The gesture so tender and sweet I stood paralyzed, unable to take my eyes off his yellow lips dusting over my pink skin. A blush crept up my cheeks, my tongue darting out to lick my lips, our first kiss still playing on repeat inside my head. I wanted another taste, so I leaned closer, but he jerked back out of reach.
“I will find you something suitable to wear. One of the other females should have something that will fit. Go wait in the bedroom.” His frame inched toward the door. “Don’t open the door for anyone,” he commanded before he fled the bathroom like it had suddenly caught fire.
Hurt bloomed inside my chest watching him flee. My feet took a step, intending to follow him, but I stopped myself. I drew in a breath telling myself to ignore it. It would take time. Sitting on the bed, I pulled the towel tighter around my body, the loss of being without my cyborg, once again, chilled me more than the cold shower had done minutes earlier.
Chapter Four
*Acer*
I pressed my back against the wall as I ordered my wayward CPU to calm down. It started flooding my processors with the sight and scent of my MechTech. She touched me without disgust, willingly put her hands on my unfinished parts, her gaze filled with want and longing. No one had ever looked at me with want. Her desire filled me with a strange emotion, I had trouble keeping my cock from rising, from dragging the towel off her frame and tasting every inch of her soft skin. I already tasted her lips, and the flavor was branded in my memory core.
She leaned in to kiss me again before I ran from the bathroom like a frightened deer caught in a blinding set of headlights. Now, I hid in the hallway, forcing myself to not race back into my room so she could kiss and touch my frame to her heart’s content. My human needed clothes. I couldn’t ignore her needs simply because she ignited a fire in my processors.
I stormed down the hallway and made my way to Dash and Iris’s quarters, pounding on the door until it flung open to reveal an unhappy Service Model.
Dash crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. “Why are you pounding on my door at four in the morning? My human is sleeping.”
“Not anymore.” I heard Iris grumble from behind Dash. She peeked her head around his frame and her eyes widened. “Acer?” She rubbed her eyes, the lines in her forehead creasing. “Blueberry, what is Acer doing at our door? And why is he wet?” she whispered as she moved her body closer to Dash, pressing her frame against his side. Dash promptly wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.
The image of Marley and I standing the same way flashed through my circuits. I want that, my processors whispered. I blinked and pushed the thought aside. I wasn’t here to long for things I would never have. Marley was only mine for the moment. I couldn’t dream about forever, not when I didn’t even know if I had tomorrow.
Iris’s eyes moved over my frame and I suddenly remembered I wasn’t wearing a hoodie. My torso was bare from the waist up. All I could do was stand, frozen in horror, as she took in the sight of the metal plates mixed with my yellow flesh. I allowed no one to see my chest bare. It was bad enough my arms and legs were exposed along with my unfinished face. Still, I knew Iris had seen those before. What lay hidden under my hoodie was one of my secrets. It was the shame of knowing they would see that nothing on my frame was completed. I was a jigsaw puzzle of metal and man, an ugly abomination that should have died like my brother.
She sees you! my processors screamed. She now knows what you truly are! She knows that you are nothing but a worthless bag of bolts. I dropped my gaze to the floor and hung my head, avoiding eye contact, not wishing to see the disgust in her eyes.
“Dash, would you please go get the jacket I got for you and bring it here? It’s hanging on the back of the bedroom door.”
“Are you sure, Iris?”
“I’ll be okay, Blueberry. Acer and I will be fine.” There was no hint of disgust in her tone. Her voice was warm, and a part of me wished I had the courage to look up.
I heard hurried footsteps but didn’t dare raise my eyes. Suddenly, something dark gray shoved under my nose. I snatched it from a set of blue hands.
“We will turn around while you put it on,” Iris offered from somewhere in front of me.
“We will? But we’ve already see him,” Dash mumbled.
“Dash,” Iris commanded.
“Fine. Our backs are turned. You can put it on now,” Dash ground out.
I quickly threw on the jacket while I ignored the scent of the blue Service Model that clung to the fabric like a second skin. Luckily for me, the scent was rather dull, leading me to believe no one wore it in a while, not that I could afford to be fussy. Surprise still rolled through my system that
Iris even asked Dash to retrieve it in the first place. With a fast tug on the zipper, I once more had protective cover, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief. “All good,” I said. Dash and Iris turned back around, and I watched a smile form on Iris’s face.
“Better?” she asked.
I gave her a quick nod of my head, and her smile grew even bigger. “Good. Now, I gather you weren’t pounding on our door for a social call.” Her eyebrow lifted.
“You would be correct. I need some female clothing.” I surprised myself, managing to get the words out without a growl of irritation.
Humans irritated me.
Cyborgs irritated me.
Hell, everyone irritated me.
I preferred hiding in my quarters, alone and undisturbed, avoiding the looks of pity and fear I got from those around me. They tried their best to hide it, but I still saw. Besides, it was better if I was kept separate—I never knew when my processors would fail and push me over the edge into complete madness. Anyone around me would be in serious danger. I might not like anybody, but I didn’t want to slaughter them all in a fit of insanity. For the most part, my time spent at cyborg headquarters had been decent. No one tortured me with experiments or humiliated me just for the fun of it.
Iris gave me a once over. “Pretty sure my clothing isn’t going to fit you, Acer.”
I growled. “Not for me, small human. For my female.”
Iris ignored the growl and rolled her eyes. “You mean the one you’ve got stashed in your quarters? That female?” She took a step closer to my frame, sizing me up.
Humans were terrified of me. Not this one. Was something wrong with her processors? And why had she been kind to me? Having the Service Model get a jacket when she saw I was uncomfortable being exposed. I didn’t understand.
Tipping her head back, she peered at me, narrowing her eyes. “Who is she, Acer?”
My spine stiffened. “That’s none of your business,” I hissed.
Iris sighed. “Fine, but at least tell me she is safe?”
“I would never harm her,” I declared, everything in me rebelled at the mere thought of doing Marley harm.
You may not have a choice in the matter, my circuits taunted. Pretty soon you will be too far gone to stop yourself. I shook my head, clearing it of the dark thoughts. I still had time. I would be careful, watch myself. Make sure I constantly handled the glitches in my programming. I couldn’t let her go. Not yet. Soon, yes, but not today.
Iris blinked. The corners of her mouth tipped up, once again, into a smile. “Okay. Wait here. I’ll be back with some clothes. Hopefully, we are close to the same size.” She started to turn, but I caught her arm. A low growl emanated from my left.
Was the Service Model growing at me? Service Models had been designed to be pleasant. No one wanted to fuck something grouchy. That, and no one, and I mean no one, growled at me.
Iris gave my hand a soft pat. Suddenly, I realized what I had done. I had touched her—willingly. My metallic fingers now rested on her arm, trapped by a tiny pale hand that refused to move. My circuits spun. I could yank my hand back, but I was the one that reached out and caught her arm, Apparently, turning the Service Model she claimed into one pissed-off cyborg.
“Relax, Dash. Acer’s fine.” She glanced down at my hand. “I know you probably don’t care, but that hand of yours is pretty wicked. It reminds me of the custom chrome humans used to put on their cars to make them stand out. If your car had chrome, you were telling the world it was special and unique.” She let go and looked me right in the eye. “Something valuable.”
“Why are you telling me this? I don’t understand. Why help me?” The question came out soft.
She shook her head at me, like there was something I had missed, something I should have known but, yet I didn’t.
“Because there is more to you than I think even you realize. Though I know I’m not the one who will show you that. Trust your female, Acer. She wouldn’t be with you if she didn’t believe in you. Have a little faith.” She winked at me. “I know I do.”
I let go, and she disappeared to get the clothes for Marley. The Service Model stayed put in the open doorway, his blue eyes fixed on me. “She’s...” I trailed off not knowing what to say.
Dash smiled. “She’s incredible.” Pride filled his voice.
I nodded, wishing for the first time I had learned some skills on how to interact with others instead of hiding away or being an asshole.
Chapter Five
*Marley*
I looked at what Acer was clutching in his metal fingers. My Sunshine returned with a handful of clothing and a new jacket hiding his frame from view. I wonder who gave him that? The female he got the clothing from, maybe? I pushed down the spark of jealousy at the thought. He had the right to speak to other females, and engage in other activities if he so chose. My brain reminded me. Just because I spent years locked away didn’t mean my cyborg had.
With his aversion to touch, I would think he wouldn’t be intimately involved with someone, but I didn’t know for sure. Was it wrong of me to hope I was the only female he had gotten close to? To hope he had waited for me like I waited for him? Not like I had much choice, but even before my captivity, I had never found any guy worth giving myself to.
A few stolen kisses and some heavy petting my only experiences from district twelve. Life had been hard and cruel. I watched my few friends sell themselves for extra food rations. My tinkering with tech allowed me to avoid that fate, and once I got the job with the Global Allegiance, I had plenty to eat and a warm place to lay my head at night. Some of the male MechTechs tried a few unwanted advances, but most avoided me. I was the weird girl. The girl who hummed. The girl who talked to cyborgs. The girl who came from one of the poor territories. No one fought about who would bring me home to meet Mom and Dad.
I pulled my attention away from my wayward thoughts and directed it back to my cyborg and what he held. “Are those cat pajamas?” I asked while I moved closer to inspect the clothing.
He nodded. “The human female I retrieved them from has an unhealthy obsession with the tiny creatures. Every single pair of pajamas she gave me is covered with them.” He held a set out to me. “I can try to locate different ones for you tomorrow, but for now these will have to do.”
“Did she give you the jacket too?” The question popped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
“Yes. She asked her Service Model cyborg to retrieve it for me. Iris noticed I felt uncomfortable being bare, so she got Dash to bring me one of his jackets.”
My jaw fell. “There are humans who own cyborgs here? I thought you were free.” My jealousy was replaced with horror. Owners of Service Models tended to be some of the worst. Service Models were created basically to be sex slaves, programmed to crave touch and given an innate desire to please; they were easy to hurt and abuse. I had fixed a few during my time working for the Global Allegiance, and the damage done to them had been beyond comprehension. I gave a small shudder.
Acer frowned. “We are free. Iris does not own Dash. They are what the humans call in love. Iris rescued Dash from years spent locked away in a storage container. Iris was the first human allowed at headquarters. I objected at first, but she is good human. She would give her life for Dash, and he would do the same.”
I smiled, letting the tension drain away. Happiness filled my chest. I had been hoping that I wouldn’t be the only human to realize how lovable cyborgs were. “It’s nice to know that other cyborgs found happiness and love. I can’t wait to meet them. Reaching out, I took the pair of pajamas from his outstretched hand and ran my fingers over the soft, pink flannel. “And to thank Iris for letting me use some of her clothes.”
The pajamas I held were covered in little white cats, and I traced my finger over one of them. A pleasant scent drifted up from the material, and I couldn’t stop tears from forming. The scent reinforced the knowledge I was finally free. The warm, soft pair of pajamas spoke of sweet and cozy nigh
ts, not ones filled with pain and terror. I clutched them to my chest and drew in a breath as a tear rolled down my cheek.
“They are making you cry? Wait here. I will find you another pair no matter what it takes.” He spun on his boot heel and made for the door.
“Wait!” The command stopped him mere inches from the door. Turning back towards me, the sight before my eyes was a very panicked cyborg. “They reminded me that I am truly free. For so long, all I knew was hurt and horror. Part of me still struggles with the fact that this real. That you are real.”
His hand cupped my cheek. “I’m real, lovely.” His thumb brushed away the stray tear. “And I will destroy anyone or anything that attempts to hurt you ever again.” His lips briefly ghosted over mine. A mere hint of a kiss, but it felt wonderful. “Now, let’s get you out of that towel and into something warm. Then, I’ll work on your hair again.”
Dressed in the warm pajamas, I sat on the edge of the bed and closed my eyes. I enjoyed the feeling of Acer’s fingers moving gently through my hair. He worked until every tangle was free, leaving my hair smooth and soft. I fought off a yawn, my Sunshine, lulling me into a contented state, my eyelids grew heavy.
His warm breath found my ear. “You need sleep, come lovely.” He patted the bed. I crawled to the top and settled myself under the covers. I waited and nothing. Acer made no move to get into bed with me. Cyborgs didn’t need sleep, but he could still lay down with me.
“I need you,” I whispered. I felt his large frame slide into the bed next to me, and I rolled over placing my head on his chest. My head rested on soft cotton. He hadn’t removed the jacket before climbing into bed with me.
My foot wiggled against his calf feeling damp fabric under my toes. And he was still wearing those wet pants. Really? Was I so terrifying that he had to come to bed fully clothed? I was too tired to even think straight let alone try anything.
Acer Page 3