The Outlaw Cyborg (Cyborgs on Mars Book 5)

by Honey Phillips

  When he didn’t respond, she frowned. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

  “What do you want me to say? I’m not here to judge you, love.”

  Tears shimmered in her eyes again. “How can you do that? You always say the one thing that makes me feel better—and worse. Don’t you realize that I was trying to use you?”

  “Serena, you didn’t burst into tears because you were using me. You were crying because you know that there’s a lot more between us than that.”

  Before she could respond, he bent down and kissed her. Her body stiffened and he was afraid that she was going to pull away, but then she melted against him. He made no attempt to take advantage of her surrender. Instead, he took his time and let her lead the way, her mouth shy, as tentative as if she had never been kissed before.

  Perhaps she never has been kissed by someone who truly cares for her, he thought, his heart aching.

  The kisses went on and on and she grew bolder, more demanding, but even though his cock was once again stiff and aching, satisfaction filled him. When they finally separated, her mouth was pink and swollen, her cheeks flushed.

  “Now what?” she whispered.

  “Now I feed you and put you to bed.”

  “You don’t want… more?”

  “Of course I do.” He ran a finger along her plump lower lip. “Make no mistake, love. I always want you. But I suspect you need some time to think about what’s happening between us. So food and bed.”

  She nodded and sat up in his arms, then shot him a shyly mischievous look. “Do I at least get a goodnight kiss?”

  “As many as you want,” he promised.

  He was as good as his word. After a silent meal, she reached for his shirt and pulled it over her head, then lay down next to the heater and opened her arms to him. He went willingly, and when she raised her mouth for his kiss, he happily obliged. They kissed and looked at the stars, and he even found himself telling her about some of the places that had rejected him. She simply listened and kissed him some more and finally fell asleep in his arms.

  She awoke him with kisses again in the morning, but even though his cock was once again stiff and aching and he caught the sweet scent of her arousal, she didn’t try and initiate anything further and neither did he. He would wait until she was ready. He gave her one last kiss and went to get Winston ready to travel.

  Serena stared unseeingly at the desert as they rode, lost in her thoughts. She felt vulnerable—which she didn’t like at all—but she also felt… hopeful in a way she hadn’t felt in many, many years. Was she being a fool? Again.

  Winston wasn’t moving as quickly as he had the day before but she didn’t urge John to have him go faster. The thought of reaching the lab filled her with as much unease as it did hope.

  John brought Winston to a halt. “Not much further. The lab should be just behind that next set of outcroppings.”

  “How can you tell?” she asked, looking around. The stretch of orange sand, the ridges of red rock—it all looked the same to her.

  He hesitated, then raised his arm and pushed back his sleeve to reveal a muscular forearm. Not that she didn’t appreciate the sight, but why was he showing it to her now? Then she noticed a small golden light pulsing on the inside of his wrist.

  “What’s that?”

  “Proximity alarm. It warns me when I’m about to encounter a manmade structure.”

  “That’s… useful.”

  He shrugged. “Occasionally. I can usually hear the sound of activity first. Although I’m not picking up anything from this facility,” he added.

  Her heart sank. “Do you think it’s abandoned?”

  “Not necessarily. I’ve noticed that GenCon likes to hide things.”

  As he started to pull his sleeve back down, she put her hand on his arm. His skin felt warm, human, covering the firm muscles she was beginning to know so well.

  “Do you have any more secrets under there?”

  “Some,” he admitted with a smile.

  “Apparently Earth Government didn’t exactly terminate the cyborg program the way they claimed.”

  “No,” he agreed.

  “Why are you here, John?”

  “Because you asked me to come with you.”

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  “It’s the truth,” he insisted, his dark eyes warm with amusement. “But if you’re asking why I’m on Mars, the answer is—”

  He broke off abruptly, his head tilted to one side. “Someone’s coming.”

  Winston too had tensed, and even before John gave the order, he was trotting to the shelter of the nearest escarpment. By the time they were concealed behind the rocks, she could hear the sound as well—the familiar low chug of a rover. They had dismounted and John peered cautiously around the rock, then swore.

  “Another hybrid.”

  “Why is he here? The lab wasn’t on the list of places to which they were assigned.”

  “Based on what your friends said before, that doesn’t seem to matter much. They have their own agenda.”

  “But still, why come here? I can understand going after a woman, or even a cure—” She stopped, and they stared at each other. “He thinks there’s a cure here.”

  “That would be my guess,” he agreed.

  Once again, that little flutter of excitement made her pulse race. Was the hybrid right? Did the answer lie in this remote lab?

  “Do you want me to stop him?”

  “Can you?”

  He grinned, that attractive cocky smile that always made her smile back. “Of course. Wait here.”

  Before he could leave, she reached up and brushed a kiss across his lips. “For luck.”

  “Thank you, love.”

  Then he was gone, loping across the sands with astonishing speed. He intercepted the rover while it was still a long way off. The machine ground to a halt, and a minute later, one of the hybrids stepped out, but he was too far away for her to identify. The two appeared to be talking, but then the hybrid raised his arm and she saw the flash of a gun. John staggered, and her heart thudded against her ribs.

  “He shot him,” she whispered. “We have to help him, Winston.”

  The horse bobbed his head, then backed up to the rock. Why was he backing away from her? She started to tug on his reins, then realized he had positioned himself so that she could use the rough surface of the stone to climb high enough to mount him.

  As soon as she was seated, he leaped forward and she clung to his mane with both hands. John was still upright but he was struggling with the hybrid, and she urged Winston to move faster. Another shot rang out, and both men crumpled to the ground.

  Please let him be all right, please let him be all right. The words repeated over and over in her head as they raced across the sand.

  She arrived just in time to see John lurch to his feet and she half-climbed, half-fell down off the horse to throw herself at him. Winston was right beside her, nudging John with his big head until John leaned against him.

  “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

  “Nothing serious,” he said reassuringly, already looking better. “The wounds are already healing. But unfortunately the hybrid is dead.”

  “I don’t care about him. I only care about you.” The words emerged before she could call them back, and she immediately panicked. “That is, I was worried about you,” she added stiffly.

  He smiled at her and touched her cheek. “I understand.”

  To her relief, he didn’t add anything else but turned to survey the very obviously dead hybrid. “I really didn’t want to kill him. I was hoping for some answers. Do you know who he was?”

  She forced herself to look at the body. “Malton, I think. Which would make sense. He was some kind of chemist. He made a lot of money selling a miracle cure that turned out to be even worse than the disease.”

  “GenCon sure knows how to pick them.”

  “Desperate men with large amount
s of money don’t tend to be particularly respectable.”

  “No, I suppose not.” He studied her face. “This isn’t just about the hybrids, is it? What kind of answer are you expecting to find at this lab, Serena? Are you sure it’s worth it?”

  “Yes,” she said immediately, her hand moving to her stomach before she could prevent it.

  “Very well. I’ll follow you back over to the rocks, and we can decide how to proceed.”

  He lifted her easily on to Winston’s back and headed for the rover. She had a sudden foolish impulse to call him back, to abandon her search, but she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

  Chapter Thirteen

  As John drove the rover back towards the rock, he realized he was watching the slender figure on top of the big horse rather than his surroundings. He used the hidden cybernetics to check again, but there were no other structures nearby, nor were there any lifeforms. He hadn’t mentioned that capability to her, just as he hadn’t told her about his mission—although he had been about to when he’d heard the rover. But he had to tell her, he decided.

  Once they were back amongst the rocks, she brought Winston to a halt and slid down with unexpected grace. She was frowning at the rover when he joined her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I just realized that I don’t exactly look like I usually do when I made a surprise visit.”

  “I have no doubt you could carry it off, but I have a surprise for you.” He hid a smile at the suspicious look on her face as he turned to the bundled supplies on Winston’s back and retrieved one of the bags. “Here.”

  “What is it?”

  “One of your suits. I packed it while you were changing in your office. It occurred to me that you might want to resume your professional persona when we arrived.”

  Did she flinch at his last sentence? Before he could decide, her expression cleared and she reached for the suit.

  “Thank you. I’ll just go and change—” She cast a somewhat frustrated look at the barren surroundings.

  “You’re welcome to change right here,” he suggested helpfully, meeting her gaze with limpid innocence when she shook her head at him.

  “I suppose I might as well. It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked.”

  Deliberately holding his gaze, she unfastened the coverall and let it fall to the ground. All the blood in his body rushed to his cock. Her pale body, completely naked, glowed against the surrounding rocks. A cool breeze whispered past them, and her nipples stiffened to small pink peaks, but she didn’t flinch, standing there defiantly. He took a step towards her, then another, before he remembered their destination and came to a halt.

  “You, my love, are a tease.”

  “A tease is someone who doesn’t deliver what she promises.” Her voice had turned low and husky. “I’m perfectly willing to deliver.”

  “Are you sure?’ he asked, even as he took another step forward.

  “Yes.” Her eyes met his. “Seeing you fall like that… I thought I lost you.”

  “You’re not going to lose me.”

  “Aren’t I?” A shadow crossed her face. “We don’t know what’s going to happen once we reach the lab. I don’t want to miss this chance to be with you.”

  “But here? Like this?” Why was he arguing? Because I want her to be sure.

  “Yes. You, me, and the desert. Nothing between us.”

  He had his clothes off before she finished speaking and stalked towards her. His cock was so hard it was almost vertical, and he shuddered when her small, cold fingers stroked it.

  “This is too cold for you. Let me put up the habitat.”

  “No.” Her grip tightened as she tried to close her hand around him. “This feels right.”

  “Very right,” he agreed, pulling her closer. She came eagerly, even as her fingers whispered over him, increasing his need for her with every touch.

  He wanted to take her to the ground, to lay her out before him so that he could see and touch every perfect inch, but the ground was cold and rough. He looked around a little desperately. There. A smooth rock, warmed by the sun, and at the perfect height.

  He lifted her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around him, rubbing the damp heat of her sweet little pussy against his stomach. She couldn’t kiss him through the breathing mask, but she pressed her mouth against him as her hands roamed over him.

  When he laid her back on the rock, she went willingly. Her body stretched out in front of him, pale skin gleaming against the dark red stone, like a virgin sacrifice to be offered up to some lucky god. He wanted to tell her that she was beautiful, perfect, but she didn’t want to hear the words so he would have to show her instead.

  He used his mouth not to praise but to worship, kissing each perfect inch until she was reaching for him with greedy hands.

  “Now, John.”

  He stroked her delicate folds and teased her small entrance. She was wet, so wet, but she was also tight. Slowly, he reminded himself. He must go slowly. She took one finger, then two, and her hips lifted impatiently. He finally freed his erection, shuddering as her wet heat kissed the head. He jerked forward, unable to help himself, and incredibly, she opened for him, taking him inside the silken grip of her channel. He tore his eyes away from the erotic sight of her small opening stretching around him, checking her face. Her eyes were focused on him, shining with trust.

  He bent down over her, wanting to be even closer as he entered her with exquisite slowness. She never flinched, never took her eyes off him, even though he had to fight for each inch. By the time he was completely buried in the heated depths of her body, he was shaking.

  “Perfect.” Thank God, she was the one to say it.

  “Yes, love.”

  But then her eyes twinkled as she tightened her snug little pussy around his cock. “But it might be even more perfect if you moved—”

  She didn’t get the chance to finish. His pent-up need erupted as he withdrew, then pushed back in hard and fast as she rose to meet him. He put a hand under her ass, holding her in place as he plunged harder, faster, deeper. He heard her cry out, felt her convulse around him, but he couldn’t stop, lost to everything but the need to fill her with his seed, to make her his in every way. Fire streaked down his spine as his body tightened, and then his roar echoed against the rocks as he exploded inside her in long, satisfying waves.

  His knees weakened, but he remembered to keep his weight off of her even as he gathered her close. She felt so small and delicate in his arms, but she had met him with every stroke.

  “Are you all right?” he asked softly as he raised his head to look at her.

  “Of course. That was perfect.”

  Even behind the mask, he could tell she was smiling. Her eyes were suspiciously bright, but she wasn’t crying.

  “No tears?”

  “No tears. No regrets. Remember that, John.”

  There was an unsettling finality in her words, but he refused to acknowledge it. He reluctantly pulled free, and she sat up. She stretched lazily, the picture of feminine satisfaction, but he saw the minute her face turned serious.

  “We don’t have to investigate,” he reminded her. “We can call the rangers.”

  “No. I have to know what they’re doing.”

  Why? The unspoken question hung in the air between them but he would wait until she realized it was safe to tell him the truth. Instead, she turned away and began pulling on her suit. By the time she was dressed, his Serena had vanished, replaced by the cool, poised woman he had seen across a landing field. But the sorrow in her eyes had also returned, and he bit back his instinctive desire to protest the change. Instead, he swept an elaborate bow.

  “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

  A smile flashed across her face. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  As he helped her into the rover, he couldn’t help the feeling of dread that swept over him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Serena’s body hummed with satisfaction as the r
over trundled around the base of the mountain, the pleasant ache between her legs a constant reminder of their encounter. Not that she needed it. She didn’t think she would ever forget a single minute. The memory of his face watching her as he entered her with exquisite slowness was burned into her brain. Nor would she ever regret it. But she had to put it behind her, even though part of her was urging her to abandon her quest and give in to the temptation he presented.

  No. It wouldn’t last. But a child would be hers forever.

  She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear his question the first time.

  “Do you see that?” he repeated.

  “What?”

  “There.”

  She followed the line of his finger but only saw a faint glint in the sand. A long, straight glint, she realized. “Something man made?”

  “Yes. A track of some kind.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “There was one at the settlement I discovered as well. I think they’re using some type of train to bring in supplies.”

  “Supplies from where?”

  “If you’re trying to conceal a settlement, you wouldn’t want to land a ship there. But if you had a central landing area…”

  “You could transport goods away from the obvious location.” She sighed. “We’ll see what we can find out at the lab. If necessary, we can investigate for ourselves.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “Of what? Investigating?”

  “We.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. Why did he have to sound so pleased by the idea of the two of them together. It wouldn’t last between them—it couldn’t last.

  “John…”

  “Yes?”

  How could such a hard face look so anxious? She shook her head and leaned into him. “Never mind.”

  He drove the rover around another outcropping and brought it to a halt in front of a wall of rock. She suppressed the impulse to roll her eyes. GenCon’s desire to hide their activities in the rock was all too predictable.