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to put all of her past lovers to shame. Riley thanked the ounce of courage she d found to make the first
move. She d gotten rewarded beyond her wildest expectation, which was why the emotional slap the
next morning hurt so much.
It started with him dumping her on the floor in a tangle of blankets, her warm spot atop his chest
rudely taken away. Sitting in the mess of sheets, she blinked at him, assuming an accident, only to see
him, his face grim and closed off as he sat on the edge of her bed pulling on his trousers then his
boots.
Somehow I don t get the feeling I m getting an apology.  Is something wrong? she ventured as
she clasped the sheet to her breasts. Never mind the fact he d seen and caressed it all, she needed a
shield, even a fabric one.
 No.
 Then why do you seem so angry?
 This is how I always look.
No, it wasn t. She d seen a softer side to him, felt it and tasted it.  Are you going somewhere? Is
the ship all right?
 There is nothing wrong.
 Then why are you in such a hurry to leave? she asked, irritation coloring her tone. He seemed
prepared to ignore her as he stood. Like hell. She jumped to her feet and blocked his path to the door.
 I have duties to attend to.
 When will I see you again?
And here came the second blow.  You won t.
 Excuse me?
 Is your hearing defective? I have a ship to run. I won t be back.
Anger mixed with shame at her stupidity burned like acid in her stomach.  You used me.
 We used each other.
 So last night meant nothing?
 We copulated.
 I thought it was more than that. I thought we connected.
 We did. My cock fit well in your pussy. But that s all it was. Sexual relief.
She hit him, as if her small fist could hurt.  You fucking used me for sex.
 What else did you expect?
Something more than his callous disregard.  I expected a little respect.
 You are a human.
 Your point being? Despite your attempts to pretend you re not, half of you is as well. And, even
if you weren t, it s not too much for me to expect some level of respect or courtesy. We were
intimate. I don t just have sex with anybody.
 Then that is your problem. I never made any declarations. I had a need, and you were willing to
accommodate.
She could hardly believe the coldness, the unfeelingness of his answer.  You asshole.
 Name calling is uncalled for.
 Oh, I d say it s well deserved, you fucking prick. She pummeled him, unable to stop, her anger
overwhelming even common sense.
It had no effect; he was done talking. He set her aside, her feeble blows of no account, and left her
to her angry sobs of shame as she realized he d spoken the truth. He didn t care.
Way to showcase our differences. Maybe he is only a machine because only something with no
feelings could so callously treat what we shared together as nothing. But she, on the other hand,
was all too human, and his rejection hurt.
How could I have been so stupid?
Sure, he d never claimed he cared for her or made any promises. Still though, she d asked him to
trust her, to let her prove herself. She d done so in the only way she knew how, by giving herself to
him, by showing him pleasure. Apparently he d not understood the gift she d given him. Couldn t
understand because he didn t remember what it was like to be human.
Riley sighed. Had she really expected to magically cure Aramus of his trust issues with great sex?
He d had years to develop and stew in his anger. How could she so foolishly think one night of pulse-
pounding action would take away all his memories?
Seen from that perspective, it was hard to stay mad at him. She felt sorry instead, sorry that he
couldn t let go of his past and hatred. She d just have to try harder.
But how, when he claimed he didn t want to see her again?
We ll just see about that, Mr. Grumpy, because tenacity should have been my middle name.
*
Aramus had never felt more human and, at the same time, inhuman, as when he left Riley, her eyes
welling with moisture. What else could he do though?
He d done as the doctor ordered. He d fucked her. Fucked Riley just like he d imagined, and it
proved more incredible than even he had hypothesized. So incredible he d done it several times over
the course of the night. Wanted to do it again this morning when he awoke, as a matter of fact. It
became an almost imperative need when he d discovered her splayed across his chest, her cheek
against his skin, her head tucked under his chin, her hand over the spot where his organic heart used to
reside.
He d stroked a hand down her back, listening to her breath, so utterly content, and at peace. Even
 gasp happy, because of a human.
As soon as he d recalled who she was, what she represented, he d experienced a minor
meltdown. Not a circuit board blowout or a silicone chip failure, but an emotional one. Utterly
unacceptable.
I am a cyborg. I am a machine. I don t get fucking sappy. I don t admire sleeping women. I
don t cuddle. And I definitely don t fucking care!
So why did he feel like such an asshole as he stomped away from Riley? Why did he want to go
back and ask her forgiveness? Promise her he d never hurt her again?
 Aramus, why do you look like someone shoved a 
A fist shot sideways shut Xylo s fat mouth and started the brawl he needed to expend some pent-
up tension. Fifteen minutes of tussling later, with a broken nose number two hundred and thirty
seven by his count he sat in the medical bay, shoulders slumped as MJ popped the bent appendage
back into place.
 Care to explain why you felt a need to pound your head of security s head off the floor? MJ
asked as he shone a light in his eyes, checking his retinas for damage. Xylo had landed a few solid
punches, and Aramus saw the world in triplicate for a few minutes after the fight.
 This is your fault. I did what you told me. I fucked the human.
 I take it the experience left you feeling dissatisfied, hence your anger at a passing shipmate.
 No. I enjoyed it. All three times.
 But? MJ drew out the word, waiting for more.
 But I wanted more. Wanted to hear her soft cries of pleasure as he thrust into her and feel her
fingers digging into his shoulders, her breath hot against his lips. Closing his eyes and willing the
images away didn t stop them.
 I take it the human couldn t handle your ardor given her frail nature and said no when you asked
for more sex.
 Not exactly. He had a feeling Riley would have welcomed his touch. Actually, he knew she
would have. Or had. After his actions, he doubted she would even want to speak to him. He d acted
like a jerk. She probably hated him now, which was as it should be, so why did the thought fill him
with dissatisfaction?
 There is an expression on earth about people who don t volunteer information to those trying to
help them. It goes,  like pulling teeth . Except, in your case, I am going to start removing body parts if
you don t talk. I can t help you if I don t know the problem.
 Touch any body parts and I ll remove your arm and beat you with it.
 I d like to see you try. MJ glared.
Aramus held in a sigh. While MJ was usually benign in nature, truth was their part-time doctor
was a trained killer and a big fucking bastard who towered over even Aramus. In a head-to-head
match, things could get dicey.
 I m waiting, soldier. Spill your guts before I rip them out.
 Fine. You want the sordid details, here they are. I m turning into a defective shadow of myself. I [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]