“What’s the math on that?”
Nex’s grip on my shoulders stilled as he ran the numbers, per my request. “Based on current bidder aggression, the probability of a sale transferring leash permissions tonight is 81.3 percent,” he said. “And assuming we don’t lose signal fidelity during the handshake, I can isolate and reroute control with a 74.2 percent success rate.”
My eyebrows rose. “Anything we can do to increase those odds?”
“Proximity to either you or Voss during transfer. Which we should be able to arrange.”
“And then who owns me?”
Nex considered this. “Me. Until we get you into a surgical suite, and I can remove the device from you.”
“I can’t wait,” I said with utter sarcasm. “Who doesn’t want to get brain surgery on their first date with their boyfriend?” I asked in a faux dreamy voice.
“I...would be...very good at it,” Nex said slowly—and I didn’t have to read his mind to know I’d hurt his feelings.
“I know you would be. I’m sorry. I’m just going through some things,” I said with a soft snort, reaching out to take his hand.
He squeezed it. “I am sorry too. I had no idea it was going to take that turn on deck.”
“You don’t know humanity as well as I do,” I said, letting go of his hand to give myself a hug.
He came nearer and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest, where I finally found myself relaxing.
Or clinging to him.
One of those two.
“I may not know humanity—but I do love you,” he said, kissing the top of my head, beside the monstrous thing Voss had installed in me. “One hundred percent.”
“I know,” I said, nodding into him.
“When you were kneeling in front of me, could you still tell?” he asked, in all seriousness, and I laughed a little, bittersweet.
“Yeah. Of course,” I said, pushing back slightly. “Except for the time I almost lost you to international cybercrimes—but to be honest, that was actually pretty hot.” I laughed again, and this time it was far more genuine.
Nex made an all-too-human groan. “I am embarrassed to have gotten distracted while you were servicing me.”
“Servicing?” I said, making my fingers into air quotes. “I seem to remember it as me, giving the performance of a lifetime, sucking your brains out.”
His eyes went wide with horror. “Do not tell me that brains come out of that little hole, too!”
I couldn’t help it. I cackled so loudly that if there’d been anyone in the hall outside, they would’ve heard me. “Oh my God, Nex—you know enough about anatomy to get a metaphor!”
“No!” he protested. “Not when what I do know leaves me horrified!”
“Oh my God,” I kept laughing. “I’m dying—oh my God.”
“Don’t die!” he said, picking me up and setting me on the lab bench behind me at once. “You are not allowed to die! Not now, not ever!”
“It’s a metaphor!” I said, catching his head between my hands, as I felt his mind panic. “A metaphor—I promise, silly!”
He calmed down, slowly; I watched it and felt it at the same time. “I...may be the smartest fucking thing on this planet—except when I’m worried about you,” he said—and it wasn’t a complaint.
It was just sheer fucking love.
And now that I could let myself feel it—it radiated from him like he was a sun.
My legs wound around his chest at once, and I pulled the already low collar of my dress lower, exposing my breasts. “Kiss them.”
