The fact that this gorgeous, slightly nerdy, intelligent man likes what he sees makes me feel good. While he gets a good look at me, I take in the tall, sexy cyborg, and it’s all I can do to keep my tongue in my mouth. This is the first time I’ve seen him out of his Galaxy Circus uniform, and let me tell you, it’s not a disappointment. He’s wearing a black, long-sleeved, button-up shirt that makes his shimmery skin even more noticeable. The top two buttons are open, and the sleeves are rolled up. I’m such a fucking forearm whore, and not even his built-in screen can turn me off. He’s paired it with black jeans and a purple tie. He looks edible.
“Wow, Lila, Magenta really picked an amazing dress. Now I wish I was coming with you,” Caspian says, licking his lips, and Link quickly jumps in.
“You’re welcome to join us,” he offers, but Caspian just shakes his head.
“No, tonight is your night. Have fun. I have to go greet the new arrivals.”
“Oh, Cas, I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk about your day. I was so wanting to hear about it,” I tell him, and he smiles.
“That’s okay, babe. Have fun, and I can tell you all about it tomorrow.” He sounds pleased, and I make a mental note to chase him down and make him tell me all about it.
“Well, if that’s the case, can you make sure that Josa gets on that return flight too? I wouldn’t put it past him to try and miss it,” Link requests, and Caspian quickly agrees.
“No problem. Lila, just shoot me a message if you’re not coming home tonight,” Caspian says with a grin, and I feel my cheeks heat up again. My husband is basically giving me permission to get laid.
Best. Husband. Ever.
He presses a chaste kiss to my lips and hurries out of our quarters, leaving me alone with Link.
“You look exquisite, Lila. Here, these are for you.” He pulls a bunch of flowers out from behind his back. They are like nothing I’ve ever seen before, all bright, vivid colors with feather-like petals.
“They are breathtaking, Link. Where on Earth…” I break off and think about what I said before continuing with a little giggle. “Or I guess I mean where in space did you get these?”
“We have a biozone level where they grow all sorts of things. There is a garden shop on the retail level so people can bring a bit of life to such a sterile atmosphere.”
I take them from him and bring them to my nose to smell the blooms. They have a complicated floral scent, kind of like peach tea and lavender, if I had to describe it using what I know from Earth. “I’ll just find some water for them.” I head over to the kitchen area and search for a vase to place them in. After opening a couple of cupboards, I find something suitable and fill it with water, placing the flowers inside.
I really need to spend some time trying to acclimate myself to my living quarters.
“Shall we go? I reserved a table for dinner before we head to the club.” Link holds out his arm, and I link mine with his—no pun intended.
“I can’t wait. I’ve been looking forward to spending time with you, just the two of us.” We leave my quarters and head for the elevator.
“Me too, and I found out some information for you about why Saxon went feral when he smelled your blood, so we can discuss that too if you want.” I remember Caspian telling me that Link would be able to shed some light on the situation, and I’m glad he brought it up and not me.
“As much as I want to ignore it and just talk about us, I would be stupid not to educate myself.” I turn my head so I can look at him. “I can’t believe, just because I was lucky enough to escape earlier, that it will happen again. I’m surprised he didn’t catch up with me once whatever Nixie must have done wore off.”
The thought that Saxon could be lurking around the ship, just waiting for me, has my insides churning a bit. I force down the paranoia that’s starting to put me on edge.
We step into the elevator, and Link hits the button to the floor where the restaurant is. “Oh, well, that’s because he’s currently sedated in my clinic. He’s no harm to you until he wakes up, and by then, you should know everything you need to.”
I step up to him, placing one hand on his cheek and one on his chest. “Thank you, Link. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you and Caspian looking after me. It’s been a little bit of a bumpy ride so far, and knowing the two of you really have my best interests at heart is a relief. Between you and the grandpas, Dylan’s betrayal hurts a little less.”
I take his lips with mine, dragging my tongue along the seam of his mouth so he opens to me. When he does, I slide my tongue in to tangle it with his and kiss him deeply, putting all my feelings into it. It doesn’t take him long to respond, and he pulls me hard against his body, taking over the kiss and dominating me. Phew, who would have thought that he had this in him? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, cyborgs are supposed to be the experts on pleasure. How lucky can a girl get?
I’m breathless and lightheaded when he pulls away as the doors open. He wears a smug grin on his face as I try to steady myself, putting my hands against his chest and blinking to defog the pure lust from my mind.
“Come on.” He holds my hand, and the two of us make our way to dinner.
Dinner is yummy, despite me not being familiar with anything on the menu. I decided to let Link order for me, and everything he chose has been delicious.
“So tell me more about yourself,” I ask before I shovel another delicious bite into my mouth. “I know you’re a doctor and have great taste in food” —I wave my hand at the table, and we chuckle— “but I want to know more. Tell me about cyborgs or your family, or even Pleasure Bot Industries. Anything.”
I’m practically begging by the end, but I see him thinking, so I keep eating while he gets his thoughts together.
He takes a deep breath. “My family is complicated. Cyborgs don’t have fated mates, intimates, blood roses, or anything like the attraction marks the Skarrians have. They rely on nanobot compatibility. I guess I need to explain cyborg reproduction for you to understand. Much like most organisms, sex is required to reproduce, but because of our nanotechnology, parents are able to pick both physical and mental traits they’d like their children to have. Once they decide to reproduce, the parents program their eggs and sperm to contain these necessary trait markers, thus ensuring the desirable outcome in their child. When a cyborg baby is born, their source code, the thing that makes them uniquely them, is copied onto a microchip and deposited in a safe place. That place is one of the best kept secrets in the galaxy. Only the caretaker has access to this secret location. There is much speculation that it’s in an alternate dimension. This is to protect each individual, because if anyone were to gain access to it, they would be able to rewrite their programming. Much like I can change features on my body, someone else would be able to control that.”
I stop eating and stare at him, completely engrossed in what he’s saying. “Hold up. You can change your features?” I ask him, and his silver eyes switch to red and he winks at me. “Holy shit.”
