It made her feel ten times worse.
There was no point in trying to resurrect the wall she’d built over the years to enable her to do her job and still sleep at night. Dante might have been created in a lab, but he was no ‘mere’ machine.
The truth, as hard as it was to accept, was that he was probably no more machine than she was. She’d been born to parents, but so defective fully half her body was robotic. Defective internal organs had been replaced with healthy bio-engineered organs that had only become hers after they’d been transplanted into her body.
She was as self-righteous and bigoted as any other member of her kind.
She knew now why the company was so hot to destroy the cyborgs. They were trying to cover their asses, not protect mankind from machines. They didn’t want it to be discovered that they’d so far forgotten themselves as to create life when the morality laws forbade such tampering.
“I’m sorry,” she said, finally nerving herself to meet his gaze. “That was … unforgivably stupid and careless of me.”
She knew the moment the words were out of her mouth that he’d misinterpreted them.
“Already regretting it?” he asked coldly.
“Yes, but not the way you’re thinking.”
“I do not think. I collate. I am sure you have not forgotten that. You make certain to point it out every time I come near you.”
“Stop it! I’m trying to apologize. I know, now, that I was wrong.”
His lips tightened. “I failed to perform as expected? You do realize your revulsion of cyborgs creates a problem. Next time, close your eyes. Maybe you will be able to pretend I am human, not a machine.”
Amaryllis felt her temper spark to life. “I know you’re not just a machine,” she said tightly.
“You discovered something?”
“Damn it, Dante! You could at least give me a chance.”
He shook his head. “I already did. My life might mean nothing to you, but I am fond of it.”
“He wasn’t supposed to be there, damn it! How was I to know he’d show up?”
His eyes narrowed. “He wasn’t supposed to be in his own cabin?”
“Not at this time … he never has been before.”
“But you were expecting me?”
Amaryllis blushed. “Yes.”
“The shower was a nice touch. You could have disposed of me and it would have looked like an accident.”
Amaryllis gaped at him. “You can’t be serious!”
“That was not the plan?”
“No!”
“What was the plan, then?”
The blush that had barely died, rose once more. “I didn’t really have one.”
“The human capacity for half truths, complete lies, and malicious subterfuge never fails to amaze me. You did not decide, when you saw that I wanted you, to wait until I was half crazed with need and dangle the promise in front of me? It was not your plan to use my weakness to dispose of me, to rid yourself of the only one aboard this ship that is aware that you are human?”
Horror washed through Amaryllis that he’d so completely understood her original plans. In point of fact, she’d forgotten them in the time since. Having him recite them back to her as if by rote brought them crashing back into her memory, however, and she could not prevent the guilt that showed on her face.
No wonder he hadn’t touched her since! No wonder he’d avoided her as assiduously as she’d avoided contact with him.
