Page 25 of True As Steel

He gently rubbed himself against my core for a while to get me wet, his mouth kissing my lips, face and neck. When he finally pushed himself in, he made love to me with careful, measured thrusts, my climax building slowly like a tidal wave instead of the unbridled tsunami he had unleashed on me the previous night. When he also found his release, we quickly rinsed again and walked out of the hygiene room after drying ourselves.

As we hadn’t discussed contraception, I wondered if Cyborgs were able to make themselves infertile on demand through the nanobots in their system. In our case, it didn’t matter as I had a contraceptive implant still valid for a couple of years in my left arm.

To my surprise, we found breakfast already laid out on our table in the living area when we finished dressing.

“One person came in while we were showering,” Jarog explained matter-of-factly. “By the sound of the footsteps, it was that same female assassin that had escorted you to the executive lounge last night.”

“You heard her come in?” I asked, feeling stupid the minute the words came out. He’d just said as much, hadn’t he?

Thankfully, Jarog spared me the embarrassment of mocking me for stating the obvious.

“Mmhmm,” he replied as we took a seat at the table to start eating.

A holographic disc sat right next to our food, making it impossible to miss. Jarog activated it.

“Good morning, sleepyheads,” said a small holographic projection of Haelin. “Once you’re done with your morning routine, meet me upstairs in the lounge.”

The message ended there. I exchanged a look with Jarog.

“Well, that should be interesting,” I said, trying to sound casual.

“I believe she will either offer us some incentives to remain here, or give us a mission,” Jarog said.

“The captured Cyborg?” I asked.

“Mmhmm,” he replied.

“Will you do it if she asks?” I insisted.

“Probably, depending on her intentions for him, and the plan she has in mind,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What makes you so sure she already has a plan?” I asked, curious to hear his reasoning, although I also believed she did. Haelin was always two steps ahead of most people, which was why she headed this powerful cartel.

“She doesn’t want her rival to have a Cyborg in his ranks,” Jarog replied. “If I remain here, it evens the odds. But if I help lure the other one here, and she convinces both of us to stay, she further strengthens her position. Cyborgs are on the run. Finding a safe place to stay where we won’t be exploited—at least in theory—holds an undeniable appeal.”

My heart skipped a beat, wondering if I was understanding correctly what his words implied. “So… are you saying that you want to stay here, now?”

“In the short-term, it is the wisest course of action for me. The next few days will help me solidify my plans,” he said with a shrug.

I nodded, forcing myself to take a bite of my food before speaking so as not to appear too eager. “Well, I’ve been thinking about it all evening. For me, going anywhere doesn’t really make sense. There would need to be a major—and I mean MAJOR—incentive to leave the safety of Satos.”

“Indeed. You leaving would be illogical. Haelin’s behavior towards you expressed protective feelings. Until you can be reunited with your kin, remaining here is your wisest course of action.”

My mind knew it as well, but for some strange reason, hearing him state it out loud only made it even more obvious. A heavy weight lifted from my shoulders now that I felt like my decision had been made.

“Well, I guess that means we’re stuck with each other for a little while longer,” I said playfully.

Jarog smiled. “I can think of worse fates.”

I snorted, then turned my attention back to my plate. We finished our meal in a comfortable silence, although my mind was working overtime. We hadn’t addressed the situation between us. Technically, we were just fuck buddies. I wasn’t looking for a relationship and highly doubted he was either. Thankfully, there had been no awkwardness between us. With luck, it would go on that way until we had everything figured out.

However, it troubled me that deep down, I hoped he would stay here as well, if not for the safety that Satos offered, he’d do so for me. That totally contradicted my no-strings stance. I’d never been the dependent type of chick. If I didn’t want him to stay out of romantic attachment, the only other logical explanation was my fear of being alone. That didn’t sit well with me.

Our empty plates put an end to my troubled musings. We headed out of the room and up the elevator to the main floor. Although the lift could have gone directly to the executive lounge, it required a security clearance that we didn’t have. During the day, the club had a completely different appearance. Gambling tables now covered the dance floor, and patrons were already testing their luck. Similarly, more gamblers crowded the first balcony.

The hostess who had escorted me yesterday greeted us outside the elevator. After Jarog’s comment about her being an assassin, I looked at the female with new eyes. It struck me then how I’d been fooled by her beauty, sexy outfit, and provocative strut. Her cordial hostess smile didn’t reach her eyes that seemed to look everywhere at once, keeping track of every potential threat. Even her feline gait had something lethal about it. I berated myself for how lax I’d become of late. The trauma of our arrest, escape, missing friends and family, and being on the run was no excuse for me to be this badly off my game. Now more than ever, I needed to keep my shit together if I didn’t want to become a statistic.

The female led us to the empty executive lounge. She kept walking to one of the closed business rooms at the back. She went in first, ushering us in. To my shock, the conference room of old had been transformed into some sort of medical clinic. Judging by some of the furniture stacked in the back, it appeared to have been a quick setup for temporary use…

---