Page 13 of The Cyborg Way
Whatever good intentions Levi might have had, they went flying out the window as soon as Ellie kissed him again. He groaned and slid his hand around that bare, tempting neck, holding her in place for his kiss. She returned it as enthusiastically as she had the previous day, her soft curves molding against him as she pressed closer.
His nanites raced to calm his system, but it was no use. His cock was once again stiff and aching, his heart pounding, and his skin on fire with longing.
Even with her robe and his shirt between them, he could feel the hard little points of her breasts against his chest. Unable to resist, he cupped a lush mound. When he stroked his thumb across the stiff little peak, she gasped into his mouth. He half-expected her to pull back, but she made an eager noise and pushed against his hand, seeking more.
He obliged, tightening his grip around the impudent nub. Her body quivered in his arms as she gasped again and the sweet scent of her arousal filled his head. Her fingers dug into his shoulders eagerly, urging him on. He slipped his hand beneaththe silky robe to the even silkier skin beneath, the warmth of her breast filling his palm. She moaned, and he was on the point of tearing off the robe and carrying her to her tempting nest of a bed when a loud trill filled the room.
Startled, he jerked his head up and found Henry staring at him from the kitchen area. He could have sworn the lizard was giving him a disapproving look, but even if he were simply projecting his own feelings onto the tiny creature, the interruption reminded him of who—ofwhat—he was and he drew back.
“I am not a man,” he said gruffly. “You should find a human male.”
Her look of dazed pleasure turned into a skeptical frown.
“You mean one like the man who fathered me? Content to simply have a limited sexual arrangement with a woman for more than twenty years without making her part of his life?”
How could any man be satisfied with that? He was afraid that if he ever had Ellie in his bed, he would never be able to let her go.
“Not all men are like that.”
Her frown didn’t disappear, and once again he found himself wanting to smooth it away.
“I don’t care. I’m not interested in anyone else—I mean, anyone.”
A rush of warmth filled him at her words, but then she crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him. “And if it bothers you so much, you can leave anytime.”
“I am not leaving,” he growled, then hastily amended his words. “Yet.I still need to scan that lizard.”
She lifted her chin, and for a moment he thought she was going to argue with him. Instead, she sighed and held out her hand.
“Come here, Henry.”
The tiny creature extended its wings and glided across the room to land in her palm, still giving him that disapproving look.
“Can I hold him while you do the scan?” she asked.
“Yes. Try and keep him still.”
She hummed softly to the lizard as he pulled out the scanner and ran it over him. It immediately pinged and told him to repeat the scan. The second time, it beeped several times but eventually displayed the results.
“Well, what does it say?” she asked impatiently as he stared at the information.
“He does not appear to be either poisonous or venomous,” he said slowly.
“I told you he wasn’t dangerous,” she said triumphantly.
“It appears you’re correct.” He studied the results again, then added reluctantly, “Your other theory may be correct as well.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean that he belongs on Mars?”
“It’s possible,” he admitted. “The pouch beneath his neck is used to absorb additional oxygen from the atmosphere, and he has two hearts. The scanner did not identify any Earth creatures with those specific features.”
“I knew it! You’re my little Martian, aren’t you, Henry?”
She kissed the top of the small creature’s head, and it gave a purring chirp. He did his best to ignore a ridiculous spike of jealousy—he was the one who had brought their kisses to an end, after all—and tried to decide if there were any other possible explanations for the results.
He still couldn’t eliminate the possibility that GenCon was working on adaptations to support human life. Because of their nanites, the cyborgs could thrive on Mars without additional assistance, but because they weren’t recognized as human by Earth Government, they didn’t possess the same rights as humans. They weren’t allowed to own property or marry, although Sam and several other rangers had ignored that last prohibition. Sam certainly didn’t seem to care that his marriage was not technically legal.
What would it be like to claim Ellie as his wife?
