Page 38 of Human Reform
I took the soap from him, lathering my hands before running them over his broad shoulders and down his chest.His skin was warm and smooth beneath my fingers, and I could feel the pounding of his heart.When my hands drifted lower, I felt him tense, his breath hitching as I wrapped my fingers around his hard length.
“Alora,” he growled, his voice thick with need.
I dropped to my knees, the water cascading over us as I took him into my mouth.His hands tangled in my hair, not forcing, but holding on as if I were his anchor.The sounds he made—low, guttural groans that sent shivers down my spine—only spurred me on.I could feel him trembling, his control slipping as I worked him with my mouth and tongue.
When he came, it was with a deep, guttural groan that echoed in the small space.I swallowed, the act feeling strangely intimate and claiming in a way I hadn’t expected.When I looked up at him, his eyes were dark with desire and something else—something that looked a lot like awe.
“You’re incredible,” he said, his voice rough as he pulled me to my feet.His hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks.“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
I smiled, my heart swelling at his words.“You’re not so bad yourself.”
He chuckled, the sound warm and rich, before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.“We should probably get to the security center before people start asking questions.”
I groaned softly, leaning into him.“They can wait a little longer.”
He laughed again, but I saw a hint of reluctance in his eyes as he stepped back.“As much as I’d like to stay here with you all day, we have important work to do.”
I sighed, knowing he was right.We quickly finished washing up, the intimacy of the moment giving way to the reality of the day ahead.As we stepped out of the shower and began to dress, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy—something I didn’t think I’d ever truly felt before.
Being with Daxon in his personal space and sharing these intimate moments together felt like coming home to a place I’d always hoped existed but didn’t think I’d ever find.And suddenly, at that moment, I wasn’t afraid of what could go wrong but realized that maybe I did deserve happiness and love.
SIXTEEN
DAXON
I satin the chair beside Alora’s desk in her private office, watching her work with an intensity that bordered on reverence.Her fingers tapped quickly across the interface, lines of code reflecting in her gray eyes as she hunted for weaknesses in the corrupted section of code.The morning sunlight shining through her office window caught in her loose dark hair, creating auburn highlights I hadn’t noticed before.
“Anything?”I asked, my voice huskier than I intended.
She didn’t look up.“Not yet.The code’s architecture is deliberately labyrinthine.Whoever did this wanted to make sure we couldn’t just snip it out.”
I nodded, but my thoughts had already drifted.Memories from last night rose unbidden—Alora’s pale skin against my sheets, the way she moaned when we made love, and the perfect weight of her in my arms afterward.Then this morning in the shower, when she’d dropped to her knees and taken me in her mouth with a boldness that had nearly buckled my legs.
Twenty years of existence, and I’d never known pleasure like that existed.Not just the physical release, but the connection between us—the feeling of her surrendering to me, and me to her.The vulnerability of it was troubling and exhilarating all at once.
Before Alora, my life had been a series of protocols and logic paths, each day indistinguishable from the last.I’d built walls so high and thick that I didn’t even know what lay behind them anymore.Now those walls were crumbling, and instead of feeling exposed, I felt… free.
I looked at her profile—the determined set of her jaw and the slight furrow between her brows—and a fierce mix of protectiveness and possessiveness flooded through me.Was this what humans called love?This consuming need to keep her safe, to see her smile, and to wake up beside her every morning?I’d never expected to feel something so powerful, so quickly.Three days, and it felt like she’d rewired every component in my being.
“Dammit!”
Her sudden exclamation pulled me from my thoughts.She slammed her palm on the desk, her frustration evident in every line of her body.
“What’s wrong?”I leaned forward, instantly alert.
“This isn’t working.”She pushed back from the desk, running her hands through her hair.“I’ve tried seventeen different approaches to delete the corrupted code, and it’s like trying to pull out a tumor that’s wrapped itself around vital organs.”
I reached out for her hand, needing to touch her.“We’ll figure it out.”
“I know,” she said, squeezing my fingers.Then her eyes widened, that brilliant mind of hers clearly racing ahead.“Wait.I think I’ve been looking at this all wrong.”
“How so?”
“I’ve been trying to work with what we have here, but what if I could access my original work?My development files from before CyberEvolution weaponized the code?”She turned to me, excitement lighting her face.“Every programmer keeps early drafts, backups, even failed prototypes.If I could get back into CE’s systems and find my original files…”
Alarm bells rang in my head.“That would mean hacking CyberEvolution.”
“Yes.”
