Adam (11 page)

“Yes, but only recently and, to my embarrassment, I must admit, only by chance.”

As if his admission was the key to unlock her, Laura admitted, “You know the stuff I’ve been working with in the lab? I’m pretty sure it’s from a cyborg.”

“I know.”

“You do?” She craned to peek at him, the clarity in her eyes returning, her face so vulnerable without her glasses.

“Why do you think I got myself assigned to your lab? We suspect CyberGlys is harboring cyborgs. Perhaps even the secret of our making.”

“If they are, it’s on the lower levels where the security is truly tight.”

“Have you ever been?”

Her nose rubbed against his chest as she shook her head. “No. I don’t have the clearance. I don’t know of anyone who does.”

Her jaw cracked as she yawned, fatigue overtaking her, but it was a natural tiredness that came from a day full of exertion. He let her drift off. They had hours before they needed to make the rendezvous point. Hours for him to plot. Plan. Feel. Touch. Torture himself.

With her skin, warm and dewy against his, her temperature almost back to normal, and the danger for the moment at bay, he couldn’t stop himself from swelling against her lower belly. For too long he’d tried to control his attraction to her, but machine or not, at the core, he was still a man.

A man who couldn’t help but want her.

Yet the real question was, despite her seeming acceptance of his cyborg heritage, would she want him, too?

Despite her fascination with Adam’s admissions and openness, lethargy dragged Laura down. Extreme fatigue, though, didn’t mean a dreamless sleep.

Once again, she found herself in the lab. That stupid, awful lab that she’d come to hate yet couldn’t seem to escape.

Despite knowing what would happen, she couldn’t stop it.

Shots were fired.
Bang
.
Bang
.

In came—

Hold on, it wasn’t CG311 this time who ghosted through her dream. Dressed just like a campus guard, Adam entered the room.

She strayed from her memorized script with a gasped, “What are you doing here? You can’t be here. You have to run. Run, dammit, before you die.”

But it was as if he didn’t hear her. Caught in the horrific loop of her nightmare, he repeated the words she’d come to hate.

“You need to hide.”

Hide. There was nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run. Even her own mind didn’t provide safety.

Adam spun as soldiers crowded the door, their weapons aimed with deadly intent.

Most times, at this point in her dream, she was frozen. She knew what was coming. Wanted to stop it. Shout at them to go away. To change the course of things.

But every time, she stood mute. Paralyzed.

Every time but now.

Now it was Adam facing the firing squad. Adam lacing his hands over his head.

She dashed toward danger, throwing herself before him. “No. Don’t shoot. You can’t. It’s not his fault. He doesn’t deserve to die.”

The masked soldiers didn’t reply. Nor did their weapons lower.

Strong hands spun her. A rough finger tilted her head until she faced Adam.

“You can’t stop this, Doc.”

“There must be a way.”

“Not for me. Not for any of us.” His blue eyes were clear and resigned.

As he kissed her, she clung to him, clung to him even as the soldiers opened fire and his body jerked in response.

And she screamed…and screamed…and…

Woke up to Adam shaking her, his tone worried. “Laura, wake up. It’s just a nightmare. It’s not real, just an emotional response brought on by the many shocks you’ve suffered.”

“They killed you,” she sobbed against him. “Shot you without even giving you a chance.”

“No, they didn’t. I’m here. I’m alive. I’m with you.”

“For now. But what about when we leave? This world isn’t safe here for you. For any of you.”

“How about we worry about that later? Right now there’s no danger. Unless you count a danger of me kissing you.”

She angled her head and strove to see his features in the gloom through damp lashes. “How is a kiss dangerous?”

“Because I doubt I can stop at one.”

“Oh.”
Oh.

His mouth slanted over hers and stole any further words or thoughts. He kissed her with a sweetness that had her hungry for more. Yes, she hungered. Hungered for him. She, too, didn’t want to stop at one.

One kiss would not be enough. Neither would two. Or three.

Death could take him at any time. Take them both actually, given the turn her life had taken. Why waste this moment wondering the what-ifs? Why stop when they had this tiny moment in time to share something beautiful? Sensual.

While somewhat aware before of their proximity, she now truly paid attention.
It’s just me and him, with no clothes, no interruptions, nothing to lose but a chance for pleasure.

It was a pleasure to snuggle into his warm body. His chest was smooth, the velvet skin of it covering firm muscles, which flexed as she stroked fingers over them.

The hardness of his erection pressed against her lower belly, turgid and hot, his arousal unmistakable, and for her.
For me.
This handsome man, this guy who was special in so many ways desired her.

Such a heady feeling.

She boldly opened her mouth under his and let her tongue be the first to sashay forward. His groan vibrated against her lips and had her undulating her body against him. Big hands cupped her full bottom, drawing her mound more firmly against his shaft. Her turn to moan.

The folds of her sex were already slick with desire, her body humming with need. While she would have enjoyed taking more time to explore, she knew that time was something they had precious little of.

She needed to seize the moment. Or, even better, seize him.

Grasping him around the base, she smiled against his mouth as he sucked in a breath finally.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

In between nibbles on his chin, she replied, “Having.” She angled her hips so that the tip of him rubbed against her clit. “An amazing.” She threw her leg over his hip, opening herself to him. “Adventure.” She bit his lower lip as she drew him into her body.

His body jerked, his hips pistoning forward, driving him deeper. She moaned, the pleasure of him stretching her an absolute delight.

“I wanted our first time to be slower,” he said as he thrust in and out of her. “I had plans for your body. Great plans. Fun plans.”

Clutching his nape with fingers that dug into his skin, her breath coming in pants, she said, “Save it for the next time. I just need you.”

At her words, he rolled onto his back and drew her atop him, still connected, still thrusting. He drew her head down until her forehead rested against his. His eyes were open and locked onto hers as he whispered, “I need you as well. I never knew how much until now.”

And then words became impossible as her mind spun, caught in a maelstrom of pleasure as he rocked her atop him faster. His hands on her hips guided, sliding her against him, grinding her swollen nub against him, even as he drove deeper within.

Their lips clung together in an unspoken promise. While she did her best to keep her enjoyment quiet, she couldn’t stop a cry when an orgasm shattered the tension in her body. Pleasure shuddered through her frame. Bliss made her sex quiver around him, milking him until he, too, let forth a guttural cry as he jetted warmly into her.

Despite the claims cyborgs were unfeeling, Adam didn’t push her away now that he was done. On the contrary, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

And she couldn’t help a thrill when he muttered the only word to make the moment better.

“Mine.”

Laura had fallen asleep again, atop him, using him as her pillow. Not exactly practical given no one could exactly describe him as soft. Nor was the position tactical. A true guard would station himself outside while she rested. The analytical side of him pointed out all the flaws and ways to render himself more efficient for the situation.

He said fuck it.

For once, his responsibilities, and his mission, weren’t his driving force. Adam could have happily remained in this dirty shed forever if it meant prolonging this moment.

For the first time since his rebirth, Adam could truthfully say he
felt.
Felt affection and wonder and…fear. Fear that he would lose the one person who touched his humanity and made him want to love.

He might have teased Laura that she lacked adventure in her life, and yet, she wasn’t the only one missing out.

To those watching from the outside, it appeared that Adam constantly experienced and experimented, lived on the edge, always on the go. He took on deadly assignments. Put himself in danger. Did all manner of things in order to
feel
.

While he enjoyed his pastimes, none really gave him a purpose. Before Laura, the closest he’d come for a reason to live was his cyborg brethren. Those men and women meant something to him, and therefore, he found a reason to fight, to care.

Then he met Laura. With Laura, he didn’t just get to assuage his inquisitive nature and enjoy the coursing of adrenaline through his system. With Laura, his emotions were also engaged. Engaged and screaming at him to keep her safe, and safe wasn’t in this tiny shack, naked and practically weaponless.

It was time to get this show on the road.

Carefully, he shifted her, gently rolling her onto the burlap sack bed so he could rise from their nest and check on their clothes. Still dripping fucking wet.

Suck it up, buttercup.
A popular human phrase. Who cared about chilly, damp clothes? He was cyborg. He could handle it, but the doc couldn’t, which meant he needed to go five finger shopping.

Did he feel guilty that he planned to steal? Conscious sub check. Not a whiff of guilt to be found. A shame because he had a subroutine to deal with that problem.

The humans had stolen enough from him to justify a few outfits, and maybe the loan of a car.

Less than forty five minutes later, he returned. He’d jogged about seven miles before he found an establishment providing what they needed. Forty-five minutes he spent away from Laura, minutes fraught with anxiety at having left her alone and defenseless.

She is only human. Fragile.
He had to keep her safe. The prime directive had him moving as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Coasting the vehicle to a stop, he breathed a sigh of relief. A quick scan of police air waves and the news revealed no one seemed to be involved in an active search for them. But the hunt was on for the helicopters in the sky. It seemed, while most people had managed to miss the great chopper escape, too many had caught the firefight in the sky, and no one could ignore the crash of his precious beauty.

My broken helicopter which was one of a kind.
Rosalind had to pull some serious hacking to acquire the plans and build the as-yet-unreleased Sikorsky S-97 Raider. The damned thing cost millions to create. In his spare moments, he sneaked down to the hangar where he hugged it and stroked it—when no one was watching because he’d diverted the camera feeds. It was the ultimate guy toy, and it was gone. Shot out of the sky. It was almost enough to bring saline to his eyes.

Getting maudlin over a machine. He mentally slapped himself and reminded himself he was a bloody cyborg. The plans to the chopper were in his head. He’d build another. A better one. A bigger one. With more guns.

Of greater worry than the loss of one helicopter was his hope that the safe house would provide a haven. Exactly who had been the target tonight? Him or Laura? If him, then nowhere would provide safety and it meant those he associated with were at risk.

But if the true target was Laura? Then she needed him because he was her best chance at survival.

How to discover for sure, though, what they were up against?

Only one way to find out. He needed to contact his friends, which meant leaving this quiet place.

As Adam entered the shed, his eyes immediately went to the makeshift bed, but Laura wasn’t there!

His regulated heartbeat stuttered.

“Adam?” Her soft query came from his right.

No sooner had she pronounced the A on his name than he was turning, scanning the shadows where Laura hid, shovel in hand.

Safe. She’s safe.
The irritating emotion, which he deciphered by definition as anxiety, released its tense grip. To hide the unexpected human defect, he chose nonchalance. “Planning to garden?”

A wrinkle of her nose, which looked bare without her spectacles—the damned things swept away in the river—went well with her shrug. “I’m more of a plant killer. I heard the car and thought I should arm myself. I figured even I could manage a whack if it was a bad guy.”

“In case you didn’t see the news reports, I am the bad guy.”

“That’s where they’re wrong.” Vehemently said. “You’re no worse than anybody else. You’re just doing what you have to do to stay alive.”

How passionately she defended him. The bursting warmth around his heart heightened. “I don’t need to do this to save myself,” he teased as he drew her near. “But I sure as hell want it.” He brushed a kiss on her lips.

A soft laugh tickled his skin. “Watch it. I’m armed and deadly.”

More than she knew.

“Indeed you are,” he murmured. He allowed himself a small moment to enjoy the feel of her tucked against him. Time ticked away, precious time they must not waste. “Much as I’d love to have you take me down and have your wicked way with me, we really should get going. We can’t hide here forever.” He’d hide her somewhere better. More comfortable. With a bed. And sheets. Soft ones.

Damn his weak human side for caring about unnecessary creature comforts.
He wasn’t some lily-skinned whiner. He could rough it. Who needed silky smooth, bamboo sheets? He’d settle for a mattress, on that his tender buttocks would not compromise on.

“You know, for a moment, I kind of forgot the danger.” Her shoulders sagged. “Where to next?”

“No argument?” It surprised him. In his observation—via fictional media sources,
i.e.
movies, books, and reality television—he’d noticed a female tendency to stubbornly go against logistical wisdom. Females were often irrational.

Not Laura.

“Argue about what? I don’t need to run the odds on the situation to know you’re my best chance at survival. The police aren’t equipped to help me against what was sent to kill me. Resurfacing just makes me a target. Not to mention, I know too many secrets now. I know you’ve already made the decision of how to deal with me if I step out of line.”

“Just because I am cyborg does not make me an indiscriminate killer.”

“I know that. Yet, at the same time, you’re a smart man, a leader who does what he must to protect others. You have too many other people to protect. My life isn’t worth theirs. In your position, I would do the same.”

He brushed fingers against her cheek, “I would only do it if I thought you posed too much of a threat.”

“Which I hope never happens, hence why I’m perfectly willing to follow your lead. I know nothing about evading gunmen and jumping out of things, which, I might add, is not at the top of my list of things I want to do again.”

“Ah, come on. It wasn’t that bad.”

She made a face, and he laughed. “It worked though.”

“Yes it did,” she conceded. “You obviously know how to survive, which means you’re my best chance to live. I know you’ll do your best to protect me.”

The trust she placed in him just about melted part of his circuits. To cover his momentary confusion, he brushed his lips across hers before stepping back, wary of the temptation she posed to his defective control. “If we’re not going to draw notice, then first you need to change.” He eyed her choice of outerwear, a few layers of burlap fabric, wrapped and tied around her body, the layers ragged in spots.

“You don’t like my burlap look?” She laughed again, the sound the most natural one she’d managed yet as she pirouetted to show him her sack dress.

Too easily he could calculate the abrasion on her skin from the coarse fibers. He’d know, seeing as how he’d frictioned against them during their tryst. He’d quickly healed, but given the dirt in the place, he feared infection if she broke skin on the filthy fabric. “I think we can do better than canvas. I scavenged some items.”

“In other words stole?”

“Only if you want to get technical. I call it commandeering for the greater good of cyborg kind.” He shrugged a knapsack off his shoulder and handed it to her.

Unzipping it, she dug in and pulled out his finds. Dangling a skimpy pair of panties, she arched a brow. “How are these for the greater good?”

“Because they’re my incentive to make sure we make it to a safe house in one piece so I can take them off later with my teeth.”

How he enjoyed her ability to blush. She presented such a lovely image, he wanted nothing more than to draw her into his arms and kiss her lips, perhaps kiss his way past her neck and explore the sweetness of her lush body. Yet, duty prevailed, not just to himself and Laura but also to those he led.

There remained few cyborgs on earth, most having chosen to flee off-world. To those who remained, he had a responsibility. They all looked to him to keep them safe, to provide guidance and a plan when it came to rescuing those in need. He’d also made a vow that if shit ever really hit the fan—not that their evolved cybernetic models used fans, and, yeah, that was a total metal joke that would have killed it with his brethren—he’d evacuate as many as he could, or die trying.

I am the leader of the Earth-based cyborg resistance.
Time he remembered that.

Strengthening his resolve didn’t prevent him from ogling her curvy frame—after all, his unit was capable of multitasking.

Laura dressed quickly, sighing in pleasure at the soft fabric he’d chosen for a sweater. “Much better than the burlap, and warm, too. I was beginning to think I would be cold forever.”

“Sorry I was gone for so long. It took me more time than expected to acquire the goods and wheels.”

“You mean we’re not walking?” She paused in the act of pulling soft track pants over her creamy thighs.

He made a snorting noise. “Fuck walking. I’m a machine, not a pedestrian. We’re driving, Doc, and in style.”

In style was a Mercedes CL500. Slate gray, fully equipped with its plates switched and the navigation tracking disabled. He couldn’t drive it for too long, the owner would surely report it missing, but in the meantime, it would get them to where they needed to go in supreme comfort.

Sliding into the front passenger seat, Laura groaned as the heated leather seats cushioned her butt.

He was almost jealous at her evident pleasure.
If I’d had more time, I would have warmed her up better than any old seat.

Dropping into the driver’s side, Adam shifted the car into gear. It purred. It pulled. It wanted to fly free.
Don’t we all?

“Ready?” he asked her.

“A part of me is screaming I should say no.”

“But?”

A smile creased her lips. “But really the answer is yes. I guess you were right about some things. It’s time I stopped hiding in the shadows helping and stepped into the light.”

Releasing the brake, he pumped the gas and got them rolling. It took him a moment to process the—possible—meaning to her words. “What do you mean hiding to help?”

“I don’t know if your fringe group is the one I’ve been working with, but for months now, I’ve been feeding information to a cyborg resistance group. More than that, I’m proud to say, via the dissemination of a few secrets, I’ve helped rescue a few cyborgs from custody.”

No way. The coincidence was huge, more than his probability calculations could account for. And yet…Adam quietly asked, “Does the name Talpa mean anything to you?”

“How did you know my nickname?” she exclaimed. “No way. Don’t tell me you’re—”

“—Big Toaster. Yeah. It’s me. I can’t believe you’re Talpa. All this time and I never suspected you were a girl.”

Not surprising, his blunt words brought a tightness to her features. “Why? Because only males can be moles?”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I meant because you’ve been playing a very dangerous game with deadly stakes. Do you realize what the military would do to you if they knew what you’ve been doing?” Or did they know? It would explain an awful lot about why some people were so intent on taking her out.

“If you’re implying the military would outright kill me? I doubt it. They’d take me into custody and grill me, probably with the use of torture. But the other option, which involves me ignoring what’s happening? Standing by and letting another cyborg die, and for what? Just existing?” She shook her head. “I might not be strong, or knowledgeable about hand-to-hand fighting, but I have other skills. With my standing in the research field, I have access to secrets, some of them crucial to discovering the whereabouts of cyborgs being held for medical experimentation. Without me, some of those cyborgs might never have been found or freed.”