MaleAndroidCompanion (16 page)

Gia knew there would be red, angry stripes
down his back and she didn’t care as she dragged her hands across him again.
She wanted to mark him. As silly as it sounded, she wanted him to be hers.

Liquid heat pooled inside her along with a
desperate need to appease the ache between her thighs, which was building with
alarming speed. Keening sounds slipped from her taut lips. Her inner muscles
bunched, released and then tightened again. Panting, her body undulated beneath
his.

He laid his forehead against hers. His
fiery stare met hers. “Damn. It feels as if your pussy is sucking me deeper.”

Gia heard his sharp intake of air. Hooking
his arms beneath her knees, he spread her wider, slamming into her with a force
she swore struck the very core of her being before he ground his hips into her.
His cock enlarged, swelled, stretching her even more.

“Come for me, Gina.”

To hear her real name on his lips undid
her. Moaning and writhing, her arousal soared with the exquisite burn surging
through her veins. He thrust again and the pulsing ache inside her reached a
crescendo before splintering in all directions.

Gia screamed.

Stars burst behind her eyelids.

No air remained in her lungs. She was
drowning in ecstasy and clinging to Marc as if he were an anchor.

Exerting more pressure against her inner
thighs, he slammed home once again. His body quivered and then he stilled. A
throaty groan echoed in her ear as he climaxed, joining her. The warmth of his
seed filled her, setting off another series of spasms that almost stopped her
heart. It was too much and not enough. She would never tire of this man.

Loosening his tight grip on her legs, he
collapsed and rolled, taking her with him as pleasure continued to curl through
her. He buried his face into her hair. His breathing was broken pants, matching
hers.

Gia sighed.

Lying in his arms, she felt cherished,
wanted and for once in her life, content.

The sudden rattling of the French doors to
her bedroom jerked her upright and out of Marc’s arms. Her gaze flew to the
doors as her heart started to pound.

Marc smoothed his palm up her thigh.
“Relax, honey. That’s just our ride.”

Relief filtered through her. That’s right.
Talk about timing. Mr. Roberts from the Institute had called last night to
inquire whether she would be leaving the state with their android. When she
informed him she did have plans to go to Oregon this weekend, he insisted that
the Institute’s security and jet be used. Since Marc was legally the property
of the Institute, if she wanted him to accompany her, she had no other
alternative but to agree.

“Get dressed.” He sat up, throwing his legs
over the side of the bed. “The sooner we leave the more likely we won’t be
followed. You can shower in the sphere before breakfast.”

Gia watched his powerful, naked body move
across the room.

Gorgeous.
And all hers.

In reality who needed a man?

Gia rose quickly, heading toward the
bathroom. After she dressed in jeans, a light cotton pullover T-shirt and
walking boots, she exited the manor to find Marc speaking with Antares.

A strange aircraft she had never seen
before other than in pictures hovered two feet above the ground. The long,
sleek, silver disc-shaped helio-sphere had no wings or rotor or even doors that
she could detect. As her gaze skimmed across the shiny surface, midway up the
craft something began to vacillate, reshape. A small portion of the ship began
to melt. Like liquid mercury it flowed to the ground, morphing into a solid
ramp. As soon as the entrance was revealed, one of their bodyguards began to
load their luggage.

Stunned, she stood speechless when Marc
turned and smiled. He opened his arms and she walked into them as if it was the
most natural thing in the world to do.

Antares pinned his dark gaze on Gia. “Miss
Easton, do Mr. Charleston’s plans meet with your approval?”

“Yes, Antares. The Institute has provided
everything we will need.”

The frown on Antares’ hard mouth revealed
his stance. “You need to know the press activity has picked up since last
night’s headlines.”

“What headlines?” she asked.

Marc tightened his hold on her. “Apparently
the media has gotten wind that there is a new man in your life.”

“Crap.” The happiness she had felt only
moments ago vanished. No matter how one tried, secrets got out. It would only
be a matter of time before the truth of Marc was discovered and then her life
would be raked across the coals. And it was too late to turn back now.

Marc dropped his arm around Gina’s
shoulder. “Honey, we should leave now.” With a palm in the small of her back,
he assisted her up the gangplank. Once she was seated and buckled in, he sat
next to her.

“Oh. My. God,” she said in awe as she
looked around the plush sphere.

The craft was bigger than it appeared from
the outside. There were no pilots. The ship had only to be programmed, their
flight pattern was already logged into memory. A couple of their bodyguards sat
in a separate room along with their luggage. But her expression of wonder was
due to the fact that the walls of the helio-sphere appeared almost invisible in
places, like windows, so that it felt as if she had only to stretch her arm to
touch the sky, buildings and the world itself.

Marc had to admit it was amazing.

When the aircraft began a quick vertical
ascent, she reached over and grabbed his hand. He winked at her and she smiled
weakly. Veering sharply in a horizontal pattern, the craft moved fast and low
over several estates before it rose into the sky. The tactical move was used to
confuse those on the ground about which home it actually came from.

“Did you call your mother?” he asked.

“Yes. Dad will be waiting for us at the
airport.” When Gina mentioned her father, her features softened.

“We won’t be going to the airport. The
helio-sphere will take us to your parents’ house.”

“Oh. Okay. Then I should call Dad.”

“Here. Let me get you an open line.” Marc
pressed a button on his armrest but nothing appeared to happen.

She cocked an eyebrow in question.

“Elaine and Paul Easton, Oregon.” When he
spoke their names a ringing sound came as if out of nowhere. Surround sound
made even him unable to determine where the peal came from. When the videophone
was answered on the other end, a holographic picture appeared of a man with
gray streaked through his chestnut-colored hair. He sat behind a desk as if he
had been working on the computer when the call came in.

Gina eased up in her seat. “Hey, Dad.”

The fifty-something man smiled, lines
forming around his mouth. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“We won’t need a ride from the airport.
Marc has arranged for the helio-sphere to take us directly to the house.”

“Good.” His smile dissolved. “Have you
watched the news today?”

Gina’s shoulders sagged. “No, but I’ve
heard.”

“Well then, you be careful.”

“I will, Dad. Bye.”

The hologram vanished.

Marc hadn’t had time to research her
family, so he’d be going in cold on this meeting. The thought twisted the knot
in his stomach.

What if they didn’t like him?

What the hell was wrong with him?

He was thirty-two and had met several
women’s families, but for some reason this felt different. “Tell me about your
family. What does your father do?”

“He’s in the forestry, a fireman. So are my
brothers. Becka and Vic are both ocean biologists.”

“Your mom?”

“Is the best cook in all of Oregon,” she
said with a broad grin. “And she’s the new president of Struma’s National
Bank.”

The kink in his stomached balled up. “By
any chance is your mother related to the retired president of that bank?”

“He’s my grandfather. You sound as if
you’ve heard of Struma’s National Bank and my grandfather.”

Oh yeah. Marc nodded, feeling the space
around him start to close in.

He knew Chad Struma, an astute elderly man
with lots and lots of power and money. Their paths had crossed at several
charity dinners and even once on the golf course. His institution provided
personal banking, credit card services, insurance and retail financial products
across the United States for many companies and people, including Marc’s.

He was about to admit that the gig was up
when Gina moved closer. “Grandpa is under the weather. Mom said he wouldn’t be
attending their party. I thought perhaps we could visit him on Sunday before we
head back to California.”

Marc mentally wiped his brow, knowing he
had dodged a bullet. “Sure. If that’s what you want.” It wouldn’t be too
difficult to think up a reason not to escort her to her grandfather’s home.

* * * * *

Gia didn’t even try to suppress her anxiety
as the helio-sphere made a vertical landing in a wooded area of her parents’
ninety-acre ranch. Oregon was home, which meant a whirlwind of relatives and
questions. Marc’s presence would quell some of those questions and stir up
others. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. Marc must have sensed her case
of nerves, because he wrapped his hand around hers and smiled softly.

A multitude of thoughts invaded her head.
How would her family receive Marc? Could they pull off a relationship that
didn’t exist?

Gia startled when her ears popped. After
seesawing her jaw, her hearing cleared again so that everything sounded louder
than before, or maybe she was just a little more sensitive than usual. She
moved restlessly against Marc.

“Gina, everything will be okay,” he
reassured her.

Looking into his warm, caring eyes she could
almost believe him. Almost.

As one of the security guards from the back
entered, the medium-size, dark-haired man didn’t look happy. His broad
shoulders were rigid as he stopped before them. There was something dangerous
in his dark eyes.

“Miss Easton. Mr. Charleston. Apparently
someone has tipped off the press. They are already surrounding the exterior
fence.”

Exasperated, Gia’s head fell back against
the leather seat. “I can’t believe this. Doug.” She shook her head. “It had to
be Doug.” Of course, Mary could be blamed as well. Then again did it matter
which one? What was done was done.

Marc unfastened his seat belt and rose. “So
what’s the plan, Norton?”

“Ground security has been increased. A
Range Rover is en route to take you to the house. Miss Easton’s father is aware
of the situation.” Norton turned to Gia. “I’m sorry, Miss Easton.”

Unfastening her seat belt and rising, Gia
mustered a halfhearted smile. “It’s okay.” Turning to Marc, she fought back
tears. “If they see you the press will discover your identity. Maybe not today,
but they will. Maybe I should go this trip alone.” It was the last thing she
wanted, but probably the smartest decision she’d made in a long time.

Marc dismissed Norton with a nod and then
reached for Gia, pulling her into his embrace. “Are you trying to ditch me?”

Gia met his feigned grin with a frown. “No,
but what if they find out the truth?” It would ruin her. Bittersweet emotions
beat behind her eyelids.

“They won’t.” He kissed her tenderly. “I
promise. Now let’s get out of here.”

Why, against her better judgment, she
allowed him to escort her off the helio-sphere, she’d never know. All she did
know was that she wanted to believe him, especially since she wasn’t ready to
give him up—not yet.

Marc clasped her elbow and assisted her
down the gangplank where a large, closed-in Range Rover awaited. They climbed
inside and waited until the luggage was loaded and the other security guards
slipped in behind them.

As the vehicle drove over the rough
terrain, a memory rose. Gia and her siblings had roamed every inch of this
land. While Portland had evolved like all the other large cities, Forest Grove,
twenty-five miles outside of town, had attempted to hold on to its roots,
keeping everything more low-key. Even her parents had allowed their land, this
part of their world, to stay pure and untouched. Within this small haven there
were no skyscrapers, no ground-and-sky transit systems or artificial landscape.
Only the smell of pine and the natural scent of the earth, springs and wildlife,
which greeted her as she watched a deer jump across the creek just before the
Range Rover disturbed the water and splashed through it.

When the vehicle broke through the wooded
area, it slowed, moving down the long driveway that twisted around a thick
grove of trees and then coming to a wide opening where the two-story colonial
home Gia had grown up in stood. She swallowed hard, praying that this weekend
would be a success for her parents.

Activity buzzed all around the house.
Several small children were playing croquet on the emerald-green lawn.
Evidently, her father had activated the GPS system within the game because when
a small boy struck his mallet against the ball, it moved swiftly and accurately
through the hoops. Across the grounds, two other children swatted badminton
racquets at the shuttlecock flying over the net. It was clear by the way the
wind carried the shuttlecock that the GPS system was inactivated. The
old-fashioned games had continued to be favorites of her family’s throughout
the years.