Marcus 582: Book Three of Cyborgs: Mankind Redefined (8 page)

“Well, that’s what I’m trying to do, but I appreciate hearing it from someone who’s been there. Would it be asking a lot if I said I’d like to hug you?”

Rachel felt her lip quiver. “No…I…could…use…a…hug…too.”

His arms sliding around her were strange, but also comforting. She let herself lean ever so lightly against him. His lips grazed her temple before he gently let go. She sniffed a little and stepped back. “Thank…you.”

Edward snorted. “Oh sweetie, I’m the grateful one. You’ve given me my first real hope that maybe I can start over.”

He lifted a hand to her face and placed it on her cheek. Rachel smiled at the kindness in his touch.

“Rachel…it’s time to go. You’ve technically been off work for twenty-three minutes.”

She and Edward both turned at the roughly issued command. Across the room, Marcus was glaring at them from his post in the open doorway. Rachel straightened her spine and returned his glare with one of her own. The tiny moments talking to Edward had been the nicest connection she’d had with a person in a long damn time. She was not letting Marcus ruin it for her with his…his…
what
?
Jealousy?

She studied his face. His gaze kept straying to Edward.
Great. That was all she needed. More male ego crap to deal with.

She felt Edward’s hand rubbing her back in support and snorted. Genuine comfort from someone who was almost a virtual stranger. Looked like her instincts were right about him at least.

“Jealous boyfriend?” Edward asked in a quiet whisper.

The old-fashioned term he applied to Marcus made her giggle. She turned to Edward and shook her head. “No…worse. He…is…nem…e…sis.”

As if they’d shared a thousand jokes before that one, Edward belly laughed low and nodded. “Word to the wise, sweetie—that man sees beyond your ugly clothes too. I can tell.”

Despite the fact she didn’t really know Edward well, she backhanded him on the chest for teasing her about Marcus being attracted to her. The smack earned her another chuckle and made her happy again. She couldn’t remember instantly liking anyone as much in a very long time.

When Edward started to walk away, Rachel surprised herself further by pulling him back. She wasn’t ready to let him just walk out of her life. She needed a friend who wasn’t working with her at Norton. Edward seemed like he’d be a good one.

“Come…back…some…time.”

“I like you too, Sweetie. If you get tired of the thug over there glaring at you all the time, I know a few good men your age. We can fix you right up.”

Rachel snorted at his offer and then she saw Marcus’s hurt expression. Her gut clenched as he dropped his gaze. Though his surveillance of her life irritated her constantly, she couldn’t handle someone hurting his feelings. Her sigh echoed through her implant.

“Mar…cus…is…best…man…I…know.”

She saw Edward’s questioning gaze go to Marcus again.

“I hope so for his sake because I’m going to be keeping an eye on you from now on. Got a handheld somewhere?”

“Yes.” Rachel nodded.

“Let me give you my com connection then.”

Edward took her portable and typed his contact info at the end of the report on him, which she was still working on.

“Put that in your contacts and call me for lunch tomorrow,” he ordered.

When she nodded, he patted her cheek and headed toward Marcus who held open the door.

“Treat her right, Marine. Don’t make me come look you up and kick your ass.”

Marcus nodded, torn between frustration, and an unnamed guilt. Did he really come off as some kind of unfeeling asshole? The man had called him a thug. “I will. Take care, sir.”

When he turned back, Rachel was wearing her jacket, her carryall, and the biggest frown on her face he’d ever seen. He opened his mouth to apologize, but sorry never came out.

“When did you get a handheld? Where is it?”

He was dying to know. Rachel was changing every day and he was somehow missing her growth.

Rachel rolled her eyes. Of course the handheld would be the first thing he cared about. Never mind that he’d barked orders at her in front of one her patients. Never mind that she might be feeling embarrassed by his attempt to show he had some sort of control over her time.

“Screw…you,” Rachel declared. She glared harder and walked on to the airlift without him.

Marcus shook his head in defeat. “Fuck. Maybe I am an asshole,” he said to himself as he let the lab door lock behind him.

***

They walked in silence to Rachel’s apartment building where the most self-aware AI unit Marcus had ever seen greeted them. Apparently Eric had managed to get the guard bot upgraded to a top of the line one.

“Welcome home, Rachel Logan. You may proceed through the scanner. Your guest must register first.”

Rachel turned to look at Marcus. He shrugged and stepped forward to place his palm on the ID scanner.

“Welcome Marcus 582. Your identity has been recorded in our visitor database. You may both proceed through the scanner.”

Rachel marched through the archway, walking fast. She looked back and saw Marcus on her heels.

“Have a blessed day,” the AI guard said before returning to his guard-at-rest position.

As they waited on the airlift, Marcus glanced back at the AI. “Hope that model is the one you get to keep.”

Rachel hoped so too, but she shrugged instead of saying so. She didn’t want to talk to Marcus. He’d probably just ask her a bunch of questions about Edward she didn’t want to answer.

As the elevator doors slid open, Rachel walked quickly to her door. She paused before digging her access key out of her bag. “Good…night…Mar…cus.”

Her halting mechanized speech didn’t make his dismissal any less clear. Marcus tucked his hands into the pockets of a ratty exercise jacket he’d bought at a used clothing shop. Eric was right. He could stand to improve his image a little. But he was used to looking bad because it helped him blend into mixed crowds.

“Rachel, I…” he stopped when she turned and lifted her gaze to his. She was shorter in her flats, but oddly more intimidating. He studied her angry and unforgiving expression. His sigh echoed in the empty hallway. “Look…I’m sorry I interrupted you in the middle of whatever plans you were making with that guy at the lab. But I thought you hated cyborgs and I didn’t know if he was detaining you…”

Her palm pushing on his chest made him jump back in surprise. “What? What did I say?”

“I…can…make…all…the…friends…I…want. Go…now. Go…a…way.”

Marcus shook his head. “Rachel—wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…shit…I was jealous. Okay—I admit it. I thought he was asking you for a date. I—reacted badly.”

Her carryall slipped from her shoulder as she swung out her arm in a gesture of complete disbelief.

“Ed…ward…was…just…be…ing…kind. Do…not…be…such a….”

Her arm flew out again as a polite word escaped her.

“Okay,” Marcus declared, holding up both hands. “I get what you’re saying. I didn’t mean to imply anything. I can’t help caring about what happens to you.”

“Why?” Rachel demanded, her voice box squeaking as her throat tightened.

“
Why?
” Marcus repeated. What kind of question was that? He looked left and right and left again. “I have to care. You’re my job.”

“No…I…am…not. Fuck…you.” Her middle finger came up to accentuate her denial.

Marcus couldn’t help it. Her furious reaction made him laugh. Smiling hurt his face and he had to rub it. All the while Rachel stood there glaring at him.

“Chick…en…shit,” she taunted. She was pushing him hard, but she couldn’t handle things as they were. “I…don’t…need…you…watch…ing…me.”

His laughter died, but his smile wouldn’t. “Maybe you don’t need me, but I need you. The thought of not seeing you every day sends me into a panic that would make Kyra put me back into a cage if she knew how bad it was. I hate having to leave you alone at fucking Norton for seven and a half hours every day…and yes, I know that’s too much paranoia. Eric lectures me about it constantly.”

“You…need…men…tal…help.” Rachel declared.

Then she closed her eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm down. It didn’t help her temper cool. When she opened them again, Marcus was standing six inches away. The heat of him reached out to her.

“No, I need you…like a man needs a woman. Do you need me back, Rachel Logan? I can’t tell for certain and not knowing is killing me. I’m probably too old for you…and probably too ugly…and definitely too damn fucked up…but I’d really like to kiss you…at least one time. I’ve thought about doing it for months.”

“Months?” Rachel repeated, trying to take in Marcus had been hiding his interest for that long.

“Yes—months. I felt like that shortly after we met and it got worse when I realized my family didn’t want me anymore. I didn’t say anything…or act on my interest…because I was trying not to rush you. You had your own demons to get rid of. I figured you didn’t need mine,” Marcus admitted.

“You are…bossy…and…ang…ry…at the…world. You are…not fun…at all.”

Marcus chuckled at the understatement. “Eric says I’m an asshole.”

“Some…times,” Rachel agreed, nodding.

“Hey. You could have denied it, you know,” Marcus declared, laughing again.

Rachel felt her mouth twitch. “Too…true…to…deny.”

Marcus ran a hand through his hair. He was going down in flames. His processor was spinning wildly. “Fine. I’m an asshole. Do you think I have any redeeming qualities at all?”

“A…few.”

Chuckling again, Marcus stepped in close. His head spun when Rachel didn’t step away. “I admire you so much. You got an implant so you can talk. You work alongside Evil Brad and haven’t killed him. I dream about doing that nearly every day.”

“I…do not. Too…bu…sy…dream…ing…about…you,” Rachel admitted, holding her breath.

She noticed Marcus staring at her mouth for long moments before finally dipping his head for the kiss that had been a long time coming between them. A rumble in her throat started when his lips gently touched hers. He slid across them in one direction, then turned his head and slanted them the opposite way. She slid into a cozy, thick lust haze where only what they were doing mattered.

When he let her breath again, she whispered one word. “More.”

Marcus turned his head back to the first position and deepened the kiss another layer. Rachel helped by opening her mouth to let his tongue inside and by putting her arms around his neck to pull him closer. He lifted her from the floor and pushed her against her door. Her legs wrapped around him—those incredible legs he’d admired so often. It felt so right.

“I got rid of most of my memories of doing this. Will you make a memory with me that I’ll be happy to keep for the rest of my life? It’s been a long time since a woman sincerely wanted me.”

His words eased inside her making her attraction to him come into full bloom. Rachel let her body grow heavy and drop against his. In the process her crotch got dragged across the bulge in his wore-out jeans. The first stages of bliss sent shivers coursing through her. If she didn’t have him soon, she was going to implode anyway.

“I…want…you…too,” she confessed against his mouth.

Marcus groaned at her admission and the sound made her shake harder.

“Can I come inside?” he asked.

“Hur…ry,” Rachel ordered in answer, bouncing against him as she smiled against his mouth.

Marcus laughed at her flirting. “I meant your apartment, but I happily accept that offer too.”

He put one arm around her hips to hold her in place, and then dipped down to retrieve her carryall from the ground.

Rachel rummaged around in the bag, ignoring the handheld as it bumped her fingers. Finally, she pulled out her access key. She handed it to Marcus. Seconds later, he was carrying her across her threshold and locking up in between small biting kisses across her lips.

As Marcus held her against the door, his hands under her hips widened her thighs so he could push firmly between them. His erection felt glorious rubbing against her. Reservations about what she was doing were nowhere to be found.

“You…don’t…feel…old…at…all,” she whispered.

Marcus grinned at the compliment as he kissed her more deeply, daring to let his tongue make promises too. On one such exploration, the woman in his arms latched onto his stroking tongue and sucked. The pleasure of it coursed through him, blanking out everything except the need to complete their physical connection in every way possible.

When they hit her bed, he followed Rachel down, resting on her in bliss. He pulled away from their kiss to look at her flushed face and swollen lips. He pushed her hair back from her face and took a moment just to memorize how happy she looked.