Programmed To Please (The Tau Cetus Chronicles) (4 page)

Or, if voyeurism was his thing, he could just admire the view through the nearly see-through silk.

Dear God. She was a Beautiful Doll. A sex toy. Every inch of her was designed to excite and entice a man.

Don’t panic!

I am relaxed. I am…relaxed.

I… am…relaxed.

Her breath moderated, her heart slowed, and then the door to the room opened, ruining her attempt at calm.

Keeping her eyes closed, she heard footsteps cross the floor.

“This room and this Doll will be yours for the five sessions that you’re with us,” Carron was explaining to Marque Callex. “And here,” the slide of wood on wood told Jai that Carron had apparently rolled back the Shoji screen, “here you’ll find everything you might need to make the experience even more enjoyable. Handcuffs, ropes, blindfolds, whips, paddles, gag balls, nipple clamps, bondage collars, vibrators, dildos. If there’s something you fancy and it’s not here, just let me know. You’re free to fulfill any fantasy, as long as you don’t damage the Doll.”

Jai tried not to panic at the thought of the wicked sex games Marque Callex might dream up for her.
Just breathe, Jai. You’ve got to do this!
She heard their footsteps come near, and then stop next to her.

“This is our J-class model Beautiful Doll. Jai? Say hello to Marque Callex.”

Show time.

I can do this.

Remembering her instructions, Jai very slowly opened her eyes and looked up. “Hello, Marque Callex,” she purred, in her best imitation of Ginger’s sexy voice.

She was gratified to see Callex’s eyes go wide.

“Stand up,” Carron ordered.

Jai stood slowly.

“Now give us a nice turn, all the way around.” As Jai gave Marque Callex a chance to look at her from every angle, Carron continued. “You can call her J. She’s our newest model, fresh out of the factory. Designed to be our most lifelike Doll yet, and physically tailored as per your instructions. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Athletic build. She’s so advanced we’ve programmed her to feign breathing, hell, we’ve even given her a pseudo-heartbeat! She responds to verbal commands and some visual cues. And, of course, she’s programmed for pleasure. Your feedback on how she performs will be appreciated. Now. Any questions before I leave you two alone?”

Jai had finished her slow pirouette, and was once again staring at Marque Callex. She’d seen shadowy surveillance pictures of him, of course – the recluse never had a picture taken voluntarily – but they hadn’t done him justice. He was actually a very attractive man. Mid-thirties. Black hair, grey eyes, and a square don’t-fuck-with-me jaw. There was a deep frown that seemed permanently etched between his brows, but aside from that, he looked to be in fine physical shape. Jai relaxed slightly. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized that subconsciously she’d feared Marque Callex might be physically repulsive on top of everything else.

“I have no questions,” Callex said smoothly. “In fact, I find myself eager to get started.”

Carron nodded. “Very well. We’ll let you know when your hour’s up. Oh, and by the way, this room is
soundproofed.
Anything you do here is private. Enjoy yourself.”

With that ominous statement, the oily owner of Beautiful Dolls left Jai in the hands of Tau Cetus’ most notorious arms dealer.

Jai’s nerves rushed back in.
I am relaxed. I am…relaxed. I…am…relaxed. I am –
shit!

Marque Callex was staring at her intently. “Hello, J.”

Jai swallowed.
Play your part, Jai!
“Hello, Marque Callex.” Her voice was not quite as sultry this time, but at least she’d kept her delivery slow and deliberate. As if she
were
relaxed.

“Call me Marque.”

“Hello, Marque.”

He paused, still staring at her closely. “I didn’t believe Anson Carron’s boast, but he was right. You’re astonishingly lifelike.” He reached out to take her right hand in his, examining it, turning it over, palm up, then tracing the line of a vein on the inside of her wrist with his left index finger. “Amazing. Such detail.” His fingertip stroked back and forth across the delicate blue line of her vein. “If I cut you here, would you bleed, I wonder?”

Dear God.
Was Wyatt listening to this? He was supposed to protect her if things got out of hand.

Jai thought fast. “If you cut me, I would…
leak.
Synthetic XP201b lubricant. But you’re not allowed to damage the merchandise, Marque.”

His reaction was priceless. His eyes widened as if he was surprised that she’d responded at all, and downright stunned at the cheekiness of her response. Then he actually laughed. Well, to be honest, it sounded more like a rusty bark. As if he didn’t have much opportunity to laugh. But it did momentarily ease that deep frown etched between his eyebrows.

“Right,” he acknowledged. “No damaging the Doll. Got it.”

Jai kept her expression neutral, but she was silently relieved. She’d obviously succeeded in disarming him. Relaxing him. Maybe even establishing a teasing rapport with him.

All good.

Maybe it would only take one day to get information out of him, and this unpleasant case could be over with.

He dropped her hand, and turned to strip off his suit jacket, throwing it negligently on the bed. He pulled at his tie, letting it join the jacket on the mattress. Opening the top button of his white shirt, he turned back to her.

Jai kept her eyes trained on his face, but she was peripherally aware of black chest hairs peeking out of his new neckline.

“That’s better,” he said lightly. “More comfortable. Now… let me get a closer look at you.” He ran his eyes up and down her. “That thing you’re wearing is a helluva tease. I can almost see your body through it. Almost. But not quite.”

Let’s try again for a flirty rapport.
She gave him what she hoped was a saucy smile. “This garment is
designed
to tease you, Marque.”

One of his eyebrows arched, and he watched her closely. “Well, it’s working.” He paused again.

After a moment of prolonged silence, Jai fought the urge to bite her lip nervously. “Is there something wrong, Marque?”

He shrugged. “Not exactly. I just didn’t expect you to be a… conversationalist. Far less a witty one. It’s almost like you have a…
personality
. Are you programmed that way?”

Damn, should she just be standing here silently? What hadn’t she asked Carron? She had no previous experience impersonating a robot, but if she was expected to keep her mouth shut entirely, how the hell was she going to get Marque to open up and confide his secrets to her?

Too soon. It’s just too soon. He needs to like you first, and then trust you second. Baby steps, Jai.

“I’m programmed to be anything you want, Marque.”

He considered her standard-issue, very robot-like answer. “Hmm. Well, for right now at least, I want to sample the merchandise you’re teasing me with. Take a step towards me.”

She did, and then mentally braced herself. He reached out with one hand, and his fingers skimmed along the thin silk of her sarong, tracing the outline of one of her breasts, then shifting over to the other. Slowly, his fingers slid down her stomach, past her belly, and toward her groin. She knew where he was headed, but before he reached his goal between her legs, his fingers diverted to glide around her hip to her butt, squeezing one rear cheek experimentally.

His touch was…surprising. He was being tentative with her, almost gentle. Certainly not manhandling the merchandise, or eager to get right down to business, as she’d expected. It had been one year since Jai had been with a man, and Marque Callex’s slow, teasing touch was having an effect on her.

Impossible. He’s the enemy.

Right. It must be the result of the little white pill Carron’s staff had given her to guarantee she’d be wet and ready for sex. Still, Jai didn’t want Callex to know he was affecting her.
Yet.
Luckily, Marque was busy watching where his hand was roving.

Which gave her a chance to steal a glance at his groin. Oh, yes, this sarong thing she was wearing was
definitely
working. On
him
.

“Very impressive,” he murmured, straightening and gazing into her eyes. “I can almost feel the musculature beneath your synthetic skin. Now I want to touch you
without
the wrapping.”

He reached around to tug the knot at the back of her neck, divesting her of her sarong. The silk slid slowly down her body to puddle at her feet, startling her with its odd caress against her alien skin. The cool air of the room was replaced by Marque’s hot gaze as he raked her now-naked body up and down, his eyes clearly judging, assessing. She struggled not to flinch in embarrassment as he walked slowly around for a back view, then came around to face her again.

He let out a low whistle. “Amazing. Carron fulfilled my body requirements exactly. If I put a bag over your head, you’d be perfect.”

What? What the hell did
that
mean?

Good thing the Botox injection Saturday had frozen Jai’s forehead and prevented her attempt at a frown. Marque had specifically ordered a blue-eyed blonde, hadn’t he? What was wrong with her?

Jai barely had time to consider the odd remark before Marque reached out a hand and cupped her naked breast, slowly stroking a calloused thumb back and forth across her nipple.

Jai sucked in a quiet breath.

Such a weird feeling of skin on synthetic skin. Not unpleasant, just dulled a little.
She struggled to keep all reaction off her face as her body responded to his touch, her nipple rising and tightening in response to the rough stimulation.

She had two thoughts. First, why did a reclusive businessman have such a rough hand, and two, how come it felt so good on her nipple? Despite the pill Carron’s staff had given her, this ordeal wasn’t supposed to be
pleasurable
, was it?

Marque Callex laughed again, staring at her nipple. “Incredible. Look at this. You’re so responsive. Almost…
naturally
responsive. And your breast fits perfectly into my hand.”

So. He liked her body. She could capitalize on that, at least. “I am for you, Marque. I am what you ordered.”

An enigmatic smile ghosted his lips as he eyed her groin. “What is this unique triangle…
design
…down here? I didn’t order that.”

“That’s the Beautiful Dolls trademark, Marque,” she informed him soberly, quoting Anson Carron. “It points the way to pleasure!”

She saw humor and desire warring on his face at her comment, but desire won. His grey eyes slowly darkened as his gaze drifted lazily across her body.

“Well then, maybe I should sample that pleasure.”

He walked to stand behind her, and Jai heard the rustle of clothes as he obviously pulled his shirt from the waistband of his pants and roughly jerked the buttons open. Jai didn’t dare turn around, but she sensed the impatient tug as his zipper slid open, and felt the waft of air as he quickly shoved his pants down his legs. The sound of two soft thumps were probably his shoes hitting the floor. Socks undoubtedly followed.

She barely had time to mentally fortify herself before he was pressing his naked body up against hers, his hard cock outlining itself against her backside, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder. He reached around to cup one breast in each of his big hands, teasing her nipples, tugging them, squeezing, twisting until they were two tender, aching little peaks. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from moaning in pleasure.

It was too early to moan yet. That was her trump card.

So, instead, she let her head fall back onto his shoulder, hopefully signaling her surrender. She was rewarded by his sharp intake of breath.

“
Spread your legs.”

Obediently, she widened her stance. His fingers delved between her legs, gliding over her slick, recently-waxed skin to push deep into her sex. She was wet and hot, just as she’d expected.

“Fuck.”
He ground his cock into her backside.

“I’m ready for you, Marque,” she said calmly.

His hands left her body, but instead of fucking her from behind as she’d expected, he growled low in his throat. “On the bed. On your back.”

She covered her surprise by keeping her back to him as she obediently climbed up onto the mattress on all fours, and then turned over to lie down on her back.

Dear God. He was standing at the foot of the bed, gloriously naked. His cool grey eyes blazed now with a hot passion, his muscular chest was covered with an interesting mat of fine black hair, and his cock…

Jai’s mouth went dry.

“You have an amazing body, Marque,” she said. And meant it.

He growled low in his throat again. “Spread your legs.”

This is it. He’s going to fuck you. Lie back and think of your job, Jai!

Jai swallowed, then did as he instructed. He mounted her quickly and entered her just as fast, and for the first time today she was grateful for Carron’s little pill. Her wetness and Marque’s driving determination took all the worry out of any potential problem with penetration after her year of abstinence.

Once inside her, however, he stilled.

Jai was smart enough to try to work this opportunity for all it was worth. “What do I feel like, Marque?”

He rocked his hips slowly, pushing her deeper into the mattress. “You feel… fucking amazing. Just like the real thing. You’re so damned tight around me, almost like a real virgin. It makes me want to fuck you until I lose all control and shoot myself inside you.”

His blunt words sent a tingle of excitement through her. She lifted her head from the mattress to look into his eyes. “Do it,” she urged. “Fuck me, Marque.”

His passion-fueled gaze cleared for the briefest instant. “Close your eyes. Don’t talk.”

So. He was treating her like the robot he thought she was. So much for establishing a relationship. Disappointed, Jai let her head fall back onto the mattress and she obediently shut her eyes. She struggled to keep still as Marque began to move inside her fast and hard, but when he slid his hands beneath her butt to tilt her up for a better angle of penetration, she couldn’t stop her gasp of pleasure. Luckily, Marque’s own cry was louder.