“I could give you that.”

His husky voice did things to her. Her ni**les hardened and her belly muscles tightened. She was pretty sure her shorts were getting wet from her long-dormant libido coming to life. She desperately wanted him.

“I’m going to put you down and get cleaned up.”

He still had blood smeared on his face but she didn’t care. He could be caked in mud and she’d still want to rub all over him. He gently lowered her until she sat on the edge of a bunk. The upper one annoyed her since it blocked her total view of him when he straightened. A quick study of his torso reminded her of the damage she’d caused to his side when she saw the small bandage. The memory of attacking him made her wince. The one on his upper chest was her fault as well.

He seemed to read her mind when one arm slid under the top bunk and he hoisted it away from the wall and popping noises filled the room as he disconnected it. He left his quarters but returned minus the bed. She watched him open drawers, pack men’s clothing and belongings into bags then take them into the hallway too. He sealed the door after he had removed all of his roommate’s belongings.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

He spun away and stepped inside the cleansing unit. She gripped her thighs and looked down, remembering that she’d torn off her coveralls, back on the freighter. Her skin was really pale from years of space travel. Visits to sunny planets were few and far between. It was a stark contrast to the darker hue of his beautiful gray skin.

Did he find her appealing? She studied her br**sts. They weren’t overly large but she had some. Cameron had been a bit of a pervert and had wanted something good to look at when he’d created the canine units. She’d known some of her line had allowed him to touch their bodies. She never had. Gratitude for their existence had only gone so far and she had gotten to know him too well. He’d been an ass**le with dreams of a harem at his beck and call.

Apparently the cleansing unit wasn’t fully operational. It seemed Blackie was only going to remove the blood but it gave her time to worry about her lack of sexual skills. He was a C-46 and she wondered what her cyborg’s sexual knowledge entailed. A lot of years had passed since she’d seen him. He probably had gained plenty of experience in that time.

She had no idea if he’d been newly created before she’d rescued him or if he’d committed some infraction and been transferred there for termination. He hadn’t been aware of many of his natural abilities and functions but the abuse he’d suffered had left him dazed, which could account for his sluggish reactions that night. The sudden silence drew her attention to Blackie as he stepped out of the unit wearing just pants. His dark gaze locked with hers before he slowly sank to his knees in front of where she sat. He inched closer.

“I never thought I’d see you again. I believed you were human.”

“I should have told you what I was but there wasn’t much time on that roof before the alarms went off.”

“I tried to access the lift. I wanted to go after you.”

“You couldn’t have and they had fail-safe programs in place to prevent your escape. Your linking abilities wouldn’t have broken the codes. I was Eve so I had access to the entire facility. It was my job to keep track of all in my line.” She swallowed. “I mean, I was the first and assigned to care for all of the canine units. It gave me greater access than any of the others. I was able to hack into more of the systems but not all. Roof access was deemed low priority since we couldn’t survive a fall from that height. We were never trained to fly shuttles or given access to that information.”

He gripped the edges of the bunk next to her thighs and leaned in close. “You never met up with me.”

“I tried. I was ten minutes early to the designated pick-up spot but the shuttles were already leaving orbit.” She hated that tears flooded her eyes, hoping he didn’t detest seeing her weakness. He’d probably view emotions as a negative aspect of her personality. “I planned to meet you earlier but received last-minute orders. We were asked to draw the guards away from the detention centers. The cyborgs needed that advantage.”

“You were at the detention centers? You’d left the place you helped me escape from?”

“The termination center was located about a half mile from the holding cells. We staged a rebellion of our own by locking down the building to keep them occupied. They were trying to break in while we slipped out through emergency escape tunnels. Not all of us made it.” She remembered the deaths of some of her unit who had remained to draw fire and hold the advancing guards at bay while they fled underground. “Two hundred twenty-seven of us made it to the pick-up locations.”

“How many were there before that?”

“Three hundred. Fifty-six of them died, while seventeen were severely injured getting us there. They sacrificed themselves for the rest of the unit.”

Rage darkened his features. “You were early but we had already gone?”

“Yes.” The memory of coming out of the tunnels and the shock of finding the shuttles gone flashed through her mind. She’d watched them fade into the sky as they left Earth. “No shuttles remained.”

“They abandoned you. I didn’t know.”

Tears seeped down her cheeks. “Maybe it was some kind of mix-up.”

“They left you to die,” he raged.

Over the years she’d considered the possibility of betrayal but she’d never wanted to believe it. “My links to the building computers were cut after we staged the rebellion. Something could have happened to move the takeoff timetable up or they might have been under heavy enough fire and had to lift off before we reached them.”

“It went according to plan.” Blackie fisted the mattress. “I have access to our records and it’s legendary how smoothly our escape from Earth went.” He took a few slow, deep breaths. “No mention was made anywhere of canine units. We were told some sympathetic humans helped us, one in particular who was a computer hacker. The council lied to us.”

He appeared deeply angry by the realization. She just felt the heart-wrenching sadness of betrayal.

“I wouldn’t have left you behind if I’d known. I would have personally commandeered a shuttle and waited.”

She believed him. “One shuttle wouldn’t have been able to accommodate all of my littermates.”

“I would have made a few trips then or talked more cyborgs into piloting other shuttles that would have carried all of them into space.” He released the bed to gently smooth his palms over the top of her thighs. The sincerity in his gaze made her believe him. “I wouldn’t have left without you.”

“Maybe they had to leave us behind due to lack of room on the space vessels they planned to steal once they left orbit.” She was very aware of the heat of his touch. “It was impossible to plan exactly how many ships or even which ones would be in orbit when we made a break for it.”

“We had plenty of room.”

“Then why?”

“I don’t know but I plan to find out.” He inched closer until their faces nearly touched. “They will pay. I promise you that. You’re owed a debt.”

A sinking suspicion arose and it twisted her gut. “Is that why you are considering agreeing to be my mate? You feel you are indebted to me?”

His mouth curved downward in displeasure. “No. I want you and I always have. You’re the most attractive woman I’ve ever met.”

Her heart rate speeded up, his every word affecting her in ways no other man had made her feel.

“I could never forget you.” He suddenly raised a hand and his finger hooked a lock of her hair. “I liked your short hair but I prefer it this way.” He glanced at her lap before returning his gaze to hers. “Is there anything I should know? You appear totally human.”

“Physically, anatomically, I am for the most part.”

“Good.” He backed off. “Get undressed. I’ve waited a long time to have you.”

She forgot how to breathe for a few heartbeats. He wanted her naked. Just like that. No foreplay, no words of love, just a raspy demand to strip bare.

She panicked a little. “I’ve never done this before.”

His voice came out rushed, impatient. “I’m basically the same as a human too.”

Heat flared in her cheeks. It was obvious he believed she meant ha**ng s*x with a cyborg. “I’ve never had sex at all.”

“What?”

His expression would have been comical if it wasn’t such a serious matter. Her embarrassment grew by leaps and bounds. “I want to! I mean, with you. I just never wanted anyone else to touch me.”

He seemed at a loss for words.

“Cameron, my creator, was always after me to have sex but I hated him. I knew if I showed any interest in any of the guards, he’d never leave me alone. I met you and, um, that bond snapped into place. No one ever seemed attractive to me after that night.” She felt the need to explain. “I just…felt nothing when I looked at other men.”

He licked his lips and swallowed hard. “Do you feel something for me?”

“Yes.” She scooted closer and spread her thighs to give him room if he wanted to get closer. “I ache for you to touch me but I thought I should warn you. I haven’t done this before. You might expect a more skilled lover. I’ll learn.”

His hands slid higher up her thighs. “The first time we met, you seemed less innocent. That’s why I’m surprised.” He invaded her personal space.

She followed his lowered gaze to stare at the thick outline of his shaft. It protruded up and to the side along the front of his pants, trapped under the material. He was big and she admitted to feeling a bit intimidated. That wasn’t a size for beginners.

“I don’t expect experience or skill. I just want you.”

She stared into his eyes, knowing he meant it. Passion flared there bright enough for her to read. He wasn’t cold or unfeeling, nor was he hiding his emotions. A soft growl rumbled from her throat and she just wanted to eat him up but refrained from telling him that in case he mistook the context.

“I’m so sorry I attacked you on the freighter.”

“You didn’t know my identity. The helmet hid my features.”

Her gaze traveled to the bandages. “Did I do much damage?”

“No.” He reached for the white bandage on his side and tugged it free.

She studied the wound. Her claws had torn the skin but it was mostly healed. “Wow.”

“We mend at an accelerated rate. By tomorrow it will just be a little red. It’s the same where you bit me. I’m sorry I struck you in the face.” His gaze lingered over her cheek.

“I didn’t give you much of a choice. It doesn’t even hurt. I heal fast too. Give it a day and you won’t even see a mark.”

He inched a little closer. “Are you stalling for time? I don’t wish to rush you but I’ve waited decades to see you undressed and to put my hands on you.”

Eve’s hands trembled as she reached for her half shirt and just tore it over her head. He wanted her bare and he was going to get anything he asked for. She leaned back, drew up her legs and braced her heels on the edge of the bed. She had to be careful not to strike her head on the wall behind the bunk. The space wasn’t exactly narrow but it did restrict movement. Her h*ps arched upward, offering him the opportunity to remove her shorts.

His hands spanned her waist, his thumbs hooked the top of the material and ever so slowly tormented her by exploring her lower stomach just under the waistband. She stopped worrying whether he found her attractive since his focus riveted on her body when he tugged her shorts downward.

The scent of her arousal filled her nose and she hoped he found it a turn-on. She knew her canine abilities amplified her sense of smell. He stripped her and tossed the material away. She expected him to just take her but he spread her thighs wider, crouched down, and she froze. He seemed to want to inspect her sex.