“She is coming with us,” Jill answered.

Coal smiled at her, feeling warmth spread through his chest. “You really do collect strays.” He loved her soft heartedness.

“I do.”

“She really isn’t a sex bot?” Disbelief laced Sky’s voice. “She looks like one to me, considering the way they built her.”

“They created me to be one.” Rune crossed her arms over her chest.

“Hot damn,” Sky grinned.

“I advise you not to think like that.” Jill chuckled. “They gave her advanced android technology that allows her to adapt and think for herself. She’s decided she really doesn’t want anyone to touch her. If you try, she’s going to lock you in a cabinet until you change your mind about wanting her that way.”

Sky’s mouth dropped open, his strangely attractive eyes narrowing. “Seriously?”

“Jill is not lying.” Rune smiled. “Keep your fluids away from me.”

Coal laughed, amused at Sky’s astonished expression. He hugged Jill and then slowly released her. “Come on. Let’s go home.” His smile died. “We’ll talk about a serious matter after we use the foam-cleanser unit.”

He hated to see worry on Jill’s delicate features. “Is everything all right? Please tell me now. I’ve had enough to worry over lately.”

“I’m sure it won’t be too bad. I believe I am in some trouble. I had to steal the Jenny to come after you and had Arm help me.”

Jill frowned, her thoughts a mystery to him as she peered up at him, obviously thinking hard about something.

“You can’t steal what is mine. The Jenny and Arm belong to me and as my husband-to-be, they belong to you too as far as I’m concerned.”

“Good defense,” Sky mumbled. “Logical. I’d go with that one if they pull you in front of the council. Your woman also offered to help us save Councilman Zorus without asking for anything in return. With your history and what our women have done to you, hell, you may just get away with this stunt you pulled.”

He really hoped that would be the case as he forced a smile to reassure Jill. “I am certain they will at least be lenient on me.”

“If not, we have the Jenny.” Jill’s chin rose and determination shone in her eyes. “All that matters is we’re together. I don’t need a farm, Coal. I just need you.”

Coal relaxed. “You’d live in space with me to avoid my being punished?”

“In a heartbeat. We’re in love and that means everything.”

Love filled him until it actually hurt. He finally knew pure happiness for the first time in his life. “It means everything to me as well,” he rasped, overcome with emotion. “You are my life.”

Chapter Fifteen

Two weeks later

“Arm! You’re tracking in mud, darn it.” Jill frowned at the android. “Remember what I said about getting it off before you come aboard?”

Two arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into a bare, hot chest. She grinned, all her irritation fleeing. She turned her head, lifted her chin, and grinned up at Coal.

“I’ll clean the deck.” He winked. “I’ll also work more on his programming until he learns to check before he enters the cargo hold.”

“Thanks.” Her fingers curled around his at her waist. “Are you and Fray done cutting through the bulkheads?”

He chuckled. “Yes. It seems I enjoy demolition work. Our space is much bigger after we combined the two rooms. Roid has finished transferring his charging station now that he’s rooming with Arm. I’m glad they don’t care if they have to double up.”

“I didn’t want Arm and Rune sharing a room. He learned some pretty offensive jokes about blonde women from the military. I don’t want to wake up some morning to find she’s tried to reprogram him the way she did the onboard computer.”

Coal laughed. “She’s just trying to be helpful. I have to admit that I’m partial to some of the upgrades she installed. I can’t remote link with my damaged implants but now everything is voice activated. It’s very convenient.”

“True.” She let go of his hands and turned in his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she went up on tiptoe. “But did you knock out the coms in our room? I really don’t want Arm rushing in again because the computer tells him I’m being attacked.”

Coal’s palms rubbed her ass, massaging her, and a chuckle escaped his parted lips. “It’s not their fault they can’t tell the difference between a fight and sex.”

“That wasn’t funny!”

He had the nerve to laugh again, deeper this time. “You have to admit the humor found in the situation. I will never forget you trying to explain to him that having my c**k buried inside you from behind wasn’t harming you and that all the sounds we made were just things we do together when we’re happy.” He lifted her higher up his body until she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I’m feeling the need for some real joy right now. Are you?”

“Yes.” She grinned back at him. “Take me to our room.” She gripped him tighter, the vee of her pants grinding against the hard erection trapped in his pants. “You feel like a lot of fun right now.”

He turned with her in his arms. “The wall is right there. Arm knows now I’m not attacking you.”

"Rune is outside. You never know with her how she will react about sex and she may come inside. I don’t want to ever see her shove you on your ass again, thinking she’s protecting me. I love your coloring but dark bruises aren’t so hot to stare at there.”

“You stare at my ass?”

“All the time. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”

“What else do you wish to see?”

“You stepping out of those pants and boots.”

“We’ll order her to stay outside for a while.”

“Okay. Our room seems too far away right now.” She tilted her head and pressed her face against the side of his neck. She kissed him there, teasing him with her tongue.

Coal groaned. “I love when you do that.”

“Get out of those pants and I’ll kiss a more interesting place. You love that too.”

He walked quickly to the open exterior door of the shuttle. “I believed my punishment of having to live in the shuttle instead of them building us a house on the parcel of land they gave us would be difficult but I don’t mind at all.” He suddenly halted, studying her face closely. “I am sorry you are being punished as well. You have to live here with me.”

Jill smiled, moving to his earlobe. Her teeth raked the sensitive skin there. “Anywhere we are is home and the view is a lot better on Garden than if we were living on the Jenny in space. As punishments go, this one is pretty easy.”

He didn’t look convinced. “An actual house would be more comfortable for you, Jill. This isn’t what I planned when I told you we’d be happy on Garden.”

She hesitated. “They had to ground the Jenny anyway to keep her from ever leaving the surface and I’m grateful they let me keep her. I’ve grown attached. I still want to keep it here once we obtain permission to have a house built when your probation is over. The androids can keep living here to give us some privacy in our new home. I was more afraid they’d lock you up or separate us.”

“If I had been imprisoned for attacking my fellow cyborg brothers it wouldn’t have been for long since I didn’t harm them. They couldn’t take you from me, Jill. Unfortunately you are still considered my property but hopefully one day that law will change.” He gave her a small smile. “You own my heart and soul.”

“That’s why I don’t mind this whole ‘people being possessions’ in our case.” She chuckled. “We know we belong together so the paperwork doesn’t matter.”

“You still shouldn’t be punished for what I did.”

“That guy we rescued from Earth scared me the most since everyone seemed to think he was such a dick but he wanted to give you a break.”

Coal shrugged his shoulders. “Zorus and I have things in common and he understood how much you mean to me.” He paused. “I think he feels alone, though he is surrounded by our people. I felt that way, as if I didn’t fit when I finally had my freedom, but you make me whole.”

Tears flooded her eyes. “Me too. That’s how you make me feel.” She cleared her choked-up voice. “We need to have some fun.” She winked. “And be happy they thought us living on a shuttle together would be a bad thing.”

“Let me just order Rune to do something that will occupy her time.” He walked to the door, still carrying Jill wrapped around him.

“Sounds good.” She licked her lips and went for his ear, knowing how sensitive he would be there and how hard it would make him. She nipped the lower edge of it and his hold on her tightened.

“No.” Coal halted again.

She released his ear, pulling back. “I thought you liked that. Did I bite you too hard?”

He met her gaze. “I love it when you use your teeth on me. That isn’t the problem.” He cleared his throat. “Rune decided to water the seeds she planted.”

“So?”

Coal blinked and then cocked his head a little to peer over her shoulder. “She’s using a lot of water.”

“Oh no.” Jill turned her head and then groaned.

Rune had removed her dress and stood with a hose spraying water over the garden she’d started. The android had a real interest in the idea of how a seed could grow into vegetation. She’d taken it as her personal mission to create a thriving food source for Coal and Jill. The na**d android turned, spotted them, and waved.

Coal released Jill’s ass to wave back. “Should I order her inside?” Coal turned his head and visibly winced. “The males from the next plot over are watching her.”

Jill followed his gaze. At least twenty cyborg males stood at the fence watching Rune with utter fascination. They obviously preferred to watch Rune than work on their construction jobs, building the large greenhouse that would help supply the city with fresh vegetables.

“I’ll go out there to explain again why she needs to remain covered.”

Jill turned her head, watching Coal frowning at Rune. She’d worried he might see the android’s body and find hers lacking in comparison. She couldn’t compete with manufactured perfection but he’d never shown interest in Rune as a sexual object. He seemed oblivious to all that perfect synthetic skin. She slowly smiled, knowing without a doubt how deeply he loved her. She was the only woman he wanted.

“She’s safe, right?”

“Yes.”

She glanced at the gawking cyborgs. “Leave her there. She seems busy, that’s a lot of ground to water, and it should occupy her for a while.” She grinned at Coal. “There’s a wall I want you to pin me against.”

“What about the males? They won’t venture onto our space or attempt to approach her but we should make her dress.”

“Let them watch her. She really has a thing about not soiling her clothes, will just argue with us the way she usually does if we try to change something about her way of thinking, and I want to take advantage of her being occupied. A lot of cyborgs seem to think there’s nothing redeeming on Earth but maybe she’ll make some of them change their minds.” Jill suddenly laughed. “Rune can be the goodwill ambassador from Earth.”

Coal smiled. “Goodwill?”

“She looks really good and I bet every guy out there will remember there’s something they still like about humans since she resembles one.”