Page 15 of The Lone Cyborg
CHAPTER SEVEN
Mattie stirred, her eyes fluttering open to the dim light filtering through the shelter’s windows. At first she thought the storm was still in progress but the wind had dropped. The storm was finally abating, leaving a film of dust over everything. As awareness seeped in, she became acutely conscious of the strong arms encircling her, the solid warmth pressed against her back. Jeb.
A small smile curved her lips. Despite the impulsiveness of her invitation and the potential complications, she couldn’t bring herself to regret asking him to share her bed. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she had slept peacefully through the night, lulled by his presence and the steady beat of his heart.
She shifted slightly, and his embrace immediately tightened, pulling her closer against his body and against the massive ridge of his erection. A shiver of anticipation shuddered down her spine.
He wanted her, at least in this way, and she was surprised to realize that she wanted him just as much. Her previousrelationships had been… less than successful, at least in part because she’d always held herself back, afraid to trust.
But I trust Jeb. And the chemistry between them was impossible to deny. His body spoke more loudly than any words and she wasn’t about to ignore it. She squirmed against him again, enjoying the feel of his hard body pressed against hers, and he growled a low warning in her ear.
“If you don’t stop doing that, I can’t promise you’ll be able to leave this bed today.”
“Who said anything about leaving the bed?” she teased, continuing to squirm.
He sighed, then rolled on top of her, pinning her down with his big body, his cock lodged firmly between her thighs. In the hazy light, his hard features seemed softer, almost vulnerable, and she reached up to trace the line of his jaw beneath the short beard. His cock throbbed against her when she touched him and her heart thudded with excitement, but all he did was stroke his thumb across her cheek.
“Yesterday was the first time I’d seen you without a breathing mask.”
“Disappointed?” she whispered.
“No. You are beautiful either way.”
Despite the warmth filling her at his words, she rolled her eyes at him.
“I’ve never been beautiful.”
“You are to me,” he said firmly, and then his lips captured hers in a slow, thorough kiss that made her toes curl.
Heat bloomed low in her belly, need pulsing through her veins. It would be so easy to lose herself in him, to let the connection simmering between them ignite into an inferno. But before she could deepen the kiss, he pulled back. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone again with a rueful smile.
“I should go check for damage from the storm.”
She tamped down the twinge of disappointment. He was right, of course. The life of a Martian colonist demanded practicality above sentiment, diligence over desire.
“Be careful out there.”
“Always.”
He dropped a final quick kiss on her lips before extricating himself from the tangle of sheets. She remained where she was, watching the fluid grace of his movements as he quickly gathered his gear. Such lethal power contained in the lines of his body, but she knew to the depths of her soul that he would never harm her. At least not physically. The fact that he’d somehow begun chipping away at the walls she’d spent years fortifying around her heart was another matter.
Jeb gathered up Trojan’s reins and gave her another quick smile before leading the horse into the airlock.
“Back soon,” he promised before he closed the inner door.
Sylvester gave a disappointed chirp and flew over to join her, landing on her chest as she flopped onto her back. She stroked his head as she stared up at the domed ceiling, trying to sort through the tangle of her thoughts and emotions. The undeniable attraction between them aside, she couldn’t shakethe sense that this—whatever this was—ran deeper than mere chemistry or loneliness.
It terrified and exhilarated her in equal measure. Trust was a rare commodity for her, hard-won and easily shattered, and yet she trusted him. Which made the possibility of him breaking her trust even more frightening.
The restless energy of her thoughts finally propelled her from the bed, carrying Sylvester with her.One step at a time, she reminded herself. First, they needed to assess the damage from the storm, then decide what to do about the new mineral. Then… well, then she supposed they’d figure out the rest.
As she waited for him to return, she busied herself with small tasks around the shelter, trying to distract her mind from worrying about him. She checked the oxygen recyclers, ensuring they were functioning optimally, and made a mental note to clean the dust from the storm off the solar panels later. Her hydroponic garden was functioning as efficiently as ever and she collected a handful of ripe vegetables. Despite her efforts, her thoughts kept circling back to Jeb, out there alone in the aftermath of the storm.
When the airlock finally hissed open, her head snapped up, her heart leaping into her throat. He stepped inside, his expression grim and his shoulders tense. Red dust covered his shirt but she didn’t see any signs of injury.
“What is it? What did you find?”
He met her gaze, his dark eyes shadowed.
