Page 9 of The Lone Cyborg
His chest ached at the stubborn set of her jaw, the way she held herself with such fierce independence. He longed to wrap her in his arms again, to shield her from the harsh realities of this unforgiving world, but he knew she would never accept such a gesture, especially not after what she undoubtedly saw as his rejection of her. He nodded instead.
“I understand, but the Martian frontier is a treacherous place, especially when you’re alone.”
Her gaze softened for a moment.
“I promise I’ll be careful.” She reached out, her fingers grazing his arm in a fleeting touch that sent shivers down his spine. “Maybe this would be a good time to get a sample of this newmineral and take it to New Arcadia. See if anyone there can identify it.”
Alarm immediately swept through him. What if this new mineral was what GenCon had been searching for? If M-231 was right about there being no obvious connection between the other mines in which they’d shown an interest, it made sense that they were looking for something that no one else knew about.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said quickly. “If GenCon gets wind of this discovery, they’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on it.”
“GenCon? What do they have to do with this?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” he said honestly. “You know they were sanctioned for their previous activities on Mars, right? But they are still a powerful corporation,” he continued when she nodded. “From what I understand, their main office here is still abiding by the rules, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t initiated other less… official projects. I’ve heard that they’re searching for something—what if it’s this new mineral?”
She studied his face, then gave a frustrated huff.
“Broken equipment, outlaws, evil corporations—is there anything else that could go wrong?”
An unwilling smile crossed his face.
“If I were superstitious, I would say you were asking for trouble. Fortunately I’m not—and I have no intention of letting anything happen to you, or your claim.”
She sighed, then reluctantly returned his smile.
“So what should I do?”
“Don’t tell anyone about this, but go ahead and get a sample. Keep it hidden while we test it.” He saw her eyes widen when he saidweand rushed ahead. “And let me stay with you, at least until we know more about what’s going on. I will keep you safe.”
The words came out as a vow and her face softened, even as she hesitated.
“I don’t know,” she said doubtfully. “I’ve managed just fine on my own so far. I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“I know you don’t need me, Mattie. But sometimes, it’s not about need. It’s about having someone to watch your back, to be there for you.”
She bit her lip, looking down at her hands as he did his best to wait patiently. Even if she refused he had no intention of leaving her alone. He would just have to conceal himself in the surrounding hills while he watched over her.
“I don’t need your protection,” she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. “But… I wouldn’t mind the company. For a little while.”
Relief swept through him as he smiled at her.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll stay with you, for as long as you’ll have me.”
That also came out more seriously than he had intended but she smiled back at him.
“Deal.” She reached out a hand.
He clasped her offered palm and the electricity of the contact sent a surge of lust racing through him. He cleared his throat as he gently released her hand.
“I’ll camp outside, of course,” he said quickly.
She raised an eyebrow and he half-hoped she would offer to let him stay inside her habitat instead. But after a brief hesitation, she only looked over at the horizon as the sun dipped below it and shivered, the temperature already beginning to drop.
“In that case, I’ll leave you to get settled. Unless there’s anything you need…”
Only you.
Somehow he managed to prevent the words from emerging and simply shook his head. She gave him a brief smile, then called Sylvester. The bird flew over to her outstretched hand and the two of them disappeared through the airlock of the shelter.
