My frame tensed beneath her, dread pooling in circuits. I knew she wasn’t going to like my answer. My trembling fingers brushed along her cheek. “I don’t know.”
Chapter Forty-One
*Poe*
He didn’t know?My heart sank in my chest. Ihadalmost died and for what? Without getting forever with Dax, my near death experience was for nothing. Tears welled up and I swiped at my eyes, not willing to let them fall. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. What I needed was answers and there was only way to get them.
I caught Dax’s trembling hand, lifting my chin as I met his worried gaze. “We need to get to dressed,” I told him as I rolled off his frame and moved to hop off the bed. A hand landed on my shoulder, stopping me.
“No, we don’t.” I twisted my head to find a set of flashing green eyes boring into mine. “I already let you talk me into engaging in sexual activity when my programming believed it to be too soon. I refuse to do anything else that might hinder your recovery.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Is that so?” My lips pinched together as I lifted my chin.
My jaw clenched as I watched Dax cross his arms over his chest. “It is,” he told me in voice that brokered no room for argument.
Oh, no he didn’t! “Listen here, Science mod- oomph,” My face ended up pressed against a hard chest as strong arms wrapped around me.
“No, you need to listen to me.” I opened my mouth, ready to resume my argument, but Dax added a soft, “Please,” and my mouth snapped shut.
Dax’s soft please broke through all my frustration and I relaxed in his embrace, hugging him back. “Sorry, you’re right,” I said into the wall of his chest, but I knew he had heard me when I felt all the tension drain from his frame.
I tipped my head back, needing to see his face. The surprise etched on his features made a small smile break free.
His eyebrows rose, “You areagreeingwithme?”
I shifted in his hold, climbing into his lap and dragging his face close to mine. “You are the brilliant one in this equation, Science Model. I figured it would be wrong of me not to listen to you.”
He shook his head, a frown marring his handsome face, “I am not that brilliant, I couldn’t find a way to help yo-“
A kiss to his lips ended the rest of his argument. I ran my hands along his back, soothing the worry that seemed to still be lingering over the fact he believed he had somehow failed me. One round of sex wasn’t going to erase the suffering my cyborg had experienced over the past month.
I nuzzled my nose against his neck, relived to find that my cyborg still smelled like vanilla. I inhaled the scent, letting it settle in my veins, calming the fear of the unknown. Dax didn’t know if his formula had worked. I didn’t know how much damage had been done over the month I had been lost to the world.
Taking an internal check of myself, I couldn’t detect anything that I felt was different. If I was going to be honest, I actually felt pretty good. I had meant what I said to Dax. If I had felt off, I would have told him no matter how much I had wanted to jump his frame like a desperate addict needing a fix.
Part of me hoped that my feeling good meant that his formula had worked. Another part of me thought I was simply convincing myself of what I wanted to be true. I kissed the pulse in his neck then pulled back to meet to Dax’s emerald eyes. If Dax didn’t want me to go to the lab, we were going to need to bring the lab to us. The anxiety of not knowing would drive me crazy. We couldn’t come up with a plan if we didn’t know what we were working with.
I knew what we needed to do, and I let out a deep breath. “Dr. Shaw needs to see us.”
Dax’s eyes went wide as they roamed over us, taking in the fact that we were both still very naked. His eyebrows shot up. “Like this?” There was a hint of hysteria in his voice. “I can’t... she can’t.” His breathing spiked, his eyes flashing so wildly it caused green light to dance over the wall. He grabbed my shoulders. “I don’tcarewhat happens, mymomcan’t see me naked!”
I grabbed his face. “Breathe, Dax. I didn’t mean like this. Do you really think I wanted Dr. Shaw toseeus like this?” I shook my head. “Hell no! Clothes first. Then we call your mother and have her come here to check me out. Sound good?”
His breathing leveled out, his eyes returning to normal. “Yes,” he nodded his head. “That is a very good plan.” The grip on my shoulders loosened. “Sorry. I don’t know what happened there. My processors went a bit haywire for a moment.”