Ion nodded. “I’ll take grateful over murderous any day.” He turned towards the small kitchen that was attached to the right of the living room but paused before entering. Looking at me over his shoulder, his gaze softened when it swept over Nara. “Take care of her, Tank Class.”
I nodded then headed out of the living room and down the small hallway towards the bedrooms. I peeked my head in the first one on the right, but it was nothing but empty boxes, so I kept going.
The next one was larger, and I had to duck my head to get through the doorway. This cabin was not built for someone of my size. My visual systems scanned the room, taking in a dresser, nightstand, and the large bed in the middle of the room.
Off to the left was an attached bathroom, a bunch of toiletries scattered along the white countertop.Does she really use all of those?
Cyborgs are pretty much self-contained units when it comes to bodily functions and self-maintenance.Don’t get me wrong, a nice hot shower is great, but cyborgs don’t need any of the products I glimpsed strewn all about.
Maybe if I took a shower with Nara, she could show me what they are all for.Heat zipped up my simulated spine. The image of baring myself completely to my female was nearly circuit frying.
And she would be bare as well.
I gulped.Not the time, Tank Class.Nara needed rest, not me trying to get us out of our clothes. Uncertainty struck.If she truly saw me, would I frighten her?
I was different from the other cyborgs. My build made me tower a foot over even the standard issue Military Models. My strength was superior as well. If I wasn’t careful, I could injure someone without effort.
And humans were far more breakable than cyborgs.
I had to be extra cautious when it came to Nara. She had received Dax’s upgrade, but that didn’t make her indestructible.
I gazed down at the female in my arms, and my chest drew tight at the thought of anything happening to her. A tiny frisson of fear shot up my spine.What if I was the one who hurt her?
A hand waved in front of my face. “Are you okay? You’ve been staring at me for close to two minutes.” Her voice came out tired, and I wanted to kick myself. Nothing was going to happen, at least not right now or anytime soon.
My female was being hunted. She was exhausted and probably missing her Luxury Models something fierce. Caring for her was my top priority.
I offered her a gentle smile. “Come on, let’s get you into bed.” I took the couple of strides needed to put me at the edge of the bed and carefully lowered her down. The covers were flung haphazardly to the bottom of the bed and with a tug, I pulled them over her, tucking them in around her.
She snuggled deeper into the covers before her eyes landed on my much too still frame standing by the side of the bed.
Grabbing the edge of the newly tucked in blankets, she flipped it free, scooting herself over and patting the bed. “Well?” She raised an eyebrow.
My frame was on autopilot as I reached down and tugged off my boots, tossing them to the side as I slipped in beside her, causing the bed to let out a deep groan at my added weight.
I eyed the ancient bed frame, wondering if it could hold me. As soon as the thought passed through my processors, I heard a snap. The bed crashed to the floor as the frame gave way under us. The impact jolted Nara and she rolled towards me, her hands landing on my chest to steady herself.
Dust swirled through the air and I waved a hand to clear it away. Wide green eyes greeted me, her mouth rounded into a small o. Then her lips morphed into a smile and, tossing her head back, she laughed, the musical sound lighting up my circuits.
“Whoops,” she wheezed, her laughter coming faster as her head dropped onto my chest, her body shaking with mirth.
“It’s not funny,” I grumbled. God damnit. Couldn’t I even lay down in bed next to my female without destroying it? Cursing my size, I shifted my frame, ignoring the wood’s groan from beneath me. I pressed my lips together, a sizable twitch forming in my cheek.
Lifting her head, I saw tears streaming down Nara’s cheeks as she reached up to wipe them away. The final gasps of laughter fell from her lips as she struggled to catch her breath. A hand sought out my cheek - the one with the twitch. My skin jumped beneath her palm and she smiled. “I love the size of your frame.”
Whatever I had been expecting, it hadn’t been that. The humor on her face had vanished, replaced with something I thought I would never see. Warmth. Acceptance. Joy.
My heart pounded rapidly, my skin heating under her hand. I was sure she could see the fast beat of my pulse as it skyrocketed, the control over my systems failing as the truth of her words slammed into me.
“I feel small next to you.” She blushed.“Which is something that never happens, Brone. I mean, come on. I’m a six-foot one girl who towers over most guys. Fun fact: most human guys don’t enjoy feeling short when they are with a girl.”
A pounding began in my circuits, my face heating as something faint echoed inside my head. It was a blip of some foreign code I could not identify, so I ignored it for the moment. Grinning like a fool, I tugged her on top of me, reveling in the way she fit so perfectly against my frame.
“I know you have doubts about what’s happening between us, but I have none, Nara. I knew you were mine from the moment I saw you.” I brushed my thumb over her cheek. “And human males are stupid. Every inch of you is beautiful. All I want is a chance to show you.”
“Okay.”
I froze. “Okay?” Nara was willing to give me a chance? I wanted to whoop for joy, but I wasn’t willing to jostle the precious female cuddled on top of my frame.