Chapter 2 #2
He pushed against the net. “We need to get this net off.”
“Hang on.” She wriggled against him.
Her thigh slid between his and desire bloomed to life, blood rushing to his cock. He coughed to hide a groan.
She kept moving, struggling against the metal rope, her body rubbing against his. He felt her firm breasts against his chest, the puff of her breath against his neck, and that long, firm thigh brushing against his—
She froze.
“Yes, I have an erection. You wriggling against me like that…well, I’m not sure you need to do much more than breathe and I get hard.”
She was so still and quiet he wouldn’t have known she was there if he couldn’t feel every inch of her.
“You’re…attracted to me?”
Why was there so much disbelief in her voice? “Yes, Xenia. Outrageously.” And with her pressed against him, he couldn’t fight it anymore.
“Why?”
Her quiet confusion made his chest ache. “Because you’re beautiful and strong. And so damn smart and competent it’s scary.” He paused. “Because I know you feel.”
She sucked in a breath. “No.”
“You don’t have to lie to me. I was there in that cell, Xenia.”
“No—”
“You pulled me out of the darkness, gave me the comfort I needed to get back on my feet.” He badly wanted to touch her, stroke her, but he didn’t dare. “I want to be the one to explore those emotions with you, and show you what else you could feel.”
“We can’t do this,” she whispered. “I can’t feel. I’m a CenSec.”
“Are you saying Xander’s not a good CenSec?”
“Of course not!”
“I actually think the fact he embraces his emotions now makes him a better CenSec.”
She was quiet. “We need to get out of here. That’s the only thing we should focus on right now.” Her voice had cooled.
She was running away. His jaw clenched. He’d let her. For now. He was an excellent negotiator and he always got what he wanted…by knowing when to wait and when to pounce.
“You have something to cut the net?” he asked.
She nodded, her silky hair sliding across his face. “I have to move, though. It’s in my boot.”
He gritted his teeth. “Do it.”
She wriggled against him. As her face slid lower down his chest, he prayed for control. When her face reached his stomach, his muscles contracted. Sweet Creator, this was torture. She paused, then he heard her take a deep breath and move lower.
In all his nighttime fantasies of Xenia’s face against his cock, he hadn’t imagined it might happen while caught in a Rahl booby trap.
She paused again. “Axton?”
Yeah, she could hardly miss his cock swelling to rigid hardness, like the damn thing was reaching for her. “Just ignore it.”
She made a choking noise. Her voice was a near-soundless whisper. “I don’t think I can.” She moved again and her cheek brushed against the front of his trousers.
He groaned.
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes.” His voice was hoarse. “In a good way.” He paused. “You’ve had sex, right?” Many cyborgs, those who no longer felt, had given up sex and used scientific means to procreate.
“Once. As part of my CenSec training. They pair us with another CenSec so we can catalogue the experience.”
He knew it was part of the CenSec training. He didn’t agree with it, but Security had deemed it necessary.
“Did you…enjoy it?” Damn, he hated the thought of her with another man.
“It hurt until I blocked the pain.”
She hadn’t enjoyed it. Sex with another virgin cyborg as a training exercise didn’t really inspire pleasure.
“It…it’s not supposed to hurt.” His voice cracked. “Well, maybe a bit the first time. It’s supposed to be pleasurable.”
He felt another movement. Oh Creator, her hand. She stroked down the fastening of his trousers and his cock leaped against the movement.
“It feels so big.”
She was going to kill him. He cleared his throat. “You’d fit me. I’d touch you, lick you, and get you so excited that I’d slide right in. You’d feel me, though, and you’d love it.”
Her breath hitched. “Lick me…between my legs?”
“Yes.” His voice sounded like rust.
She was quiet a beat. “If things were different…”
“Xenia, stop thinking that feeling makes you weak or bad at your job. It’s a part of you. I have no doubt it’s helped make you the brilliant CenSec you are.”
She stiffened, turning her face away from him. “I need to get us out of here.”
And the moment was gone.
She reminded him of the coya bird that had lived outside his window as a boy. Whenever he’d tried too hard to convince it to land on his hand, it had flown away. He’d spent the best part of six months wooing it with bits of food before it had finally let him touch it. It had been worth the wait.
Xenia wriggled around a bit more and finally reached her knife. With quick, efficient slices, she cut through the metal rope.
As Axton stood, she handed him something. The ion light. It must have been caught in the net. “Thanks.” Then he caught sight of her knife. “What is that?”
She held up the wicked blade that was glowing blue-white. “A Tashian scorch blade. I…collect knives.”
Of course she did. He shook his head and swung the light around. Bare, silver walls greeted them.
She tucked her knife away and started running her hands over every inch of their prison. “I’ve run a scan and carbon dioxide isn’t building up to unsafe levels, so fresh air must be getting in somewhere.”
He watched her for a second, caught by the way the light glinted off the red in her hair. It was probably wrong of him to enjoy listening to her spout information at him in that cool, crisp tone.
“Are you just going to stand there and stare?” she snapped.
“No.” But a part of Axton really didn’t mind being trapped with her.
“There must be a release somewhere.”
He stared at the blank walls. “Hopefully not on the outside.”