Chapter 9 #3
She laid her head trustingly on his shoulder and a surge of protectiveness like he’d never experienced before rolled over Cody.
“I can’t deny it. Last year’s roundup we were all here, laughing and making jokes and working hard to keep the ranch successful.
Expecting a good year of offworld sales and a lot of credits flowing in.
Talking about improvements we’d make. And now there’s no one but me and I’m closing the damn place down.
” Moisture on his shirt told him she was crying so he held her closer.
“You couldn’t prevent or stop what’s happened on Randal Four,” he said softly.
“You’ve done the best you could under horrendous circumstances.
I’m sure your ranch hands, if they were here, would tell you you’re doing the right thing.
Set the cattle herd up to survive, which we’ll do tomorrow and then come with me, with us, and regroup.
Work toward the future of this planet. Jeff knows what he’s doing and we’ve got a few surprises for anyone who gets in our way.
Your friends would want you safe and I’m telling you now, sweetheart, I’ll do anything it takes to keep you safe. ”
She took a few deep breaths and sniffed a couple of times. “You and I hardly know each other so why do I feel this way about you?”
“What way?” Tense, he waited for her answer.
“Like I’ve known you forever. Like my heart knew you were out there and I was waiting for you.
I never met anyone like you before. I had boyfriends of course, including Jonny Fafield in high school.
” she made a rueful face. “No one ever affected me the way you do. I’m afraid to trust myself on this because I swear to you it isn’t like me to fall so far and so fast for a guy I haven’t even known more than about a week.
” She raised her face to his and managed to smile.
“And half of the time you were out of your head sick.”
Outside one of the horses whinnied and they broke apart, Tamsyn wiping her hands on her jeans and heading for the door. “We’d better tend to them and get them safe in the barn. There are critters up here to avoid although most aren’t likely to tangle with two horses.”
Cody caught her hand. “All right but this conversation between the two of us isn’t over yet.”
“No, I agree, it isn’t.” She sounded encouraging and positive about the idea, which was reassuring to hear.
Satisfied, he let her go and followed her outside.
They kept the conversation casual while tending to the horses.
The barn was little more than the lean-to Cody had been expecting the cabin to be but it would provide shelter for the horses and had room for quite a few more animals than Blaze and Mercury.
Dinner was reheated casserole Tamsyn pulled from a stasis container she’d had in her saddlebags, with freshly baked cookies for dessert.
As they finished up the meal, Cody said, “I was a restless kid, trying to do a lot of things at once. I didn’t like school or concentrating on one thing for too long. But after I became a cyborg, it was a thousand times worse.”
“How so?” she asked, chasing the last cookie crumbs on her plate.
“I’ve got all this extra capacity in my head now.
According to the briefings I was given, the idea was to make the cyborg corps even more efficient in battle.
You know, instead of keeping my head on a swivel like soldiers are told to do, I could pick up intel from the 360-degree perspective with no effort. ”
“You control that whole fleet of miniature drones with no problem,” she said in admiration.
“Yeah the problem is if I’m not in the middle of a combat situation or immersed in hacking a computer system or an AI, my brain goes into overdrive.
Anxiety like you wouldn’t believe.” He grimaced.
“It’s a flaw in the cyborg design. I don’t think the scientists ever got to refine it either before the program was shut down.
I can’t shut off the flow of thoughts and they’re on a million topics and it makes me even more of a loose cannon.
At least one of the guys who came after me couldn’t handle it and committed suicide.
I wish I could have helped him but the sensations overwhelmed the poor man and he didn’t see any other way out of his pain. ”
“That’s why you have all those fidget toys?” she asked.
“They help. I’ve learned to channel the mental activity to some extent and self soothe.
” The pain of old regrets washed over him.
Cody never spoke of these things, not even to Jeff, who was like a brother to him, but there was relief in sharing with Tamsyn.
Part of her amazing effect on him. “He just wanted it all to stop.”
“Sounds terrible,” she said softly. “How could they do that to people?”
“Well, I wasn’t in a position to refuse what the doctors were offering and neither were any of the others. Combat can make a mess of a human being, beyond even what the rejuve resonator can fix. The scientists offered hope and a way back to being a normal man. Or as normal as a cyborg can be.”
Tamsyn reached across the table to put her hand on his. He turned his hand over to hold hers as she said, “You’re normal enough for me, Cody Wayne.”
“And you’re nothing short of a miracle to me,” he told her.
“You quiet my mind. No one’s ever done that for me before.
When I’m with you I can breathe. All the racing, tumbling thoughts and demands for my attention fade away and I can concentrate.
Focus. But it’s more,” he went on, as she drew breath to speak.
“You’re gorgeous, you’re smart, you’re feisty and independent and I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone or anything in my entire life. ”
“I feel the same,” she admitted in a low voice.
“When Jeff said you’d been bitten and I thought I’d never see you again, the world closed in on me and I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t see.
The belief we wouldn’t have a chance to get to know each other crushed me.
I was all in on you without even realizing it.
And then when Jeff and Ryan brought you back and Dr. Jericho said there was a chance you could pull through, I prayed so hard for your recovery.
And there was no way they were going to keep me away from taking care of you, from doing whatever I could to help you fight the virus.
” Her eyes were shining in the firelight and he guessed she was close to tears.
He released her hand but only so he could leave his chair and move around the table to scoop her into his arms, carrying her to the couch.
As soon as he sank onto the cushions, she was kissing him and Cody responded with pent up fervor.
He claimed her mouth, tongue exploring the warmth, savoring the lingering flavor of the chocolate and her own unique essence.
Tamsyn clung tightly to him straddling his lap, where his cock was hard as steel and aching for her softness.
He coasted one hand down her body, cupping her breast for a moment and then fumbling with the fastening of her tight jeans.
Once he had the access he was seeking, he slid his hand over her mound and caressed the slick heat between her legs
The knowledge she was so ready for him added fuel to his desire.
Without breaking off the kiss, he pushed one finger into her and then a second one, stroking, massaging, teasing.
Tamsyn broke off the kiss to throw her head back and take a deep, sexy breath, which became a moan of pleasure.
She struggled against him, not to resist what he was doing but to encourage his efforts and get him to apply pressure where she wanted it the most.
“Please, Cody,” she said in a breathy whisper, grinding against his hand.
He pulled back for an instant, gazing into her eyes. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.” That was all she said but the single word was all he needed to hear.
He pulled his hand free long enough to push her jeans down her legs and off.
The sensible white panties were next to go and then he took in the view before him with satisfaction before sliding his fingers into position and watching her come apart as he stoked the feelings he’d already begun to summon.
Tamsyn was all sensuous electricity in his arms as he brought her to the brink and then paused, before giving her what she wanted.
Her orgasm was a beautiful thing to behold, her eyes dreamy and glazed, biting her lip, body tensed to capture every ounce of sensation.
Tamsyn collapsed against the couch, limp and smiling shyly up at him. “You know what you’re doing to me?”
“I have more in mind,” he said, spreading her legs. “Much more.”
She gasped as he adjusted his own position so he could lap at her juices, savoring the sweet taste of her.
He used his tongue with care and skill, caressing the sensitive nerve endings, stimulating the already engorged folds, coaxing her body to give her another climax for them both to enjoy.
Her grip on his shoulders was tight, fingernails digging in with a slight edge of pain that only spurred him on.
Soon he was riding out her second orgasm, reveling in the way she reacted to his touch.
“No one’s ever done that for me,” she said. “I didn’t think it was even possible for me to come that way.”
Cody held her close to his heart as she came down from the extreme sensations, rubbing her back and whispering compliments in her ear.