Taken by the Cyborg (Galactic Pirate Brides Book 4) Page 13

  Gaze smoldering, he slid his chair closer and put one hand on her knee. Electric jolts raced up her thigh. She’d worn slacks, but part of her wished she was wearing the thin consort skirt so he could slide the hem up and explore her further.

  Putting one hand over his, she drew his touch along her leg to the juncture of her thighs.

  He made a low, hungry sound at the back of his throat, and as if all he’d been waiting for was permission, he stood and pulled her into an embrace. His mouth claimed hers, kissing her with deep, passionate strokes of his tongue. Her hormones raged to life, and she melted against him, reveling in his taste and smell.

  His desire prodded against her through the thin fabric of her slacks, and she slid one hand from his neck down his chest to loosen his drawstring waistband. Shoving his pants down his hips, her hands skimmed the perfect, rounded curve of his ass. He let the fabric slid to his ankles, stepping free before sweeping her into his arms.

  Still kissing her, he carried her out of the dining area toward the bedroom. He lay her on top of the blankets, breaking away to pull his shirt over his head. His erection jutted from his hips as he grabbed her heels and pulled off her shoes simultaneously, tossing them to the floor behind him. Then he crawled up the bed to her waist. She was already fumbling at the clasp to her pants, but he finished the job, peeling them from her in a long sweep of his arm.

  With both hands, he parted her thighs and nuzzled against her center. “I’ve been wanting to do this from the first moment I saw you naked on camera.”

  Flushing, she realized he’d probably watched her for a long time before ever meeting her in person. The cameras he’d hijacked likely looked right at her bed. Nebulas, how many times did I use my vibrator while he was watching?

  She must’ve tensed, because he lifted his head to meet her eyes. “I tried not to watch you during personal moments. I just want you to know that. But I… couldn’t look away.”

  Breath catching in her throat, she nodded at him. She probably would’ve watched him, too, if she’d had the chance. “It’s okay.”

  He lowered his head again, breath hot against her sensitive flesh. “I know everything you like.”

  She shivered as he rolled his tongue over her clit, then dipped down around her lower lips and back up. He continued licking and sucking until she was pulsing and hot. Then his tongue plunged inside her, his face buried against her pussy.

  Writhing, she clutched the back of his hair. Her other hand pinched her own nipple, bucking against him as he brought her higher and higher. But it wasn’t enough. She needed more. “Doug—”

  He inserted a long thick finger, and she rose over the crest, climaxing as he stroked and licked. He lapped up her juices like a man dying of thirst, until she slumped against the mattress, completely spent.

  Leaving her throbbing pussy, he crawled up her body to claim her mouth, clasping the back of her neck with one hand. He kissed her with long, sure strokes of his tongue. The fingers of his other hand toyed with her nipple until it ached. Mouth still claimed, she clawed his back, wrapping her legs around his hips and drawing him against her until his shaft nudged her cleft, hot and solid.

  “I want you inside me,” she whimpered.

  He chuckled, a deep, throaty sound that made her insides quiver. “You had only to ask.”

  Pulling back, he entered her in a sure, swift stroke that left her gasping. Her nipples hardened against his chest as he slid in and out, kissing her ravenously. He plunged forward so deep and hard, it almost hurt. But she wanted more, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts, aching for a second peak.

  His hand released the back of her neck and he grabbed her hips, rolling to the side and lifting her so she straddled him. She liked being given control. Placing her hands against his chest, she arched her back, lifting almost free of his length before seating him fully inside her once more. Then she rolled her hips, rubbing his length along her inner ridges. The ecstasy of this moment, of their perfect rhythm together, made the world disappear.

  She rode him up and up, until she seemed to leave her body and float in nothingness. The pressure inside her buoyed her beyond the stars. Doug roared, hands on her hips clamping her to him, hot seed filling her in pulsing gushes. Her second release seized her at the same time, consuming her, spiraling her in a shuddering wave of pleasure.

  She fell forward against Doug’s chest, breathing hard. She could hear his heartbeat beneath her ear. It might not be a human heart, but it was real. And it was hers.

  He pushed a sweaty strand of hair from her cheek and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Attie Swan. Thank you for rescuing me.”

  She sighed, heart full of love for him. “I love you, too, forever and always.”

  This man was hers. The future was hers.

  Together, they could conquer anything.

  Chapter 23

  The Hardship’s battered hull looked like something cobbled together by garan’uk children. As Doug watched it settle onto the Icarus’s shuttle bay floor, he examined the mismatched plating and sensor arrays that didn’t quite fit the space they’d been given. He didn’t know a lot about ships, but this one had to be on its last legs.

  Attie’s hand squeezed his from where she waited beside him. “Excited?”

  Doug nodded, trying to hide his worry. He hadn’t spoken to his twin sister since helping her get rid of the nanites, and he hadn’t seen her face to face much longer than that. What would she think of all his cybernetics?

  “Stop worrying,” said Attie, poking him in the side. “She’s your sister. It’s going to be okay.”

  The Hardship’s cargo ramp popped open with a hiss and began descending with excruciating slowness, groaning as it moved.

  Doug’s impatience got the better of him. He strode forward and grabbed the lip, pulling until the base thudded against the deck.

  A small figure threw herself against him in a full-body hug. “Doug! It’s really you!”

  “Hi, Lisa.” He pressed his human cheek against her soft charcoal hair and lifted her in a bear hug. She’d always been much shorter than he was, but his cybernetic legs had given him another few centimeters of height. It felt good to be close to her again; being separated from her for so long had been like losing a limb—and he knew exactly how that felt.

  Behind her, a blonde woman strode down the ramp, pistols jostling against each hip. She barely looked at them as she beelined it toward Attie. Marlis. He recognized her from the Icarus’s security log. Two big Denaidan men with full beards lingered at the top of the ramp, pistols at their belts, eyeing him warily.

  The other cyborgs had been worried about letting the pirates on board and were hanging back near the lift per Doug’s instructions. He’d forbidden them to bring weapons today, but he wouldn’t put it past Rust to have a pulse pistol or two stashed on his person just in case. Best to make introductions quickly so nothing went sideways.

  He called, “Welcome on board the Icarus, Captain Qaiyaan.”

  Four Denaidans descended the ramp, copper skin reflecting the harsh lighting. Doug recognized the captain only from the many video feeds he’d hacked, but he knew Noatak in person from a brief encounter right here on the Icarus. Despite his better judgment, Doug had allowed this man’s devotion to Attie’s sister sway him and helped them both escape the ship, which had set in motion everything that had brought him to this moment.

  He never would’ve guessed that one minor act of empathy would begin his own journey toward happiness.

  Lisa released him with a little shove and looked up, her slate-gray eyes sparkling. “I can’t believe you took over a Syndicorp flagship! It’s the only thing people are talking about in cartel space.”

  “It wasn’t all me,” he said, glancing toward his crew. Attie was a few feet behind him, hugging her sister. Tears glistened on her cheeks as the two of them rocked back and forth. “I want you to meet Attie and my crew.”

  Noatak stepped forward, eyes boring into Doug. “You�
��re the cyborg who freed me.” Without waiting for confirmation, he reached out and pulled Doug into a spine-cracking hug. “I owe you everything, iluq.” He was as tall as Doug, and even without cybernetics, seemed to be just as strong. “Absolutely everything.”

  “Enough Noatak,” Qaiyaan said. He gave Doug a sardonic smile. “My first mate isn’t usually so demonstrative. But he’s right, we are grateful for everything you’ve done.”

  “To be fair, I didn’t do it for you.” Doug looked at Lisa.

  She smiled back as she slid an arm around Qaiyaan’s waist. “Be nice, Doug. You two are brothers now.”

  Doug blinked, realizing just how true her words were. First, Doug became part of a cyborg brotherhood, then took a lover and befriended a sentient AI. Now he had a new sister and not one, but two brothers—Qaiyaan and Noatak. His family seemed to get bigger every time he turned around.

  Attie linked her arm thought Doug’s and leaned her cheek against his shoulder. “Marlis, this is Doug. Which one of these is yours?”

  “My memory’s still shit, but I’m pretty sure it’s this one.” Marlis hitched a thumb toward Noatak. “Noatak, this is my sister, Attie.”

  Noatak rolled his eyes and put one arm around Marlis’s shoulders to jerk her close. “She’s trouble, but she’s all mine.”

  A rumbling sound made everyone turn as Twerp came off the lift, her treaded wheels loud against the decking. The boxy, meter-tall sweeper bot was the best the cyborgs had been able to manage for her, but Twerp was delighted to finally move around on her own. “Greetings!” Twerp’s camera swiveled upward toward Marlis. “My facial recognition program is not yet complete, but I believe you must be Marlis. It is interesting to finally see you in person.”

  “Oh my God. It can’t be—” Marlis’s eyes went wide. “Twerp?”

  Twerp’s repurposed dust bin slid forward, revealing a tray with several glasses of pink liquid. “I have brought refreshments.”

  Attie let go of Doug’s arm and picked up a glass. “I forgot to tell you, Marlis. Twerp survived.”

  Marlis blinked. “In a sweeper bot?”

  “It is a long story,” said Twerp, rolling forward a few inches and raising her dustbin of sloshing glasses. “I believe it is a human custom to regale each other with historical experiences over drinks. Emilryde assures me this is the same beverage served in the finest establishments on Enays. Please, try some.”

  Marlis shook her head and took a glass. “That’s Twerp, all right. Never gets right to the point.”

  “Ellam Cua, Twerp!” A red-headed Denaidan with bare feet pushed forward, bending to look straight into the AI’s camera. “You got your eyes!”

  “Indeed I did.” Twerp shuttered and opened her lens as if fluttering her lids. “I believe I recognize your voice from when you assisted me during Marlis’s assimilation to the nanites. Are you Tovik?”

  Tovik grinned and nodded. “Yep. Good to see you again, Twerp.”

  “I am most gratified to see you, as well. Would you care for a drink?”

  “That’d be great.” He picked up a glass and took a sip while he crouched down to examine Twerp’s chassis. “Let me look at you. I’ve never seen a Syndicorp bot up close before.”

  “Twerp has the right idea.” Attie pulled her sister toward several cargo containers the cyborgs had set up as tables laden with platters of food. “We put together a feast to celebrate. Come on.”

  Lisa grinned at Doug, then grabbed Qaiyaan’s arm to drag him along. “I like her already.”

  It felt so good to be near Lisa again, and exponentially good that she and Attie were getting along. He hung back, watching everyone take seats and chat as if they’d known each other all along.

  Rust took a seat next to Marlis, removing a pulse pistol from his boot and offering it to her, butt-first. Damn that cyborg. But Marlis pulled a pistol from her belt and offered it in return, obviously delighted to be talking guns.

  Noatak leaned toward Doug. “Now we’ve lost her. Marlis’ll talk guns all night. Any chance there’s a bottle of Kantarellian rum over there?”

  Doug was surprised to realize he was grinning like an idiot. “I believe we can rustle up a bottle or two.”

  Attie called out, “Doug, you coming?”

  He settled to the seat next to her, everyone eating and chatting as if they’d known each other forever. Attie touched the back of his hair with loving fingers, and when he looked at her, the love in her eyes made his cybernetic heart skip a beat. This woman had brought him everything he never thought he deserved. Everything he’d craved but been afraid to admit he wanted. She’d given him the most important thing in the universe. Her love had made him human again—had made him whole again. And he was going to spend the rest of his life proving he was worth it.

  Epilogue

  Father had been nearby; Rashana had felt his energy even through the deep sleep of her cryopod. The cryopod he tricked me into.

  Extreme empathic and biometric sensitivity. That was her father’s diagnosis. At the age of nine, she’d admitted to hearing voices. Then she got in an argument with her tutor, and he’d dropped dead right in front of her. Father said the death was her fault. That he would find a way to rein in her power. He wanted to use needles and tubes, and quarantined her to a lab until she was “fixed.”

  Mother wanted to train her not to do it again. Rashana wanted to cry when she thought of her mother’s glorious blue skin and shimmering turquoise veins. For years, Mother had been her only view of the outside world. Her eyes and ears, her taste and touch. Gone forever.

  Again, father blamed Rashana. Said she was a naughty girl, and her power was too strong. But Rashana didn’t feel strong, waiting here in darkness, her anger never quite hot enough to free her from this never-ending stasis.

  Father said he loved her. She heard the whispers of his mind every time he came within range of the cryopod. He said he was doing it for her own good. That he would find a way to keep her powers in check. To let her live a normal life.

  Rashana didn’t want a normal life. She wanted to punish him for making her angry. For tricking her. For stealing the very life he promised to give her.

  If Rashana ever got free, she was going to burn his heart right out of his body.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for joining me for Doug and Attie’s story. I hope you found it as exciting as I did! If you wouldn’t mind taking a moment to leave a review for the book, I would greatly appreciate it—few words from you helps other readers find my stories! Here are links to places where reviews matter most:

  Your Bookstore

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  Please tell your friends on Facebook and in person, too! Thank you a million times over for your support!

  XOXO

  Tamsin

  P.S. Check out a list of all my books on my website at www.tamsinley.com

  Glossary

  Anaq - Shit

  Attahat wheel - A form of gambling using a random wheel much like roulette

  Burn - The means by which ships travel long distances quickly using ionic frequencies to bend space

  Cartel - Organized crime ring

  Cochlear implant - A cybernetic device that transmits communications via vibrations directly against the bones of the ear

  Cyborg - A person with over 50% of their body replaced by cybernetic parts. Although many people have cybernetic enhancements, actual cyborgs are banned from Syndicorp citizenship.

  Denaida-daru - The Denaidan homeworld, destroyed by Syndicorp. Also called planet K-4H10

  Ellam Cua - The Denaidan deity

  Enayshuan - A human-like species with prominent eye ridges, known for their metallic body powder. Often associated with the sex trade

  Enays - A sex planet run by enayshuans

  Finofan - Aliens with iguana-like frills around their ears and slitted eyes. They like hot and humid atmosphere

  Garan’uk - A methane breathing alien species

&nb
sp; Iluq - Brother

  Ionic power or shield - A Denaidan ability to affect matter and gravity

  Kwirn - A form of gambling using 3-D tables and pieces

  Nav-grav seats - Used to keep humanoids comfortable during ship burn

  Netorpok - An exotic pet banned on most worlds

  NIU - Nanite Integration Unit, a clandestine Syndicorp lab with cyborg test subjects

  Parsec - A measurement of distance (3.2 light years)

  Posungi - An egg-laying alien with an orange tentacled face

  Qumli - Asshole

  Rakwiji - Scaled aliens with a poisonous claw, who hunt in pairs and require torture as part of their mating ritual. Often hired by the cartel as bounty hunters

  Saluqan - A race with an intuitive talent for medical skills. They have blue to purple skin and sometimes iridescent veins that show through the skin.

  Sizantha pods - Used to make tea

  Syndicorp - A mega-corporation that runs a huge section of the galaxy

  Synth skin - Artificially grown biological polymer that mimics actual skin. Most commonly used over cybernetic parts.

  The Termination - Syndicorp’s destruction of Denaida-daru

  Ucuk - Dick

  Uminaq - Dammit

  Unclassified space - Areas of the galaxy not ruled by Syndicorp

  Xeimir worm - A glossy-skinned alien that breathes through its skin and is ultra-sensitive to light

  Yanipa-nimayu - A six-legged alien often found performing manual labor

  Also by Tamsin Ley

  Galactic Pirate Brides series

  *Galactic Pirate Brides Box Set (Includes first 3 books)*

  Rescued by Qaiyaan