RedeemingZorus (13 page)

“I’m glad you’re talking to me.” She continued to run her
fingertips along his skin, realizing she could touch him for hours and never
get tired of it.

“Tell me what thoughts and emotions you are experiencing.”
He hesitated. “Please.”

She swallowed and then took a deep breath. “I’m confused.
You do that to me. I didn’t like you at all when we first met. You were ice
cold and a real asshole, if you want the truth. When we’re in bed together
you’re softer and a lot easier to like.”

His features hardened and all emotion cleared. “That’s all
you feel for me? A
like
of the fucking we do together?”

She studied him carefully and saw a hint of anger brewing.
He tried to hide it but the more time they spent together, he became easier for
her to read. The darkening in color of his eyes—quickly turning nearly
black—gave him away. She tried to form her words carefully.

“If that is all that is between us, I’ll order them to pilot
us to the nearest station where you can obtain passage to Saturn.” He tried to
lift off her.

Charlie’s fingernails dug into his skin to grasp hold of his
shoulders. “Freeze.”

He stopped moving and his mouth tightened into an angry
line. Fury radiated from his gaze, clearly now.
Oh yeah
, she realized.
He’s
really pissed and maybe even hurt
. It surprised her that she could make him
feel that much so fast.

“I won’t force you to stay with me just for the sake of good
intercourse.”

She noticed he’d changed back to the habit of calling sex
between them the colder term instead of saying fucking. He’d at least made an
effort to call it something she’d suggested, a fact she’d taken note of.

“I said I’m confused. We just met and I’ve never gone to bed
with a man so fast. I’m feeling more for you than just the physical stuff we
do. I’m just afraid to trust you and I don’t know if we’re too different to try
to have any kind of lasting relationship. We’re moving way too fast and after
what my brother did to me, and my ex-lover, can you see why I don’t trust my own
judgment when it comes to guys I’m drawn to? I want to trust you but your own
cyborgs don’t like you. That’s screaming a warning signal inside my head that
I’m going to get hurt.”

“I promised you no harm.”

“I’m not talking about you hitting me or killing me. Sure,
I’m apprehensive about that a little but mostly I’m worried about getting
attached to you and then you figuring out I’m just a passing itch you wanted to
scratch.”

His body relaxed again over hers and his weight settled
down. “I am not experiencing any physical irritations when we are together.”

A laugh came from her easily. “It’s another saying. I don’t
mean I’m giving you a rash. I meant that sometimes physical attraction fades
and then what would we have? You’d move on to someone else. You’re asking me to
go live in a world that I’m pretty certain isn’t going to be friendly to a
woman from Earth. I’ll be stuck there without a way to leave. What am I
supposed to do when you dump me?”

“I’ve estimated the odds and the cyborg males who have
joined with humans haven’t lost their attraction to each other.” He licked his
lips. “If anything they seem to grow closer and get even more attached to one
another.”

“What if we don’t?”

“There are no guarantees I can give you accurately. I could
lie to you by doing so but I don’t want deceit between us. The odds for
survival of a long-lasting relationship built on distrust and falsehoods are
very low.”

Charlie had to admit that his total honesty drew her to him
even more. “You won’t lie to me then?”

“You have my word of honor. I will always tell you
completely honest answers if I’m able to.”

“What does that mean?”

“As a councilman there will be information I learn that will
be labeled classified. I won’t be permitted to share that with you even if we
ever become joined in a family unit. I won’t lie to you but I will tell you if
I’m unable to answer.”

“I can deal with that.” She smiled. “I meant about the
things between us.”

“I give you my word of honor. You can depend on that
always.”

She believed him. “What is ‘joined as a family unit’?”

Zorus remained silent.

“Is that classified information?”

“No.”

“Then what does it mean?”

“It’s our version of marriage.”

“And why don’t you want to talk about it? I don’t expect you
to marry me now. We barely know each other. I just want to know what it is
since you brought it up.” A horrible thought struck. “Are you married?”

“No.” He didn’t look away from her. “I was joined in a
family unit but no longer.”

Charlie barely refrained from wincing. The idea of Zorus
married to someone else wasn’t one she enjoyed imagining. He’d said he wasn’t
married anymore. “She died or you divorced?”

“We mutually ended the contract.”

“She couldn’t take how cold you are, could she?” It was a
good guess on Charlie’s part.

“My emotional disconnection had nothing to do with the
dissolution of the contract.”

“Then why did you divorce?”

“I’m sterile so I didn’t feel the need to remain with her
after it became clear we didn’t enjoy spending any time together.” He glanced
away from her and then back. “I mentioned that to you before. I will never be
able to give you children from my sperm. The only way for you to breed would be
if you accepted another male into our family unit with active, viable sperm.”

“Come again?” Charlie gaped at him.

“You want sex already? I thought it best to give you a
reasonable resting time since you’re not as physically resilient as cyborg
females.”

His misunderstanding of slang wasn’t funny to her this time.
“What do you mean, accept another male into a family unit?”

He didn’t speak.

“Zorus? Talk to me.”

“I don’t wish to give you that information.”

“Why?” She tensed. Their rules and his world were different
from Earth’s. She didn’t need to be a scholar to get that. Whatever he wasn’t
saying had to be something so bad he feared she’d bolt. “I need the truth
here.”

Anger flashed in his eyes. “I don’t want another male to
touch you.”

“I don’t want that either.”

He studied her carefully, seemed to look for something,
perhaps trying to tell if she was lying. He finally spoke. “There are far less
female cyborgs than males. We had to make adjustments to form family units
accordingly.”

“Speak English or expand on the explanation because I’m not
getting it.”

“Our males share a single female when they form a family
unit.”

Shock rolled through Charlie. “Then we sure as hell won’t be
getting married.”

“That wouldn’t be an issue unless you demanded children.
Even as my property, you could force the issue by demanding another male enter
into our family unit to provide them. I’m unable to breed children with you,
which would mean a viable male could be brought into our family unit if you
asked. All cyborg family units must produce at least one child per each
member—cyborg member—and given that law, if you agreed to be a breeder for a
male it would override my rights to sole ownership of you in a family-unit
situation.”

Charlie knew her mouth hung open but for the life of her she
couldn’t close it. Zorus frowned down at her with a decidedly unhappy grimace.
The astonishment started to fade and she cleared her throat, licked her lips,
and managed to stop gaping at him.

“I’m not a slut. I don’t cheat either. I’ve never done two
guys at once and never would. That’s just wrong. My parents raised me not to be
immoral.”

“It is not considered promiscuous on Garden for a woman to
have many males in her family unit.” He paused. “That term I am familiar with.
A female is not a slut if she has multiple males in a family unit. She’s giving
the males the opportunity to create life, give our race a future, and she is revered.”

“I’m not from Garden and I sure as hell don’t need more than
one man in my life.”

“Do you give me your word of honor on that?” Hope flared in
his gaze.

“Yes,” she promised with all sincerity. “I’m not a cheater
and in my book that’s what it would be. I wouldn’t ever want more than one man
in my life.”

“Good. We’re in total agreement that no other male shall
ever touch you regardless of my inability to breed children with you.”

She nodded. “We are.”

He hesitated. “I have a son.”

The shocks kept coming for Charlie. “You had a kid and then
decided not to have any more? You asked to be sterilized?”

“He was created before I escaped Earth. He’s the product of
the testing the scientists forced on my people to see if we could breed. I got
a female cyborg pregnant. I told you that once it had been established that it
was possible, they sterilized the males to prevent our future breeding. Some of
their options were medically reversible. In my case the damage is permanent.
When I escaped, I took my son with me.”

“Where is his mother?” Jealousy surfaced though she tried
not to feel it. The idea of him having a son with another woman didn’t sit well
with her.

“I took her to Garden as well. I wasn’t about to leave her
behind. We formed a family unit for the sake of our child but we did not
tolerate one another in the least. It is why we mutually ended the contract.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Fifteen years have passed since the contract ended.”

She let go of the green-eyed monster. Fifteen years was a
really long time and he hadn’t said it but she got the feeling that he and his
ex-wife hated each other. “Do you see her often?”

“No. We avoid common meeting areas.”

“Even better,” she muttered.

Zorus suddenly smiled. “You do not enjoy the idea of me
spending time with her?”

“No and I don’t see what is so amusing to you about that.”

“Jealousy is a first-level emotion of a growing
attachment.”’

“I’m so happy that you’re thrilled over that.” She didn’t
roll her eyes but she wanted to. “Note my sarcastic tone.”

He had the audacity to chuckle. “You are feeling deeper
feelings for me than just sexual gratification.”

There wasn’t a reason to deny it. “Yes but I’m still really
confused. I don’t know what I’m getting into and I’m not sure this is such a
hot idea. What happens if we don’t work out? I’ll be stuck on this cyborg
planet of yours, correct?”

“I’m determined to make our relationship a solid, happy
union that will last.”

“Relationships aren’t that simple.”

Zorus kept his smile in place. “You will learn I am a very
stubborn male who has little to no sway in my directives.”

“That’s what scares me.”

Chapter Eight

Charlie couldn’t stop staring at the buildings and how
uniform in shape they were. It appeared as if they’d used the same blueprint to
construct each one. The streets were so clean, she guessed someone could
actually eat off them. She also didn’t miss the way heads turned to openly
study her. She inched closer to Zorus to grab his hand in a tight grip.

He paused, his gaze lowered to her hand clutching his. He
met her gaze with concern. “There is no need to be afraid. No harm will come to
you here, Charlie.”

“I don’t see any humans,” she whispered, not wanting anyone
nearby to overhear her. “Please tell me I’m not the only one on this planet.
When you said humans were slaves I assumed I’d see a bunch of them.”

“You are not the only one but there are very few.”

“That doesn’t reassure me at all. Does every cyborg hate me
for being human? I’m not seeing any happy faces.”

Zorus peered around them. “It’s irrelevant what their personal
opinions of humans are. You are safe with me. No one would dare attempt to harm
you.”

“They are staring at me.”

“You’re a rarity.” He paused. “It might be the surprise of
seeing me with a human that holds their fascination more. It’s well-known that
I abhor everything from Earth.”

She inched closer until her body pressed against his side.
“You mean you used to feel that way.”

“Yes.” He grinned. “You are the only thing from Earth that
makes it a relevant place. Would you prefer I carry you? You could turn your
face against my chest and not look at them if they frighten you. I could easily
do that without straining my body. You’re quite light to me.”

“I’m not a baby.” Her chin lifted and she stepped away. “I’d
like to keep hold of your hand if you don’t mind though.”

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “My home is just two
buildings down on the right side. We’ll be out of their sight soon. You’ll be
more comfortable without their scrutiny.”

“Good. Lead the way.”

It took a lot for her not to ask Zorus to carry her. She
couldn’t miss how many cyborgs openly watched her with grim looks. Some came
outside the buildings they passed to do so, and she didn’t see any sign of
welcome when she dared glance at faces. With every step, she bumped into Zorus.
She remained that close to his side.

He entered a building, nodded to a guard, and led her to an
elevator. The second it opened, Charlie nearly leaped inside the empty lift.
Zorus frowned at her but followed her in. The doors sealed them inside.

“You are safe, Charlie.”

“Safe but really uncomfortable. I think I know how a
dangerous animal at the zoo feels now. Everyone out there looked as if I were a
snake, or something equally as unpleasant, about to strike out at them.”

His features tensed. “I will do something about that. I’ll
order them not to stare at you the next time we go out.”

Surprised, she studied him closely and asked, “You could do
that?”

He gave a sharp nod. “I’m a council member. My opinion
matters to all and I can be very persuasive.”

She had heard the cyborgs call him that but hadn’t let it
sink in what it could possibly mean. “You’re a bigwig on this planet?”