The Exchange Part 1 (10 page)

“Sapphire, we shouldn’t—” Once again, I’m stopped by her lips, and there’s no tease
about it this time. She lays them
fully
over mine, and lust shoots right through my common sense. I growl under my breath
as she shivers on top of me. She moves her lips a tiny bit and the wet sensation of
them on my own snaps the last of my rationale.

Moaning, I slide one hand down the graceful curve of her back, stopping right before
her ass. My other hand is still cupping her face, and I hold her still, tilting my
head. Hot, panting breaths leave her as I rub our lips together, mixing with my own.

My tongue flicks out and tastes her parted lips.

Sapphire whimpers on top of me, her hands falling to the pillow next to my head and
fisting the material.

I lose it.

A rough sound leaves me, and my hand slides down, cupping her ass over her skirt.
She jerks on top of me with surprise, but doesn’t stop me. Fisting the pillow harder
with her little hands, she brings herself closer, giving me another one of those moans.

I capture her lower lip with my teeth, tugging
gently
. She rewards me with a mewl, one so hungry that the fleshy tip of my dick sticks
to my jeans as more pre-cum leaks out. I pull back, breathing
harshly
, and smile at the way she whimpers and tries to recapture my lips. “Your legs. Want
them over me, baby.”

Bless her soul, she doesn’t hesitate. She straddles me again, and I use the hold I
have on her ass to bring her flush with my cock. She jerks on top of me, eyes full
of surprise and a lazy wonder that makes me want to slide into her right there.

I hiss, her heat right on my shaft. The only thing keeping my shaft from her is my
jeans and her panties.

I’m tempted to reach under her skirt and see what type she’s wearing. Booty-shorts?
God help me, I doubt it, but a thong?

Letting go of the pillow, she cups my face in her soft, warm hands. A steady, guttural
growl vibrates through my chest as she lowers herself back down. She doesn’t stop
until we’re chest-to-chest again.

She’s not even shy about this right now.

God, I want to fuck her.

Instinct is about to take over. There’s a clawing sensation beneath my skin, reminding
me that I’m a man. Nature built me to claim. There’s no good reason why I should deny
myself her body, not when it’s as desperate for my cum as I am to give it.

Except, there is a good reason, a
really
good one, and I struggle to remind myself of that. “Sapphire do you even know what’s
happening right now?”

Her answer? Spreading her thighs, she presses down and rocks on my dick. The heat
of her pussy goes right through my jeans.

Sapphire bites into her glossy lower lip, groaning.

My eyes roll into the back of my head and I swear I almost come right there.

“Sex,” she says, her voice breathless. Husky.

My balls tighten and I moan loudly, my mind replaying how her voice wrapped around
that word.

I want it. Now. My entire reproductive system kicks into action, demanding that I
come inside her. God, it’s primal. All I can think about is thrusting inside her pussy,
her walls sucking the cum out of me.

Still,
somehow
, I open my eyes and force out one more excuse. “I doubt you know much about sex,
and this is definitely not it.”

Sapphire pouts down at me. “No. This isn’t, but I believe we’re working up to it.
Foreplay, if I’m not mistaken.”

Her tone is clinical as she explains it. I’m speechless for a few seconds.

“And.” Another rock of her hips that leaves my teeth grinding. “We both want it bad.”

As if to prove her point, my dick throbs nice and hard under her.

“As for my not knowing about sex, let’s put aside the gross amount of knowledge available
about it online,” she pauses, moving her hands down to my shoulders and cupping them.
“Magdalena also had sex, and I can remember quite a bit of it.”

What in the mother-flying-fuck?

“Deimos?” she says in a small and cautious voice.

Understandable.
The
growl I gave her was inhuman.

The
furious pound my dick gives reverberates through me. I squeeze my eyes closed as
every fucking answer slides into place, my purpose becoming clear.

She has those memories in her mind? The face of every asshole that had touched, kissed,
licked, and fucked Magdalena’s body?

Then I’ll erase that fucking bullshit. I’ll own her body. Replace every damned memory
until there’s only me. For the rest of her life, whenever she so much as thinks the
word
sex
, it’ll be with
me
.

I grip her hips, moving her back and forth, making sure she feels every denim-covered,
hard drag of my cock. She
obviously
knows it wants her; I’m about to show her just how much.

“Don’t think about that shit,” I demand, growling. “They never happened, not to
you
. You
only
think about me.” I give her one more thrust and sit up. My head spins but I ignore
it, clutching her and setting back in. “You want sex? I’ll fucking give it to you.
I’ll show you what it’s like. Give you whatever you want.”

Her lips fall open, her chest expanding on a ragged breath.

I lean my head down, licking at her lips. When she whimpers and tries to kiss me,
I pull back, smiling at the little disappointed sound she makes. “Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she whispers in a dazed tone, her breaths racing.

I grab that beautiful face and bring those lips back to mine. Her nails dig into my
shoulders, scratching me through my shirt. I nip her bottom lip with one incisor and
drag my tongue across it, soothing it.

Thoughts are getting hazier, dragging me under. My cock pulses. The pound of my heart
and the sounds that leave her is all I hear. Sapphire wraps her
seemingly
delicate arms around me. I clench her round ass in my hands and groan. Damn, the
way it undulates with each move of her hips.

That ass is deceptive. It shouldn’t belong on such a small girl. And I think I’m falling
in love with  it.

I grind into her. Without thinking, I slip my tongue between her lips, seeking more
of her taste.
Needing
it, damn her.

Sapphire writhes, her little tongue making contact with my own.

Oh, fuck. Holding her ass, I rotate her on my dick. So good. Holy shit, I’m going
to come so fucking hard just from dry-humping this girl. I undulate harder against
her, wrapping her in my arms.
Right there. Right fucking there
—

Integration complete. Rest period initiated.

Say what? I break my kiss with her and open my eyes—the room spins again. Faster than
before.

Suddenly, I’m
exhausted
, my eyes fighting to stay open.

“Deimos?”

I try to open my mouth and
say
her name. Nothing. The strength in my upper body is gone. I fall back onto the bed,
dimly aware that Sapphire is still above me.
Wait.
I try to shake my head and fail.
What’s happening?

“Oh God,” Sapphire groans on top of me. “I forgot to reprogram them not to do that.”

The nanobots? They’re causing this?
Dangerous!

“I’m sorry.” She cups my face in her shaking hands. “It’ll only be while your body
and the bots do some last minute healing.”

I’m fucking pissed! Too tired to show it, or even process it, but those microscopic
motherfuckers are doing this to me. They’re knocking me out without my permission!

Getting rid of them later. Don’t care
, I think, fighting to stay awake.

Sapphire moves off me. Blindly, I reach out to her.

She grabs my hand and lays it next to me. “Shh. It’s okay. Just rest.”

No, it’s not okay.
She
is not okay, and I haven’t forgotten that. I can’t leave her alone—

REST PERIOD ENDED.

Sapphire.

My eyes fly open. A report slides across my vision; a breakdown of how bad the damage
had been and what was done to fix it.

I don’t spare it a single thought. Don’t care about any of that right now. I look
around the darkened motel room.

The
empty
room.

Panic. It’s such an unfamiliar emotion to me.

I hate it.

The fear has me shooting upright, my head whipping side to side. My heart beats like
a stampeding elephant.

I’m fucking frantic.

Where is she?

Right as I’m about to lose my shit, I pick up the sound of running water coming from
the bathroom.

Relief weakens me, brings back the vestiges of exhaustion in my body. I banish it
to the back of my mind. Sapphire first; exhaustion later. Throwing
back
the covers, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and get to my feet. It quickly
becomes an exercise in patience.

And hate.

My free-will is one of the things I value most in this world. It’s been stolen by
these intrusive fucking nanobots.

Either they have the ability to drug me, or worse, they can control my sleep patterns.
Either way, it infuriates me that I was knocked out without so much as a warning.

Letting me know half-a-second before it happens does not
fucking
count.

And I had left Sapphire with her nervous system acting up. Hyper-aroused.
Alone.

As I all but stumble the few feet to the bathroom door, sleep is on my heels, calling
me. Trying to lure me back. Laughing and making my head spin when I refuse to listen.

Dr
. Allen is a dangerous individual. Yes he is. His creations are nothing short of deadly.

Sapphire included.

Case in point: my current predicament.

I make it to the door and lean on the frame for support. The water shuts off. I knock
on the door a lot harder than I intend to.

“Deimos?”

My knees go watery at the sound of her voice. I don’t know what I expected to find.
Her, unconscious perhaps, but knowing she’s awake relaxes some of the tension in me.

Hands tight around the doorframe, I raise my head enough to lock eyes with the door.
My voice is shot to shit but it doesn’t stop me from demanding, “Get out here Sapphire.
Now
.” There’s no patience to word it in nicer terms, only an anxious urge to lay eyes
on her.

I love that she doesn’t hesitate, that she rushes to open the door for me, because
right now I need it.

A whoosh of air leaves me as I drink her in. Yeah, definitely needed this.

And there’s something we both need more.

I do a quick catalog of her state—the still dilated pupils, the too-pale tone of her
skin, her racing chest—and I know it hasn’t gotten any easier for her. The hairs at
her temple are wet. She must have been splashing cold water on her face.

She crosses her arms. “How are you feeling?”

So steady. Holding herself together despite everything.
So brave.
Something unfurls in my chest, a warmth I’ve never felt before.

It’s tenderness. Has to be, because the urge to have her in my arms almost overwhelms
me. I lower my hands from the doorframe. “Come here.”

She blinks at the tone of my voice. Yeah, I heard it too. Every aching emotion she's
brought to life was laid bare in that tone.

I reach for her waist, wrapping my hands around it. Her cheeks blossom with color
and I’m pleased. The paleness of her skin worries me.

My primal urges are calling for her and it’s such a God damned contradiction that
I can barely keep up—protect her, soothe her, take care of her.

Fuck her, wreck her, make her mine.

Small tremors go through me as I pull her out of the bathroom, my hands locked on
her tiny waist. Slowly, she lowers her arms, allowing me to lead her. Walking backwards,
I keep going until the bed is behind me.

Heart thrumming against my ribcage, I sit on it. Her eyes follow my every move. My
mouth goes dry as I pull on her waist, making it obvious what I want. Her on my lap,
her legs tight around me.

Sapphire’s hands land on my shoulders. There’s a pause, a moment where she gauges
the meaning of my silent request.

My jaw tightens reflexively. I lift her off her feet and onto my lap.

“Deimos, wait! What if you’re not okay yet? Please let me scan you first.”

I settle her legs on either side of me. God, that pink-flushed, porcelain skin of
hers is making me tremble. “I’m more worried about how you’re doing, baby.” Her blush
darkens at the endearment. Knew she liked that.

I slide my arms around her waist and nuzzle her jaw with my nose. “You’re going to
let me scan you.”
And you’re going to let me take care of you.
I don’t tell her that last part, of course. Those vitals are foremost.

Sapphire leans her forehead against mine, eyes closed. I literally can’t handle how
attractive she is to me. I want to fucking bite
her. Heavy breaths leave her petal-soft lips. I sense the lust between us and it’s
driving me insane.

“But what about you?” she asks. “You’re the one that almost bled out.” Her fingers
flutter along the back of my neck. The tickling sensations makes me arch into her.

"It wasn't that bad, Sapphire."

"It
was
that bad, Deimos."

I check a smirk. “I’m fine, Sapphire.”
No I’m not.
“Just tired. On that note: you’re going to tell me how to get rid of the bots. These
little motherfuckers knocking me out was not appreciated in the least.”

Shock flickers across her expression. Then she bursts out laughing, her entire face
lighting up.

Breath abandons me. I feel like my chest was head-butted by a fucking rhino. Holy
shit, and I thought she was beautiful before? My semi-hard dick shoots to full length.

I’m ready. Aching.

I’m going to flip her over onto this bed, spread her thighs, and press my face to
her pussy. Fuck,
yes
. I’ll make her ride my tongue, beg me to lick her dry.

Before I can make good on my plan, Sapphire shakes her head. Still smiling, she moves
her fingers and starts playing with the hairs at my nape. I force myself to hold back
another shiver.

She looks so happy. My chest puffs up with pride. I made her laugh.
Gotta
remember to do that more often.

“Fine. I’ll let you scan me, but only if you promise to keep the nanobots,” she says.

I’m sure the expression I’m wearing mimics my thoughts. She wants me to keep the fuckers?
Why the hell?

“Hear me out—”

“Sapphire, no.”

“I’m serious, hear me out.” She stops, eyes falling to my lips, back up to my brow.

She starts laughing again, so hard she struggles to breathe through it.

Love the sight of it, don’t get me wrong, but what the hell is so damned funny?

“You,” she wheezes, as if answering my silent question. She goes limp in my arms from
the force of her laughter.

I’m worried all over again. I move my hands higher on her ribcage and pull her back
so I can look at her. “Woman, are you getting hysterical on me?”

She giggles at that. Fuck. The way her eyes glow.

“I’m not hysterical. I think.” She inhales, making an effort to stem the laughter.
“That was so funny.”

“What was?” I’m tempted to scan her now, her permission be damned. I’m not quite sure
that she isn’t in fact hysterical, or at least fast approaching it.

“You. You were pouting.”

The fuck I was pouting. I scowl at her but I let it go. We all know I don’t fucking
pout, and now that her laughter has ceased, she seems more relaxed. “You sure you’re
okay?”

Sapphire nods, practically giddy. “I’m much better. Look,” she holds her hands out
in front of me, “no more shaking.”

Well, look at that. Her color’s much better, too. “Still. Will you let me scan you?
Or are we going to have to fight about this?”

Her lips twitch with another smile. “I already ran a scan. Says I’m
fi
ne.” She stops when I bring her close, almost nose to nose with each other.

“But
I
want to scan you.” God help me, I really do. Everything is still pounding and I can’t
stop wanting inside her, anyway I can get it. I’ll settle for the scan if that’s all
she’ll give me, but I need
something
.

She wraps her arms around my neck again, her eyes going languid. “Okay. I’ll let you
in.”

Shit. Don’t take that literally.
Too late. I swallow, nervous. Another emotion I’m not familiar with.

Sapphire stares into my eyes. I stare right back, not paying attention to the nervousness.
From this angle, I can see every inch of her, how her thighs straddle my hips. Her
skirt and my jeans remain covered in blood; a fact that bothers me. I don’t want her
to carry around the blood of her attackers on her. Wish I wasn’t doing the same.

I’ll get us cleaned up later.

One command initiates the scan. Her features are bathed in a red glow. I keep my eyes
on her face, focusing mainly on her brain. The image of it forms, like a 3D, rotating
model. I search out the area known as the cingulate cortex, and study the lights that
indicate activity.

Her thalamus is next, then I move on, trying to get a read on the activity in her
limbic system.

It all seems normal for now. The more activity in those areas—excitement, hormonal
changes, stress, panic—the more the brain “lights” up. Her brain activity, however,
seems to have returned to normal.

Doesn’t mean that everything is as it should be, though. I blink and end the scan,
bothered by the amount of white matter I saw in her brain. Way more than usual.

A potentially dangerous amount.

Sapphire fidgets on my lap. She knows what I found. Biting the corner of her lip,
she stares at me nervously. “Father was aware, but it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.” She recoils at the rough tone of my voice. My jaw is clenched so
hard my teeth ache.

I close my eyes, trying to sift through the violent impulse in me.
Protect her. Shield her.
“
Dr
. Allen only believed it was fine because you lied about your mental state, didn’t
you?”

Her gasp is loud.

Bingo.
Caught
. “Sapphire, let’s forget about the possibility of a stroke down the line.”

She cuts me off, fisting the material covering my shoulders. “My technology won’t
allow that. Besides, it’s a small effect of the transfer. I brought in twice the info
with me.”

I’m almost tempted to grab her shoulders and shake her. “Sapphire. Cognitive overload.
Ever hear of that? Your brain was going to be stressed as it is.”

“I needed to have Magdalena’s memories.”

As well as the knowledge that was her own. God knew how much that was exactly. “Sapphire,
your mind is hyper-aroused. That’s a huge amount of stress.”

“Deimos, I’m fine right now.”

And fucking stubborn, too. I almost want to fist hair, force her still, and make her
freaking listen. “Yeah, but at any provocation, your mind will speed-up. Over time,
do you have any idea what that might do to you?”

Pouting angrily, she crosses her arms. “Well, what would you have me do?”

“Go back with
Dr
. Allen. He’ll have the resources—”

She almost jumps off my lap, her face flushing red with frustration. I tighten my
arms and refuse to let her go. “Deimos.” Her eyes plead with me to understand. “I
can’t. They’ll force us to run forever. He’ll lose all his resources. Becoming the
head of Mr. Heaton’s company is the only hope I have of ever living a semi-peaceful
life.”