“Riding is hard on the muscles when you’re not used to it. Are you all right?”
“Yes, just a little shaky. Can you, umm, help me towards the facilities?”
To her enormous relief, he didn’t laugh but simply guided her over. When she emerged, he was waiting for her, but she felt a little steadier and refused his arm. I can’t be dependent on him.
“Why don’t you go on into the habitat while I take care of Winston?” he suggested.
“I didn’t think about not having a shelter for him. Will he be all right out here?”
“He’ll be just fine. I’ll give him some protein pellets and put him into rest mode.”
Despite John’s reassurances, she felt guilty about leaving Winston outside and stopped to pet him. He seemed to lean his head against her while she told him what a good boy he was. She looked up to find John watching her, and dammit, she was blushing again.
“What?” she asked icily.
“I was just wondering what it would take to have you tell me I’m a good boy.” He grinned when her mouth dropped open. “Go on inside, Serena. I’ll be there shortly.”
Her usual snappy comebacks had deserted her. She obeyed without another word.
The habitat had looked small from the outside but once Serena had passed through the miniscule airlock, it felt even smaller inside. It was only about six feet across. Will John even be able to lie down? she wondered. It would have felt claustrophobic, but the ceiling panel was composed of a clear material and she could look up and see the last rays of the sun hitting the rock spires towering over them.
A deep pad covered most of the floor, intended for both protection against the frigid sands beneath them and for sleeping. A raised platform held the small heater and a tiny device to reclaim water. John had also brought in their food supplies, and she was sorting through them when he appeared in the doorway.
Oh my. She had thought the shelter small before, but now, with his head almost brushing the ceiling, his big body loomed over her and she felt small and helpless and… shockingly excited.
“Come and join me,” she murmured, her voice low and husky.
His eyes heated, slowly traveling over her, and she suddenly longed for one of the soft, feminine dresses she had abandoned so long ago. Serena was professional and polished in public and boldly sexual in private, but neither of those personas seemed right. She pushed her regrets aside and held out her hand to him.
Chapter Ten
J-100 did his best to restrain the sudden and wholly inappropriate surge from his cock, but it was no use. Did she have any idea how tempting she looked? But he had promised to accompany her, not to take advantage of her, so he forced himself to nod and sat down next to her.
She tilted her head and studied him, a smile playing on her lips. He was embarrassingly conscious of his erection but steadily returned her gaze. If she had been anyone else, he would have assumed she was coming on to him, but she wasn’t the kind of woman he usually attracted. The women who tended to approach him were usually looking for a quick, hard, meaningless fuck. The fun had gone out of that a long time ago, and it was definitely not what he wanted from her.
“You surprise me,” she murmured.
“Why?”
“Any other man would already have me naked by now.”
The image made his mouth go dry, but he shook his head. “I wouldn’t take advantage of you.”
“Not even if I wanted you to?”
Still watching him, she leaned forward and ran those long, elegant fingers over his cock, smiling when she felt him jerk in response.
“Serena…” He moved her hand away but kept hold of it. It looked so fragile resting in his huge paw.
“You don’t want me?” She was still smiling, but he thought he saw the faintest shadow of doubt in those pale blue eyes.
“More than anything,” he said honestly. “But I’m not a man anymore. I have nothing to offer you.”
Ignoring the last part of his statement, she reached out and skated a hand down his chest, toying with the hem of his shirt. “You feel like a man.”
Her fingers brushed against his stomach, cool and seductive, and his resolve weakened.
“Take it off,” she urged and he silently obeyed.
“Oh my.” Her eyes widened and for a moment, she lost her air of practiced seduction. She leaned forward and touched him again, her hand slowly exploring his skin.
Giving into temptation, he lifted her into his lap. Her muscles tensed when he touched her in a reaction that felt uncomfortably like fear, but before he could convince himself to let her go, she relaxed against him.
“I’m getting used to having you in my arms,” he said softly.
“I’m getting used to being here.” She looked up at him, her face oddly vulnerable, and his chest ached.
He bent his head towards her but he no sooner brushed her lips with his than she pulled away with a nervous laugh.
“I’m not a big fan of kissing.”
Before he could protest, she slid open the fastening of her coverall to reveal pale, gleaming flesh and small, perfect breasts topped with rosy little nipples. Fuck, she was beautiful.
He ran a gentle finger from her collarbone down across the slight swell of her stomach. She shivered, then moved away far enough to shimmy gracefully out of the coverall, before holding
