An insistent female voice kept asking him questions and interrupting his attempts to run diagnostics. Peyton rolled his head, trying to get his eyes to open so he could see who was speaking. His uncooperative eyelids were still organic, but his actual eyes had been replaced with golden orbs that could read infrared as well as see flawlessly in the dark. The military had spared no expense giving him premiere implants. He must have been damaged in the field again. If true, then the woman talking to him must be a field medic. It was the most logical deduction.

“Hey... Doc. Can’t... open... my eyes. How... damaged... are they?”

Peyton heard himself struggling to form simple words and was surprised. His mouth was dry, which meant he was also dehydrated. Running a quick check, he realized he’d not taken in any liquid in thirty-seven hours. He didn’t need much since the cybernetic gills in the back of his neck took in moisture from the air. They must not be working optimally either.

“Can... I have... some... water?”

Peyton was gratified when a cup was instantly lifted to his lips in response to his request. He tried to reach up to hold it, only to find his wrists restrained. Fighting off panic as he had been taught to do, he sipped long on the straw that slid between his lips. The moment the water hit his stomach, his mind cleared enough to start running diagnostics on what he was ingesting. A nearly one hundred percent answer that it was just filtered tap water returned fairly quickly. It reassured him that he was not in immediate danger and the quick answer meant his diagnostic programming was still in place.

So now on to the next dilemma. Had he been captured by a military unfriendly? He tested his restraints discreetly as he sipped again.

Kyra saw her captive struggle, winced inside, but pushed away her guilt. “Easy there, Captain Elliott. I can’t take the chair restraints off until I’ve made a full determination of your condition. You’re not going to be harmed any further. Most of the physical pain is over for good as well.”

Peyton was quiet for a moment while his neural processor scanned her words for meaning and tone. Again, nothing alarming returned. “Your explanation is accepted for now. Where am I? I sense no others in the facility except us.”

“This is not a normal medical facility. You’re in my home. I’m helping you resolve a problem with your cybernetics that couldn’t be addressed elsewhere. How do you feel? Can you determine the extent of your damage?”

Kyra pulled the cup away from his mouth and set it aside. She checked the readout on the homemade EEG machine that she had wirelessly connected to his neural processor. So far, so good. Peyton showed no escalating signs of mental or physical agitation. There were some minor signs of fear, but even blind and partially paralyzed, the man gave no real indication of being overwhelmed. An accelerated pulse was the only clue she had that his human side was becoming aware of his incapacitated situation.

“Try to relax, Captain. You’ve suffered a recent head injury,” Kyra explained. The statement wasn’t really a lie from her point of view. Plus it was to her advantage to keep him as calm as possible.

Peyton made himself relax and ordered his neural pathways to report any strange anomalies. They fired and leapt over all circuits unhindered. Hiding the shock of his newly discovered freedom, he hastily ran the cyber doctor’s requested checks.

Would he be able to lie about the controller being dysfunctional? Could he hide such a thing from a cyber medic?

“I am currently functioning at ninety-seven point three percent efficiency on most systems. I can’t open either of my eyes though I read no damage to the implants. It seems to be my eyelids that lack the ability to perform as I desire. Based on the lack of nerve sensitivity below my hips, I would say my legs are also paralyzed. Genitals are still responsive. Paralysis appears to be partial.”

Kyra patted his hand. “Any paralysis you detect should be temporary. At least it was in the others.”

“What others?” Peyton asked.

“Others who have suffered your same level of damage,” Kyra said softly, giving nothing away. That would come soon enough. “May I check your vitals and draw some blood?”

She watched Peyton wrinkle his face with confusion. When was the last time anyone asked the man’s permission to do something to him? Probably before his cybernetics were installed.

“Captain? May I do my checks?”

Peyton frowned. Why did the doctor’s softly asked questions make him angry at her and at himself? It was highly illogical. His genitals twitched and provided a potential explanation. Her scent was alluring and distracting. Plus her voice caused him to have a strong physical reaction to her.

“I’m a soldier, not a medic. Proceed as necessary, Doc. By the way, when did I get a cybernetic heart? No injury in my service records merits that replacement.”

Kyra swallowed nervously. The discrepancy between his human memories and his cybernetic data bank was already beginning to make itself known. “The heart transplant didn’t happen during your normal military service. Several years ago a woman stabbed you with a kitchen knife. You wisely left the knife in place until help arrived. To fix you, they had to replace your human heart with a cybernetic one. It must have been traumatic for you. I’m not surprised you don’t have immediate recall of the incident.”

“Traumatic?” Finding the word amusing, Peyton laughed at her term. “I’m a Marine, Doc. Traumatic shit is the least of what I signed up for, right?”

He listened to her walking around and heard her tapping on some sort of keyboard.

“I think my left eyelid is twitching. Make sure you write that down in my record. I don’t want them to give me cyber eyelids that blink a thousand times a minute without stopping. It took me months to get used to my new eyes.”

Kyra snorted at his joke. “When we met, the first thing I liked about you was your sense of humor. I’m glad to see it survived your cybernetic programming being severely altered. I’m not sure why the rewiring process affected your visual implants. That’s a new side effect. But no worries, I can probably fix that if it lingers. I feel certain your legs will return to normal now that you’re conscious again. Want some more water?”

“Yes. Please.” Inspired to be nice to the lady doctor with the sexy voice, Peyton tacked on the polite word, glad to hear himself sounding normal. He cleared his throat after two more swallows. “So tell me—are you half as dead sexy as you sound?”

Kyra nearly dropped the water cup in surprise at his question. “Captain Elliott—are you flirting with me?”

Peyton laughed at her genuine surprise because it mirrored his. “I honestly don’t know where that comment came from. There’re not a lot of women out in the field and I don’t think I’ve had leave in a while. At least, I can’t remember if I did. You smell really good and I could listen to you talk all day.”

Kyra frowned as she studied him. “What’s the last thing you do remember?”

Peyton sighed. “Right eyelid starting to twitch. I’m not sure. Let me search my data banks. No—I can’t. I guess those are damaged too. My head hurts. Can I answer later?”

“Your data banks are not damaged, just temporarily inaccessible. I unhooked them for your own good. You needed time to mentally adjust from your cybernetic repairs,” Kyra explained, carefully choosing her words.

She walked to a glass cupboard and drew out syringes and swabs.

“Temporarily inaccessible—that’s geek speak, Doc. You must be a cyber scientist,” Peyton concluded.

Kyra nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see her. “Yes. At least I used to be a cyber scientist. Now I guess I’m a freelance medical professional. I specialize in helping heal cybernetic problems.”

Peyton heard some nuance in her voice, one he couldn’t identify as a personality indicator, but it made him want to share his true thoughts with her. “When I got the cybernetic enhancements, I thought I would hate them because any cyber scientist could dink with them whenever he or she wanted. But most of the time, I find them useful as hell. Hurt like a son of a bitch when I got combat modified though. The first thing they did was run a frigging wire through my brain. I passed out like a gazillion times during the process. They kept waking me up with some sort of shock therapy. But I guess you know all about that stuff, don’t you?”

Kyra swallowed, thinking about the process, and how many times she had assisted when it was done to soldiers. Then she thought about the same process being done on children. There was no getting around full disclosure. But it didn’t have to happen today.

“Yes, I know all about that stuff, Captain Elliot. Sometimes I wish I didn’t. Sometimes I wish I was just a simple woman with a simple life. Instead of having fun in college, I chose to study science. I’m afraid the novelty of being smart wore off for me long ago.”

“Wow—that’s deep. And I thought I was jaded,” Peyton complained, trying to run analytics to see what had happened to his controller.

Kyra sighed wearily. “I’m in my fifties and have seen too much. I changed when I found out fate was a cruel bitch. Now I’m one too. It’s worked out better for me than being nice to everyone. But I am really sorry to have caused you further pain. You’ve suffered enough.”

Peyton snorted at the melodramatic apology, even though her tone carried sincerity. “Don’t be so damn hard on yourself, Doc. We all have a job to do. Can I ask what kind of perfume you’re wearing? It seems familiar to me.”

Kyra laughed out loud. “Perfume? It’s called sweat and stink after two days of working on you. Yesterday morning before you got here it was a spritz of citrus body spray after my shower. It took you much longer to wake up than I thought it would.”

“You still smell pretty good to me. I sure as hell don’t mind being the reason you got all sweaty,” Peyton declared, liking her quick indrawn breath. But where the hell was this flirting stuff coming from? He was in no condition to seduce a field medic. Shit. “Geez, I’m sorry, Doc. I don’t know why I keep thinking about you that way. I guess it’s because I like your voice and it’s boring as hell in this chair.”

“Don’t worry about it, Captain. Just dial it down a couple notches. I’m a lot older than you. Oh yeah... and I’m gray and wrinkled and grossly overweight,” Kyra added, her tone sharp as she made up lies. She tied the tourniquet band around his arm. “Make a fist for me. Good. Now release.” When he did, she drew out five vials of blood.

“Thanks for working on me all night,” Peyton said. “Hey, I just remembered yesterday. Some guy brought me here in a frigging carrier pod like I was a refrigerator. He tried to talk you out of letting me stay. What a dipshit. And you’re not gray or wrinkled. You’re a nicely built woman with an excellent ass. Damn it—sorry. Guess that should have been filtered a little before I said it. Wow—remembering you makes my head hurt like a son of a bitch.”

“Stop rushing things, Captain Elliott. Enjoy this little mental vacation because it won’t last long,” Kyra ordered.

Peyton allowed himself a chuckle. His chest couldn’t move much with the restraint so tight across it. “So tell me, Doc. Are you always so pessimistic about your patients?”

Kyra shook her head over her reaction to the dimple in his cheek. It made him very appealing and made him seem very human. “Actually, I’m the most optimistic person alive on our planet at the moment. There aren’t many people left in the world who think the way I do. I hope you agree with that one day.”

“I’m sure I will. So when are you turning me loose, Dr. Optimistic?” Peyton asked.

“Your new cybernetic processor is in the process of rewiring itself to your existing chips. Until that process is complete in three days, I’ll have to keep you in some sort of restraints. I have mobile ones and a cage where you will sleep. The changes to your programming are indeterminate in outcome. The precautions are for my safety more than yours. There is no threat to you here unless you count me as one.”

“You’re certainly a threat to my raging libido. Is that what you mean?”

Peyton laughed low when she sighed heavily again.

“Don’t fret so much, Doc. I hear what you’re saying. There’s a possibility I could get a power surge and turn into a killing machine. I get that. You’re doing what’s necessary.”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Kyra said, instantly agreeing with his deduction.

“I’m disappointed. You completely missed it that time, Doc. That was sarcasm,” Peyton declared.

“No, Captain. It wasn’t. The chance of you becoming an out-of-control killing machine is a very real possibility. A powerful shock to your cybernetics right now could do a lot of unexpected things to you in your current condition. Until your upgrades stabilize, the alterations to your original programming could produce erratic behaviors.”

Kyra walked to a table where the mobile restraints she had removed from Alex’s broken body still rested. He had been almost the same size as Peyton, which was good because she hadn’t had money to buy new ones. Pushing the negative thoughts about her failure with Alex away, she snapped and code-locked the mobile remote firmly around her wrist before carrying the rest of restraints back to Peyton. She was startled to find him openly staring at her.

“Hey, you do look every bit as good as you sound. Did you lie to me because you’re married or something? Your face is really familiar. I feel like we met for some other reason than me getting hurt.”

“Let’s go with the ‘or something’ explanation,” Kyra said finally. She lifted the mobile wrist restraints to show him. “Are you willing to wear these? I will have to test their effectiveness before I remove the chair restraints.”

“Pain? I’m not really into that sort of kink, but if restraints are my only option to get out of this chair, I guess I’m game,” Peyton declared, winking at her sudden flush.

Kyra pressed her mouth into a line as she snapped and locked the mobile restraints on his wrists. “I was briefly divorced. Before I could really get used to that status, it turned into being widowed too. And I’m glad to report that the sick bastard I married is dead. So you see, Captain Elliott, I’m not a pleasant woman these days. I have no time for sex games, including innuendo that’s going nowhere.”

Kyra bent, lifted the legs of his jeans, and snapped the ankle restraints on him. She made sure they rubbed against his bare skin.

“Who said anything about games? I just thought you might want to know I was interested in case you were interested back,” Peyton declared, staring at the top of the woman’s bowed head. Her position on her knees in front of him gave him wicked ideas, but he thought telling her might be just a little too honest. Her exasperated sigh over his comments made him grin.

“After the bedtime story I’m going to tell you this evening, you won’t want anything to do with me at all, much less anything sexual. The only important thing you need to file away in your newly rebooted data center is that you will always have a choice in every life decision from now on. I did my job well this time. Trust me when I say that being attracted to me would create a situation neither of us could handle.”

Peyton watched her pace twenty feet away and well out of his reach. “What is it you’re keeping from me, Doc?”

“Many things,” Kyra said sadly. “Ready for our test, Captain?”

“Not really. See? I’m being honest again,” Peyton declared, grinning at her frown. Pain suddenly shooting through his extremities had him swearing viciously. “Why don’t I remember anything hurting like this before? My fucking legs are working again by the way. And I almost pissed myself thanks to your restraints. Hope you think that’s enough testing because that’s all I can take.”

Satisfied by his fierce complaining, Kyra walked back to the chair and knelt at his feet again. She had thumb-printed the chair restraint locks so a light swipe across the sensor instantly opened them. After the ankle ones were removed, she removed the one across his chest. Lastly, she moved to his wrists, pausing as she met his questioning gaze. She had to tell him what she was feeling. The urge was too compelling and his gaze was too full of hope.

“Today you are more yourself than you’ve been in a long time, Captain Elliot. Since this may be the only nice conversation you and I are ever going to have, I want to thank you for your military service and all the amazing things you’ve done. I’ll even admit that you’re far more charming than your record indicated. In another time and another place, I might have been willing to play all kinds of games with you. But this is definitely not that time or place. We are suspended between heaven and hell right now, and neither of us is an angel.”

“Lady, I don’t know what kind of magic you have in your voice, but my dick gets rock hard just listening to you. Sleep in the cage with me tonight and I’ll show you heaven. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a woman as much as I want you right now. Sorry if the speed of my interest offends your sensibilities. I’m listening to a little voice that keeps yelling inside me. It’s saying this may be my one and only chance to get you to see I’m more than just some super soldier machine in need of fixing.”

Kyra felt her lip tremble and bit it hard to make it stop before she answered. “I already know that about you. That’s why I’m doing this. Now don’t make me like you any more than I already do.”

“See? I knew you liked me,” Peyton bragged, wishing she’d come a lot closer. She smelled amazing.

Kyra wondered if Peyton’s desire for her was a lingering aftereffect of all those years of Cyber Husband programming? He would have studied her file extensively because Norton would have made him do so. He would have learned all he could about her likes and dislikes. That’s how the program worked and she hadn’t removed that chip—on purpose. She needed him to like her at least a little.

Peyton stared at the woman’s disappointed face. She looked ready to cry and he couldn’t stand seeing her that way. “How about a kiss to test your theories about us, Doc? Just one. I need it and I think you need it too. You’ve already admitted you aren’t married. Look—my wrists are still chained to the chair. What could one kiss hurt? Come on—what do you say?”

Kyra sighed. She was as exasperated with him as she was charmed by his pleading. Tomorrow Peyton Elliott was going to hate her. She was one hundred percent sure of it because it had been proven twice already with her restorations.

Tomorrow when Peyton Elliott knew the truth, he would hate his life and those who had consigned him to his living hell. Tomorrow the machine would be partially back and Peyton would not be this light-hearted, mostly human version of himself. He would be a new kind of redefined cyborg. While no one knew what that was going to be like—not even her—she would bet her retirement Peyton was still going to hate her after he integrated the present with his past.

“Please—one kiss, Doc. That’s all I’m asking,” Peyton whispered.

Kyra sighed loudly. “You’re a hard man to say no to, and today I’m a sentimental fool. Close your eyes, Captain. I haven’t kissed a man in a long time. I can’t look at you or I’ll lose my nerve.”

When Peyton sighed dramatically in return and leaned his head back, Kyra climbed on the electrical shield at the bottom of the operating chair until she was standing between his legs. Heat emanated from every inch of the man and he still smelled a little like burnt circuitry. Yet underneath that stark reality, Peyton also smelled masculine and very alluring.

Kyra sighed again. “I wish I could send you out the door to live whatever the hell kind of life you want just as you are right now. That’s what you deserve, Captain Elliott. I want that badly for you, but I can’t make it happen. Your cybernetic enhancements require you to retain knowledge of how they work. Too much is at stake and the outcome of your healing affects more than just the two of us. But thank you for giving me a glimpse of why putting you through this hell is so important. This moment—it’s very humanizing for both of us—to want to be kissed and then actually be kissed. Thank you for sharing this moment with me.”

“Man, you sure talk a lot. Still waiting for that kiss, Doc,” Peyton said. He was keeping his eyes tight and his mind off how sexy she sounded when she got all philosophical.

Kyra snorted at his chastising. She touched her lips to Peyton’s and instantly found her bottom one nipped aggressively between two rows of even teeth. Moaning at the delicate trap he’d set for her, her body tipped forward against his and she had to catch herself on his wide shoulders. Her hands slipped over them and down his chest without her mind questioning the action.

When she moaned against his mouth, Peyton ordered himself to turn loose. After he did, he stared hard at the lip he’d bitten. The woman wanted him. He could taste it, smell it, and damn it he wanted her too. It was exhilarating to feel such pure desire flowing so freely through his cells.

A demand to sate that intense longing came from some desperate part of him that was both familiar and strange at the same time. What the hell was happening to his mind? It was both relieving and like finally waking up after being asleep for too long.

“Climb up here and give me a real kiss, Doc. And don’t be so damn stingy with sharing your tongue. I intend to use it to imagine what else I’m going to do when you cut me loose from this freaking chair.”

Groaning at how aroused he’d just made her with his sexy declaration, Kyra climbed into Peyton’s large lap to straddle him. It gave her better access to his mouth and the chance to indulge just a little more as she eased her hips down on him. She sighed at her nearly out-of-control feelings and touched her forehead to his.

“The only reason I’m doing this is because I know you’re going to take great pleasure in ridding yourself of this memory tomorrow. I won’t blame you for that action, Peyton. Hell, I think it’s the smartest thing you could do.”

“Stop whining about what hasn’t happened yet, Doc. I’m so hard for you I hurt. It’s damn cruel to suggest this instant attraction between us is nothing. Now kiss me like you want to—and damn it, I know you want to. I am a cyborg, you know.”

He ordered his processor to store the image of her face just as she caved in to his demand and dipped her mouth to his. Her lips were lush and hot and wet, and her kiss was the most deliriously wonderful experience he could recall happening in ages. Free of leg restraints, he lifted his hips, begging her to ride the hardness she had caused. He watched her eyes close in pleasure at his action, but lowered himself back down to the chair when he saw two tears run down her face. A second later, tears were flowing off her chin in two tiny, steady streams.

“What? What is it, Doc? What’s wrong with this? The attraction is mutual, isn’t it? We’re alone in here just the two of us. I’m wearing too many damn restraints to do much harm to you. Hell, keep the chair restraints in place woman—just be with me before I die from wanting you.”

“I can’t. I can’t take advantage of you, no matter what I’m feeling,” Kyra said, lifting both her arms to swipe at her eyes. “Thank you for the sexy kiss, Captain Elliott. It’s been a very, very long time since I felt anything remotely close to that level of desire for a man. Even if you wipe this away, I’ll never forget it—or you.”

Kyra slid reluctantly off his lap and straightened her clothing. “I’m going to release the last of the chair restraints now. Please keep your physical distance so I don’t have to use the controller. I’ve hurt you enough in the last couple days.”

She hastily swiped her thumb across both wrist bands and stepped out of reach. It surprised her when Peyton remained seated. She wiped her eyes again as she put more distance between them. The one sleeve got so wet, she had to switch to the other to stop the flow.

“How are your legs now? Can you walk yet?” she asked to distract herself.

“The initial paralysis is gone. However, I have another kind of problem preventing walking at the moment. Give me a moment to... adjust.”

Kyra shook her head. Denial was not just a river in Egypt. It was her best coping mechanism.

“There’s a bathroom with a large shower off to the right. I won’t put you in the cage until you’ve had some time to clean up. You’ll find toiletries, towels, and men’s clothing in the cabinets. The men’s clothing should fit well enough. The last cyborg that used them was your size. Everything about this situation is temporary, including your time with me. Please don’t forget that.”

Peyton toyed with the mobile restraints on his wrist. He could tell they were uniquely coded because he’d found a slew of standard codes stored somewhere he couldn’t pinpoint in his mind, but none had activated the release mechanism. He might be able to decipher the code and escape them well before her intended release time, but it would take more than a day to do so. Until then, he would play along and find out what the hell was going on here. Was he a patient or a prisoner? He still couldn’t quite tell. The sexy doctor wasn’t giving much away.

“So is your word the real deal, Doc? If I do as you ask, you’ll tell me what this secrecy is all about?”

He watched as she nodded, looking incredibly sad. Was it because of his question? She wiped her eyes on each of her sleeves again and made him regret asking her anything. Her persistent crying played hell with his intentions to honor her request to keep his distance. If he moved fast enough, he could probably prevent her from using the controller on her wrist. And if that worked, he could actually have her in his arms before she could deny him. He wanted that volatile, sexy-talking mouth of hers on his again. He wanted to see how much more the woman could make him feel.

“Stop looking at me that way, Captain Elliott. Go take a shower—a cold shower. I’ll tell you everything tonight after you’ve eaten. While you’re cleaning up, I’ll put your dinner inside the cage. I tried to make the damn thing as comfortable as I could.”

Nodding at her husky, almost tearful reply—which had his damn dick twitching again—he reluctantly rose from the chair and took a couple careful steps. The stiffness in his limbs eased as he moved across the floor in the direction she had pointed. It was only after he closed the bathroom door behind him that he allowed himself to wonder why the medical room had looked so much like a cybernetic lab.