Chapter Five

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Ghostly blue fingers reached for her while others, filthy with grime, held her arms down, legs spread wide. The sound of cloth ripping muffled a maniacal laugh in the distance. She looked down and saw Ivar kneeling between her legs. He gripped his cock, a deathly blue shade like his fingers.

“You’re mine, bitch, at last. To fuck and breed at will.”

But the crude voice didn’t belong to Ivar. It had morphed into Nestor’s, and he leaned over her naked body, his foul breath wafting over her face. He poked between her legs with his dirty fingers, and she realized he now knelt between her open thighs.

“No!” she cried out in panic, becoming breathless from her struggles.

“Yes, and there’s no one here to stop me this time.” His harsh, caustic laughter chilled her blood. “Spread her nice and wide, boys. I’m gonna make the cunt pay for what she’s done.”

Harsh hands pulled her legs apart, pushed her knees to her chest, rendering her completely vulnerable to Nestor’s cruelty. His gaze dropped between her thighs while he licked his lips. As he moved closer, she watched in terror as he stroked his cock. It was huge, and she knew it would tear her apart. She went wild, thrashing against the hold on her wrists and legs as she screamed.

“Dani—”

“Please, don’t hurt me.”

“No one’s going to hurt you, baby. Wake up.”

Coming from far away, the voice seemed oddly familiar. Too far to help her when Nestor and his oversized cock were looming, his horrible, ugly face leering down at her. The maniacal laughter continued, settling heavy over her, surrounding her with evil.

“Stop!” She pleaded raggedly, twisting against the hands on her shoulders. She covered her ears, trying to block out the awful laughter. “Make it stop!”

“Daniella,” a stern voice called, low and insistent. “Open your eyes and look at me.”

They flew wide, and instead of the bulging yellow leer that haunted her, she saw Jaylin’s silver gaze narrowed with worry.

“It was a nightmare,” he assured her. “You’re safe.”

She broke down, sobs pouring out along with her tears. His strong arms encompassed her, pulling her against his warm, bare chest and held her tight.

“Shh,” he whispered, his mouth pressed to her hair. “Everything’s all right. It was only a bad dream.”

Except the tears wouldn’t stop, coming in a deluge while she clung to him, soaking his skin.

“A sedative.” This came from Malik half suggestion, half question. She hadn’t heard him enter the room. How could she with all the blubbering she was doing?

“Bring it,” Jaylin ordered.

She didn’t protest. Drugged, she could rest and not worry about Nestor, or Ivar, or hearing her father, because it had been his maniacal laugh. She shuddered as she felt her clothing adjusted and cool air waft over her back and bare bottom. Next came the hiss of an injection gun diffusing the welcome medicine beneath her skin.

“It will take effect in a moment.” A hand gently cupped the back of her head. It had to be Malik’s because Jaylin’s arms hadn’t relinquished his grip.

She wanted to sink into blessed oblivion. At the same time, she fought it, trying to linger in his embrace, relax into the wonderful glide of fingers through her hair, and listen to their whispered words of reassurance. Sounds and sensations soon faded, and with them, her consciousness.

***

Groggy and heavy-headed, she awakened, unsure of her surroundings. She stared at the gray tiled ceiling above her, cast in shadow from the dim floor-level lights it didn’t clue her in on where she was. Neither did the soft, wide bed beneath her, or the wall of heat inundating her on one side.

The thick blanket was warm, though nowhere near the furnace behind her. She snuggled into it. As she did, arms came around her. Her lashes fluttered open, her vision filled with golden-hued skin and a smattering of dark-blond chest hair. She tilted her head back and looked into sleepy silver eyes framed by fans of long silky black lashes.

“Am I still dreaming?”

His lips kicked up into a sleepy smile. “If you are, I am, too. And I don’t want to wake up.”

His words sent a wave of warmth sweeping through her.

Twin vertical lines appeared between his brows. “You had a bad night, Dani. How are you feeling this morning?”

“Much better, but...” Pausing as the nightmarish images returned, she bit her lip.

He shifted, his hand coming up to sweep over her cheek. When he cupped her face, his thumb slid along her lower lip until her teeth released it. “But what, baby?”

“Do you think the nightmares will haunt me long?”

“Not if I can help it,” he murmured. One strong arm flexed to pull her closer. “I plan to sleep right here every night and ward them away.”

The thought of him beside her, holding her while she slept, battling her demons, and keeping her safe made her already-heated skin grow hotter. She tingled all over, the idea of Jaylin in her bed, half-dressed aroused her despite the horror of the night before. It occurred to her half-dressed might not be true, except she didn’t have the nerve to explore whether he was as bare below the waist as above. Her nipples stood up hard and tight in reaction, and liquid desire drenched the pulsing place between her thighs.

He couldn’t be real. No man she’d ever met had come close to being this wonderful. Both caring and sweet, but also brave, determined, and smoking hot.

An idea popped in her head, something more daring than she’d ever done, and rather naughty. Since she didn’t plan to wed Ivar, or anyone else her father chose, why not go for it with Jaylin? He stirred her, and she could tell by the hard press of his erection against her thigh she had a similar effect on him.

“I’d like that,” she whispered. “Falling asleep safe in your arms will keep the bad memories and dreams away.”

“If not my arms, sweetness, then my kisses should wipe out the bad thoughts and leave only good.” He demonstrated their power by dipping his head and claiming her mouth with a soft touch of lips and tongue. She’d had dry pecks and a few sloppy lip-locks in college, none of which had been pleasant. But this...? Pure heaven. And she wanted more, much more.

He must have sensed her eagerness because he took it a step farther, tracing his tongue along the seam until she opened for him. When she did, he swooped in, searching, tasting, and tangling with hers. His fingers slid into her hair, his big palm cradling the back of her head, angling it just so while he rolled her onto her back. Heavy, but not overpowering, his chest pressed her down into the plush mattress as he devoured her—there was simply no other way to describe it. Not sloppy, too hard, or the least bit unpleasant.

It was sublime, and she loved every moment of it.

A clearing throat broke through to them. Jaylin raised his head, though only a fraction, staying close enough for his breath to graze her wet lips lightly. Neither looked away from the other, however.

Malik’s voice cut through the fog of desire created by Jaylin’s potent kisses. “The morning meal is ready. If you two can drag yourselves out of bed, we can eat while it’s hot.”

***

Breakfast confused Dani. Not the bacon, pancakes, and warm maple syrup, like back on Earth, but the way Malik was acting.

After inquiring if she’d slept well and had no lingering effects from the sedative, he hadn’t joined them to eat. Instead, he moved around the small galley kitchen, cleaning up, doing so noisily by slamming drawers and banging cupboards. She thought he might be angry, although his face didn’t show it. In fact, it revealed no emotion at all, as if he wore a mask.

This didn’t go on long before Jaylin had enough. “Are you planning to show your ass all through breakfast, or are you going to tell me what has crawled up it?”

He stiffened, his back to them, but he didn’t stop wiping the food prep area. “I don’t know what you mean. All is well. We had a successful rescue, and soon, Miss Alltryp will be back home, safe and sound, and unharmed—the same as when she left.” Although his voice came out flat, beside her, Jaylin flinched like he’d shouted.

“If all is well,” he growled, “quit slamming things. Dani jumps every time you do. I think she’s had enough commotion in the last few days, don’t you?”

Posture rigid and jaw held tight, he turned, his golden eyes dull, without the glimmer from the day before. He surprised her by bowing formally. “My apologies, Miss Alltryp. I never meant to add to your distress.”

“Oh, but you didn’t,” she hastened to say, not wanting to make him feel bad when he had been so helpful.

“Don’t excuse his rudeness,” Jaylin snapped, his temper flaring in contrast to Malik who remained unemotional.

“I don’t recall saying anything which could be construed as rude, captain, sir.”

Dani’s gaze darted his way when she thought she heard sarcasm in his “sir,” so subtle she’d almost missed it. Jaylin had no such oversight. With a crash, his fist came down on the table, making the plates and silverware dance. Dani had to make a grab for her juice glass to keep it from toppling over.

“Captain, you’re startling Miss Alltryp with your commotion.”

So much for subtle. He’d leapt from barely detectible sarcasm to deliberate baiting yet did so with the same flat tone and inexpressive face. Jaylin surged to his feet, sending his chair skidding across the floor.

“Either say what you must, or find something productive to do.”

“Since I have nothing new of import, I’ll go above and check our course.”

“Good idea.”

For another tense moment, their eyes clashed, Jaylin’s narrowing while a muscle flexed in his cheek. Then, without any reaction at all, Malik stepped aside, nodded to Dani, and walked with a stiff, measured stride to the lift.

“Was it something I did? Yesterday, he called me Dani, now I’m Miss Alltryp. Perhaps my screams disturbed his rest?”

“It wasn’t you. It’s his nature. Cool and perfunctory, like the automaton he is.”

“Automaton,” she echoed, puzzled by his implication. “You mean as in a robot?”

“Exactly. Outwardly, he’s a living, breathing man, but inside he’s a machine, going through the motions. And the living part is still up for debate.”

Dani looked after him, considering their odd interchange, and the captain’s description. Suddenly, it clicked. “You’re saying he’s a cyborg?”

She saw the tall, handsome man from a new perspective. It explained a lot, yet confused her. At times, though mostly during interactions with Jaylin, he seemed to show emotion. “I’ve never met one before, though I’ve heard it’s hard to tell them apart from real men.”

Jaylin gave a short bark of laughter. “Organic yet with biomechanical parts. Cut him and he bleeds, stroke him and he feels pleasure, if his programming allows it. Isn’t that so, Malik?”

He didn’t react, only said in the same remote voice, “Whatever you say, Captain.”

“Well, he certainly fooled me.” Amazed was more like it. “So, he’s capable of emotion? Yesterday, I would have thought so. Today, however, he’s much different.”

“Cyborgs are sentient, and many have evolved to show a wide range of emotions. Sadly, Malik has a narrow spectrum, limited to the extremes. Except when it comes to more subtle qualities and those requiring a heart, I’m afraid he hasn’t quite figured it out.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Maybe one day,” Dani offered.

“I have work to do.” Malik had turned, his attention on Jaylin, his eyes narrowed a fraction she thought. “Perhaps you can finish your inventory of my abilities without me. Or maybe you and I could do so in private, later, Captain.”

If he’d been a man, Dani would have said he was irritated, but someone would have had to program him for that, which made no sense to her. “He seems put out with you, and you argued yesterday. Is it normal for a cyborg to have disputes with his leader?”

“Malik and I have been together for a long time. He knows me and the way I think, which encourages him to take more liberties than an ordinary crewman would.”

“Yes, he mentioned something about not following blindly. I suppose it’s good he interacts with you on different levels. Otherwise, you’d be alone which would make extended voyages dull and seem longer, I’d think. Perhaps you need to work on his softer side. Maybe program him to smile, laugh, and lighten up a little.”

She thought she heard a low growl coming from Malik’s direction, then decided it was the humming of the auto-lift doors opening. Although, she couldn’t be sure, because Jaylin found something she’d said very amusing and his laughter drowned out everything else.