tmp2 by bknight Read Free Book Online Page B

a
geeky scientist who hasn’t had a date since I came to this
station. She frowned.
    “I have to warn
you. I… Well… I haven’t been with that many men.
The Commander picked me because I took lead on creating you, but I
feel like I’m grossly underqualifi—“
    “Shh, Alex.”
David cut her off and leaned in, brushing the hair out of her face.
“It doesn’t matter. Whatever you know is more than I do.
I’m lucky to have you as a teacher, and, I hope, as a friend.”
He leaned in, and she could smell the spicy musk of his cologne.
    Machines don’t
wear cologne , she thought. Men do.
    David moved closer on
the sofa until his thigh touched hers. She wanted to lean into him,
to smell him and melt into him, but part of her worried she would
hear the whirring of his processors and the illusion would be ruined.
    “Alex,” he
whispered, his face just inches from hers. “I’ve wanted
you since I woke in your lab.”
    She gasped, but didn’t
pull away.
    “You are
absolutely beautiful.” He moved forward suddenly, pressing his
lips to hers, and all she could do was whimper. His lips were hot,
urgent. His tongue darted into her mouth, searching, probing. Against
her will, she moaned into him, her tongue joining his. When they
finally pulled away, she was breathless.
    “My first kiss.”
David broke into a perfect, white grin, and touched her cheek with
his fingertips. “Thank you for that.”
    Alex sat back, stunned. Since when did machines kiss like that? Heat pooled between
her legs, and she put her wine glass to her lips and drank deeply.
    “When can our
lessons begin?”
    She almost spit out the
remaining wine. This was all happening too fast.
    “Technically, the
sooner the better,” she blurted. “The peace talks are in
a month, and we need you ready for fieldwork in two weeks for the
arrival of the emissaries.”
    David touched her chin,
lifting her gaze to his. “Where do we begin?”
    Oh, God. He’s
going to kiss me again. The wine was starting to affect her, but
the scientist in her wasn’t ready. Hell, the woman in her
wasn’t ready. She’d never been one to jump into bed, and
after all, they did have to do things right if he was going to
succeed.
    She cleared her throat.
“You’ll need to learn to seduce me, David. Before I can
teach you about making love, you must start at the beginning. Learn
what you can about me, and find a way to make me want you.” She
pulled her gaze from his.
    I’m not
chickening out. It’s the proper way to do things. She bit
her lip, wondering who she was kidding. She was freaking out, and
judging by the android’s gaze, he knew it, too.
    His hand slid over hers
and squeezed gently. He brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed
the tips. His lips were hot on her skin. “It will be my
pleasure.”
    She shivered and stood
up, yanking her hand away. “I should probably be going.”
    “Please,”
he stood, running a hand through his hair. “Let me make you
dinner tomorrow.”
    He smiled again, and
Alex sighed. Why did I have to give him dimples?
    “I didn’t
know you cooked.”
    “For you, I’ll
learn.”
    Alex cocked an eyebrow
and smiled despite herself. “You’re learning fast
already.”
    “Meet me in my
quarters. Is 20:00 alright?” David never used his quarters,
preferring to sleep near the science equipment. Alex supposed the lab
was the closest thing to “home” the android had.
    “Wouldn’t
miss it.”
    ***
    “Shit.”
    Alex stood in front of
the mirror in her quarters, staring bullets at the fourth dress she’d
tried on. No matter what she chose, everything seemed too stiff, too
formal. Frumpy. After all, she only brought dresses for military
dinners and presentations, not dates with someone tall, dark, and
gorgeous. She pulled on her woolen hemline.
    I shouldn’t
care. This is just a stupid mission, not a real date. She bit her
lip and pushed her hair back.
    “Double shit.”
    She needed a new dress,
and she needed it now.
    ***
    There