Page 13 of A Mate For Matrix (Cyborg Protection Unit #1)

Chapter Ten

M atrix’s hands moved of their own accord.

Jana’s soft form was nothing like the hard, unforgiving muscles of the women he had been with before.

He ran his hands down over her hips, pulling her closer to his aching body before bending just enough to squeeze her lush, rounded buttocks in a gentle massage.

Apparently, his body hadn’t gotten the memo about his earlier release, since he was as hard as a rock again. He muttered a curse when he felt Jana’s hand slip down from his neck to run along his chest before moving lower. If they didn’t stop now, he would be taking her on the front porch.

His body stiffened when his hearing picked up an unusual sound approaching them. Breaking the kiss, he pulled back and stared down the road. He turned his head when K-Nine suddenly appeared on the steps.

“A transport approaches,” K-Nine warned.

“A transport? Oh, you mean a car?” Jana asked, trying to get her mind working again. “You guys better hide in the house.”

“Zion warriors do not hide,” he snapped, affronted.

Jana smiled nervously up at him. “Yeah, well, since you aren’t from around here, it might be better if you weren’t seen. You know, fewer questions.”

“She is correct, Matrix,” K-Nine responded. “I need to check the woods. The Crawler started tracking the emergency beacon as soon as it was activated. Since we do not know how far out it still might be, it would be best to establish a perimeter warning system.”

“I’ll help you,” Matrix reluctantly agreed. “We will be close enough to hear you if you need assistance.”

“I’ll be fine, Matrix,” Jana assured him softly before stepping back. “Go. I can hear the car coming.”

With a reluctant grunt, Matrix followed K-Nine down the steps, across the yard, and into the nearby trees. He paused at the edge of the woods.

Waiting in the shadows, he watched as a large, black transport slowly pulled up in front of the house and stopped. A moment later, the engine shut off and the door opened.

His gaze flickered from the old man who rose from the transport to Jana.

Once again, her expressive face displayed her thoughts.

From her pursed lips and raised eyebrow, she wasn’t impressed with the man.

Satisfied that she could handle this situation on her own, Matrix turned back to K-Nine where he sat with an evil grin of delight on his furry face.

“Don’t say a word!” Matrix warned under his breath.

“You’ve got it bad,” K-Nine quipped, ignoring Matrix’s sharp words. “You have imprinted on her.”

“Enough already with the imprinting,” Matrix growled. “In case you’ve forgotten, we have a Crawler to kill. Must I remind you that we are just as likely to end up dead? You saw what they did to the Triterian forces.”

“We can’t. If we do, this planet, which includes Jana and the kittens, would perish,” K-Nine stated. “We will kill it and take Jana and my kittens home with us.”

“‘My kittens’? Did you seriously just call them ‘my kittens’?” Matrix asked in disbelief.

K-Nine stood up and shook. “Every Despairing Wolfhound needs a pack. I have mine now,” he retorted.

Matrix watched as K-Nine trotted away. He shook his head in disbelief. The cyborg mutt had lost the few brain cells that were not replaced during his cloning.

Since when did my life become this confusing? he wondered.

He shook his head as he took off after his partner. They would both be lucky to get out of this mission in one piece. The thought of what would happen to Jana if they weren’t successful was enough to put a little more urgency in his step.

“Hello, Jana,” Herman Marker greeted as he stepped away from his car.

“Mr. Marker,” Jana replied. “What can I do for you?”

Herman looked at Jana with an affable grin. He had been thinking more and more about her since his wife, Mary, had died almost three months ago. He found that life was lonely without a woman in it.

Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of eligible women in Glennis, at least none that he hadn’t known for forty years.

He reached up and straightened his tie. He was looking for someone new, someone fresh, and preferably someone young enough to care for him.

He knew from listening to Mary that Jana was a sweet young woman who had old-fashioned values.

“I was just stopping by to see if you needed anything,” Herman replied, sniffing the air. “It smells like you might be preparing dinner,” he added with a hopeful smile.

“Lunch—and we just finished,” Jana replied, leaning against the post holding up the roof.

“Oh,” Herman replied with a downward droop to his lips before he frowned. “We? You have company?”

Jana straightened and pushed her hands into her pockets.

Herman couldn’t help but admire the way it pulled her thin, cotton shirt tighter across her bosom.

He might be old, but he wasn’t dead. During the last three years of Mary’s life, she had been too frail to want any type of physical comfort.

Herman had missed that. There was nothing like holding a woman in your arms and having a little fun.

“The kittens,” she said.

“Oh yes, pets. I remember you asking if you could have them here,” Herman replied with a look of distaste, pulling out a handkerchief from the front pocket of his button-up dress shirt. He wiped the sweat from his brow before replacing it. “Would you happen to have a glass of tea or water…?”

He watched the uncertainty flash across her face before it was followed by a sigh. A smile lit his face when she turned and waved her hand for him to follow her. He climbed the steps with a renewed bounce.

“I don’t have any tea, but I have some iced lemon water,” Jana said, opening the front door and stepping inside. “Be mindful of the kittens, they like to pounce on you when you least expect it.”

“Thank you for the warning,” Herman replied, looking warily around the room. “How many do you have?”

“Three,” Jana replied with a grin. “Biscuit is the gray one, Honeybun is the golden one, and Butter is the cream-colored one.”

“You named them after food?” Herman asked with a puzzled expression as he stepped into the kitchen. Almost immediately, his eyes lit on the apple dump cake. “That looks good.”

The grin on his face grew when she motioned for him to have a seat at the table. Now, he would turn on the charm.

If she plays her cards right, she might not have to pay rent for a while, he thought appreciatively as she reached up for a plate and glass, his gaze locked on her full breasts.

Jana sighed heavily and motioned for her irritating guest to sit down.

She opened the cabinet and pulled a small plate and glass out before walking over to the refrigerator to get the pitcher of chilled lemon water.

She calmly poured a glass of the refreshing water and scooped a generous serving of the apple dump cake onto the plate.

Placing both in front of him, she moved around the table and sat down.

A few seconds later, the first kitten appeared in the doorway. It didn’t take long for the other two to follow. Jana leaned over and scratched Honeybun between her ears as the kitten rubbed against her leg.

“Those look just like the kittens I found under the shed out behind my house,” Herman commented, taking a bite of the still-warm cake.

Her eyes widened at the connection.

“This is very good. You know how to cook?”

Jana warily picked up Honeybun, keeping an eye on the other two kittens as they played with one of the cat toys she’d bought for them. She cuddled Honeybun against her and stared at Herman Marker with a frown.

Can this guy get any fuglier? she wondered.

“I do alright,” she muttered. “Is there a reason for your visit? I paid the rent last week and haven’t been late.”

Herman scraped the plate and licked his fork clean before setting it on the table.

He picked up the glass and drank almost half of the water before he finally set it down.

Jana was about to scream when he picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth.

She wondered if he would need to use the bathroom and take a nap before he answered her.

“I was thinking…” he finally began.

Jana’s mind immediately went into overdrive. Those three words had warning bells ringing like the church bells on Sunday morning. She warily sat back and stroked Honeybun while she waited for him to continue.

“About…?” she grudgingly asked.

Herman sat forward and placed his elbows on the table. Jana wished she could push her chair further back, but it was up against the wall, so she was stuck. Instead, she continued to stroke the kitten and hoped this wouldn’t get as bad as she thought it would.

“My wife has been dead three months, and I miss the company of having a woman around. I’m still a relatively young man. I just turned sixty-six. I think we would be a good fit,” Herman stated.

“A good fit? I’m twenty-four,” Jana said with a wrinkled nose. “Don’t you think you should look for someone closer to your own age?”

“No, no. Think about it, Jana. I have a little money saved up, and my kids are grown. Hell, my youngest is older than you!” He laughed for a moment before he drew in a deep breath and leaned back.

“This could be a good chance for you. You’d have a place to live rent-free.

I could come over a few nights a week. You could fix me some of this fine food and we can enjoy each other’s company. ”

Jana knew her mouth was hanging open. It had to be.

For a second, she was speechless as her mind replayed what he’d just said.

The disbelief soon turned into outrage. He thought she would just jump at his offer of free rent for this crappy place that was falling apart in exchange for feeding him and… .

“Are you saying what I think you are saying?” she asked, placing Honeybun on the floor and rising to her feet. “You think I would be interested in feeding you and… and… and….” Her voice faded.