Page 30 of A Mate For Matrix (Cyborg Protection Unit #1)

She released a squeak of surprise when Matrix’s arms swept around her, cupping her breasts in his hands. He pressed hard against the soft curve of her buttocks. A rosy blush swept upward while a different heat made a beeline for the spot between her legs.

“Oh, my! Someone’s happy to see me,” she breathed.

“Jana, I?—”

Matrix’s fingers tightened on her breasts as a shudder ran through his body.

He bent, locking his lips on the curve of her neck.

She heard the quiver in his voice when he said her name and knew he was barely holding on to his control.

She pressed back against him, rubbing her buttocks against his cock while she dropped her hands to cover his.

“I want you, Matrix. I… oh, yeah,” she moaned when he captured her nipples between his fingers and pinched them.

He released a guttural curse and twisted her around, crushing his lips to hers and lifting her up. She wound her arms around his neck. A thrill ran through her whenever she remembered how strong he was. He proved it now when he carried her by her thighs and laid her back onto the bed.

When he broke their kiss, she protested, but she was quickly distracted when he suddenly flipped her onto her stomach and dragged her back onto her knees. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he aligned his cock with her soft channel and thrust forward until he was seated fully inside her.

The force of his possession took her breath away. He gripped her hip with one hand and her breast with the other as he drove into her with increasing need.

This was nothing like how they had made love before. It was intense. Possessive. As if he were claiming her soul.

Her fingers curled in the covers, and she pushed back, wanting everything he could give her. A low mewing sound started deep in her chest. Just when she thought the feelings would would peak and she would come, he pulled out with a smack to her ass that caused her to jump.

She rolled, her eyes wide with wild protest. Matrix’s eyes were glowing with an intensity that caused her to gasp. He kept her legs parted on either side of him while he held her wrists out by her side.

She struggled to catch her breath, and a near-silent growl escaped her as she glared at him. His gaze swept down her body. When his eyes lifted again and locked on her taut nipples, a shiver ran down her spine, and she bowed slightly.

“Do something!” she demanded, wiggling more.

“What do you want?”

“To come, damn you!”

“Then you’ll come,” he promised.

And with that, he clamped down on her nipples before working his way down to the ache between her legs.

Jana felt like she was dying and going to heaven. Every nerve ending in her body was working overtime. Her low mewling became cries as he found places she hadn’t even known existed. His tongue lashed her, teasing her clit until she thought she would go mad.

Her shaking increased until fireworks exploded throughout her body as she came hard.

He sucked on her, lapping at her until she was thrashing back and forth, her breath hiccupping.

He pulled free, flipping her onto her stomach again, and slid into her.

She could feel her vaginal canal pulsing around him.

A low sob slipped from her when he began moving.

Each stroke was a combination of pleasure and faint pain that was more exciting than she would have believed.

“I love you, Jana. I love you,” he breathed.

His hips pivoted faster and deeper until her entire body rocked with each thrust. She felt another orgasm building and knew she was going to shatter completely when it came.

“Damn you,” she groaned, rocking back against him. “I-I… oh, damn!”

She buried her face in the pillow and screamed as she came again.

Seconds later, Matrix’s loud shout echoed throughout the room as he locked with her.

His balls were pressed against her ass, his fingers dug into her hips, and his cock…

his cock was doing that wild thing inside her that she’d never heard described anywhere before.

It was very difficult to believe he wasn’t enhanced there.

“Oh God, I love you,” she moaned, melting into the covers with him on top of her. “I think you’ve shattered me. You’ve melted my bones.”

His warm chuckle tickled her cheek. “So, what was that meditation move that you were telling me about?”

“Give me ten minutes,” she replied. “I need to get ready for the second set.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Jana snorted into the pillow. “Braggart.”

He kissed the curve of her shoulder, stroking his tongue along her flesh and whispering the things he wanted to do to her until she trembled with need.

“I love you,” she breathed, her voice breaking as he moved inside her.

He surged suddenly, trembling faintly. “I’ll never get tired of you telling me that.”

“Good, because I’ll never get tired of saying it. I love you,” she whispered.

“Your ten minutes is up,” he said, picking up the pace and sending another wave of excitement through her.

Outside, the stars streamed past toward an uncertain future, while inside The Nebulosity , they clung to each other, murmuring words of love—and the promise that no matter what happened, they would always have each other.

“It’s beautiful,” Jana murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist. He slid his hands along hers, caressing her, as he stared at the planet before them.

“I didn’t realize how much I missed it,” he said, feeling a wave of conflicting emotions.

Zion appeared like a jewel—blue and green swirled with white—as it rotated silently before them. It was his home. His past. And maybe… their future. But underneath was the knowledge that both it and he had changed.

The panorama from the viewport of The Nebulosity , didn’t do it justice.

A memory coursed through him, of the majestic mountains slicing through cloud banks as he flew with his father and mother on his last visit before the mission that had changed his life.

His parents were long gone—just like everything else he had known.

From space, he could make out the ocean trenches shimmering like sapphire scars, the swirl of clouds covering landmasses, and the dots of twinkling lights from cities that had spread over the centuries.

Six orbital space stations—massive, multi-level dark-gray monoliths—hovered like sentinels in high atmosphere. Their blinking lights and silent patrols painted a web of advanced security across Zion’s exosphere.

Matrix's breath escaped in a long, drawn-out sigh. The largest object in orbit when he last saw the planet was a joint military-civilian cargo ring. It had been a fraction of the size of these majestic space stations.

Now? These stations pulsed with power and bustled with activity.

“Approaching vessel,” a stern voice crackled through the comm system. “Transmit identification.”

Matrix stepped to the console and input his code. “This is The Nebulosity , CPU-07051 class reconnaissance and defense starship. Lieutenant Commander Matrix S. Roma reporting.”

There was a long pause.

“Welcome home, Lieutenant Commander Roma. You are cleared to dock at Orbital Station Theta, Level Five. Prepare for boarding.”

The line went silent.

Matrix stared at the console for a beat before rubbing the back of his neck. That was fast.

He turned on his heel and moved toward the crew quarters. “Time to make a good first impression,” he muttered.

Ten minutes later, he stepped back onto the bridge while fastening the last clasp on his high-collared, midnight-blue officer’s coat. It hugged his shoulders and frame like a second skin. The polished military insignia of Zion gleamed across his chest.

Behind him, Jana let out a low, appreciative whistle.

“Hubba-hubba.”

Matrix turned, one brow raised.

Jana stood just inside the doorway, her eyes scanning him like she was ready to devour him on the spot.

“I mean,” she added, cocking her head and biting her lip, “I thought you looked good without your clothes on… but this? This makes me want to rip them right off.”

Matrix’s cheeks flushed.

K-Nine grumbled from where he sat monitoring the station interface. “That would be a great way to meet your commanding officers. Let’s hope she keeps her hands to herself.”

Jana snickered. “No promises. I know what’s underneath the wrapping.”

Matrix ignored them both and stepped forward, brushing his fingers along her cheek in passing. “You, stay with the kittens. Bridge, galley, or quarters. No wandering.”

Her expression sobered immediately. “I will. I promise.”

He nodded and turned away, his jaw setting into the familiar mask of protocol and authority.

The docking clamps engaged with a heavy metallic thud followed by the hiss of pressure equalization. Matrix stood with K-Nine at his side just outside the airlock. His fingers twitched toward the pistol at his hip, but he let them fall. This wasn’t a battlefield.

The inner door opened with a mechanical sigh.

Boots echoed before the first figure stepped through—tall, broad-shouldered, with short dark hair streaked at the temples.

Grand Admiral Bran Markus.

Behind him came a man whose presence radiated strength, though his posture was deceptively relaxed—Commander Rorrak Jefe. His past had been trickier to research. Rorrak was an enigma, like himself, only without the cyborg enhancements. He was a soldier, spy, and assassin.

Then came Kordon Jefe—equal parts warrior and tactician, his eyes like steel sharpened by fire.

Matrix recognized them from the database.

But the man who followed was of greater interest.

Taller than the others, he had storm-gray skin that shimmered faintly under the overhead lights. His black hair was cropped close to his head. His body—sleek, built like a weapon—moved with calculated precision.

Matrix didn’t need a nameplate.

Section K, he thought. Krac.

The man’s gaze locked with his, hard and unreadable, before shifting to K-Nine. The air prickled faintly. Matrix felt the subtle vibration of K-Nine’s systems hardening defenses through their neural link.

K-Nine growled low, his ears flattening.

He’s trying to access my systems, K-Nine said through their private link. Logs, too. He’s fast—but not fast enough. I’ve locked him out.

Matrix didn’t respond, but his shoulders tensed as he gave a slight nod.

Then—there was a movement behind the group of massive warriors.

A petite figure emerged from behind Bran and Kordon.

Matrix’s breath caught.

She was young. Mid-twenties, maybe. Curly blonde hair framed her heart-shaped face, and vivid green eyes scanned the room with an intensity that belied her size.

Her gaze landed on K-Nine.

And everything stilled.

The tension. The rank. The protocols. It all evaporated in that one instant.

Her lips parted in awe and relief and joy.

“It’s true?” she breathed.

K-Nine’s growl stopped mid-throat.

The woman—Gracie—stepped forward, ignoring the sharp warnings from the men behind her.

Rorrak snapped out a low curse. So did Kordon and Bran. But Gracie didn’t pause.

She walked straight to the massive cybernetic wolfhound. Her eyes softened and glistened with emotion.

She knelt in front of him, her hand lifting slowly.

“I remember you. You’re a little too unique to forget,” she murmured.

Matrix’s breath caught in his chest.

K-Nine—nearly three hundred pounds of alloyed titanium, neural sensors, and enhanced musculature—leaned forward and pressed his snout against Gracie’s cheek.

He licked her.

“Hello again, Gracie Jones,” K-Nine greeted.

A soft, reverent sound escaped her lips as she wrapped her arms around his massive neck.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw the report,” she whispered. “I told Krac and Kordon everything Seal and Bulldog sent was true. That you had come through a rift just like me. There was no way there could be two of you.”

K-Nine’s voice sounded unfamiliar when it spoke again—softer, almost proud.

“I knew you’d grow up to be someone special.”

Gracie pulled back, her eyes shining, and turned to look at Matrix.

“Welcome home,” she said to him, her voice thick with emotion.

Matrix—who had faced Hive Queens and centuries lost—felt something strange flicker in his chest.

Hope.

Real, tangible hope.

He dipped his chin, unable to speak. As he studied Gracie, he couldn’t help but think Jana would love the woman Gracie had grown into. The thought of his mate having someone else, a woman like her, eased the tension in his mind and body.

Maybe there is a place for us here after all.