Page 78 of Dustwalker

“Lara…” Ronin groaned. His processors thrummed, internal systems crackling as Lara pushed his sensors into overload. He pressed on, eliciting another cry of pleasure from her, and then his optical input flashed white.

The world fell away. Every minute movement from her inner muscles played across his cock with the force of a windstorm. He was aware of her pulse, rapid but steady, everywhere their bodies touched, and felt her warm breath on his skin.

She writhed beneath him, arching her back. Ronin’s body locked.

Slowly, the tension in her fingers eased. As Ronin’s optics came back online, he lowered her fully onto the bed.

Panting, Lara draped a forearm over her eyes, and a broad smile stretched across her face. Her flushed skin glistened with perspiration.

He held himself over her, not yet withdrawing. After crossing into the White, her warmth and softness were comforting, serving as both a tether to reality and a reminder of their shared pleasure. There was notension evident in her, no fear. No disgust for having coupled with a bot again. For a few moments, at the very least, he’d made her happy.

Something about that was…fulfilling.

Ronin’s brow furrowed. Why should his contentment be derived from her enjoyment? He was a dustwalker, a wanderer, a robot who would walk the wasteland until he broke down or was deactivated. And yet after so many years of searching, it was only here, with this woman, that he felt closest to discovering his purpose.

His thoughts were interrupted by a long, low gurgling. Lara peeked at him from beneath her arm.

“What was that?” he asked.

“My stomach.”

He leaned back and moved his hands to her abdomen, checking for more bruises, feeling for signs of damage. She squirmed, body shaking. He stilled his hands.

Am I causing her more pain?

“What are you doing?” She took hold of his wrists and drew them away. Her smile hadn’t faltered.

He met her gaze. “I hurt you.”

A laugh bubbled from her. “No, you didn’t.”

They both looked at her stomach when the sound repeated.

“How could I not have?” he asked.

“That means I’m hungry, Ronin.”

Tentatively, he pressed his palm to her abdomen. She didn’t stop him.

He could feel the rumbling inside. Whatever data his fractured memory contained regarding human anatomy, it apparently didn’t cover their bodily functions with much depth. “You eat, and this stops?”

“Yep.”

“So…there’s no pain?”

She glanced away. “Well…”

He withdrew his hand immediately. “Lara…”

She chuckled. “Pain in all the right places.”

“I do not—” He snapped his mouth shut as he recalled Lara pressing her nails into his skin, pulling his hair, and digging her heels into his thighs. Each had been a small source of pain that heightened the experience.

“IthinkI understand. Somewhat.” His optics dropped to where theirbodies were still connected. Where that delicate pink flesh was wrapped around him, where he was buried inside her. It was a sight he liked immensely. He lowered a hand to her hip, settling his fingers over the bruises. “Pain isn’t always bad…because pain is part of being alive.”

“Yeah, as long as it’s not too much.” Her smile wavered, and something flashed in her eyes for an instant.

Before he could guess its nature, she recovered.