Page 79 of Dustwalker

“I’m fine, Ronin. Just starving. Not, like, for real, but…” Catching her lower lip between her teeth, Lara slowly pulled away, forcing his phallus—his cock—to withdraw from her sex. It slipped out, still erect, covered in her arousal. She sat up, her gaze lingering on it. Ronin didn’t miss the infinitesimal darkening of her blue eyes, and the glint of desire they held.

She cleared her throat and scooted to the edge of the bed. “Uh, lemme get something to eat, and you can show me the scrap you found while you were gone.”

“All right.” Already craving her heat, he watched Lara slip out of bed, noting how her figure had subtly filled out since she’d started living with him. He knew she wasn’t fine, not under the surface, and how could she have been? Not all pain was physical. It had only been nine and a half hours since he told her about Tabitha.

She plucked a shirt off the floor and tugged it on, glancing over her shoulder to cast him another smile. Reaching up to tuck loose hair behind her ear, she walked into the hallway.

Ronin climbed out of bed, pulled on his pants, and picked up his coat. As he walked, he dipped a hand into the inside coat pocket, withdrawing the ring.

Perhaps it would be an uplifting surprise for her on the heels of so devastating a loss.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Lara slipped the last bite of jerky into her mouth as she stood looking over the items spread across the worktable. Tools, scraps of metal and plastic, spare bot parts, and a few power cells. It was more than she’d found in years of scavenging, and most humans would’ve strained to carry such a haul more than a mile or two. How far had Ronin traveled with it?

“You got all this in two days?” she asked around a mouthful of tender meat.

Ronin nodded. He was leaning against the wall beside the window, arms folded over his broad, bare chest.

Lara couldn’t stop her eyes from lingering upon that chest. God, she’d had her hands all over it, had it pressed to her breasts while he lay between her thighs, had felt it thrum when they’d climaxed. The temptation to brush her fingers over its firm expanse was acute.

Did he realize how sexy he looked right now, with his hair tousled from her fingers?

She swallowed thickly and forced her gaze up to his. “Why’d you come back early?”

“Because I didn’t like the thought of you being here alone.”

It was the last answer she would’ve expected. Before they’dcoupled, as he had put it, before their physical closeness had revealed their deeper feelings for one another, he’d been thinking about her safety. She would’ve preferred it if he’d stayed with her to begin with, but…

During her time here, Ronin had often watched her. Whenever they were in the same room, his eyes were always locked on her, rarely deviating. She’d pretended not to notice. It would’ve been easy to dismiss it as creepy bot behavior, but she knew better now. There’d been so much more beneath the surface.

Had Tabitha shared something similar with the bot who’d taken her in? Mutual curiosity, mutual admiration, care for one another’s wellbeing? Maybe she hadn’t done it solely for the food, shelter, and security.

What if…what if Tabitha was happy?

The thought gave Lara pause. Wasshehappy? It seemed wrong in the wake of her sister’s death, but beneath the gloom of grief, there was light. And why else would it be there, if not for Ronin?

Lara couldn’t guess what drew him to her. There were many prettier women in Cheyenne, even without counting the female synths, who would’ve been both far more eager to accept his deal and far more grateful for it. But Ronin’s interest in her was genuine. He wanted her to be safe and content.

Had Tabitha’s bot tried to protect her too?

If so, that bot had obviously failed in the end, but how could he have succeeded? Even without any details, Lara knew in her gut that Warlord was responsible for their deaths. No one person, whether human or machine, could stand against Cheyenne’s ruler and his fanatical thugs.

Why? Why had they murdered Tabitha and her companion?

Lara’s brow furrowed. “Am I in danger, Ronin?”

Ronin’s pupils dilated and refocused on her, those green eyes as intent as ever. “Everyone is always in some degree of danger.”

“But you came back early, even after arguing with me that you needed more time out there. Something must’ve crossed your mind.”

“I had a sizeable haul, and I realized that I’d rather be with you than digging through the dirt for a few more pieces of scrap.”

Heat bloomed on her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to the worktable. She knew there was more to it, more he wasn’t saying, but that didn’t change how she felt. Lara took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I missed you. I know you weren’t gone for long, but I got used to you being around, and…I missed you.”

He was silent. After a few moments, she looked up at him

Head canted to the side, he continued staring at her. “Missed… That’s a good term. It was like I was missing a part of myself.”