Page 21 of Human Reform (Cyborg Planet Alpha #3)
TWENTY-ONE
ALORA
When Daxon had accidentally brushed my thigh with his under the table, he seemed to remember something vivid by the look in his eyes—a flash of recognition that made his pupils dilate and his breath catch. I wondered what memory had surfaced but didn’t dare ask with Sage still at our table.
Her knowing smirk played on her lips as she observed us under the moonlight. The night market hummed around us, but all I could focus on was the way Daxon’s gaze locked on to mine, intense and searching.
I held his gaze steadily, trying to communicate without words that we were so much more than colleagues. That less than twenty-four hours ago, he’d been inside me, his body moving against mine like we’d been made for each other.
Sage cleared her throat. “Well, this is getting uncomfortable for the third wheel.” She stood, brushing crumbs from her tactical pants. “I should check the perimeter. You know, actual work instead of… whatever this eye-sex thing is you two are doing.”
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. “We’re not?—”
“Save it.” She laughed, already backing away. “Have a good night, you two. Try not to break yourself again, Daxon.”
As Sage disappeared into the crowd, an idea struck me. Maybe if I took him somewhere meaningful—somewhere we’d connected before—it might trigger more memories.
“Come with me,” I said, standing and offering my hand. “I want to show you something.”
He hesitated only a fraction of a second before taking it. His large palm engulfed mine, and that familiar electric current surged between us.
“Where are we going?” he asked as I led him away from the marketplace.
“Somewhere special. You took me there two nights ago.”
We followed the narrow path that wound between flowering plants that glowed faintly in the moonlight. Bioluminescent insects buzzed around us, leaving trails of blue-green light in their wake.
“This feels… familiar,” Daxon murmured, his thumb absently stroking the back of my hand.
The humid night air wrapped around us, carrying exotic fragrances from night-blooming flowers. The sounds of the marketplace faded, replaced by the nocturnal chorus of jungle creatures.
The path soon opened to the small clearing where the small river gurgled over stones. The moons hung suspended in the night sky, casting silver light over everything.
“The stars here,” I said softly, pointing upward at the unfamiliar constellations.
“I remember looking up at them and thinking how no human had named them before your people arrived. And then I caught you looking at me as I was looking up at them. And you said you were trying to memorize that moment, just before…”
I let the words trail off, not wanting to push him. Daxon stood close beside me. Even through the fabric of my white T-shirt, I could feel the heat coming off his body.
“Before what?” he asked, his deep voice rough around the edges.
I swallowed hard. “Before I kissed you.”
The memory of that kiss flashed through my mind—the hunger, the urgency, and the way his hands had explored my curves.
“I don’t—” he started but then stopped abruptly. His brow furrowed, and he turned to face me fully. “Wait. I remember wrapping my arms around you and pulling you against my chest. And then thanking you for choosing to stay here and help us.”
My heart leapt. “Yes! That’s right.”
“And I told you I felt happy.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Daxon,” I whispered, hardly daring to hope. “What else do you remember?”
His icy blue eyes studied my face, trailing from my eyes to my lips and then to my neck and back again to my eyes. I could practically see the neural pathways reconnecting behind them, memories slotting back into place like puzzle pieces finding their homes.
“I remember thinking I shouldn’t touch you any further,” he said softly. “That it would complicate everything. And then deciding I didn’t care.”
His hand lifted, hovering near my cheek as if asking permission. I nodded slightly, and his warm palm cupped my face, his thumb tracing the arch of my cheekbone. The sensation sent electricity through my entire body, awakening every nerve ending.
“I’m starting to remember us, Alora,” he murmured, his other hand finding my waist.
Something broke inside me then—the last barrier I’d desperately tried to maintain. Tears spilled down my pale cheeks, hot and unbidden.
“I love you,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I know it’s impossible—it’s only been four days—but I do. I love you, Daxon.”
His eyes widened, that ice blue suddenly illuminated from within by a bright violet glow. His body went rigid, his fingers tightening against my skin as if anchoring himself.
“Love,” he repeated, the word sounding both foreign and revelatory on his lips.
I watched in amazement as his pupils dilated, his breathing quickened, and something extraordinary happened behind his eyes—like watching circuits connecting, or like witnessing the birth of a star.
“I told Sage this morning that I loved you,” he said slowly but then with increasing certainty. “I told her I’d delete myself if you asked me to.”
The trickle of returning memories suddenly became a flood. I could see it happening—his posture changing, his eyes focusing differently, his entire being transforming before me as his expression shifted from confusion to recognition to joy.
“Daxon?” I gasped, hardly daring to hope.
His smile—that beautiful, bright, perfect smile—spread across his face, and I knew. I knew he was back, fully and completely.
“That shower this morning,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. “The way you knelt in front of me.”
I laughed through my tears, which were now flowing freely. “You remember?”
“Everything,” he confirmed, cupping my face with both hands now. “Every touch. Every kiss. Every moment since you arrived.”
“How?” I asked, stunned by the miraculous recovery. “The layered implementation was supposed to feed your memories back slowly, over days, maybe longer.”
He shook his head, looking as amazed as I felt. “Your word—love. It triggered something in the reprogramming code. Like a priority override.”
I couldn’t stop crying, but these were different tears—tears of pure, unadulterated joy. “It shouldn’t have worked like that. The neural framework should have gone defensive.”
“Maybe some things transcend programming,” he murmured, his thumbs wiping away my tears. “Maybe this was always meant to be.”
He pressed his forehead against mine, his breath warm on my lips. “I’m sorry, Alora. I shouldn’t have implemented the patch without waiting for you. I thought I was making it easier, sparing you from having to choose. I was wrong.”
“You impossible man,” I whispered, gripping the front of his black T-shirt. “No more sacrificing yourself, understand? Not even for the good of the colony.”
“Understood,” he agreed, his voice rough with emotion. Then his expression shifted, a dangerous heat entering his eyes. “I remember every little detail. Including how to make you scream my name with pleasure.”
The raw promise in his words sent a shiver through me. Before I could respond, his mouth claimed mine in a kiss that was pure possession—hungry and desperate and joyful all at once. His strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me against him until my feet barely touched the ground.
I kissed him back with everything I had, pouring four days of fear and hope and longing into it. The night sounds of Planet Alpha faded away, nothing existing beyond the feel of his body against mine, the taste of his lips, and the incredible miracle of finding our way back to each other.
When we finally pulled apart, both breathing hard, I kept my arms looped around his neck. The twin moons cast silver light over us, making the small river sparkle like scattered diamonds.
“Do you think we could just stay here forever?” I asked, only half-joking. “Just you and me by this river?”
Daxon laughed, the sound rich and full. “Tempting, but I have plans for you that require more privacy than this clearing offers.”
His hands slid lower, gripping my hips and pulling me tightly against him. The evidence of his desire pressed hard against my stomach, leaving no doubt about those plans.
“Then take me home,” I whispered against his lips.