Page 23 of Human Reform (Cyborg Planet Alpha #3)

TWENTY-THREE

ALORA

I woke up in stages, first aware of warmth—Daxon’s body curved around mine like a shield, his muscled arm draped possessively across my waist. The weight of it felt like an anchor, grounding me in a way I hadn’t known I needed until this moment.

I kept my eyes closed, savoring the sensation of his steady breath against my neck and the delicious ache in muscles I’d forgotten I had.

God, last night. My cheeks flushed at the memory of being pressed against his front door, his powerful body driving into mine with a hungry desperation that matched my own.

Then the dining table, which I’d never be able to look at the same way again.

The shower where he’d dropped to his knees and worshipped me with his tongue until my legs gave out.

And finally his bed, where he’d taken his time mapping every inch of my skin as if committing me to memory all over again.

I lost count of how many times I’d come apart in his arms.

I turned carefully in his embrace, needing to see his face.

In sleep, the hard lines of his features softened, making him look younger.

My fingers itched to trace the twin scars near his temple, those faint marks the only visible reminder of what he’d been through during the war. What we’d both been through.

“You’re staring,” he murmured, his eyes still closed.

“Can you blame me?” I shifted closer, pressing my bare breasts against his solid chest. “I’m making up for those four hours when you looked at me like I was a total stranger.”

His eyes opened then, that incredible ice blue with hints of violet around the edges. “Never again,” he promised, his voice rough with sleep and something deeper and more primal. “I might have lost my memory for four hours, but my body never forgot you.”

“Your body certainly knew me last night,” I teased, tracing a finger down the ridges of his muscular abs. “I think we christened every surface in your quarters.”

“Not every surface.” His mouth curved into a predatory smile that sent heat pooling low in my belly. “We missed the kitchen counter.”

I laughed, the sound bubbling up from somewhere light and free inside me. “Later. I don’t think I can move quite yet.”

His hand slid up to cup my breast, his thumb circling my nipple with devastating precision. “I can help with that.”

“You’re insatiable,” I gasped as desire sparked through me again.

“For you? Always.” He rolled me onto my back, hovering above me with those powerful arms that could snap steel but touched me with such tender reverence. “Five days, Alora. That’s all it took for you to become essential to my existence.”

I reached up to cup his face, suddenly serious. “Those four hours when you didn’t know me were the worst of my life. Worse than anything except losing Tim.”

Pain flickered across his features. “I’m sorry. I thought?—”

“I know what you thought.” I pulled him down for a gentle kiss.

“You thought you were protecting the colony. Protecting me. But I need you to understand something.” I held his gaze, willing him to feel the weight of my words.

“I don’t need protection from the hard choices, Daxon.

I need you beside me while I make them.”

He pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m learning.”

“We both are.” I smiled, running my fingers through his short black hair. “Who’d have thought I’d fall in love with a man after knowing him less than a week? Let alone?—”

“Let alone what?” His eyes narrowed, suddenly alert.

I shrugged, aiming for casual despite my racing heart. “Let alone decide I’m staying here. On Planet Alpha.”

The smile that broke across his face was like the sun rising—bright and full of promise. “Say that again.”

“I’m staying, Daxon.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m not running anymore.”

I soon reluctantly pulled away from Daxon’s warm neck, groaning as the morning light filtered through the small window in his bedroom. His hands trailed possessively down my sides before getting off of me.

“We should probably get dressed,” I murmured, though every cell in my body protested the idea.

“Probably,” he agreed, but made no move to get off the bed, his ice-blue eyes drinking me in as I stretched.

I slid out of his bed, feeling his gaze like a physical touch as I retrieved my scattered clothing from around his quarters. My white lace panties had somehow ended up draped over his lamp, and I flushed remembering exactly how they’d gotten there.

“I feel you watching me,” I said without turning around, stepping into my underwear.

“That’s because I am.” His deep voice carried no apology. “Your body is… extraordinary.”

I glanced over my shoulder to find him sitting up on his bed, his muscled torso on full display. “That’s rich coming from you, Mr. Perfect Physique.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Is that what you think of me?”

“Among other things.” I clasped my bra and reached for my white T-shirt. “Most of which aren’t appropriate to mention before breakfast.”

A slow smile spread across his tanned face, and he finally rose from the bed, giving me an unobstructed view of his naked glory. My fingers fumbled with my pants as I watched him pull on his black boxers, the muscles in his back and shoulders flexing with every movement.

“I guess two can play the staring game,” he said, catching me watching as he tugged on his fitted black T-shirt, the Planet Alpha emblem sitting right over his heart.

“I’m just… appreciating the architecture,” I countered, borrowing his words from our first night together.

He finished dressing in his tactical pants and combat boots while I braided my hair, my fingers working quickly through the familiar motions. When I finished, he stepped behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders and meeting my eyes in the mirror.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Starving,” I admitted.

In the kitchen, I perched on a stool and watched as he moved with efficient grace, preparing something that smelled mouthwatering good.

“I still can’t believe you cook,” I said, accepting the plate he handed me.

“Survival skill, remember?” he replied with a hint of a smile.

We moved to his small dining table, and I hesitated before sitting down, memories of the previous night flooding back. Daxon’s powerful body above mine, the cool wood against my back, and his relentless rhythm driving me over the edge.

“Something wrong?” he asked, but the knowing glint in his eye told me he remembered, too.

“Just appreciating the… furniture,” I said, sitting down primly.

He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that sent warmth flooding through me. “We should probably focus on today’s task.”

I nodded, taking a bite of the delicious meal. “So, colony-wide alert, systematic processing, and memory backups before implementation.” I ticked off the steps on my fingers. “One cyborg colonist at a time through the central processing hub.”

“It’ll be a long process. An estimated thirty-six hours straight,” Daxon said, his expression growing serious. “We have a hundred cyborgs with the original wartime coding.”

“But worth it,” I added, reaching across to squeeze his hand. “What you did yesterday was reckless, but it gave us a roadmap. Memory backup, patch implementation and then memory restoration if needed.”

“The perfect team,” he said, his thumb stroking across my knuckles. “Your brilliant mind and fierce determination, and my unwavering protectiveness of the colony and of you.”

After finishing our meal, we headed out into the thick morning air of Planet Alpha. The jungle canopy filtered the sunlight into dancing patterns across the pathways as Daxon took my hand, our fingers interlacing naturally.

“Ready to save an entire species on Planet Alpha?” he asked, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that took my breath away.

I squeezed his hand, feeling the promise of a future I never thought I’d have. “I think I’ve been ready for three years.”