Page 23 of True As Steel
The bedroom’s double doors parted, revealing my companion dressed in a midnight blue negligee that hid nothing of the perfect curves of her body. She walked out, brushing her long black hair, freely cascading down her back. Despite not wearing a bra, her breasts stood firm and perky behind the thin, silky fabric. I couldn’t tell whether she was merely cold or aroused, but I could clearly see where her nipples poked against the material of the nightgown.
The surge of lust that exploded in the pit of my stomach took me by surprise. For a reason I couldn’t explain, I rose to my feet and took a couple of steps towards her. Tamryn stared at me with an intensity that seemed to want to tell me something. Or was that merely wishful thinking?
“In case you were waiting after me to use the shower, I just wanted to let you know that I’m done,” Tamryn said while still brushing her lustrous hair.
“Thank you,” I said, fighting the urge to sink my fingers into it. “I guess there was no tub for you to enjoy that bubble bath, huh?”
Tamryn smiled with an enigmatic expression. “Actually, there was. But I didn’t want to hog the hygiene room indefinitely.”
“That is very considerate of you,” I said, amused. “But I wouldn’t have begrudged you enjoying that bit of comfort.”
“Remember you said that on the day I do hog it,” she replied teasingly.
I couldn’t help but smile. In spite of everything, that female continued to find ways to stir such unusual responses from me. It was… pleasant.
“I consider myself duly warned,” I replied, bowing my head in concession. “Well, off to the shower I go then.”
For a reason I couldn’t explain, I removed my shirt right there, in front of her, my gaze locked on her beautiful face. It hadn’t been deliberate or calculated—at least not consciously. However, the sense of triumph that coursed through me when her gaze darkened as it roamed over my chest and down to my abs implied otherwise. I balled my shirt and tucked it under my left arm, before reaching for the clasp of my pants. Tamryn’s eyes flicked up to my face with a slightly stunned expression. I barely repressed a smirk, holding her gaze for a split second before walking past her while continuing to undo my pants.
I could feel her gaze burning holes in my back as I entered the bedroom and headed for the shower. I didn’t know what had gotten into me but felt no remorse whatsoever. Still, walking past the massive bed that ate up a good third of the spacious room had my blood rushing to my groin.
This could be problematic.
There was no question I wanted to share this bed with Tamryn. But now, I wanted to do far more than merely sleep there by her side. She’d been sending signals that she might be all for it as well. Or at least, I wanted to believe it. However, could it merely be my own fantasies? If we weren’t on the same page, things could quickly become awkward. While I had the ability to shut down my emotions, Tamryn had a way of making them burst right out when I least expected it.
I discarded my clothes in the basket before stepping into the shower, setting the water to cold to cool the fire in my blood—not that it did much good. My body automatically regulated its temperature, defeating the purpose of this effort. I made quick work of my ablutions, wrapping the towel around my waist before proceeding to shave the two-day scruff gracing my jaw. Beyond the fact that the military didn’t allow for it, I’d never been big on facial hair. My one disappointment with my Cyborg transformation was that it hadn’t eliminated the need to shave.
I gazed at myself in the mirror and wondered what Tamryn saw when she looked at me. I wasn’t ugly by any means, but I also didn’t qualify as traditionally handsome. My body, I took great pride in. It had always been in good shape, with great proportions all-around. However, becoming a Cyborg had made it all but perfect—lean, muscular, with just the right level of mass without falling into bulky territory. It had earned me many covetous looks from women over the years, looks I had been completely indifferent to.
But this time, I wanted to be coveted… by her.
Still only wearing my towel, I entered the bedroom, intent on going to the walk-in closet next to the hygiene room, but movement at the edge of my vision drew my attention. I froze at the sight of Tamryn, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, her hair draped around her shoulders. She stared at me with an unreadable expression. I took a few steps towards her, stopping near the edge of the bed, a questioning look in my eyes.
Tamryn gave me a slow once over before locking gazes with me again. She lifted her chin ever so slightly in a gesture that screamed defiance. It had been so subtle, most people wouldn’t have even noticed, but it undeniably told me she had decided on a course of action and wouldn’t be deterred.
“You are a very attractive man, Jarog,” she said in a soft but firm voice. “I think you know what I want. If you’re not interested, just say so, and I won’t bother you again about it.”
My heart skipped a beat at this unexpected turn of events. My initial impulse was to throw away my towel, join her on top of the bed, and give way to the basic instincts I had been keeping at bay since my transformation. But reason—logic—prevailed, reining me in. I took another step forward, my gaze boring into hers, assessing.
“Before I answer your question, I would like you to tell me why you want to change the nature of our relationship,” I asked carefully.
“There’s no relationship,” she said, taking on a far too defensive tone. “I’m horny, you’re hot, and unless I totally misread you, I believe you find me attractive as well. It’s just sex, no strings attached.”
I tilted my head to the side, observing her features, her body language, her pulse beating in her neck… Even though I’d only met her a few days ago, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Tamryn wasn’t the ‘scratch an itch’ type of woman. A million reasons as to why she would offer this crossed my mind.
“If you seek comfort—”
“Yes, comfort is part of it,” Tamryn interrupted with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment in her voice. “As you know, I’ve had a shitty past few days. I don’t know if my brother is still alive and will probably not see my family again for a long time. I’m stranded on a mercenary planet with a fucking brand on my face that I may not be able to get rid of, and I don’t know where the hell my life is going right now. So yeah, it would be nice for you to help me forget for a little while.”
She shifted from her cross-legged position, getting on her knees before sitting on her haunches. Despite that, there was nothing supplicant in her current position. Contrary to what I had assumed, Tamryn didn’t appear to be reacting out of emotional distress. She struck me as having carefully reflected on this decision.
“But that’s not the main reason,” she continued, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “I also just want to have sex with you. Four days ago, my life was fine. I had all the time in the world. My family and I were soon going to be reunited on Bionus to launch a rebellion, but in a blink, it has all been taken away. I’m not taking anything for granted anymore. We’re here today, we could be gone tomorrow.”
Tamryn heaved a sigh, her gaze going slightly out of focus as she reminisced.
“This whole trip here I’ve been plagued with regrets for all the things I had wanted to do but didn’t because of one of the countless lame reasons we always come up with to deny ourselves what we want,” she continued, her voice hardening with self-recrimination before she refocused on me. “I want you. For all I know, you will leave tomorrow or in two weeks to pursue your own destiny. I don’t want to kick myself for not seizing the opportunity when it was there. So, if I misread your attraction to me, feel free to set me straight. I have a very capable hand and a fertile imagination. I won’t hate you for saying no.”
“I’m sorry for putting you through this awkward explanation,” I said, removing the towel from my waist before tossing it onto the chair in the corner of the bedroom, by the walk-in closet.