RedeemingZorus (20 page)

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“No. You aren’t. Ever since the council meeting, you look
about as happy as a kid who just got a butt whipping. What is going on?”

He slowly turned. The look in his eyes seemed cold to her,
distant, and his emotions were on lockdown, obviously.

“I did not predict the emotional ramifications of bringing
you with me to Garden.”

Her heart missed a beat while she tried not to show him the
hurt that gripped her. “Are you sorry you brought me to Garden with you?” She
hated to even ask. If he said yes it would not only break her heart but destroy
the rest of her already fractured life.

“I am trying to adjust to the new circumstances.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“My son distrusts me enough to publicly charge me with
treason. The council always held great respect for my strong beliefs yet they
just chastised me in an open meeting in front of my people.” He drew in a deep
breath. “They were amused by my humiliation. I never would have suffered that
before I met you, Charlie. The emotional scales have been tipped. I am
currently assessing how that affects me.”

“Okay.” She hid the tears that filled her eyes by turning on
her heel. “You assess.” She headed for the bedroom to put some distance between
them.

Damn it
, she thought when she stepped into his room.
The view along the far wall remained breathtaking but it had lost all appeal to
her. Zorus obviously regretted falling in love with her. She’d cost him a lot.
He wasn’t the only one who had lost but yelling at him for hurting her feelings
when he’d already taken emotional hits today would only make matters worse.

I gave up my life
too.
Not that I really
had one anymore after Russell got us into that jam. I’ve got the government
looking for me, I’m a fugitive on the run from them, and I’m flat broke. I
could have gone to Saturn to get my money. I could have started a life of my
own but no. I decided to―

A loud buzz jerked her from her angry thoughts. She heard it
again. It took her a moment to realize the source. She headed to the living
room, hoping it wasn’t someone else at the door who would give Zorus hell for
being with a human. When she entered the large room, she paused at the shocking
sight before her.

Zorus stood with his back to her while a woman dropped her
coat onto the floor near the still-open elevator doors. Soft, metallic-gray
skin had been revealed when the heavy leather landed on the floor. “I need
Sky,” the woman demanded. “You will have intercourse with me in exchange for
the breeding right with him.”

“What the hell?” Charlie’s voice sounded too loud to her own
ears but she was more than a little angry over the woman who demanded to fuck
her boyfriend.

Zorus glanced at her over his shoulder. “This is nothing.”

“I don’t agree.” She strode forward, her gaze fixed on the
tall, beautiful, naked cyborg woman. “Who are you?”

The cyborg woman ignored Charlie. “I will not take no for an
answer. We will exchange intercourse for your favor.”

“Alis,” Zorus growled. “I told you, Sky is on a mission. I
also turned down your offer. I have not changed my mind.” He glanced at Charlie
again. “That is my human female. I told you that I plan to form a family unit
with her.”

The cyborg woman flicked her wrist in dismissal. “She’s
human. It isn’t as though she could leave you. She’s property.” She stepped
into Zorus, her body pressed flush to his, and she wrapped her arms around his
neck to stare into his eyes. They nearly were eye level. “You know you will enjoy
the physical connection we make. You always have in the past.”

Charlie moved before she could think about what she’d do to
the bigger, muscled, naked bitch who had just admitted she’d had Zorus in the
past. Her jealousy at the sight of the other woman’s arms around Zorus burned
too hot to deny. She lunged but Zorus suddenly grabbed Alis around the waist to
swing her out of the way. Charlie ended up with a handful of the back of his
shirt rather than the woman’s hair.

Zorus snarled at Charlie when he peered down at her over his
shoulder. “Do not attack her, Charlie.”

He might as well have slapped her. The pain hit her that
sharply. She released his shirt, staggered back, and then tore her hurt-filled
gaze away from his angry glare. She couldn’t even talk. He released his hold on
Alis with one arm only then reach up to tear her hands from behind his head.

Charlie couldn’t stop the numbness that took over. She
didn’t know what to do or where to go. She darted toward the elevator, to
leave. If he wanted to fuck the cyborg woman, she sure wasn’t going to stick
around. They were over. He regretted bringing her to Garden, obviously had
decided to move on, but she wasn’t about to watch him with his new girlfriend.
She entered the lift but the doors didn’t close. She reached for the controls.
She’d hack it if she had to.

“Where are you going?” Zorus snarled the words. “Charlie?
Get back in here.”

She refused to look at him. The system wasn’t one she’d ever
seen. It didn’t have a panel or any opening that she could detect. She tried
voice command. “Down please.”

The elevator doors didn’t close. She gritted her teeth.
“Bottom floor. Move, damn it. I want to leave.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Zorus stormed toward her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him approach and jerked
her head in his direction to give him a murderous glare. “Don’t come near me.
You made your choice. I bet your son will be thrilled that you’ve chosen a
cyborg woman over me.”

“Unreasonable females,” he muttered a second before he
gripped Charlie’s arm in a firm hold to haul her out of the elevator.

She dug her heels in but he easily dragged her back into his
living room. She yanked hard, attempting to break his hold on her. It didn’t
work.

“Do you see what you’ve done, Alis? Put your coat on and leave.
I said no. I do not want to make an agreement with you.” He gave Charlie’s arm
a rough tug. “I did not protect her for any of the reasons you must assume.
She’s a cyborg and you are human. If you draw blood from a cyborg on this
planet, she can have you arrested.”

Charlie ceased her struggles to peer up at him. He shook his
head at her, an angry look plastered on his handsome features before he
addressed Alis again.

“Get out and never return. Find another male to breed a
child with. Sky will not be returning to Garden until his mission is complete.
You have my word that you will never receive permission to spend another minute
with him if you cause trouble for me again by pulling a stunt such as this
one.” He drew in a deep breath. “Leave.”

Alis bent, showed off her muscular, smooth ass, and then
pulled on her coat to conceal her nakedness. “You will regret this.”

“I already do. I should have verified who wanted entry into
my home. I wouldn’t have permitted you onto my floor if I’d know you were
there.”

“You have lost your ability to be logical.” She sneered at
Charlie. “The human has impaired your intelligence.”

“Get out.” Zorus released Charlie to take a threatening step
toward the cyborg. “She can’t throw you into the elevator to get you out of our
home but I can.”

The threat hung in the air. Alis made tracks for the
elevator. The moment she cleared the doors they slid closed. Zorus closed his
eyes.

“I’m very angry.”

“Me too,” Charlie admitted.

His dark eyes opened to fix on her. “With you.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“I am not an idiot. You left a male who chose another female
over you. You have no forgiveness for such things. Did you honestly believe I
would accept her offer of intercourse?” He growled low in his throat.

“You really need to stop doing that.”

“Being logical?”

“Growling. It ruins that whole
cyborgs-are-way-better-than-humans motto you always spout. What was I supposed
to think when I walked out here to see her pawing you? Did you notice that she
didn’t have any clothes on? Another minute and she would have climbed you like
a tree.”

He gaped at her, mute.

“What?”

“A tree?” Zorus still looked baffled.

“You’re damn tall. Use your imagination to figure that one
out.” She tried to calm down. Maybe the situation wasn’t as bad as she’d
thought but the sight of a naked cyborg attempting to seduce Zorus had
temporarily made her go with emotion rather than reason. She’d already been
upset anyway. “Never heard that saying, huh?”

“Charlie…” Zorus faced her head on. “You do not trust me if
you believed I wanted to have intercourse with that woman. I do not.”

“You just admitted, not five minutes ago, that you regret
bringing me here.”

His dark gaze widened. “I made no such statement.”

“Didn’t you?” She sighed. “Look at what I’ve cost you. You
said you need to assess things, which tells me that you’re sorry you brought me
home with you. Let’s not bullshit each other after we’ve been totally honest so
far. I’ve brought you nothing but trouble since we landed on this planet. Your
son is pissed, your council embarrassed you, and I’m sure you’re wondering what
the hell you were thinking by hooking up with me.”

The anger melted from his face. “Charlie—”

She held up her hand. “I don’t need a roof to fall down
around me to see daylight. The view is pretty darn clear.” Her hand dropped to
her side.

“I do not regret bringing you with me.”

“Right. Sure. That’s why you’re so happy right now that I’m
living with you.”

“I am happy that you are here.”

She wanted to believe him desperately. “You don’t look it
and I don’t blame you.”

“I’m trying to come to terms with the things that have
changed. My feelings for you haven’t. That’s what I meant. You took my words
wrong. The only certainty in my life at this moment is you.” He took a step
closer. “Come here.” His arms opened.

Charlie moved before she could think. She walked right into
his body to wrap her arms around his waist. He hugged her close, his chin
rested on the top of her head, and she fought back tears.

“I love you.” He spoke softly. “I need to be clearer with my
thought processes to avoid further misunderstandings. I am debating leaving the
council since I am not certain I want them to torment me on a daily basis. The
probability of it is high. I worry that my son will cause more difficulties for
us and I need to find a way to make him understand your value to me. I won’t
trust him until that has been established.”

“You love your job, don’t you?”

He hesitated. “Yes. I enjoy my work.”

“Then deal with the shit. It will pass. They will grow bored
of teasing you. Don’t quit your day job. I doubt I could support us on slave
wages.”

He suddenly chuckled. “Your sayings always amuse me and I
appreciate your attempt at humor.”

“Who is kidding?” Her chin lifted until she met his gaze.
“I’m property here.”

Zorus’ humor fled. “I no longer am happy about the status of
humans on Garden.”

“Then change the laws. It’s what your council does, right?”

A glint flickered in his gaze. “Yes.”

“So stay at your job and work on making me more than
something you own.”

“You’re very smart.”

She couldn’t resist smiling. “For a human, you mean?”

He softly growled. “Don’t do that. I would punish anyone who
dared to insult you that way.”

“Sorry. Stop growling and I’ll stop making smartass remarks.
It was a joke.”

“It wasn’t humorous. Some of my people wouldn’t be happy
with that law being changed but it wouldn’t affect many. There are currently
less than thirty humans living on Garden.”

“That’s so few. How many cyborgs live here?”

“Thousands.” He gently released her but kept hold of her
hand to lead her to one of the chairs. He sat and spread his thighs, indicating
he wanted her to sit. “We are fine now, aren’t we?”

She curled up on his lap. “Yes. I’m just sorry for all the
grief you’re getting over me.”

“I’d rather take it than the alternative of not having you
in my life. I’m sorry for the miscommunication. We will have them but we need
trust, Charlie.”

She hesitated. “You’ve slept with Alis in the past, haven’t
you? She said something that implied it.”

“Yes.” His mouth tensed into a grim line. “It was before I
met you. That’s how favors are exchanged. I mentioned this to you before.”

“Yeah. I remember.” Her fingers traced his jawline and then
she looked deeply into his eyes. “You were really an asshole once, weren’t
you?”

His eyebrows shot up.

“That’s kind of shitty to bargain with women to have sex
with you.”

“I never pressed them to offer me intercourse. You witnessed
her actions. She came here on her own, removed her clothing, and would have
attempted seduction if I didn’t have you in my life.”

“So you’re a victim?” She smirked.

“Charlie, are you upset that I had intercourse with Alis in
the past? I must point out that it was before we met and I never foresaw you
being a part of my life. I will never allow another female to bargain with me
in that manner again. You are the only female who has permission to touch me. I
would never risk losing you and you are the only one I want.”

She snuggled against his big body. “I’m a bit jealous. She
had a really nice body.”

“I did not notice.”

She snorted. “Right. What happened to honesty?”

“I noticed but I find your pale, creamy skin much more
attractive and your softness fascinates me. Your body makes me more aroused
than I have ever experienced.” He didn’t look away from her while he spoke. “No
other woman has ever affected me the way you do. I’ve never wanted any female
as much as you, Charlie. That is the truth.”

“I believe you.” She beamed. “You’re super hot yourself and
no one compares to you.”