Stealing Coal (8 page)

thoughts were jumbled. Coal had saved them.

He finally turned his seat to face her, full lips curving into a grim frown. “Hand

over control of your droids or I’ll harm them. I’d hate to do it, considering I am aware

they have deep value to you. I want full control of them and for them to ignore your

requests to them. Do it.”

She gaped at him.

“Now, Jill. I want absolute control of them or I will take them out.” His hand

lowered to one of the weapons strapped to his hips.

Dread balled inside her. Not only did the cyborg have his freedom now but he

wanted to command not only her ship but her friends. “Fray?” She paused, blinking

back tears. “This is Coal. He owns you now. You are to follow all of his orders from this

moment forward and none of mine. Verify order.”

Fray hesitated. “Order confirmed.” He turned his head to glance at Coal. “Orders,

Coal?”

“The rest of them as well, Jill.” Coal’s fingers tightened on the weapon.

She fought the urge to order Arm to come to her rescue but she had a feeling that

Coal could fight. She didn’t want him to destroy her androids. She slowly reached for

the ship intercom system and turned it on shipwide.

“This is Jill. Arm and Roid, your new owner is the man down. You are to follow all

of his orders from now on and none of mine. His name is Coal. Verify order.” She

38

Stealing Coal

turned off the com but knew they had heard her. She stared silently at the cyborg in

charge of everything she cared about. “Are you going to kill me now?”

His frown deepened. “No. Stand up.” He rose to his feet, facing her, and released

his weapon.

She hesitated.

“Now.”

Her hands shook when she unfastened her belt and rose on trembling legs. He

closed the distance between them. Jill had to tilt her chin up to focus on his grim

features. He stood over a foot taller than she did.

He stopped in front of her. “I won’t harm you. You saved my life and I know that.”

Jill gasped when he suddenly crouched, two large hands shot out to grip her waist,

and he jerked her body forward. Her hip hit a broad shoulder and then the world

turned upside down. A dizzy spell gripped her when he quickly straightened to his full

height.

He spun around with Jill dangling over his shoulder. One hand gripped the small

of her back to keep her bent in place while his other arm locked behind her thighs. Coal

paused by the door.

“Fray, I have set a course. Follow it and alert me if any ships come within range.

You have the helm.”

“Yes, Coal,” Fray stated calmly before reclaiming the pilot seat.

Jill stared at the deck, some feet below her. The cyborg walked quickly out of the

room. He seemed to know how to go directly to the crew quarters. He confirmed that

when he spoke as they reached it.

“Which is yours?”

She paused.

His hold on her tightened. “Answer me.”

“The captain’s quarters are straight ahead. I converted the other three rooms for the

droids to use to recharge.”

Coal stopped when he carried her into her room and seemed to study the space.

The silence between them became so absolute that she heard every breath he took. He

moved suddenly and Jill cried out when he bent without warning, released her, and she

found herself flung onto her back on top of her bedding. She stared up at the cyborg,

who looked huge and terrifying.

“You’re my prisoner now. Don’t move while I find something to restrain you. If

you fight I will harm you.” His eyelids narrowed dangerously. “Do you understand

me?”

She could only nod. Without weapons she stood no chance of winning a fight

between them.

39

Laurann Dohner

“Good.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve never been on this side of things but as

someone who has spent a lot of time being a captive, I give you my word, I won’t abuse

you.” To her shock the cyborg suddenly laughed, his dark eyes seeming to twinkle. “I

admit I enjoy being the one in control for the first time.”

40

Stealing Coal

Jill struggled against the leggings that held her wrists to the headboard but they

had no give in them. Frustration and fear were two emotions she had grown

accustomed to in the past few hours since Coal had tied her and left her alone in the

room.

The doors opened and the cyborg entered her quarters. He had located a pair of

pants that were a little small judging by the snug way they stretched across his hips and

thighs, the material enhancing his muscular his legs. His chest remained bare. He

paused at the end of her bed. He’d shaved his head, the stubble that had begun to show

was now just a memory.

“The freighter isn’t following us and I doubt it will be able to travel for a very long

time.”

“Good.” The last thing she needed would be another run-in with them. “What are

you going to do with me and my droids?”

He cocked his head slightly, watching her for a long moment. “I’ve set a course to

take us to the last location where I know my people’s ships were. I don’t want to risk

communications. We are closer to Earth than I wish and the probability is high that they

might overhear my transmission.”

Cyborgs had ships, which meant there were more of them. She digested that

information. “What are you going to do with us if you find your friends?”

“I’ll release you and your shuttle.”

Relief swept through her. “Thank you.” She wanted to believe him but part of her

remained leery. “Do you promise?”

“I’ll tell you what you told me. You’re my prisoner, I am in control, and I have no

reason to give you false hope. I could do anything to you that I wish but I don’t want to

harm you.”

“I didn’t say it that coldly.”

An eyebrow arched. “I am not you.”

“How are my droids?”

“Fine.” He paused, his features relaxing. “You have a lot of spare parts stored in

your cargo hold. Why didn’t you fix them? Most of the supplies are there if you’d only

inventoried what you possessed.”

“I don’t know how. I had to teach myself to pilot and I did replace their damaged

eye sensors. I just couldn’t find matching ones. They aren’t blind. I’m kind of proud of

that.”

41

Laurann Dohner

“I wouldn’t be. You did a bad job. The color is adjustable. They have fully

functioning vision now, matching colored lenses, and no more short circuits.”

She relaxed. “You really fixed them?”

“I enjoy working while I think.”

“Thank you.” She meant it, knowing he hadn’t had to do it.

He shrugged. “It needed to be done. Your entire shuttle is in bad shape. It will take

us days to reach our destination and in the meantime I have made a list of repairs to

tackle.”

“Really?” A rush of appreciation filled her. “Thank you. That’s so nice.”

His posture straightened even more. “You saved my life and didn’t mistreat me. I

checked your computer logs and you were headed for Hixton Station just the way you

stated. I also talked with the droids while I worked on them. You had no reason to

deceive them and they were certain you meant to release me upon arrival. They state

that you are honest and do not tell them lies. I decided, after reviewing the facts, that

you need to be rewarded. You admitted to losing a financial opportunity by removing

me from the freighter. While I don’t have money to pay you, I do have expertise.” He

paused. “I’ve decided to repair your ship, your droids, and you.”

She felt gratitude right up until that last word. “Me? I’m not hurt.”

“You’re afraid of males and believe sex is one-sided. That’s a flaw on your part.

Your male harmed you.”

“My ex-male and I’m fine. I don’t want to hear a lecture on it again. I also don’t

want to date anyone in the future. It’s not a defect if it’s not a problem.”

“I am not going to talk to you.” He reached for the front of his pants. “I am going to

show you pleasure.”

Jill gaped at him, her mind trying to make sense of his words while dread rolled

through her. Coal tore open his pants to reveal―

Her gaze jerked upward and she locked her full attention on his face, refusing to

glance down at the dusky, hairless skin he’d revealed under his navel. “You’re not

wearing underwear.”

“I was fortunate to find pants that barely fit. The males who discarded the clothing I

found were much smaller than I.” He bent, stepping out of the pants. “Do not fear me.”

“Stop,” Jill ordered. “I’m not flawed or damaged. Put the pants back on.” Her gaze

nearly strayed downward to his groin area when he straightened, knowing he stood

there naked, but she kept her gaze locked with his by sheer force alone, ignoring her

curiosity. “I don’t want fixed.”

“I reviewed your medical history. You told the truth when you stated Arm is a

medic model as well as a defensive android and he has detailed scans on you.” Coal put

a knee on the mattress, the bed dipping from his weight near Jill’s feet. “I calculated

your cycles and now is a safe time for you to have intercourse.”

“What?” She gasped.

42

Stealing Coal

“You’re not ovulating.” Coal paused, frowning at her. “I don’t wish to impregnate

you. I am a unique cyborg by having active, healthy sperm. It’s why female cyborgs

forced me into being a breeder while they kept me in captivity.”

“I don’t want you to touch me. I don’t want to have sex with you. Just stay back,

Coal.”

He watched her silently for long moments before he spoke. “I don’t see fear. You

appear angry.”

“You’re threatening to force sex on me, the thing you feared I’d do to you. I am

angry. I didn’t hurt you and molesting me would just be wrong.”

“I won’t harm you.”

Jill snorted. “Sure. Right. Put your pants on. I don’t want this.”

“You honestly believe intercourse is painful.”

“It is.” Fear inched up her spine but she tried to mask her emotions and not show it.

Her ex-husband had gotten more turned on when he knew he’d terrified her. “Please

don’t touch me, Coal. I saved your life.”

“We’ll start with the basics.” He hesitated. “Don’t fight me.”

Jill jerked up her legs to her chest and kicked out with both feet together, aiming for

Coal’s wide chest. Her boots never made contact. Large, strong hands grabbed her

ankles instead and took the force, slowing her momentum until he held her legs

immobile inches from his body. His frown deepened.

“I ordered you not to fight me.”

“Go fuck yourself if you want to get laid.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “This isn’t about my pleasure, it’s

about yours.”

“Then put your pants back on. That would make me real happy.”

He sighed, blowing out a deep breath. “Relax.”

“Leave me alone.”

“You’re making things more difficult.”

“I saved your life. I didn’t have to steal you from that freighter. I could have left

you there to be beaten and sold. You said you were grateful.” She tried to find the guy’s

conscience. “You said you were forced to have sex with women. You don’t want to do

that to someone else, do you?”

“We don’t need to have actual intercourse but I will fix your fear of men touching

you and show you that pleasure isn’t one-sided.” His hands shifted their hold on her

ankles, lifting her legs higher until her bottom rose from the bed. “I hoped you would

welcome the lesson.”

“I don’t.” She wiggled but he didn’t release her.

Coal shifted his hold again, using his thumb to wrap around one of her ankles and

his fingers curled around the other one, holding both together with one hand. His free

43

Laurann Dohner

hand tore off her boots. He tossed them behind him, the sound of them hitting the floor

was loud inside the room.

Jill struggled and twisted when he reached around her and unfastened her pants. It

didn’t do any good when he got them open and tugged them upward, baring the lower

half of her body. He took not only her pants but her panties when his fingers hooked

into the waistband of both.

“Damn you,” she panted. “Stop!”

“I’m much stronger than you are. Fighting is a waste of your energy.”

“I saved you,” she raged.

“And I’m repaying you.”

“You’re really screwed up if this is the thanks I get.”

He paused, her pants bunched at her knees. A frown marred his features as their

gazes locked together. “I am flawed.” Broad shoulders shrugged. “Tell me something I

don’t know.”

“I don’t want this.”

“I don’t have money to repay you. I owe you for saving my life.”

“Then let me go. You’re in command of the
Jenny
and my droids. You’re a tank on

legs and I know fighting you would be flat-out stupid. I’m willing to believe that you’re

going to let me go when we find your friends and that you’ll turn everything back to

my control. You can fix stuff and that’s payment enough, okay?”

Coal still hesitated. “I want to fix you as well. I know women’s bodies and while

you’re not a cyborg female, I feel confident that I’m capable of giving you pleasure. The

least I can do is right the wrong done to you by a male.”

She knew that he was completely serious and meant what he said. He thought