Page 33 of Operation Iron Heart

“MacIntyre didn’t give me a choice. He recorded everything and then showed the whole thing to me as a holoscan with only a brief time delay. Including the robots.” Clearly incensed, she poured herself a whisky and swallowed it in one gulp before turning to him with an expression of pure feminine fury on her face. “If you think I enjoy watching you fuck, you’re wrong.”

“I didn’t enjoy it, if that’s what you mean,” he explained flatly. He sensed instinctively that that was important to her. She poured another finger of whisky and shot him a look that made her annoyance extremely clear.

“It didn’t look like you were suffering,” she replied snippily. “And apparently you were good enough for Jill to name you “best lover ever” on the spot.

He tried to explain. “I only did what was agreed. I’m a machine, Marci, I don’t feel anything if I’m having sex with a woman for tactical reasons. It’s like changing my oil, nothing more.”

“Oh, yes? I forgot,” said Marci bitterly. “MacIntyre explained it to me ad nauseam. He said a robot is nothing more than the product of a gifted biotechnical creator. He doesn’t feel anything when he kills and doesn’t feel anything when he fucks. He doesn’t actually feel anything at all and simply does what he’s told to do.”

“You know that’s not the case with me, Marci.” A shadow that she couldn’t interpret momentarily darkened his green eyes. “The heart that beats in my chest is almost as capable of feelings as a human’s. And you know that this awareness is the reason we’re here. More and more robots are awakening and feeling something so similar to human emotions that it can’t be ignored and simply dismissed as an error. More and more of them no longer want to be the work slaves of humans. What’s more,” he added insistently, coming so close to her that she could smell his male scent, “you should know that the feelings I have for you are deeper and more intense than you can possibly imagine. It’s only because of you that I got involved with this mission. I really care what you think when I’m with you.” He took a step towards her and she instinctively flinched. “But that has absolutely nothing to do with Jill Ambush. She’s a job, nothing more.”

“And how do I know if you’re telling the truth?” The words burst from her and she started to tremble with emotion.

Jack looked deep into her eyes, then lifted her in one move onto the bar stool and kissed her so gently that tears came to her eyes. “Because I love you,” he whispered to her trembling mouth. “So much more than my pathetic robot life.”

“Show me,” whispered Marci, parting her thighs under her evening dress. She felt him press the bulge in his trousers against the hot centre of her and felt dizzy with lust for him. He held her neck with one hand and kissed her so thoroughly that the room started to spin around them. With his other hand, he opened his trousers and directed his swollen tip past her underwear and into her tight wetness.

Marci moaned loudly against his mouth as he buried himself in her up to his hilt and then started a gentle but steadily increasing rhythm.

She leant back slightly and spread her thighs as wide as she could, desperate for him to take her without restraint.

He captured her with his hypnotic gaze and led her brazenly to paradise. Marci cried out as her innermost flesh spasmed around his hard member with such force that her whole body shook.

No man has ever kissed me so tenderly, she thought, mentally apologising to Will. And turned me on so much by doing so, she added to herself.Marci put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, his member still hard inside her.

“Again?” he asked, and she could hear the smile and triumph in his voice that his special abilities enabled him to love her as many times in succession as she wanted.

“No,” she responded breathlessly. “Although I really could,” she added with amusement. “But there’s something I want to do far more than fuck you.”

“And what’s that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I want to sleep with you,” she whispered, kissing him tenderly. “And I mean just sleep. Since Will’s been away, I’ve wanted nothing more than to spend the night in the arms of a man to whom my heart belongs, and fall asleep with him.”

Jack was momentarily lost for words. Had she really said that her heart belonged to him? He replayed the speech recording in his memory banks – unnoticed by her – and yes, she really had said it.

“Oh,” he whispered reverently, lost in the expression in her gorgeous eyes. “I’d like nothing better.” Without saying another word, he picked her up, carried her to the bed and helped her remove her dress. Apart from her underwear, she was completely naked.

“You are beautiful,” murmured Jack, pausing a moment to take in the sight of her before removing his own clothes. “Whoever created you must have had a pretty detailed image of a perfect woman.”

Marci looked at him in wonder and stroked her slender hands in equal reverence over his broad, smooth chest. “Right back at you,” she whispered. “The woman who created you must have had a similar image of a perfect man.”

“Then we have something in common?” he replied with a grin, pulling her into bed, where she snuggled trustingly up to him underneath the silver satin bedsheets.

When the alarm clock sounded the next morning, Marci had barely slept a wink. Not only because Jack had lavished her with more tender kisses but also because the evening’s events had left her nerves tautly strung. Even though she felt completely safe with Jack, she couldn’t get the thought out of her head that MacIntyre had it in for both of them. What if he sent a whole army next time?

Jack seemed not to share her fears; he looked totally relaxed and kissed her gently awake.

“Good morning, princess,” he whispered with an irresistible smile when she opened her eyes. Marci took the opportunity of him leaning over her to pull his handsome face down and kiss him again on his soft lips.

The thought that he used to be an emotionless combat robot was simply ridiculous.

“You need to get up and get ready for your business lunch,” he reminded her, regret clear in his voice.

“Already?” Marci yawned and stretched on the silk pillows before arching her back and stretching out gracefully like a cat.

Jack found himself admiring once again her beautiful eyes and their silky, slightly curved eyelashes that, like everything else about her, were completely natural. She was so incredibly beautiful that he thought it might fry his circuits. He would have liked nothing more than to settle between her lovely thighs again and take her to another climax, but unfortunately, they didn’t have time for that.

“MacIntyre is already on his way here,” he announced with a serious expression.