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To my relief, she said she doesn’t care how similar my dildos are to a human penis. “Before you showed up, my dildos and vibrators did the job just fine. You feel amazing, and you know my body. That’s all I’m looking for in a sexual partner.” The lack of balls doesn’t seem to matter either. “It’s one less thing to worry about, honestly. Or…two less things.” She chuckled after she said that, her smile lighting up her whole face and with it, the entire room.

I can tell she’s smiling right this very moment, with my tongue plundering the depths of her sopping wet pussy, though I’m not sure if that’s due to my oral skills or because Widow’s Bay is playing on the TV in her bedroom. She likes to fall asleep to it. Though I haven’t heard her laugh, and I know this episode is particularly humorous, so I suppose that’s a point in my favor.

“Yes, Abe,” she moans, her fingers gripping my hair. “Don’t stop.”

Victory shall be mine.

I flick my tongue over her clit in rapid succession, adding the vibration setting to it because I know how much she enjoys it. Her luscious thighs grip the sides of my head as her heels bang against my back. It doesn’t hurt in the slightest.

Without true nerves, I’m mostly immune to pain. The synthetic ones I do have are concentrated in my hands, feet, mouth, and the port located in my groin where the dildos attach. My settings allow me to register touch everywhere else, but no pain.

Emma’s hips start to buck wildly against my face when I suck her clit into my mouth, and I press down on her stomach and hips, keeping her still. I want her to feel all I have to give, even when it becomes too much.

She cries out as her nectar floods my tongue, and I drink her down, sucking and licking the entirety of her pussy and asshole, not just to clean her up, but simply because I can. Because for however long she wishes to keep me in her life, she’s mine and I’m hers.

As she starts to come down, I crawl up the length of her body and settle my head against her breasts. My perfect pillows. I love them.

Truth be told, I love her. I may not have a soul, but I know the feelings I have match what I’ve heard described in Emma’s romance audiobooks. I’m completely, endlessly in love with her. My entire universe exists within the curve of her smile. This thing between us may be little more than a physical release for her, but I plan to love her so well, no one, human or otherwise, will ever compare.

Chapter 18

Emma

Iused to think I was addicted to my phone and that addiction needed to be cured. But the constant need I have for my phone is nothing like my need for Abe. Maybe being addicted to a machine isn’t such a bad thing after all. It’s not like my phone tastes like strawberry ice cream or knows how to make me come twice within the span of five minutes by spearing me with his massive pink cock and, when I shatter into a million pieces, sucking my clit like it’s his favorite lollipop.

Call it addiction, call it whatever you want. I can’t get enough of my robot boyfriend. It’s not just the sex either. His dry sense of humor makes me laugh, he’s a really good cook, he’s sweet without being too sappy, and I feel safe with him––emotionally and physically.

Ziggy is even coming around to Abe’s presence. When I came out of the shower this morning, I caught Abe using Ziggy’s feather toy to get him to chase it, and he did. Abe was jerking that stick in the air, and Ziggy was launching himself at the feather on the end of it like it was a whole-ass tuna fish.

We haven’t discussed it, mainly because I don’t want to jinx anything.

But if Ziggy approves of Abe, there’s no reason not to keep him in my life. I really hope Henrik doesn’t expect me to return him once the bomber is caught.

We’re wrapping up work on a Tuesday night when I get a call from the main committee phone number. When I answer, it’s Chairman Yates calling with an update.

“We have contacts in a town south of Mapletown called Sudbury. It’s a family of dragon shifters. They reached out to tell us they’ve scented another dragon in the area over the last three days.” He goes on to say this dragon has not been seen, and the family has no idea who it might be, but as many breeds of dragon shifters have the ability to cloak themselves from prying eyes, especially in a town populated by mostly humans, the fact they haven’t spotted him makes sense. “That’s our top suspect at this point. An unidentified dragon shifter close enough to enter and leave Mapletown while remaining cloaked.”

“Okay,” I say, blowing out a breath. It’s a relief to know there’s a suspect, but without knowing who they are, I’m not sure it qualifies as progress in the investigation. How am I supposed to protect myself from an invisible dragon? I don’t say any of this to Chairman Yates, though. Instead, I bring up the good news. “So I spoke with Vice Chairwoman Martinez last week about filling a possible upcoming spot on the committee, and I just want you to know how honored I am to even be considered. It’s my lifelong dream.”

He’s silent for a minute, which makes me wonder if I should’ve kept quiet about the talk with Martinez. “Ah yes,” he eventually says. “We’d love to have you join us. You’ve been on our shortlist for a while now.”

I, Emma Crane, have been on their shortlist? I bite my lip to keep from squealing.

“There’s just one thing I must warn you of. Optics are critical to this committee. The judgments we make must never be overshadowed by gossip about our personal lives, which is why we keep a strict morality clause in our employment contracts.”

“Right, of course,” I reply confidently, knowing there’s nothing scandalous in my past or present, beyond the use of recreational marijuana, that should cause concern.

“I say this to you now because word has spread that you’ve been seen canoodling the robot assigned to be your guard. While your personal life is your business, Mayor Crane, a romantic entanglement with a machine is seen by this committee and, I’m sure, to many in the North American region we govern, as unnatural.”

“Unnatural?” The word tastes like ash on my tongue as I repeat it. There’s nothing natural about anyone who lives inside the region the committee governs. We’re monsters. All of us. How does being made with metal and plastic put Abe in a category that’s too unnatural for fucking monsters?

“Your relationship with that thing would garner too much attention and detract from our ability to rule on important cases. We cannot be at the forefront of news or gossip.” He lets out a labored breath, as if this subject has gotten him all worked up. “I realize we’re taking the picture of your life as it is now and holding it up against the job opening in a year or so, but just in case this relationship, or whatever you wish to call it, with the robot is becoming serious, you should know you will not be eligible for the position if you keep him around.”

My mouth hangs open for several heartbeats as his words settle around me. “I see.”

We say our goodbyes, and the call disconnects, and I remain in a haze of confusion.

In order to get my dream job, I have to let go of Abe forever. When the job actually opens up, I doubt I’ll still need him as my bodyguard, so if he’s still in my life then, it’s because our relationship is strong and we’re happy together. But being a member of this committee is a professional goal I’ve had since I was a child.