“Come in me!” she shouts. “Come in me, dammit!”
With a roar, I slam into her and hold myself still as my dick pulsates inside of her. My legs shake, and I can hardly hold myself up as the most incredible sensation ripples through my body.
I feel slightly dizzy as I pull out of her slowly. Riley practically slides onto the seat cushion and pulls her legs to her chest and groans.
“Holy shit, Galen!”
“Did you like that?”
She moans garbled words as she tries to rolls over and ends up falling right off the couch and onto the floor on her back, legs and arms sprawled.
“You’re leaking.” I smirk as I look down at her.
She starts to laugh uncontrollably and then grabs one of the cushions off the couch and throws it at me. I duck easily out of the way.
“It’s your fault!”
“I was just following orders,” I say with a shrug. I laugh as I lean over to help her to her feet.
She’s a little shaky, so I pull her close and hold onto her until she regains her balance. She looks into my eyes and blesses me with her gorgeous smile.
“I liked that,” she says softly.
“I did, too.”
“Wherever we end up,” she says, “we’re going to need soundproof walls.”
“Without a doubt.”
I can’t stop smiling as she heads into the bathroom to wash up. I love this carefree side of her, but I see it so infrequently. There is always something more pressing occupying her mind. As I watch her step into the shower, I can see her expression and her posture change as the complexity of our situation weighs down on her. By the time we climb into bed, she’s already focused on our circumstances.
“If Errol can manage to sever the link between your organic brain and the implants,” she says, “I think we can wean you off the TST easily. The FOG will be a little more difficult because of the way it interacts with your endocrine system, but eventually we should be able to get you off of those as well, I think—”
“Riley, stop.” I don’t want to have this conversation, not now. I was enjoying the lighter side of Riley, and tech talk is not what I want.
“What?”
“I don’t want to talk about it now.”
“A lot is going to happen over the next few days,” Riley says. “Maybe not even that long. I want to make sure you’re prepared for what it’s going to be like for you to get back to normal.”
“Riley.” I reach over to pull her against me and let out a long breath. “Even if that can be done, I’m not sure I want it.”
“What are you talking about?” Riley narrows her eyes in confusion. “Of course you want it.”
I don’t know how to answer. I’m not entirely sure if I can make sense of it in my head, but I don’t want to change the way I am now.
“I’m afraid.” I barely get the words out.
Riley turns to face me as she runs her hand up my arm. I’m shaking, but I hadn’t realized it before she touched me, calmed me.
“Of what?” she asks.
“A lot of things.” I take another deep breath and try to find the right words. “If I’m not one of your super-soldiers anymore, what am I? How am I supposed to protect you?”
“You don’t need to protect me, Galen.”
“Of course I do.”
“I spent nearly thirty years without a protector.” She raises an eyebrow at me.
“That was before you defected. Even if they think you are a hostage now, eventually they’ll figure it all out. It’s not like you’d be able to ever go back there and do the same work again.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“And your knowledge of the project makes you a target. My guess is, you also have enemies here. Some will think you’re a spy. Others might not like your participation in Project Mindstorm, and there will be some who will only see you as your father’s daughter. You won’t be safe if I can’t protect you.”
“That isn’t a reason for you to have to…to stay like this forever.”
“Isn’t it?”
“You don’t owe that to me, Galen,” she says. “You should…well, you should be angry with me, not feel indebted.”
“It’s not a matter of obligation.” I’m not explaining myself well, and I’m growing frustrated. “I’m not angry—not at you and not because of what you did. I’m angry that my memories were stolen from me, but I have those back now. I want to protect you. I want to be with you.”
“We would still be together,” Riley says. “But you shouldn’t have to rely on drug treatments for the rest of your life.”
I’m not getting through to her, and I need to make her understand. I don’t trust what Donald Cross and the others may have planned for me, and I will need someone on my side if they insist on altering me. If it turns into a fight, where would I take Riley to keep her safe?
I run my fingers up and down her arm, searching for the words.
“There are thousands of things going through my head all the time,” I tell her. “Every second of every minute of every hour, information about whatever is around me, tactical plans regarding what to do if someone comes in the room and threatens you, or escape routes if I need to flee quickly all run through my head. It’s all there, all the time. There’s only one thing that stops it and gives me a little mental peace.”
“What’s that?”
“You.” I coil my arm around her waist and pull her closer to me and stare into her eyes. “Everything is worth it because of you. I don’t want that to change.”
“Why would that change?”
“What if…what if…” I can’t bring myself to say the words.
Riley tightens her grip on my arm and shifts on the bed to better look me in the face.
“What is it?” she asks.
“What if Errol can break the connections, and I don’t need all those drugs anymore? What if all that works out perfectly, but in the end…”
I stop, and my gut clenches. The thought feels as if it’s burning through my skull.
“Just say it, Galen.” She strokes my face gently with her fingertips.
“I don’t want the feelings I have for you to go away.” I keep my gaze on her, pleading.
There are tears in the corners of her eyes. The conflict there is evident—she doesn’t want it to change, either, and she has the same fear. She knows if I revert to the way I was, there is no telling how I will react to her. I feel pressure behind my own eyes as she bites her lip and glances away from me.
“I don’t want the feelings you have to be based on a chemical reaction.” Her voice is barely a whisper.
“I don’t care how they got there. I just don’t want them to go away. I can’t risk that—I won’t.”
“We took your life away,” Riley says. She reaches up and wipes the back of her hand over her cheek. “I was a part of that.”
“What life?”
“Everything you had…everything you were.”
“Riley…” I sigh hard, still unable to find the right words to make her understand. “My parents had been gone a long time. The land my family had farmed for generations was desolate. My sister was dead. What kind of life did I have?”
“You had your freedom.”
“Did I?” I shake my head slowly. “There is nothing for me there now. No farm, no family. Even if I could return there, I wouldn’t want to. If having you means being shackled to implants or drugs or fucking metal chains, I’ll take it. You are my only reason to exist.”
“I don’t know if I want you to feel like that. You shouldn’t have to be shackled to me.”
“I want to be, Riley! Don’t you see that?”
“How can I trust what you think you want?” she asks. “Knowing I had a part in making you feel that way, how can I believe it now?”
“Isn’t love a hormonal reaction?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Who is to say that what we have is any different from what any other couple might experience?”
/> “You know that is not the point.”
“Well, let’s come at it from my own ego, then. I’m strong. I can fight off a half dozen soldiers without breaking a sweat. I can see in the dark. If I need to understand something, you can just load it into my head. I can go for days without food or water. I can fuck you for hours, turn around, and do it all again. I am a super-soldier. What guy doesn’t want to be that?”
“You’re being flippant.”
She starts to turn from me, but I take her chin in my hand and make her face me.
“I didn’t ask for this.” With my thumb, I brush a final tear from her face. “All of this was forced upon me, but it started when I killed those men. I don’t regret that. Now that it’s all said and done, I think I prefer this over staying in prison for the rest of my life. I certainly prefer it to execution.”
“I didn’t think about it that way,” Riley says.
“I may not have chosen this life you gave me,” I say, “but other than my memories, I didn’t have a lot to lose. Now that I have those back, my only fear is losing you.”
Chapter 23
I wake.
There’s no pause between sleep and wakefulness. I simply go from one stage to the other without any grogginess, just like I always do. This time is different though.
The bed I’m in is soft and warm, and Riley is curled up beside me, her back to my chest. Her hair is spread out over the pillow, making her look as if she were lying on a pile of fluff. I push a few strands away from her face so I can see her better.
As I watch her sleep, my every thought is of her. I watch her chest rise and fall with slow, steady breaths. I hear her heart beating steadily, and I find that if I concentrate hard enough, I can make my rhythm match hers. I focus on the curve of her cheek, the spiral design of her ear, and then the precise hue of her lips. Her eyelashes flutter slightly, and I wonder if she’s dreaming of me.
If I could just wake up to this every morning, life would be good.
Shifting slightly, I pull the blanket up a little higher to make sure Riley is warm enough. She hums softly as she turns in my arms, snuggling against my chest.
I haven’t given any thought to a future for myself. The very idea of thinking ahead feels foreign and unattainable. Since I woke in the lab, I’ve lived entirely in the present. I’m not sure if I’m even capable of thinking any other way.
With my fingertip, I stroke the side of her face from temple to chin. Her skin is soft and cool compared to mine. Her lips part slightly, and she sighs in her sleep.
I know now that this is what I want—what I have right now. Every morning, I want to wake up in a warm bed with Riley next to me. I want to open my eyes before she does so I can watch her sleep.
As I fill my head with her wonder and beauty, Riley mumbles something incoherent and kicks the blanket halfway off of us. I smile as I pull it back up, tucking it around her shoulder. She grumbles and then pushes at my chest.
“Too fucking hot!” She rolls to one side, kicking the blanket again.
I snicker under my breath. She isn’t the least bit awake, but she’s still mumbling. I can’t understand much of it, but the word “penis” is clear enough. Biting my lip, I hold in the laughter as I slide my hand over her stomach and then a little lower.
Working my hand between her legs, I start to massage her clit with my thumb. She mumbles and moans as I skim through her folds, feeling the moisture collect on my fingers. Her mouth drops open, but her eyes remain closed. She licks at her lips and arches her neck.
Circling her opening, I keep working her clit as well, adding more pressure. A soft moan escapes her mouth, but she still isn’t awake. My dick presses hard against her backside, wanting a little attention of its own, but I’d rather play with her for now.
I slide a finger inside of her and then another. I move slowly in and out, rotating my thumb around her slit. Sweat begins to appear on her forehead and neck, and I press my lips to the tiny droplets.
Her thighs and ass tense. She claws at the sheets as she pulls a sharp breath into her lungs. Her eyes fly open as she lets out a long cry.
“Oh, God! Galen!” She shudders as she reaches down and grabs my hand between her legs. She grips my hand tightly and pushes it against her hard as her hips buck. I increase the pressure and bite softly on her shoulder as she falls apart.
“Holy shit,” she mutters as her head lolls to one side. She looks at me sideways and then breaks into a smile. “That was quite a wakeup call.”
“All part of the service, ma’am.” I lean over and press my lips to her cheek.
Riley rolls to her back and stretches her arms over her head, yawning loudly. I leer down at her body, taking in the curves of her breasts and hips. Her scent is strong, my dick is hard, and I want nothing more than to impale her on it.
I get on my knees and straddle her. Riley raises her eyebrows and glances at my cock as I shift up over her chest.
“My turn,” I tell her as I grip my shaft and point it toward her face. With my free hand, I wrap my fingers around her wrists and hold her hands against the pillow above her head. “Open that beautiful mouth and take my cock.”
I watch the head of my dick penetrate her lips. She uses her tongue all around it, licking and sucking, before I push it the rest of the way into her mouth. I use slow, steady strokes in and out, enjoying the sight of my cock in her mouth.
Riley stares up at me with hooded eyes, humming around my shaft as I hit the back of her throat. I quicken the pace, pushing farther back until she gags slightly. I pull back, give her a moment to catch her breath, and then start all over again.
The moisture, the pressure of the suction as she hollows her cheeks, and the feeling of her soft tongue along my shaft is incredible. I’m so close to coming, but I don’t want it to end here.
I need her pussy.
Abruptly, I pull out of her mouth and drop to the bed beside her. I grab her waist and roll, pulling her on top of me. Riley straddles my hips and places her hands in the center of my chest. She leans forward, kissing my sternum, and then rises up on her knees. I take my cock in my hand and point it toward her, and Riley slides down over the top of me.
“Oh, fuck!” I grip her hips with my fingers and tilt my hips to bury myself deeper. “That feels so good!”
Riley sets the rhythm, moving slowly over me at first. I’m so worked up from her mouth, I can already feel the tension building in my stomach. I lean my head back and close my eyes, limiting at least that one sense in the hope that I can hold out a little longer.
Riley moves faster, setting her own pace. As she drops down over me, she pushes up, rubbing herself over my pubic bone and moaning with every touch. I rotate my hips to match her timing, reaching up to caress her breast as she moves. I feel her clench around me as her eyes close and her head goes slack.
“Galen…Galen…Oh, God! I’m so close!”
She moves faster, practically jumping up and down on top of me with short, quick jerks. She shudders, and I grab hold of her hips and thrust upward over and over again.
I come hard, screaming her name and holding her tightly against me as my cock spasms inside of her. I open my eyes and look up at her glorious face, smiling down at me.
“You look very satisfied with yourself,” I tell her.
“You look very satisfied, period.”
“I am.” I reach for her, and she lies down on my chest so I can wrap my arms around her and press my lips against the top of her head.
We lie like that for several minutes, silent and content. I remember again my thoughts of earlier, and decide the last two hours had accounted for the very best hours of my life.
“I love you,” I whisper. “I love everything about you.”
*****
“This might be a little uncomfortable,” Anna says as she places her hand against the side of my head.
She has a chip similar to the one they put in me before, if not the exact same one, designed to keep my implan
t from transmitting data back to Mills. She presses it against my skin. It stings as it enters, but I hold myself still.
Riley watches closely. I’m still trying to figure out the relationship between Riley and Anna. She said they were once friends but had a falling out. The tension between them is obvious, and it sets me on edge as well.
“It’s working,” Errol says. “The data signal is blocked now. This should keep anyone from sensing him or tracking his movements.”
“Where are we going to go?” Riley asks.
“Carson City,” Errol says. “My primary lab is still there. It’s not scheduled to move until next week.”
“And then what?”
“Well, then we can figure out what all our options are.” Errol leans back, checks his tablet, and looks at me. “All good?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not really.” He shrugs and turns back to Riley. “What’s our timeline?”
“No more than three weeks,” Riley tells him. “After that, I run out of injections, and that’s going to be an issue. I can synthesize some of it, but not all.”
“What are you missing?”
Riley rattles off a list of chemical compounds, and Errol makes note of them.
“I can get everything except the Seroquel.” He glances at me sideways. “We don’t have access to that. I have something similar.”
“The others don’t work,” Riley says quietly. She also glances at me.
“What is it?” I ask, but neither of them seems inclined to speak up. I ask again, and Riley finally tells me.
“It’s an anti-psychotic. Due to the level of hormones in your system, psychosis is imminent if you don’t get regular doses. We tried similar drugs, but this is the only one that works and only when combined with the other components of FOG.”
“That would explain the nature of his breakdown in the beginning,” Errol says. “I wondered about that.”
“Fabulous.” I rub my fingers into my eyes. “So if we can’t get that, I’m going to go nuts on everyone?”
“Probably.” Riley reaches out and touches my arm. “We could try some others…they could have some effect on you, maybe slow the—”