Breathing hard, their gazes locked together. She reached for the front of her pants, pulling her knees up to push them down her hips, hooking her thumbs in her shorts and taking them down her h*ps with them. She removed them totally, tossing them aside. Her feet flattened on the bed, her legs still bent as she sat up a little, removing her shirt.

Tossing it to the floor she went for the bra-like top next, tearing it over her head. She dropped back, flat on his bed, meeting his passion-filled gaze.

“Take your clothes off.”

He let his attention slowly wander down her na**d body. Her heart pounded as she watched his face. Will he refuse? She knew he was aroused but he wasn’t a typical man.

Will he decide to not have sex with me? Her body ached for him. He stood there, motionless except for his gaze moving over her, so she spread her thighs apart, showing him all of her, exposing the part of her that hurt with need for him.

Steel’s mouth opened, his tongue darting out to swipe his lips. He looked up at her face again. Rena almost cursed at the intrusion when a buzz sounded in the room.

“The food is here,” Steel said softly. “I have to get that or they will think you’ve done something to me again. Go in the bathroom now unless you want someone else to see you bare.” He turned away from her, walking toward his door.

She cursed softly, sitting up quickly to climb off his bed. She darted na**d for the door in the opposite corner, barely reaching the room before she heard Steel’s entry door opening. She didn’t close the bathroom door totally, leaving it cracked slightly to stand hidden behind the door. The second the person left she was going to walk back out there and finish what they had started . Steel had a preference for aggressive women and damn it, she thought, I am willing to go after him on this. She wanted him to touch her in the worst way.

“Commander Steel,” the voice was female. “I brought your dinner meal. I apologize for the delay but the shift change was slow today for the training sessions you ordered earlier.”

“Thank you, Fusion.”

Silence stretched for a few seconds. “I heard what happened with Vonlona. I am sorry that she gave up hope of your return to Garden.”

“Thank you.” Steel’s voice deepened. “It was a logical assumption after the months we were unable to communicate with them.”

“Agreed.” There was a pause. “Were you aware that I have an incomplete family unit? The application is still open since I’m just contracted to two males. I want you to consider me for a potential choice. We work together, we spend months together onboard and I think it would work out well between us.”

Distress struck Rena as she stood there naked, eavesdropping. That medic Wire had flirted with Steel and now the woman who brought his meals was offering her body to him too.

“I appreciate the offer,” Steel said softly. “I will keep it under consideration.”

“My two other family unit males are rarely around, Steel. Darton is on the Morlier and Crottion was assigned on Trea One for mining operations. I know that you enjoyed having Vonlona to yourself most of the time without the other males present. I could give you that and we’re assigned together so our duties wouldn’t keep us apart. I’m very attracted to you.”

“I just discovered I’m no longer contracted,” Steel’s voice was so soft Rena had to strain to hear him. “It is still a surprise to me after being with Vonlona for ten years and it was an arrangement I had adjusted to well. Give me some time to evaluate my options and then I will let you know if I’ll apply to your family unit.” He paused. “It is a very tempting offer and I am honored that you’ve asked.”

“I think we should find out if we’re compatible.” There were long seconds of silence.

“Not now,” Steel’s voice sounded tense. “Perhaps another time.”

“I want you.”

“Do not undress. It is not the time to test if we have sexual chemistry, Fusion.”

Undress? Anger spread through Rena and then something else reared its head inside her, an emotion acting a hell of a lot akin to jealousy. She pushed at the door, not caring if she was na**d as she stormed out of the bathroom. She saw a tall, muscular dark-gray- skinned woman with shoulder-length, blue-black silky hair with her back to Rena and damned if the woman wasn’t opening up her uniform top.

Steel was by the door still, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze focused on the cyborg’s chest as she revealed it to him. Shock and anger slammed Rena hard.

“Excuse me,” she said loudly.

The cyborg woman started, spinning around. Rena got an eyeful when the woman turned since cyborg females didn’t wear bras. Rena saw a set of small, high, dark gray, perfect br**sts. She jerked her startled gaze upward to the woman’s face, seeing surprise showing in a pair of green eyes. Fusion was beautiful but with her pale green eyes and dark gray skin, the colors clashed a little.

“Hi.” Rena put her hands on her hips. “Nice to meet you, Fusion. I’m Rena Gates and as you can see, Steel is right. Now is not the time and you really should close your shirt. He’s already got a na**d woman in his room.”

Fusion jerked her uniform top together, frowning as she fastened it back up, her head turning to glare at Steel. “The human onboard is for you? I heard we had one but I assumed someone else had acquired one.” Her tone was disapproving. “Is she the equivalent of getting drunk?”

Rena was sure she’d just been insulted. What the hell was up with women cyborgs insulting human ones? Wire had done the same damn thing. Ignoring her nudity, she glared at the cyborg woman who was purposely ignoring her. Steel frowned.

“She was a gift from Flint.”

Fusion put her hands on her h*ps and took a deep breath, let it out. “I see.”

The cyborg woman wasn’t leaving so Rena moved to her discarded shirt and bent over, grabbing it up to cover her upper body. She was barely decent but covered to her mid thighs as she yanked the shirt down. A large food tray was sitting by the front door on the entry table. Rena glanced at Steel and Fusion only to notice that both of them watched her now.

“She’s attractive.” Fusion was giving Rena a quick once over.

“I’m aware,” Steel said softly.

Fusion nodded. “I’m sure that you are.” She tore her attention from Rena and walked directly to Steel, stopping just a foot in front of him, almost going chest to chest with him, showing that she was a tall woman since Steel just had a few inches of height on the female cyborg. “I didn’t know you possessed so much control. You’d have to have a hell of a lot of it to not damage her.”

Steel studied the woman’s eyes, not saying a word.

Rena was getting irritated that the cyborg woman was flirting outrageously with Steel right in front of her. Rena experienced indignation as Fusion reached up with both hands and caressed Steel’s exposed chest where his shirt was still open, the woman’s hands touching him slowly, rubbing his skin.

“I’d let you keep her if you agreed to contract with me.”

Steel didn’t react, other than a subtle rise of his eyebrows.

Fusion smiled, turning her head, her scrutiny slowly traveling down to Rena’s exposed legs. “I am drawn to females sexually as well.” She turned back to wink at Steel.

“Cyborg women aren’t to my tastes always either. There’s nothing better than playing with humans. It’s such a turn-on to know the kind of control we command over them, watching the fear in their eyes, knowing we can do whatever we want to them.” She leaned in closer to Steel’s body, pressing against him. “Do you get aroused knowing she can’t fight you off no matter what you want to do to her? That you can do any twisted thing you want and she’s not strong enough to stop you? It turns me on until I’m burning up. I used to fantasize about turning the tables on our captors and when the day came when we were free, I discovered torturing them really flipped my switch. Let’s play with her a bit, draw a little of her blood, and then f**k each other. It will be so hot, Steel.”

Rena stumbled back a bit in revulsion. What kind of sick bitch was Fusion? The fact that she thought Rena was attractive made her afraid of the female cyborg and she’d used the words torture and blood drawing. Staring at Steel she saw him shift his gaze from Fusion to her. Her fear grew as his cold, emotionless gaze met hers. Is he going to do something awful to me with Fusion? She backed up more.

Steel suddenly moved, gripping the cyborg woman’s arms and shoved her back but kept hold of her so the woman didn’t hit the floor. His gaze tore from Rena to narrow as he met Fusion’s.

“You need to be mentally evaluated, Fusion.” Steel’s voice was soft as he spoke, staring intently into the woman’s eyes. “Leave now and I expect to hear from Riker that you made an appointment with him before your next shift.” He released her as quickly as he’d grabbed her. “Go now.”

Fusion growled low before storming out of the room, never looking back once. Rena stared at Steel as he watched the door close behind the livid cyborg woman. He sighed and then turned to look at her.

“The food is here. Eat. I have to finish my work.” He turned away from her, stepping to face the wall by the door, his hand touching the terminal there.

She watched him close his eyes, his head lowered, and she tried to stop the tremors that made her shake. Fusion had really upset her and frightened her. Rena ignored the food and just stayed where she was, trying to calm down. Did the idea of hurting her turn Steel on? She really hoped not. She knew humans had mistreated cyborgs but had they made Steel hate her kind?

Chapter Seven

“You haven’t touched your food.”

Rena started at the sound of Steel’s voice so close behind her. She was sitting cross- legged on his bed and she’d almost forgotten he was there. She’d been lost in her thoughts for a good hour while he’d faced away from her. She looked up at him where he stood next to the bed.

“Do you hate me? Does the idea of hurting me turn you on?”

Steel frowned. “I am going to free you and I stopped my men from hurting you. Are those the actions of someone who hates you and wishes you to suffer?”

“But you don’t like me, either, do you? I offered myself to you and you turned me down. I had to tie you to a bed to show you that we’re sexually compatible. When Fusion left you could have finished what we started but you went back to doing your job instead.”

He tilted his head, staring at her, slowly sitting on the edge of the bed. “It’s not that I don’t like you, Rena. It’s just that I told you what my intentions are so I am confused on why you wanted me to kiss you in the first place. I’ve offered to keep you under my protection so you no longer should wish for me to touch you. Sex isn’t a requirement any longer so why you offered it to me isn’t logical. Perhaps I wasn’t clear on that. You don’t need to offer your body to me as payment for protecting you.”

Steel has such beautiful eyes, Rena thought. “Did you ever consider that maybe I just wanted you?”

He studied her for a long minute. “No.”

She looked at her hands, curled together in her lap.

“Humans always have a reason to interact with cyborgs. It’s a lesson that I’ve learned. I knew you were motivated to disable me to have intercourse with me as a way of manipulating me into keeping you so you could have my protection. I’m at a loss for why you initiated it with me after I had agreed to free you while keeping you safe.”

Nodding, she refused to look at him. She’d hit on him twice and he’d rejected her both times. She could take a hint. While the sex with him had been great for her, he obviously didn’t share that opinion or have the urge to repeat it. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. The rejection was embarrassing and worse, it hurt more than she wanted to admit.