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  “I…” Mei-Li’s cheeks were suddenly hot with embarrassment. Oh God, she hadn’t even known him that long and here she was engaged in what amounted to a heavy petting session. Not only that, but he knew exactly how much he was affecting her—he could feel the way her pussy was getting all hot and swollen. What was wrong with her letting him do this?

  “I…we should…” she began.

  “Attention, Six,” came a sharp, mechanical voice from somewhere.

  “What?” Mei-Li jumped back guiltily, looking around for whoever had seen them. But there was no one in the room.

  “Six,” came the voice again and this time she realized that it was coming from Six himself—from a watch-type thing he had strapped to the wrist of his metal hand.

  “Ter?” Six cleared his throat and looked down at his watch—or maybe it was some kind of communicator?

  “It is good you are back in range,” the sharp, tinny voice said. “I have a message for you from One. He wants to know why you have not yet brought the female you went to claim to the surface. He came to your domicile expecting to find you only to hear that you were still aboard the Med Barge. Explain.”

  “There was a…complication in getting my female an enhancement.” Six cleared his throat. “She was…unwell and surgery could not be performed last night when I brought her in.”

  “See that the enhancement is performed soon,” the voice ordered. “One expects you at his domicile shortly.”

  “All right, send my acknowledgement, Ter.”

  “Very good,” the voice said and fell silent.

  “Who was that?” Mei-Li asked, looked at his watch-communicator-thing. She was feeling a little calmer now—or at least her heart no longer felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. “Your boss?”

  “Hardly. That is Ter—my domicile’s communications and informations system. It keeps me informed of messages and other things. It…”

  “It what?” Mei-Li prompted.

  “Ter…it…” He cleared his throat and his eyes flickered downward briefly. “Forgive me but you appear to be exposed.”

  “Oh!” Mei-Li looked down and saw that the white nightgown had slipped down, probably when he was stretching it in order to touch her, and her bare breasts were on display. “Oh, no!” She pulled it back up hastily. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” he murmured. “The sight was not…unwelcome. In fact, I would have looked more closely if you hadn’t told me such behavior wasn’t permitted in your culture.”

  “Um…” Mei-Li could feel her cheeks getting hot. “Are you trying to say you like the way I look nak…I mean, without my clothes?”

  “I like a great many things about you,” Six said softly. “The feel of your skin…the taste of your lips…the way your body fits against my own…You were correct, kissing is a very sensory experience.” He looked into her eyes. “I liked kissing you. I liked touching you even more.”

  Mei-Li felt her stomach flutter strangely and she scooted back a little. “But…but you don’t have any emotions,” she protested. “I thought…thought you couldn’t like things like…like what we just did.”

  “You are correct, of course.” Six straightened up and the warm, almost open look that had been on his face turned suddenly to a frown. “I do not have emotions—I should not have…enjoyed our encounter.” He got abruptly off the bed and stood, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “It was perhaps a mistake for us to participate in activities that are meant for the Claiming Period only.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Mei-Li was seriously shaken up by what had just happened between them. She’d expected that kissing and touching Six would be like kissing a statue. Instead, he’d responded in a way that made her feel warm and weak all over. And that’s the key word, she told herself. Weak. You’re never going to get through this if you let yourself be weak.

  Six was busy straightening his black shirt which had gotten somewhat wrinkled in the course of their encounter. Probably from you grabbing all over him while he was practically fingering you, whispered a critical little voice in the back of her head.

  “We need to go soon,” he said, not meeting Mei-Li’s eyes. “Are you ready to get your enhancement now?”

  “Yes, I…I guess so,” she said faintly. She still didn’t like the idea but there didn’t seem to be much choice. At least now she knew she didn’t have to lose a limb—that was some comfort, anyway.

  “I am glad you feel ready. I need to speak to Yipper but I will return for you momentarily. I synthesized some other clothing for you as well—an outfit that will serve you well on Z4. Put it on and do not leave the room until I return.”

  Then, still not looking at her, he turned and left.

  * * * * *

  Six paced quickly down the long metal corridor, heading for the vertical lift which was the fastest way to the Enhancement Area. He needed to get there soon. He increased his speed until he was almost running. But no matter how fast he went, he couldn’t outrun his thoughts. What had just happened back there? When Mei-Li had…kissed him? And especially later when he had touched her?

  He closed his eyes briefly, remembering the scent of her skin…the warmth of her small, soft body pressed against him…the sweet taste of her mouth when she’d touched it to his. Not to mention the sweet press of her breast against his palm and the soft little gasps she’d made as he slid his fingers into her pussy through the thin, white garment.

  All of these physical sensations had affected him somehow. His heart had started thundering in his chest and his shaft, which usually lay dormant between his thighs, had become suddenly and painfully erect. It was still hard, even now—he could feel it throbbing with every step.

  But why?

  Is my implant failing at last? Yipper had never expected it to work when he first put it in. The little Tolleg had tried to talk Six out of getting it. “A life without emotion is so sad. Yes it is, yes it is,” he had said. “Especially for a Kindred—you need to bond!” But Six had been eager to escape his emotions at that time. Eager to suppress the memories that rose to torture him every time he closed his eyes to sleep.

  What memories? I shouldn’t be thinking about this…”Kill me, Jax, please! It hurts so bad…”

  No!

  He pushed the troublesome thought away just as he came to the lift. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself. All of this was probably nothing—just another symptom of his Kindred DNA manifesting—the DNA and the characteristic traits that came with it. He would have Yipper check his implant and make sure it was in perfect working order. Then he would take Mei-Li for her enhancement, escort her to the planet’s surface, and serve the rest of the Claiming Period without incident. Afterwards he would take her back to Earth and forget any of this had ever happened.

  Everything was going to be fine…

  “Everything appears to be just fine. Yes it does, yes it does,” Yipper announced after studying the implant. “I can see no fault with the mechanism.”

  “Good.” Six heaved a deep breath. If he’d had emotions he would have thought the light, easy feeling in his midsection was relief. But of course, it was probably just the garn he’d eaten earlier, while Mei-Li was in the fresher, finally settling in his stomach.

  “May I ask, why the concern?” Yipper asked.

  For some reason, Six was reluctant to say what had happened.

  “No reason,” he said, frowning. “I just wanted my implant checked.”

  Yipper’s furry brow furrowed. “Six, clearly something is wrong or you would not have come to me. You should tell me why you thought your implant might be failing. Yes you should, yes you should.”

  “I didn’t think it was failing exactly…” Six frowned. “I was just concerned about my…reaction to Mei-Li.”

  “And what reaction was that?” The Tolleg turned his head to one side and stared at Six sharply.

  Six shifted uneasily. For some reason he did not wish to discuss his recent physical arousal w