Touching Ice (3 page)

kill her, but as a bot, she wouldn’t pose a threat to them.

Ice shrugged, looking away from her. “Maybe she’s a defective model they use for

general purposes or maybe she’s a specialty item for some of the working human males

who have fantasies about small females who have active sweat glands. I remember,

while in training on Earth, that some of the human males would stare at human women

and get turned on by their appearance during workouts. They indicated it made their

dicks hard and they spoke of wanting to lick the sweat off those females.”

“Interesting.” Onyx inched closer to her, openly studying her. “I didn’t know they

made bots that small. I wonder if the simulated perspiration is flavored.”

Ice’s broad shoulders shrugged. “Perhaps.” He grinned. “You have four days to

find out.”

Apprehension spread through Megan as the large, dark-haired cyborg grabbed her

hips with two big hands and jerked her against his leather-clad body. His head bent,

moving to the side as he lowered his face, obviously going for her neck. She realized he

intended to lick her skin to find out what flavor gel her supposed artificial body used

for sweat. His hand slid from her ass to between her legs.

Megan’s reaction was instinctive as she brought her knee up, slamming it between

the vee of his tight pants, hitting his solid body in the groin. His response was just as

swift as he shouted and pushed her from him. Megan hit the wall hard enough that it

caused pain to shoot from the back of her head where she impacted.

“Son of a bitch,” the cyborg hissed. “She kneed me.”

He cupped the front of his pants as his head snapped upward. Pure rage gripped

his features. His hand shot out and Megan didn’t have time to avoid the blow. He

backhanded her hard across the face, sending her sprawling to the deck. She lay there

for long seconds, her face throbbing with pain, too stunned to move.

“Damn it, don’t damage their property,” Ice barked. “Maybe she’s not a sex bot and

is programmed to defend herself. She didn’t ask to service you.”

12

Touching Ice

“I think we should throw it out the damn airlock and say we didn’t get that one

onboard,” Onyx groaned. “Fuck, that hurts.”

Movement from the corner of her eye had Megan turning her head. Ice crouched

next to her, a frown on his handsome features, his gaze fixed on the other man.

“The computer running
Folion
probably recorded us taking it. You’d better hope it’s

not damaged since it hasn’t gotten up.” He leaned closer, his attention going to her.

Megan met his beautiful eyes as their gazes locked and then she looked away from

him. “Systems are fine.” She used her coldest voice as she forced her body to move.

Ice didn’t move for long seconds, she could sense him staring at her, but she

refused to look at him for fear he’d see something that would give her true identity

away. He lingered next to her long enough for it to be uncomfortable but he finally

moved.

Ice stood and turned his back to her. “You’re damn lucky she isn’t damaged, Onyx.

They are only on loan until we deliver them.”

Her face hurt but she didn’t rub it as she got to her unsteady feet. A wave of

dizziness hit her but then it cleared as she leaned against the wall, hoping they

wouldn’t notice anything odd about her. If she could just pretend to be a bot for four

days she’d be totally safe on their shuttle.

“Right. I won’t touch that one again but there are twelve others. I like that brunette

one in the red dress. Then I think I’ll do the blonde in leather.” Onyx blew out a deep

breath. “How about you? Which one are you going to take for the next four days or are

you going to test out them all?”

Megan’s gaze lingered on Ice’s back. Both men had moved away from her and

neither glanced her way. Ice gave his attention to a redheaded bot and chuckled. “I

guess I have my pick. I think I’ll take the redheaded model tonight and then pick

another one tomorrow.”

“Ice?” A male voice said from the speakers in the room. “
Folion
is warning of

explosions. You should come to control if you want to watch the light show.”

“Damn.” Ice quickly moved toward the doors. “Let’s go. We’ll pick up a bot when

we know what the situation is over there. I hope the whole damn place doesn’t go. It

could take that company months to send another ship out this way and I don’t like the

idea of not having sex for that long.”

Both men hurried out of the cargo area and, the second the doors slid shut, Megan

reached up to rub her throbbing cheek and touched her inner lip. She looked at her

hand, not seeing blood, and then noticed all the bots faced her one by one. She was the

only breathing person in the room so they were programmed to look to her for orders.

“May I serve you?” they said in unison.

“That’s eerie,” she muttered. “I’m going to reprogram you to not do that if I end up

having a job still at the end of this. Shut up and stand,” she ordered them.

13

Laurann Dohner

So Ice is planning on using the bots, is he?
She bit her lip, thinking. She’d spent months

wanting him and now she was on his shuttle. She stared at the bot closest to her, a

model that Ice had just spent time with but not the exact one. That one remained back

on
Folion
. A little voice in her head whispered,
Now is your chance.

She knew it was a crazy idea but
Folion
was severely damaged. The company might

not even send another ship out that way. They could open up a new bot whorehouse in

another galaxy and she’d never get to see Ice again.

“Oh hell,” she muttered. “Bots?”

They stared at her. She hesitated. If she did this, she would be risking her life and

for what? Getting a chance to live out a fantasy that she’d had for what seemed like an

eternity during her boring job? She’d spent four months alone and now she had a real

chance at getting laid.

“Well hell, horny people shouldn’t be put in this position.”

The bot closest to her took a step forward. “May I serve you?”

Before she could change her mind or regain her sanity, Megan took a deep breath.

“Authorization beta-four-nine-red dwarf.” She spoke loud enough that all the bots

heard her. Their twelve heads tilted upward and she knew they were responding to her

verbal instructions. “Access recent data entry on visual memory. Target male with

white-and-gray hair who just left this room. Verify target marked by raising right

hand.”

“Verified,” twelve voices stated and one hand of each rose.

She hesitated. If she did this there probably wouldn’t be an opportunity for her to

reprogram them before they reached the Hixton Station. Once done, there would be no

turning back. She’d lost her damn mind, she admitted, but that didn’t stop her.

“Hands down.” Their hands dropped. “Marked target is not a client. Do not service

target. Verify order by raising right hand.”

Twelve hands rose. “Drop your hands now please.” They dropped. She was certain

they had received and understood her orders. ”As a learning experiment on your

Nandois program I am now to be treated as though I am a bot. If asked, I am a test

model and you will not tell the marked target why you won’t service him. Verify with

your right arm raised.”

Twelve arms rose. Relief swept through Megan that she’d programmed them

without being caught. “Lower hands, secure orders, save, and mark orders as classified.

Authorization beta-four-nine-blue star.”

The bots heads lowered and they looked at her for a second before turning away.

They were now reading her as one of them. Megan’s heart raced. If Ice wanted to have

sex, the only bot having sex with him wouldn’t be a bot at all.

14

Touching Ice

“That is so weird,” a dark-haired cyborg whispered. “They won’t respond to him.”

The cyborg standing next to him smirked. “He does visit
Folion
often. Maybe they

are tired of him.”

“They don’t think or have emotions,” the first cyborg stated.

Megan watched Ice shake his head. “I don’t understand.”

Onyx frowned. “I don’t either. They are asking to service everyone except you. It’s

as if they are blind to you or just don’t detect you as a life form any longer.”

“Not to be rude,” said the short-haired cyborg as he moved forward. “But time is

wasting.” He stopped in front of a bot.

She faced him and smiled. “May I serve you?”

“Yes.” He held out his hand. The bot put hers in his and the cyborg led her away,

probably to his room.

Onyx shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, Ice. I guess you’re not getting laid.”

He hesitated. “I’m your friend but time is wasting and you did get to visit
Folion
today.

I hadn’t gotten off shift yet so…” He inched toward a bot and when she offered to

service him, he led her away.

Three more cyborgs chose bots and left the cargo area, leaving an angry Ice alone

with Megan and the remaining units. Ice’s hand lifted to the back of his neck, rubbing

there.

“What the hell? Someone has it out for me, right?” He glared at a bot. “What the

hell did I ever do to you?”

The bot ignored him, following her programming to the letter, but he just didn’t

know it. Megan hesitated and then moved forward, gathering all of her courage. More

than a little fear surged but she pushed it back. Could she really fool him into thinking

she wasn’t real? Bots were pretty damn lifelike and with their programming, they

carried on decent conversations. They learned from clients, interacted with them, and

were programmed to adapt with their artificial intelligence.

“May I be of service?” She was proud that her voice didn’t sound shaky because of

her nervousness.

Ice spun to face her, startled, and she stared at his mouth rather than into his eyes,

watching his lips compress as he frowned.

“You can sense me?”

“Yes.”

He paused. “Why don’t they? Do you know?”

15

Laurann Dohner

She thought fast. “You paid for service and then declined more.”

The urge to look into his eyes to see how he took that bit of bullshit she fed him was

strong but she resisted, afraid he’d recognize a real person if he looked at her too closely

if their gazes met. Most clients didn’t examine the bots features, not wishing to ruin

their fantasy of having a real woman.

“So how do I get service?”

She hadn’t seen that question coming and had to think fast again. “You must pay

Folion
to reactivate use of the bots.”

“But you’re talking to me.”

“I am not a…” She even hated to say it, detesting the stupid name the company had

given them, but managed to get it out. “Artificial-intelligence, sexual-aid androbot

model. I am a hybrid model in test mode.”

Those full lips curved downward more. “Testing for what?”

“I’m the upgraded version,” she lied, thinking this story wasn’t too bad, hoping

he’d buy it. It might explain what made her different and allow her get away with more

shit than a bot would. Feeling braver, she actually looked up into his gorgeous eyes.

“Would you like me to activate full test mode?”

Oh yeah, that’s good
, she thought.

Uncertainty made his eyes narrow. “What were you built for?”

Damn, can’t the guy give me a damn break? What is he? Mr. Curiosity? He has a bot

reacting to him. He should take me to bed, not play twenty questions.
She hesitated.

“I’m a simulated human female in testing.”

Shock was easy to read on his face. She wanted to add more but bots didn’t talk

unless they were asked a question. That little fact would be hard for her to remember to

follow.

“A what?”

“I’m a simulated human female in testing,” she repeated, glad for the opportunity

to speak. “I’m a prototype. Would you like me to activate full test mode?”

“What do you do in full test mode?”

Maybe this is a mistake
, she thought. “I simulate a human female.”
He is damn cute but

he isn’t overly bright.
She could live with that since she wanted him naked in the worst

way. “Do you wish me to activate full test mode?”
Say yes, sexy eyes. Come on, open up

that mouth and just say that one word.

“Oh hell. I’m desperate. I hope this isn’t a mistake. Yes. Run the test mode.”

Yes!
She shifted her body and relaxed from the stiff posture she’d maintained to

mimic the bots and smiled up at him. “Hi, sexy. Where’s your room?”

Gorgeous eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “What?”

16

Touching Ice

She took a step toward him and put her hands on his leather shirt. The texture of it

was cold and smooth, just the way she’d imagined it would be. “Where is your room? I

want you naked now.”

Boy do I
, she thought. She hadn’t had any contact with another person, a physical

being to actually touch, in four months. She really didn’t want to think about how long

it had been since she’d had sex. She refused to count her ex-boyfriend since he’d been

so bad in bed that she couldn’t even consider that intercourse. Comparing that

experience to a hit-and-run would have been more accurate. The guy had been a thirty-