Birth of Adam (Artificial Intelligence Book 2) (10 page)

“Actually, the first thing I remember was you were on the phone at the bar giving your poor girlfriend a line of crap about studying, and I needed the phone for an important call.”

He shook his head and smiled. “Now that I see how you live, I can understand why you think the world revolves around you. However, I should warn you, normal people might find your perspective annoying.”

“Excuse me? Are you saying I’m egocentric? I could very well throw the same accusation back at you. From what I do recall of our first meeting, you snapped your fingers at me and expected me to come panting. You evidently believe yourself so handsome and charming that everyone loves you on sight.”

He frowned and looked out the window. “Is that really what you thought, or are you simply pissed at my honest observation?”

“I decided you were a jerk when you smiled at me while you were lying to your girlfriend. I thought you arrogant when you acted as if a simple compliment of my singing would be sufficient to seduce me.”

“Giving you a ride home didn’t count in my favor?”

“Not really. I would have preferred to call a cab. I didn’t want to owe you a favor. And your refusal to leave once we arrived at the dorm really pissed me off.”

He faced her. “I couldn’t leave. I didn’t trust Jeff with Claire.”

“Afraid he’d rape her?”

“Truthfully, yes. If Claire was willing, I didn’t have a problem, but her brother is a good friend. I had to make certain she was safe.”

He’d left himself open for a deep blow. All she had to do was ask him who showed Jeff how to treat women like trash?

She could sense his tension. He was waiting for her to take her rightful shot, and she would have if not for the memory of the tears he’d shed last night.

“Then I’m glad you stayed,” she finally replied. “I wasn’t appreciative at the time, but in retrospect your actions appear less reprehensible.”

After several minutes of silence, Mark met her gaze. “Your observation that I expect people to like me—that’s true. I do expect people to like me. If I make the effort to charm them, why shouldn’t they?”

“Well, obviously most do,” she replied in exasperation. “Whereas apparently everyone hates me. So I’m in no position to cast stones.”

“Not everyone hates you. And those who do like you are highly influential people, so they count more.”

“That’s not how I choose my friends,” she assured him. “In fact, I don’t try to make friends. Either people like me or they don’t.”

“Well, that attitude has evidently done well for you professionally. Jules likes you far more than me, and he’s known you less than two days, whereas I’ve been kissing his ass for over a year. And Adam clearly adores you. Is he okay with us being roommates? I don’t want to piss him off.”

She laughed. “You’re thinking of your car.”

“I am, and it’s not funny.” Then he laughed, despite his declaration.

“Adam believes you will make me a good roommate.”

“Even after...”

She sighed and faced Mark. She might as well say this and get this giant block of guilt out of the way. “He was also confused by the signals I sent when you and I...” She sighed in frustration. She didn’t know what to call what they’d done anymore. “That’s because I was sending mixed signals. I was physically attracted to you, but I knew you were a cheater, thought you incredibly arrogant, and struggled with the age difference, so mentally I resisted even as my body said otherwise. It wasn’t rape. It wasn’t completely consensual, but it wasn’t rape.”

“And that guy last night?”

“That’s what made me realize the difference. There wasn’t any part of me that wanted him.”

“Was he...”

“He was a guy I met last year in New Zealand, and we had a one-night thing, then a misunderstanding, and went our different ways. Then one night, when coming home from my recital, I realized I had a stalker. Since neither I nor my roomie possessed a cell phone, we went to the bar so I could call my friend at the FBI and let him know.”

“There was a black Lexus lurking about when I took you home that night.”

“That was him. The FBI agent told him to stop the stalking, and he did, but he regretted the way things had ended and wanted closure. So we started text messaging. He’d talk about his life and I’d talk about mine, and I convinced myself I was still in love with him.” She shook her head and sighed. “We have nothing in common, and he makes my egocentricity look amateurish in comparison. With Adam’s prodding, I finally realized whatever I felt, it wasn’t love. I barely knew him, but what I did know was that he cared nothing about who I was and my dreams. He never once came to a recital. Never once responded with a ‘good girl’ or ‘I’m proud of you’ when I told him about a success. Never once offered advice or commiseration when I shared a problem. And he never once came to see me until yesterday.”

“He didn’t want you to go to Europe?”

“I’m not sure he remembered I was going anywhere. He came to tell me how incompatible we were and he was getting married to a debutante.”

“I hope you told him you were fine with that.”

“I did. Then he got upset and kissed me so hard he cut my lip.”

Mark unbuckled his seatbelt, came over, and inspected her lip.

The flight attendant spoke up at once. “Sir, please take your seat. The plane has not yet taken off.”

“Are we flying or driving to France?” Mark asked in exasperation, and returned to his seat.

Soon after, the plane took off and Mark continued his inspection. He pushed her seat back and straddled her with his knees on either side of her hips. He studied the cut on the inside of her lower gum.

Amanda didn’t particularly care for having her mouth examined, but she didn’t tell him to stop. He smelled so damn good, and the heat from his body burned through her clothes and ignited every pleasure receptor she possessed.

The concern in his eyes touched her. She freed her bottom lip from his fingers. “I’m fine. Now sit down so we can study French.”

Not one to miss an invitation, he unbuckled her seatbelt and squeezed in next to her—and then, for safety—buckled them both in.

Being buckled in with him was so erotic that, honestly, had his hands wandered she wouldn’t have stopped him. Sadly, he remained the perfect gentleman as they conquered the French language.

The attendant interrupted them to ask if they wished to have trays brought to their seat or eat lunch at the table. A table with benches had been set up front. She asked about Andrew and his family.

“They are having lunch at their table in the back,” the woman assured her.

Amanda unbuckled the seat belt and looked down the aisle. “May we join them?”

“If you like,” the attendant said in surprise.

Amanda looked at Mark to see his reaction to her idea.

“Why not?” he grinned.

Sondra and Martin’s eyes rounded upon their invasion. Andrew just took it in stride and made room for them.

“I’ll get you extra plates,” he said, and rose, but Mark stopped him.

“The attendant is bringing food and plates.”

“So are you enjoying your flight? The seats are really comfortable; don’t you think?” Amanda asked.

“I was wishing I had one at home to put in front of the TV,” Andrew admitted.

Amanda laughed. “I had the very same thought!”

Andrew chuckled. “Four fine leather chairs placed before a grand old TV and the captain’s voice calling off your favorite channels. ‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. In five minutes, we will be showing reruns of Lost on channel five. Please let the flight attendant know your beverage preferences now, so she can sit and enjoy the show as well’.”

Even shy Martin laughed at that.

Sondra explained, “While I’m willing to wait on my two precious men, I do expect them to ask for drinks and snacks during the commercials.”

The attendant brought the additional food and they shared their meal home-style. Amanda was able to experience Mark’s ability to charm and befriend first-hand. The ease with which he pulled Martin from his shell impressed her. She hoped his enjoyment of the boy’s company was genuine, and that he had learned good people live in all class levels.

To her frustration, however, whenever she tried to talk to Martin, the boy ducked his head and became silent. Each time, Sondra stroked her son’s head affectionately and changed the topic so he was no longer on the spot.

Amanda sighed and wished she had Mark’s gift of charm. She really wanted to be friends with Martin.

The sun shone through the side window behind her, and she created a shadow puppet in the shape of a rabbit, which bounced around Martin. Tentatively, he eased his finger out and petted the shadow nose. The rabbit moved onto his plate and looked to be eating his food. He smiled and pushed more of his food to the rabbit.

“Martin, are you feeding animals at the table?” Andrew demanded in pretend dismay.

The boy giggled and replied, “No, sir.”

“Well, I sure thought I saw you feeding a rabbit.”

“No, sir.” He laughed harder.

Andrew insisted Sondra search her son for a rabbit, and her tickling search sent the boy into peals of laughter. When he pleaded for his mom to stop, Amanda admitted the rabbit had been hers.

“Now, Miss Amanda, we don’t allow bunnies at the table,” Andrew scolded her.

Amanda tried very hard not to smile as she promised to be good.

She would have stayed back there forever if Adam hadn’t suggested she return to the front and try to get some sleep. Only then did she notice how Andrew’s eyes were drooping.

“He’s been up since five. You slept ‘til noon,” Adam observed.

Amanda declared herself tired, and grabbed Mark’s hand so he’d understand he was tired as well. She thanked them for a pleasant dinner and suggested they try to get some sleep.

Since the attendant was cleaning the table in the back, she tried to recline her chair into a full, flat bed without professional guidance. It wasn’t as obvious as she’d hoped, but with Mark’s assistance, she finally had it straightened completely out.

“That was hard work,” she complained as she collapsed onto her leather bed.

“Yes, it was,” Mark replied. “So are you going to help me unfold mine, or leave me to do it all by my exhausted self?”

“I’m too tired,” she replied.

“Brat,” he muttered.

“Stop calling me names and I’ll let you share my bed.” She was surprised when he shook his head.

“You don’t want to cuddle with me?”

“Oh, I do. I’m just concerned I won’t get any rest.”

“Do I snore?”

“No. You sleep like an angel.”

“Then what is it?”

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down the aisle to ensure the attendant wouldn’t be returning during his confession. “Last night, I tried very hard not to actually sleep, because my dreams are always about you, and my body could have a mind of its own if my brain isn’t awake and making it behave. I’ve promised not to touch you, but I can’t be certain I’ll keep that promise in my sleep.”

“I’m fully dressed, so you can’t do much without waking me up, in which case I’ll wake you up and all will be fine.”

Mark didn’t seem convinced. When the attendant returned and handed each of them pajamas, stating that she would fix their beds for them, he didn’t correct her and tell her they would only need one.

Amanda went to the toilet compartment and changed into the drawstring pajamas. She never wore a bra to bed, but tonight she chose not to wear panties either.

She crawled into her bed, which now had sheets, blankets, and a giant pillow. When Mark came out of the toilet stall she had relinquished, she closed her eyes and waited for him to ease in beside her. To her disappointment, he climbed into the other bed the attendant had fixed.

She knew it was for the best, but she was restless and couldn’t sleep. Even after the attendant had turned off the lights, she remained wide awake. She sat up in frustration and stared at Mark. She could tell by his breathing he was already asleep.

“He’s given you the power, Amanda. Just join him!” Adam said in exasperation.

She considered removing her earplug and phone, but honestly, Adam’s advice was good. There was no reason why she should deprive herself of a good night’s sleep.

Since Mark slept with his back to the aisle, she had to crawl over him and slide in on the other side. She thought that might wake him, but evidently he was too tired to be woken by anything less than a plane crash.

Once she’d settled in beside him, his arms pulled her back against his chest. He whispered her name, then relaxed his grip.

***

Amanda woke in the morning alone in Mark’s bed.

“He’s in the toilet, afraid you’re going to accuse him of rape,” Adam explained.

She knocked on the bathroom door, and after a few minutes he opened it. She pushed him farther inside and entered, locking the door behind her. “You said I had the power.”

He nodded.

“And I wanted to sleep with you, but other than sleep, nothing happened,” she assured him. “Now stop hogging the bathroom and let me change!”