MaleAndroidCompanion (26 page)

In the center of the room, a large pearly
vase stood three feet tall with an array of long-stemmed red roses, petals
spread wide to reveal their beauty, while a single white rosebud lay cuddled in
the middle. A gold card hung from the streaming white ribbons circling the
vase.

On leaden feet she drew closer. The moment
her fingertips stroked the card, the red roses shrank to form perfect buds
surrounded by green leaves, while the white rose’s stem inched taller, standing
out from the rest. Yanking her hand back, she watched in disbelief as white,
snowy petals began to bloom, forming into the most perfect rose she had ever
seen. Something bright and shiny caught in the reflection of the overhead
lights and speckles of colors danced across the walls.

Gia stepped closer to examine the center.
Her breath caught on a gasp.

Inside the satiny flower sat a large
stone—a diamond, maybe four to five carats in size. She reached for the
precious jewel, but didn’t realize it was a ring until it lay in the palm of
her hand.

Shocked, Gia glanced back at the vase and
the dangling card.

Who would send her such an expensive gift?

With trembling fingers, she opened the card
only to discover it was blank. A spark of brilliance flashed from the center of
the white rose and a weakened hologram shot from the middle of the flower to
the floor before her. Gia startled, almost jumping out of her skin and
releasing the card. As the translucent image continued to grow in strength, she
moved closer and closer until it formed into a three-dimensional figure—Marc.

Gia’s heart fluttered. Trepidation
slithered across her flesh. Did she have the strength to resist him—even his
hologram?

Dressed in a black tuxedo similar to the
one he had worn that night at her parents’ house, he was staring at her. Sexy
eyes of emerald green sent a shiver throughout her.

The image appeared so alive—so real—that
her heart jumped into her throat.

And then a soft smile spread across his
face. That single dimple creased his right cheek as his mouth turned sensual.

Like all the times before, something inside
her melted. Dragging in a shaky breath, she cursed her reaction.

“Gina.”

His deep, low voice sent her senses
reeling.

When his perfect image flickered, Gia
gasped. She stepped closer as if her mere presence could stop him from
disappearing. As the picture grew steadier, she released a tight breath and
then once again damned herself for her foolishness.

“The red rose has long symbolized beauty
and perfection—the image of the woman who has captured my heart and soul, who
now holds the key to my happiness.”

Pulse racing, she closed one hand around
the ring so it bit into her palm.

Gia couldn’t let him do this to her. She
wouldn’t believe his sweet, sweet words that even now slowly began to fill the
emptiness she had felt the moment they had parted in Oregon.

“The white rose represents innocence and
purity. I have broken your trust and diminished the value of our relationship.
For that I am deeply, deeply sorry. Yet,” he continued swiftly, “the white rose
is also associated with new beginnings and marriages. It is a symbol of honor
and reverence and an expression of remembrance.”

Marc’s hologram appeared to move closer.
Gia could swear she heard him breathing. She felt his touch as if he were
smoothing his hand lightly across her cheek. Even his masculine scent seemed to
come out of nowhere to wrap around her, holding her in the illusion.

“That isn’t real,” she mumbled beneath her
breath. Nothing about Marc was real.
Nothing.

“Do you remember our time together?” His
tone lowered, teasing her resolve. Something shimmered in his eyes as if they
were precious gems trapped beneath glass.

Gia swallowed hard, mentally struggling
against his magnetic pull. He had betrayed her. He didn’t love her. Yet it
would be a lie to say she didn’t remember.

Each day she spent yearning for
something—someone—she couldn’t have. Her nights had become hellish, a fight to
forget and move on, but she had failed, miserably.

The truth was she loved him. Missed him.

Again Gia felt his phantom touch.
Unconsciously, her head fell backward, allowing his caress to soothe her
battered soul. Dragging in a breath, she raised her gaze to his, then stiffened
and stepped away.

“Gina, I can’t forget the scent of you, the
touch of your skin, the arch of your body or your soft whimpers and cries when
I make love to you.” His voice dropped to a mere whisper. Almost as if he stood
behind her, his lips pressed against her ear. “Allow me to honor and revere you
as you deserve.” The image before her slid to one knee. He held out open arms
to her. “I love you, Gina. Say you will forgive me, that we can start anew, as
husband and wife. Marry me.”

What
? Gia
couldn’t have heard him correctly. Did he ask her to marry him?

The hologram vanished.

Silence reigned.

Alone, she stared at where Marc’s image had
once stood and felt emotion crash down upon her.

Marc moved in the shadows, hoping his
presence wouldn’t be detected. The set was like a beehive buzzing with
activity. Bribing the guard for entrance had been harder than he expected. The
clincher had been one night with one of his androids—satisfaction guaranteed.

By now Gina was probably watching his
hologram. He eased up against the door, listening until he heard himself say,
“Marry me.” Slowly he eased the dressing room door open. Her back was to him as
he slid the lock into place. Her shoulders rose and fell lightly as she choked
back soft sobs that reached into his chest and squeezed.

God.
He
wanted to take her in his arms, hold and kiss away her pain. But before he
could reach for her, she sniffled.

“Is that it? S-sorry. Forgive you? Marry
you?” Heat rose in her tone. “You betrayed me. Deceived me. Hurt me.”

“I know,” he said quietly behind her.

She stopped in mid-sob and made a surprised,
choking sound. Her head jerked up, her backbone rigid. She whipped around. Red
puffy eyes widened at his presence. Marc wasn’t prepared for the wretched pain
reflected within.

Had she suffered too?

For a moment neither spoke.

That familiar electricity zapped between
them. A whimper seeped between her thin lips. So she felt it too.

It didn’t take long for her to recover. A
breathy inhale filled her lungs. With the haughtiness of any diva, she raised
her chin, narrowing her eyes.

“W-what are you doing here?”

Now that he finally stood before her, Marc
couldn’t get his mouth or brain to function. For days he had planned this
moment, step by step, played “what-if” scenarios in his head over and over. He
even knew what to say and do if she flung the ring in his face, which
thankfully she hadn’t—yet.

When he found his voice it cracked. “I-I
had to see you. Talk to you.”

“Well, you’ve done both now.” Turning away,
she took two steps and then retraced them. “Here.” She held out her arm,
fingers flexing to display his ring in the center of her palm. When he made no
move to take it from her, she frowned, avoiding his gaze. Her voice dropped to
a whisper. “Don’t do this to me.”

A small glimmer of hope burned in his gut.
If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t hurt, and it was definitely pain he heard.

“Please, Gina. Hear me out.” Before she
could respond, he continued. “I know I deserve your anger but I love you. You
have to believe that.”

Marc waited a heartbeat for her retort.
When it didn’t come, he threaded his fingers through his hair. “I can’t eat,
sleep or concentrate. When I do fall asleep I dream of you… In my bed. My arms.
I feel your body so close to mine our hearts beat as one. We breathe as one.
And then I wake…” He avoided glancing at her outstretched hand, holding his
ring, the symbol of his love. “And you’re not there.” He chuckled but there was
no humor, only the misery that had held him prisoner for five weeks. “I can’t
go on like this.”

He dared a step closer. With a knuckle
beneath her chin, he raised her gaze to meet his. No tears were present in her
eyes, but emotion pricked his. Her face was a block of cold stone, unyielding.

A wave of melancholy swept over him. He’d
misread her. She hated him.

“Gina. Sweetheart. I miss you so much I
can’t tell anymore when one day ends and another begins.” He reached for her,
holding her at arm’s length. Her hand drifted to her side. “Don’t you see I’m
no good without you? You complete me. Make me whole. Please say you’ll give me
another chance.”

Silence stretched between them so tight he
felt the air became fragile, ready to shatter at any moment.

“You hurt me,” she murmured.

He closed his eyes briefly. “I know. I’m
sorry.”

Moisture rimmed her eyes. A single tear
fell.

Holding his breath, he eased her into his
arms. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she fisted his jacket and buried her face
into his shoulder. Exhaling, he placed his chin on the top of her head. Closing
his eyes once again, warmth filled him as her body molded to his.

So right. So perfect.

After a moment of inhaling her essence and
reveling in the feel of her, he kissed her forehead and then rubbed his cheek
against hers.

Gina tipped her chin up, looking him
squarely in the eyes. Marc couldn’t read what flickered in her hardened gaze
but it felt ominous, as if she contemplated his worthiness. Unleashed strength
rose; he felt it ripple through her.

“Don’t ever deceive me like that again.”

Marc took her warning to heart. “Never. I
promise.”

Again the hush of the room fell around
them. If he did nothing, he would lose her for sure. So he did the only thing
he knew to do. He pressed his mouth lightly to hers.

A small, chaste kisses to determine her
state of mind. Marc knew the second she surrendered, that primitive moment of
triumph when her full lips softened. When she returned his caress, chills raced
across his skin. He tightened his embrace. His tongue nudged, once, twice for
entrance. Elation flooded him when she welcomed him and he swept inside to
taste heaven once more.

Between one heartbeat and the next, desire
ignited. What started as a mild exploration turned hot and hungry, fast.
Tongues dueling, he captured her soft whimper. Felt his body swell with need.
He dislodged the pin at her shoulder and the silky material slid down her body,
leaving her standing before him in nothing but her slippers.

Once again, Gina was in his arms.

Need grew, unfurled and stretched. Like a
powerful beast, it sank its claws into him. He would have tonight to make sure
she never left him.

Standing naked before Marc, Gia knew she should
hate him, but she couldn’t think past the feel of his lips soothing tender
kisses down her neck or the promise of a lifetime clutched in her hand—his
ring.

Five weeks of lonely nights, of tormented
days, were in the past if she dared to believe. God help her. She wanted
this—she wanted him.

Caught between wanting to laugh with joy
and weep with relief, she welcomed his kisses—his caress.

Warm and moist, his mouth burned a path
straight to an aching nipple. Her back bowed in anticipation, goose bumps rose
across her skin. When his lips closed around the swollen peak, a primal cry
parted her lips. Shards of sensations splintered through her breasts, shooting
downward to tighten low in her belly.

She had to touch him.

With ease, she slipped the ring on her
finger before stabbing her hands through his hair. She held him near while he
suckled her nipple with long, hard pulls that turned into nibbles. As he
scraped his teeth across her tender skin, she mewled softly. Her pussy
contracted, releasing liquid heat.

Her body felt inflamed, hot and needy.

All she could think about was the girth of
his cock as he slid into her, stretching and filling her. The thought released
another of wave of desire, making her crave the feel of him between her thighs.

“Marc. Please.”

Palms cupping her breasts, he gazed up at
her through heavy eyelids. “What, sweetheart?”

The sensual sight made the blood in her
veins simmer to near boiling. “I need you. Inside me.”

“Soon. I need to taste you.”

Her fingers were still locked in his hair
as he knelt before her. His gaze was pinned to hers as he slowly kissed a path
up the inside of her thighs. When his lips skimmed over her pussy, her knees
almost buckled.

“Marc!”

“Patience,” he murmured against her
sensitive flesh. A masculine chuckle followed that shivered through her core.

And then he raised one of her legs, draping
it over his shoulder and spreading her wider. His eyes were the deepest shade
of green she had ever seen as he stared at her exposed sex. His nostrils
flared. He inhaled. A growl rumbled in his throat.