The Modified (The Biotics Trilogy, #1) (25 page)

“This food’s amazing. There’s stuff on those tables I haven’t eaten in years. Fresh tomatoes, oh how I’ve missed you.” Landon then bites into one, and I try not to look as he slowly savors the flavor. My heart starts to speed up a little as I sneak a peek after hearing his groan of satisfaction.

“Kenley, are you feeling all right?” Galileo’s voice startles me as he glows from my bangle.

“Yeah, she’s fine, Galileo,” Landon answers before I can even get my thoughts together to reply.

“But her heart rate is up, and that usually doesn’t happen when she eats,” Galileo responds. Could I possibly be any more embarrassed than I feel right now? I think not!

“I’m fine, Galileo. I just ate something that was a little too spicy for my taste,” I say before I take a long swig of water, trying to convince him, Landon, and myself of the obvious lie. The only spicy thing in this room is the guy sitting across from me, and right now he could be the death of me.

Landon sends me a lazy, sexy smile as he leans back in his chair, obviously not believing my lie. I savagely attack my chicken breast with a knife and fork while ignoring him. He finally gives up and starts to eat again. If the music wasn’t playing, the silence between us would be deafening.

“Hey, you two, what’s up?” Joey’s voice pierces through the music.

“Duh, we’re stuffing our faces,” I say before I think, and now I’m even more miffed at Landon for making me take it out on Joey.

“Hey, I just asked a question.” Joey looks at me puzzled, and then looks at Landon who is smiling while chewing something he just put in his mouth.

“Let’s dance,” I say grabbing Joey’s hand and drag him out onto the dance floor, feeling Landon’s eyes following us.

“Okay, spill. What’s got your panties all in a twist?” Joey asks pulling me close as a slow song starts.

“Insufferable men, that’s what,” I say, and then step on his toe when he chuckles.

“You have a crush on him, don’t you?”

“I do not. Okay, maybe I do. And the worst part is, I think he knows it. What’s happening to me? We’re at war! We’re soldiers, and here I am crushing on some guy from California. Am I nuts?”

“No, you’re just human. I like Landon. You know I have that sense about people, and he’s a good guy. Have a little fun, who knows what will happen soon.”

“I so love you, Joey!  Now what about you and the eye candy you were with just a little while ago?”

“Oh, Alex? We were just chatting. I kind of dig his accent,” he replies with a slight laugh. “He’s really nice, though. Kind of reminds me of a boy I knew in high school. Anyway, back to you. Are you going to let yourself have a little fun, or what?”

“Or what, Kenley? Do you mind, Joey? I think this is our dance.” Landon takes my hand and pulls me in his arms. I hear Joey laugh and see him making goo-goo eyes at me as he walks away.

The music is slow and we move together as if we’re one person. The dance floor feels crowded, but I’m not paying attention to our surroundings. My only focus is on Landon’s arms around me.

“Let’s get out of here,” Landon whispers in my ear, and pulls me through a side doorway into a darkened corridor. My heartbeat speeds up as Landon gently pushes me against the wall and moves in close. His lips touch mine and his hands roam up and down my back sending shivers of delight where they touch. I clutch onto him as he pushes his way into my mouth and the kiss deepens. Everything disappears except for this delicious feeling of warmth and our dual heartbeats moving at warp speed.

“Kenley, you’re driving me crazy. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I feel like I’m losing my mind,” he says breathlessly, close to my ear.

“Kenley? Landon?” Both our AIs respond together.

“Not now,” Landon tells the two images, and after a few seconds they disappear back into our bands. “I’m sorry if this is all too much for you.”

My throat is dry, and my brain is trying to comprehend what Landon is saying. I want him to grab me again and kiss me forever, but I realize he’s looking at me waiting for me to say something.

“Landon, I’m not sure what to say. I feel something strong between us too, but can’t decide if it’s just because of what we’ve gone through together,” I reply and then pause. “I think this is real, but there’s just so much going on, it’s hard to know for sure. Did any of that make sense?”

“Perfect sense,” Landon’s says softly before his lips find mine again, and then nothing else seems to matter in this moment.

Outside of my door in the dimly lit hallway, Landon traps me between the wall and his body. I hear the door slide open as he proceeds to gently kiss me, and then pull away while resting his forehead on mine.

“Do you want to come in?”
Kenley, what the heck are you saying? Are you nuts? You know what will happen and how much trouble you guys will get into.
My inner voice speaks up.

“I want to so badly, but I can’t… because I think I’m in love with you,” Landon quietly whispers.

He swiftly kisses me, and then to my amazement leaves me standing at the door. I watch as he turns the corner and disappears.

Entering my room I walk over to the sink and look in the mirror. My eyes are glowing and my lips are slightly swollen. My perfect bun is now in disarray.

“He thinks he loves me,” I say out loud. I really like Landon, but I think I’m scared of getting close to him because I don’t want to lose him. I’ve already lost one person I care about to this war.

I jump as Galileo projects from my bangle. “What is love? And why might Shaw, Landon love you?” he asks, making me chuckle.

How do I explain love to a computer?
I ask myself.

“Love is a feeling…an emotion that one feels for another…oh, Galileo, I don’t know how to describe love,” I respond still completely overwhelmed and at a loss for words. “All I know is that Landon told me he thinks he loves me.”

“I know, I heard. I realize now that it is normal for your heart to move faster when you are in the presence of Shaw, Landon. I will not interrupt you again. One more question?”

“Okay, let’s hear it?”

“Why did Shaw, Landon not want to come into your room?”

“Because…because he knew what would probably happen. He respects me enough to wait until it’s the right time.”

“What would have happened?” Galileo’s monotone voice asks.

“You said only one more question, so I can’t answer that,” I joke with him. “I’m going to take a shower.”

I open my top drawer, pull out the metal casing, and place it on over my bangle. I want no more interruptions to my thoughts for the rest of the night.

Chapter Twelve

The Fortification Division

I hear the song that wakes me up every morning and let out a little groan. “Kenley, it’s time to ‘rise and shine.’ Your shower is ready when you are,” Galileo’s voice interrupts the dream I’m trying to fight to stay in. This is definitely one of those I just want to spend a little extra time with.

“Two more minutes,” I grumble and turn over, stuffing my arm and the bangle under the pillow. I hear Galileo mumbling and try to return to my dream, but I’m awake now and it’s hopeless.

“Kenley, that was not necessary,” Galileo sounds indignant as I pull my arm out from beneath the pillow and he projects out.

“Galileo,” I whine, “you interrupted the best dream I’ve ever had.”

“And that was?”

I feel the blush creeping into my cheeks as I recall it. Instead of answering him, I jump out of bed and reach for the metal casing.

“Kenley, I am waiting for your answer,” he says just before I cover him up.

“Whoa, so not a convo intended for your ears,” I mumble as I undress and jump in the shower, still blushing.

Standing in the steamy hot shower, I begin to remember the best part of my dream. Landon and I were on an isolated tropical beach that was covered with blinding white sand. His perfectly chiseled body was wearing only a pair of trunks that left nothing to the imagination. I scrunch my nose as I remember that I was in the skimpiest bikini I’ve ever seen. We emerged hand in hand out of the sparkling blue ocean and I watched as beads of water ran down from Landon’s beautiful chestnut brown hair onto his chest. I followed the flowing water as it touched every inch of his body. My knees turned to rubber when he smirked at me after catching me staring at him. He swept me up in his arms and carried me the rest of the way toward a huge blue sand umbrella. He laid me gently on a fluffy soft blanket that was sprawled out underneath it. My mouth watered as he followed me down and his upper body covered mine. It was then that I realized I had somehow lost my bikini top. I become a mass of sensation as I think back to how I felt as my bare skin touched his. Then Galileo’s voice sounded in my ear, totally ruining it. I wonder how I can face Landon without blushing now, especially after vividly remembering that dream.

I hear the muffled voice of Galileo underneath the casing. Removing it, “Sorry, what did you say, Galileo?”

“I said that you have only five minutes to get down to the mess hall for breakfast.”

“Oh crap,” I reply and rush from the bathroom to get dressed, my skin still tingling from thinking about my dream.