gaze remained locked with hers, the possessiveness in his eyes appealing to her. “Cyborgs experience empathy, pain, passion.” His voice deepened around that last word, and her toes curled in her boots. “I care about my brethren, mourn the losses on your planet, but I don’t judge you harshly for fighting for your freedom. We did the same, rebelling against the Humanoid Alliance, freeing ourselves from their enslavement.”
“Your rebellion allowed one’s kind to regain their freedom.” Honesty forced her to admit that. If it weren’t for the cyborgs’ uprising, Royaume might still be under Humanoid Alliance control. “One would be a fool to trust you.”
“Cyborgs can’t lie.” He turned her hands until her palms faced upward. “That is built into our programming.”
The cyborg—Truth—slowly undid her right glove, releasing one tiny fastener at a time, moving leisurely as though he had all eternity to complete the task. She watched, half-hypnotized, as he folded the leather back.
“We can refuse to answer questions, to acknowledge commands.” He revealed a small triangle of skin above the heel of her hand. “But I prefer to state the truth and deal with the chaos that follows.”
He met her gaze and lifted her wrist to his lips.
She should stop him. But she was transfixed by the male’s sheer gall, his recklessness, his disregard for her station.
Most beings bowed and flattered and were so very careful around her. This male did what he wanted and that was…titillating.
“Your name is Truth.” It was a struggle to keep her tone cool.
“I tell the truth even when it isn’t wise.” His lips drifted over her skin.
The contact was as light as the brush of a feather. It was a whisper of intent and she responded to it. Awareness surged along her arm, throughout her form.
A million invisible fingers plucked at her wrist.
Her pussy clenched around nothing. Her breath hitched.
The cyborg’s eyes flashed with energy. He must have felt the connection also.
“This isn’t wise.” She stared up at the male, completely enthralled by him.
“It’s not wise at all.” He flicked his tongue over her pulse point and she trembled. “But aren’t you weary of being wise, of always doing the right thing, the proper thing?” He nuzzled along her wrist, ravishing that small stretch of skin, bombarding her with sensations. “Be bad with me.”
Stars. She wanted to be bad with him. As he had guessed, she was so very tired of following protocol, of being the untouchable princess.
She tilted her body toward his. “I—”
Valentin sniffed. Loudly.
And she remembered who she was. Princesses didn’t use ‘I’. They couldn’t think only of themselves, of their needs, their passions, their wanting. Princesses had to think always of others, of their subjects, their duty.
“One didn’t come here to be bad.” She pulled her hands out of his grip, drew back from him, feeling the break in contact immediately, silently mourning that loss. “One is seeking to hire a mercenary.” She refastened her gloves. “And you’re not who one is looking for.”
“Beautiful—” Truth leaned forward. “—I’m exactly who you’re looking for and I’m the only being you’ll consider. If you cast those stunning eyes on any other male, I’ll rip his arms out of their sockets, sever his head from his neck, and dance naked in a puddle of his blood.” His lips quirked upward. “And I’ll enjoy it.”
He was serious and she should be appalled.
She certainly shouldn’t be turned on. “You don’t know what you’re volunteering for.” She shouldn’t consider hiring him. He was unlikely to follow any of her commands, would try to seduce her at the slightest opportunity.
And she might allow him to do that. Her gaze lowered to his upturned lips.
She was lonely and touch-deprived and desperately needed help with the rescue. He was sinfully attractive, and he had the skills they needed. That was undeniable.
The cyborg had escaped from a Humanoid Alliance facility. Breaking into another structure shouldn’t be much more difficult for him.
He had been manufactured to kill. She suspected ending lives would be an aspect of the assignment.
Very few beings knew the enemy as well as he did. He had been enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance.
“This assignment is dangerous.” Her sense of fairness dictated she stress that point. “There is a very high probability you won’t survive it.”
“You don’t have to convince me to take this assignment, beautiful.” Truth lifted his eyebrows. “I’m already in.”
He was a bit too eager, and he knew very little about what they sought to do. It made Nancy nervous. “Why do you need the