Tracy St. John's Blog, page 24

WIP Wednesday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

She's coming undone

She noted his stare and suddenly realized she’d run onto the bridge in her nightie. Her nearly sheer black nightie that dipped low between her breasts and barely skirted her ass. “Shit.”

“You’re exceptionally lovely in black lace. If I were a human male, my appreciation for your sleepwear would be obvious,” he chuckled. “That could have made for an embarrassing episode.”

“It still is for me,” she muttered, stopping herself from tugging the hem lower, which would have given him a lot more cleavage to check out. He wasn’t subtle about ogling her at all, and it flustered her. Especially since she remembered the dream she’d been having about him.

“Your dress before was business formal. I like this side of you. So feminine and flouncy. Sexy.” His tone became an insinuating purr.

Gooseflesh erupted all over her. She babbled in her awkward uncertainty, feeling he was owed an explanation for her suggestive attire. “I hate to sleep nude, but I also don’t like to wear anything heavy. I can’t seem to find any nighties that fit the bill beyond what a woman would wear on her honeymoon.”

“You look lovely. Don’t worry; I only respond physically when I command my matrix to do so. You have nothing to be apprehensive about where I’m concerned.” Though his tone and words were easy, his gaze on her was hot. Evaluating. Appreciative. She could almost feel his attention physically caress her skin as he examined her.

Why was she standing there, letting him gawk? His stare had weight. She felt pinned in place as he took her in, not bothering to hide he did so. His regard lingered on her toned legs, especially where they disappeared under her nightie. He drank in the shadow between her breasts.

“You’re coming untied.” He drew near enough she could feel warmth coming from him. Body heat from a cyborg? True, he had skin and a circulatory system of sorts, but Amadis couldn’t remember whether they were supposed to give off warmth.

He was handsome, his features flawless despite being bare inches from her face. Those luscious lips parted, and she thought he might kiss her. She stood frozen, wondering if his kisses would be demanding or tender. She wondered which she preferred.

His gaze held hers as he grasped the ribbon on her bodice, tied in a precarious bow that was indeed threatening to unknot.

I don’t want him to touch me. A lie. With those dark eyes on her speaking of the unspeakable acts he could do to her, with those lips nearly close enough to kiss, all her reasons for protesting were laughable. She did want him to. Very much.

He pulled the tie. It loosened, and the fabric covering her breasts began to slide down. She didn’t try to stop it. In her mind, the nightie was already slithering down her body, puddling at her ankles, leaving her in lacy bikini panties. Almost naked, offering her flesh for him to caress right there on the bridge.

Instead, he tightened the lace and retied the bow. His fingers never touched her skin, though they were so very tantalizingly close.

“All fixed,” he murmured. “You can go to bed, Amadis. Get some sleep. I have everything under control here.”

When she failed to retreat to her cabin, still absorbed in the fantasy she thought must happen, he turned her and pushed her toward the door to her quarters. The door shut behind her before she realized he’d sent her to bed. Alone.

She whirled to stare at the door. What the hell had happened? Under that knowing regard, she’d crumbled. Victor had done barely more than look at her, and she’d melted into a puddle of goo, eager for the promise in his heavy stare. Had he kissed her as she’d been sure he would, her devotion to career as her sole drive would have disappeared. She wouldn’t have resisted him.

“Sweet rings of Saturn. No wonder they were so successful as spies,” she muttered.

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

 

WIP Wednesday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Much more than machine

“You’re tons more sophisticated than the base models that are sold. You think for yourself, as any human would.” What was CyberServe thinking in setting Victor up for such disappointment? He was so advanced, a would-be buyer would see owning him as akin to slavery.

He began to relent to Amadis' kinder response. His expression relaxed into a friendlier cast. “I too have considered I may have advanced beyond what can be useful as a demo model.”

“It hardly seems fair to clients or you to remain in that capacity.”

“It’s been remarked on. CyberServe made a ‘take this guy home with you now for a low, low price’ attempt when I asked if I could hope for more than being their salesman.”

Sympathy filled Amadis. “The right person hasn’t come along, huh?”

“Even at a discount.” A wry smile pulled the corner of his mouth. “Clients like me as a friendly example of what they can hope for, but in the end, they want what they can program themselves. With an already highly developed personality, I’m hard to sell. I’ve become concerned I’ll never leave CyberServe.”

“Hey, what I said earlier…that wasn’t personal, okay? Sorry if I came off as defensive or unapproachable. Did I?”

“Let’s just say the line in the sand you drew was seen. I apologize if I was too forward. It won’t happen again, Mr. Dubois.”

His obvious unhappiness bothered her. She laid a hand on his arm. “You know that old saying, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’?”

“Which would mean it is me.”

“Not at all. I promise, my uncrossable line has nothing to do with you, Victor.” She smiled as earnestly as she could. The fact he’d backed off as soon as she’d told him to gave her room to be magnanimous. She honestly did feel for the poor guy.

He gazed at her for a couple of beats, as if weighing the truth of her words. “You’re that committed to your work, huh?”

“I’ve played second fiddle to powerful people my whole career. I’m overdue to show I can be a leader too. It’s important to me to do so.”

“You can’t just focus on work though.” His tone was too gentle for Amadis to feel he lectured her. “You have to have other interests to decompress. I can quote any number of studies that prove that a balanced life includes career, family, and fun.”

“Mr. Cameron told you to provide the fun.” He couldn’t be allowed to believe she was fooled.

“If you were so inclined.” Awareness brought a light to his gaze. “You’re threatened by me. Or, more accurately, what you believe I represent to your campaign for success.”

She scowled. He thought she found him a potential distraction she couldn’t resist? Yeah, he was handsome as hell, and built for sin to boot, but… “Just because you were created to seduce doesn’t make me susceptible to your charms, mister.” Lie. “Or that I find you the least bit threatening to my plans.”

No lie there. Amadis had focus and drive. She was far too good at denying herself, which was part of the problem.

“If you say so, Mr. Dubois.” Victor didn’t smirk, but she heard it in his voice.

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

WIP Wednesday - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

Cyborg silent treatment

She found Victor standing in the middle of the space, staring at star charts on the massive screens that covered the front of the bridge. She joined him.

“What’s all this?” she asked.

“Our route.”

“Any tourist traps we need to avoid?” she joked.

“There are no stops scheduled.”

She regarded him with surprise. Where was the gabby charmer who’d stepped out of his pod? “Spot any trouble ahead?”

“No. This is merely a star chart. It shows only our route.”

“Are you hoping the Blue Fairy will make you a real boy someday?” At his blank stare, she said, “Pinocchio reference. You’re behaving a bit wooden. Standoffish?”

“You made it plain you weren’t interested in personable interaction. I’m giving you an exhibition of my ability to comply with your wishes.”

She blinked at him. “Did I hurt your feelings? I didn’t mean to.”

“Maybe a little. I’m fully realized, and I was looking forward to interaction with someone beyond ‘would you care to make a purchase of a cyborg today?’”

“I’m sorry.”

She was. It was clear Victor was sentient. That he might also be fully advanced in the gamut of emotional ability hadn’t occurred to her. Had it been wise for CyberServe to allow a demo cyborg to go so far with his self-realization? Someone who wouldn’t be going home with a client?

“My mistake. Think nothing of it.” His voice was as toneless as before.

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Now Available for Pre-Order - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

A cyborg looking for love. A woman who isn't.

He was aware Amadis might not be Ms. Right…but he’d never know that if he didn’t try his hardest to connect with her.

Other cyborgs have won love. I deserve it too.

“Mr. Cameron places great confidence in you. She says you could run the company without her. What kind of education did you have to achieve so much at such a young age?”

“Prep school, then the full business, law, and economics load at ITCS Institute’s Station Alpha campus.”

Victor’s brows rose. “The full load? You must have entered the Institute at an early age to have accomplished so much already.”

“Fifteen.”

Smart lady. Why was she working as an executive assistant when she could head a company herself? He was curious, but it was the sort of question that demanded more of a personal relationship. The sort of relationship he might hope to build with her.

“You’re still young to have completed your studies and achieved the career you have. No boyfriend? Significant other?” He knew the answer to that, but she wouldn’t appreciate what familiarity with her background he possessed. Tosha Cameron, that eager matchmaker, hadn’t provided him with Amadis’ entire life story, but she’d given him plenty to work with. It was why he’d firmly set aside the urge to research her past when Cameron had assigned him to the mission.

Amadis stiffened. She faced him. “Why did Mr. Cameron assign you as my assistant?”

His matrix flashed a warning. He dialed back his smile and eagerness. “I’m programmed to deal with a large number of situations as a company sales demo cyborg. Since no one ever knows what a potential customer requires, I’m well-versed in numerous disciplines.”

“Including intimacy skills?” Her tone was challenging. Almost antagonistic.

It was Victor’s turn to tense. “I have been occasionally called upon to exhibit cyborg expertise in intimate situations.”

“Uh huh. If I should ask for such an exhibition, I’d get it. Correct?”

He wasn’t sure why anger curled in his circuits, and when his matrix began to list the reasons…guilt, disappointment, frustration…he told it to shut up.

The central processing unit ignored him. Mr. Dubois sees you for what you are at your core. You are a cyborg, programmed to follow the orders of the human in charge.

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Now Available for Pre-Order - CyberServe: Built to Last

 

A first meeting, a dead body, a mission

His deep, cultured voice had struck a nerve. Nonetheless, her gaze remained level. “We’ve met?”

“Briefly, at a party.”

“Good, then introductions aren’t necessary. I need you to help me move a body.”

It was his turn to blink. It wasn’t an affected response spurred by his matrix; he was honestly surprised. “As Captain LaFarge is the only human on board besides yourself, I assume the body is hers?”

“You assume correctly.”

Crisply, efficiently, Amadis described the situation to him, from the moment she’d awakened in her cryochamber to her decision to continue on to Station Nu.

“Of course, if you have salient information as to why we shouldn’t maintain our course, I’ll be glad to hear it.”

Victor’s matrix had been tallying up the pros and cons as it learned the particulars of the crisis. The state of affairs was less than ideal, but he judged it could have been worse.

“When Mr. Cameron tapped me to be your assistant on the humanitarian mission to Station Nu, I availed myself of all the data I could regarding our trip,” he said after his matrix reported its conclusions. “Acting in concert with the ship’s systems, I have the capability of acting in Captain Lafarge’s stead.”

“With the mission commander Amadis Dubois’ permission,” the ship’s system smoothly interjected.

“Of course.” He smiled at Amadis, noting the small indications of the relief she felt at his readiness to act. “Mr. Dubois, you are in charge of the relief effort to Nu. I bow to your orders, though I will offer advice based on what I know.”

“What about the potential for hostile encounters?”

“There is the possibility. However, as long as we remain on the route established by ITCS’s marker buoys, there is little concern about attacks. If by some chance we do find ourselves confronted by pirates or rebels, the ITCS has patrols standing by, ready to assist.”

“And until they get to us? How well staffed are patrols?”

“Along the route, a fighter vessel will be no more than twenty minutes distant.”

She frowned. “A lot can happen in twenty minutes.”

 

On sale August 5, 2022

Pre-order now available, print on sale now:Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

 

Now Available for Pre-Order - CyberServed: Built to Last

 

  A cyborg ready to serve 

Matrix powered and online.

Victor’s vision swam into view, and he knew at once where he was. A thrill shot through him as he identified the woman standing outside his capsule. Amadis Dubois had elected to make use of his services.

She’s gorgeous. Everything Tosha Cameron told me she’d be. Even if he’d lacked a beauty appreciation program, he was certain he’d have found Amadis in a league of her own among women.

Tall, at least five-feet-ten. Her black curls swirled to her elbows, framing a heart-shaped face. She could have been a model with those sculpted features, including wide eyes almost as dark as his. Her lips were lush…what he’d once heard a drunk male CEO refer to as “perfect cock-sucking lips.”

Victor had seen Amadis before. They’d both been at a party that had exhibited CyberServe’s cyborgs to the buying public, had even spoken to each other briefly…the very party where he’d heard that quote about lips. And yes, the drunken businessman had been looking at her when he’d said it.

She’d been dressed to kill that night, in a formfitting red gown that had shown off a figure as perfect as her face. It had displayed her assets better than the sensible and well-cut suit she wore now, complete with oxford flats shined to a mirror finish and a silk turquoise tie. Cool composure had taken her from femme fatale to the appearance of an efficient executive…which Victor knew her to be, thanks to the information Tosha Cameron had shared with him before sending him on the mission to Nu.

His capsule opened, and he stepped out. “Mr. Dubois,” he purred and offered her a courtly bow. “It’s delightful to resume our acquaintance. How may I be of service to you?”

On sale August 5, 2022

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Victor was a cyborg spy during the corporate wars that devastated Earth. Now he’s a refitted demo model for CyberServe, spotlighting the services a repurposed cyborg can offer…in life and love. Suave, cultured, and fully realized as a sentient being, Victor has it all, except the love he wants for himself.

Amadis Dubois has played second fiddle to the powerful her entire life. Now she has the chance to prove to everyone and herself she has what it takes to lead. She accepts a humanitarian mission to bring desperately needed medical supplies to a disease-stricken space station. If she can pull off rescuing thousands of lives, she can finally move out of others’ shadows.

Fending off the attentions of a lovelorn cyborg becomes a secondary concern when the captain of Amadis’ ship dies suddenly, leaving her the only human on board. With her career-setting mission endangered, pirates and rebels threatening at every turn, she has to turn to Victor for assistance after trying to keep him at a distance. Between moments of fighting for her life, she’s vulnerable to the numerous charms of the cyborg she has no business falling for.

Life and love hang in the balance for Amadis and Victor, with trouble at every turn. They can have it all, if they survive.

 

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

Also on sale, the second book of the CyberServed series, Mine to Keep

 

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

Now on Sale: Mine to Keep

 

Alec to the rescue

Alek sped to the security level, conversed briefly with Michaels, then raced to the level below where Lillian was being held. Seconds later, he stepped out of an airlock.

He’d decided against the precious minutes necessary to pull on a full spacesuit. Gloves, shoes, and a collar to which he could seal his helmet were all the protection he’d afforded his lab-grown collagen dermis. He was relying heavily on his circuitry and systems to regulate his temperature in the hopes most of his skin wouldn’t be too badly damaged during his climb up the outside of CyberServe’s hull.

He used a single tether rope that he attached to the maintenance rungs as he went. The suction shoes and gloves kept him clinging to the station like a fly on a wall.

He climbed. By the time he reached the storage level of the company, almost a minute had elapsed. His sensors sent warnings that fluid vaporization had begun in his unprotected skin. He was also slowly freezing. Ironically, with the sun beaming its rays and without an atmosphere to protect him, he’d possibly end up with a nasty sunburn where his skin was exposed.

His circuitry worked frantically to offset damage, but Alek wasn’t concerned. Even if his entire dermal covering was torn off, which there was no danger of, his matrix and processors were safely enclosed within his metal chassis.

He let the matrix complain without heeding it. His only thought was to reach Lillian.

He left the vertical climb to approach the main storage bay laterally. Meanwhile, the timer continued to count. He eyed the distance between him and the airlock attached to the bay. He’d underestimated how long it would take him to make the journey, but there was nothing he could do about that.

He continued to crawl to Lillian. He learned as he went that a cyborg could pray when it came to the saving of the woman he loved.

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

 

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

Also on sale, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

 

Now on Sale: Mine to Keep

 

Can Lillian salvage what she destroyed?

She’d let her fears and wounded pride separate them. He’d extended his love, and she’d ignored it. No, she’d done worse than that. She’d thrown his love aside. Because she grasped how he operated, she was all too aware he’d never have spoken the words unless he meant them.

He loved her. And she’d ordered him to leave.

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

 

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

On sale now, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

On Sale Today: Mine to Keep - Read the First Chapter Now

 

Lillian Kwolek failed to notice the protestors until she set her shuttle down in the landing bay. Then they came from seemingly everywhere and swarmed around her vessel.

“Great. Just fucking great.” CyberServe’s security had majorly screwed up. Demonstrators shouldn’t have been able to access the shuttle bay. The company’s lobby had been designated the official area for dissenters to gather, with visitors being routed through other entrances. The arrangement kept the Interplanetary Trade and Commerce System, commonly referred to as the ITCS, content. It kept Lillian Kwolek, president of CyberServe, very happy.

She spotted familiar features within the swarm of sign-waving protestors and groaned. Gunnar Jax was the leader of the Freedom League, an Earth-based movement. His scraggly beard, along with wild, unkempt hair and crooked-tooth smile, somehow failed to detract from fine-boned good looks. Not that Lillian would ever consider him attractive. Gunnar looked as he usually did; as if he’d just rolled out of a garbage reclamation unit wearing a bigger man’s clothes.

For all his disreputable appearance, he was no one to screw with. Bad things had a tendency to happen when he and his people showed up. If Gunnar was there…

Of course. Artemis Neera was present as well. Her bushy brown hair was as wild as Gunnar’s. Thick brows grew low over her burning eyes. Gunnar’s girlfriend was a supposed founder of the Freedom League. She eschewed the spotlight, but she was always in the thick of the action. She was rumored to be among the most violent of the faction. Like Gunnar, the police had yet to make any charges of illegal activities stick to her.

Lillian reached for her phone to call security. No need. They burst into the bay, a dozen men and women shouting at the demonstrators as they waved shock batons.

Gunnar yelled in return. Inside her soundproof Strobe XL-Six, Lillian couldn’t hear his or any other shouts. Most of the crowd turned and rushed the guards.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Lillian groaned as she watched through the shuttle’s front monitor. If any of CyberServe’s employees lost his or her temper, if someone got hurt…

She put her hands to her face. Her fingers spread to allow her to peer between them as the two groups shoved each other. The situation looked as if it would go to hell in a hurry.

Should she go out there? As president of the company, she had to do something. Several demonstrators, including Neera, had remained behind to watch her craft. They obviously waited for her to put in an appearance. While Lillian had no trouble putting her fist in someone’s mug, Freedom League members were renowned for fighting dirty.

Hell, Freedom League members had killed those they’d disagreed with.

The pushing and shouting grew more violent. The shock batons pointed. That only appeared to enrage to demonstrators, and they shoved harder than ever. The shit was about to hit the fan.

The double doors security had entered through opened. At least two dozen Walls and Wardens came out, and the angry tide swirled back as expressions went from rage-filled to terrified.

“Yeah, that’s going to get them on our side,” Lillian muttered, but she was glad to see the cyborgs marching in three columns.

The Walls…more accurately, the TWMs and TWFs…looked like their nicknames. Male and female cyborgs that bulged muscle, their brutish visages cold with intent, they’d been the big guns of the corporate wars on Earth. They’d terrorized rival corporations’ cyborgs and the humans caught in the middle.

The PSMs were smaller and outfitted with less coarse features. One could call the all-male Warden models handsome with their refined physical characteristics. Nonetheless, anyone who’d spent prison time under their merciless care wouldn’t acknowledge them as humane creatures. The Wardens had taken torture to horrific levels.

Many, if not all, of the Freedom League had been on Earth during the wars. They’d watched the cyborgs tear the world apart. They’d witnessed them visit atrocities on loved ones. They’d seen the cyborgs kill. Some had been personally hurt by the manufactured soldiers. A few may have been part of the desperate alliance that had finally overcome the corporations and their cyborgs. By then, Earth had damned few resources remaining, thanks to the corporate executives’ greed that had turned into a free-for-all grab for riches and power.

Cyborg armies had been the terrors of Earth’s corporate wars. Rather than disassemble them, cash-desperate Earth had sold the defunct salvaged remainder afterward to CyberServe. The company Lillian presided over refurbished, reprogrammed, and sold the cyborgs as devoted servants to the humans who lived off-world.

Hence the Freedom League’s displeasure with Lillian’s company. They’d left Earth to make their ire known in person by showing up in large crowds at CyberServe.

Lillian was delighted they were in full retreat at the moment. With the cyborg arrivals, shuttles in the visitors’ slots were lifting off and flying haphazardly in their mad dash to escape. It was a wonder they avoided smashing into employees’ vessels, walls, or the ceiling of the cavernous space.

By the time she stepped out of her Strobe and emerged in the midst of the cyborg phalanx, the Freedom League was gone. Torn signs, placards of hate printed in blood red, lay scattered on the bay floor.

“Good job, gang.” She looked at her protectors with mingled pride and relief.

“Thank you, Mr. Kwolek,” they chorused.

The very human Security Chief Scott Michaels trotted up. “I’m sorry you walked into that, Mr. Kwolek. They arrived barely a minute before you did, and I was calling in the team to turn them out when you landed. No excuse for the delay, I understand, and my resignation will be on your desk within the hour.” His voice caught halfway through his speech, but the red-faced man powered through it.

Lillian took in his trim physique in his gray CyberServe security uniform. How much of his tone came from actual workouts and how much from contouring? No matter. Whether his body was real or surgically enhanced, Michaels’ other qualifications were topnotch, the best she’d been able to hire when it became apparent CyberServe would have safety concerns against outside agitators.

“You most certainly won’t resign, Mr. Michaels. What you’ll do is figure out how those people got past the defensive grid to gain access to what should have been a fortified area. You’ll fix it immediately.” She eyed him severely.

The tension vacated his features, which had been allowed to show some of his middle-aged years. At least Michaels wasn’t erasing the lines in his forehead or around his eyes, the way so many did. A grateful smile didn’t break through, but it teased the corners of his mouth.

“Absolutely, Mr. Kwolek. Thank you. Until we figure out how those protestors got through, there’ll be a full security complement guarding the bay.”

“Excellent. I recognized members of the Freedom League, so you’ll want to call in the regular police.”

Michaels paled. “Right away.” He hurried to the detail he’d brought in and barked orders.

A TWF stepped forward. Her heavy brow made her look as if she were scowling to the untrained eye. It was actually her most deadpan expression. “A detail of four was instructed to escort you to your office, Mr. Kwolek.”

“Thank you, TWF.”

The cyborg snapped a nod. She jerked a motion with a beefy arm. Wrapped around a human head, that arm would crush the skull like an eggshell. “Detail, assemble. All others, return to your berths and power down until needed again.”

Three other cyborgs joined her in surrounding Lillian. The rest marched out ahead of them. Their boots echoed in the bay in thunderous booms.

The cyborgs were impressive. Fearsome. But thanks to Lillian, no longer deadly.

 

* * * *

 

Alek knew the soft tread of Lillian’s step, and he turned to greet her as she entered her office. She left the guard detail outside her door, which closed behind her.

Assessment: Lillian Kwolek appears tense and ill-humored. Experience dictates this unit display a low-level concern approach.

After a year of functioning and learning, Alek’s matrix wasn’t required to tell him how to cope with Lillian. Nevertheless, it was good to have a scientific appraisal of her state of mind. “Good morning, Mr. Kwolek. I trust the ambush in the shuttle bay didn’t inconvenience you too greatly?”

“It would have been far worse if you hadn’t sent in the cyborgs. Good call. Thank you, Alek.”

“I’m pleased to have been of service.” He gave a stock answer humans expected to hear. Alek was pleased about nothing. He was also never irritated, peeved, or upset. He simply was.

He watched as Lillian slung her carrycase on the top of her polished desk. Her spiky silver hair, its ends tipped in black and red, was its usual artfully messy state. Her tie matched its coloring in alternating stripes, as did her long fingernails, which tapped nervously on her desk.

Lillian was unlike her contemporaries in many ways. Alek found her defiant non-corporate style interesting, but not enough to ask her about it. Despite the hair, which could change color daily, weekly, or monthly depending on her whims, she tended toward more of a natural look. She might go in for body contouring every month or two, depending on whether she had put on a few extra pounds, but she wasn’t rabid about it. Indeed, she was a far cry from the current trend of looking like a svelte gym maven. Her shape was a top-heavy hourglass. Alek had noted the gazes of most men and quite a few women went to her ample bosom, like moths attracted to a flame. Her breasts were impressive, he supposed.

He should know. He’d seen them close up and naked. He’d mauled and sucked them numerous times. He’d even fucked her cleavage, those impressive mounds pressed together to enfold his erect cock.

She eschewed most makeup, because she preferred her rose-beige skin bare. Mascara, lip gloss, and the occasional swipe of blush when she had to make a public appearance were her sole concessions. She was a dichotomy inside and out, the most interesting human in Alek’s existence.

Which wasn’t saying much. Fortunately, Alek wasn’t programmed to get bored. He simply existed.

Lillian sank into her chair. She drew a deep breath, perhaps to steady the tremor in her voice. “I need to report to Tosha Cameron. More importantly, I need to get her guidance on what steps to take.”

“Mr. Michaels’ expertise isn’t adequate?” Alek’s tone was modulated to imply interest.

“It may be, but as Life Tech’s CEO, Mr. Cameron has been the target of attacks and assassination attempts. Her cyborg bodyguard knows more about personal security than a hundred Scott Michaels. I want their insight.”

Her remark lit a few of Alek’s circuits with what humans would have termed fascination. Brick, the TWM owned by Tosha Cameron, was a fully sentient cyborg with emotions. Little impressed Alek, but he found Brick’s development from a basic automaton to a fully realized entity absorbing.

“May I observe your conversation?”

Lillian waved him over. “Since company protocols keep me from recording it, you’d better. She always has a laundry list of advice, and I’ll never remember it all.”

Alek hurried over as she sent the request for a video conference with the owner and CEO of the company that owned CyberServe.

 

As Lillian waited to be patched through…Tosha Cameron’s aide Amadis Dubois had said the CEO wanted to speak to Lillian as soon as she finished with the call she was on…she regarded her own assistant. She needed a distraction, and Alek was a better diversion than anything else in the room.

PSM-426021, better known as Alek for the last year, was a handsome version of his model, the Warden. Lillian had experimented with his looks for six months until arriving at his current appearance. The PSMs were masculine without the heavy brows and jaws that made the TWMs so brutish. They were handsome, with none of the sleek delicacy of the Infiltrator-class cyborgs. Thanks to Lillian’s upgrades, Alek approached fashion model perfection.

She’d kept the military cut of his hair because it suited him so well, but she’d changed it from a nondescript brunette to a sandy blond. She’d liked his tawny eyes, so she’d kept those. His features had been altered slightly. Lillian had directed its change from the kindly angelic cast that had been such a lie for the PSMs to reflect a firmer, no-nonsense attitude. Alek still look as if he could be an angel, but more along the lines of the avenging type.

When Lillian had discovered him among the other decommissioned cyborgs stored in a warehouse, his skin had been torn in several places, his metal skeletal limbs bent. His left arm had been completely torn off. Still, he’d been in better shape than most, and it hadn’t taken long to repair him and replace the matrix that served as his brain. He wasn’t the muscled behemoth that characterized the physiques of the TWMs and TWFs, but he was the sort of buff that would cost a human thousands of dollars to achieve and hundreds a year to maintain in a contouring studio.

It was what was between Alek’s legs that gave him what counted in Lillian’s view. The PSMs had been originally outfitted to terrorize prisoners, male and female alike, in ways she refused to imagine. Now programmed to offer pleasure instead of torture, Alek could be properly appreciated for his substantial gift.

Lillian hadn’t taken him home in a couple of weeks, and she had a new upgrade to test. One of the perks of being a senior engineer for CyberTech had been bringing her ‘work’ home. As president, Lillian was granted even more leeway.

New upgrade or no, she deserved a satisfying fuck after the bullshit she’d encountered in the shuttle bay. The kind of demanding fuck where she couldn’t think of anything except what was going on at the moment.

Her ruminations halted as Tosha Cameron’s lovely face filled her viewscreen. “Mr. Kwolek, it’s good to see you. What’s this report about you being threatened?”

Lillian loved that about her boss: straight to the point. The lady didn’t screw around.

She matched Cameron’s lack of equivocation with her own. In less than a minute, Lillian laid out the facts of what had occurred in the shuttle bay and ended with a request for advice.

“After all, you know a thing or two about fending off personal attacks.” She forced her tone into lightness.

Cameron chuckled. “I do. I’m glad the situation escalated no further than it did and you’re safe and sound. Brick, you’re the expert on these matters. What’s your take?”

The holoscreen monitor widened to show Brick, Cameron’s cyborg bodyguard and lover. The TWM’s crude features had been softened at his request. He’d been made over into action-star delicious. Lillian got a thrill looking at him, but not just because he was a gorgeous view. Brick had been then cash-strapped CyberServe’s first sale. Cameron’s purchase of him had led to a partnership between CyberServe and the mega trillion-dollar Life Tech enterprise. Later, Life Tech had bought the company outright and Cameron appointed Lillian its president.

Brick’s green eyes usually twinkled with humor, but he looked far from amused as he joined the conversation. “First of all, I’m delighted you’re all right, Mr. Kwolek.”

“Thank you, Brick.”

“I hope you won’t mind if Life Tech’s security chief and I confer with CyberServe’s Mr. Michaels after this episode.”

“By all means. You’ll find Mr. Michaels is easy to work with. He was recognized in his previous job for welcoming assistance from others.”

“Excellent. A non-territorial chief of security is difficult to find. We’ll figure out how to keep you and your employees safe. In the meantime, are you still using that PSM as an assistant?”

“Alek is right here.” Lillian waved her cyborg in.

“Good morning, Mr. Brick. In what way may I be of service?” Alek stood behind Lillian.

“It would be advisable for you to download the full security program available to the cyborgs. Or, if Mr. Kwolek prefers, another cyborg can serve in the same bodyguard capacity for her as I do for Mr. Cameron.”

For some reason, unease stabbed Lillian. “Do you really think that’s necessary? I mean, it was chance that my shuttle landed so soon after the protestors’ arrival. They probably weren’t after me specifically.”

“I disagree. The fact they showed up just before you and before CyberServe’s security staff could remove them makes me think the confrontation was orchestrated. There may have been someone watching when you departed your home this morning. They would have tipped the others off as to when to be ready for your arrival.”

“We’re talking about the Freedom League. Such a ruse would fit with their modus operandi,” Alek remarked.

“I can’t recommend a bodyguard cyborg highly enough,” Cameron chimed in. “There’s a reason so many company executives are ordering them. Between that and our people getting with your head of security, you’ll be in good shape for the Freedom League’s next move. That bunch is tenacious, so they’ll be back.”

“No doubt.” Lillian almost bit her lip. She sighed instead. With presidential perks came headaches, and she’d realized she’d have to expect some inconveniences when she’d accepted the position.

Inconveniences? Seriously? I call bullshit on that, Lillian.

She ignored the disbelieving voice in her head. “All right, Mr. Cameron, I appreciate the suggestions. I’ll tell Mr. Michaels to expect your call, Mr. Brick.”

After the call ended, Lillian regarded Alek. He gazed back. She could probably stare at him until the end of time, and he’d only stand there and wait.

Alek as her bodyguard. It made sense, no matter how part of her rebelled against the idea of letting anyone…even an emotionless cyborg…spend too much time close to her. Yet Brick and Cameron were right. The Freedom League had left Earth to take up the anti-cyborg cause, and as CyberServe’s president, Lillian would be their focus.

She fought off a shudder.

Alek was no Brick as far as strength was concerned, but the Warden was as resilient as any Wall. Putting her unfounded concerns aside, he was the obvious choice to serve as her bodyguard. If she could be said to trust anyone, it was Alek.

“Thoughts?” she prompted him.

“As always, I’m at your service. I am ready to assume the task of your personal security if you desire me to do so.”

“Well, it would keep you close at hand for other tasks. I planned on taking you home tonight for some research. I guess we’ll make it a more regular thing until we figure out how to discourage the Freedom League.” Spoken in her breeziest tone.

Nothing to see here, folks. It was no big deal.

“Download the full security program?” Alek was only interested in the task to be accomplished.

Lillian drew a breath. “Download.”

“Full download will be completed in five minutes.”

“Great. You do that, and I’ll get to work. Freedom League or not, I have a full schedule today.” She tapped on her computer and scowled at nothing in particular. “I should have stayed in R and D.”

Her day wasn’t merely full. It was wall-to-wall, with a schedule that would have been impossible without Alek’s organizational skills. When Lillian had taken the job, she’d known Alek would outperform any human executive assistant. There’d been no point in hiring anyone else.

That was the reason other dissenters without the Freedom League’s agenda of vengeful justice gathered in protest against CyberServe. They were afraid the cyborgs would take their jobs.

A valid concern for the far-off future, because cyborgs were remarkably adaptable to whatever was needed. If CyberServe lacked a career’s program, its cyborgs could still learn tasks at a phenomenal rate.

It wasn’t Lillians’ job to worry about such things. As the situation currently stood, cyborgs were too expensive for most individuals and companies to afford. Jobs were safe from their taking over in the foreseeable future.

She scowled at her workload and mentally vowed she wouldn’t stay late in the office. Lillian wanted to play with her latest sex program. Cyborgs for sex were all the rage among the ultrarich at the moment. Fortunately, the ‘we’re not getting laid because of cyborgs’ protest contingent hadn’t yet formed to harass Lillian.

As she went over the latest sales charts, she considered what her night with Alek held in store. Lillian was an unapologetic mechasexual, a human who accepted only cyborgs as sexual partners. Alex had been her first, and thus far, was still the best she’d taken home. Though such dalliances were as impersonal as a hired dick, at least Lillian no longer had to pay to score her jollies.

Otherwise, it would be a menage of me, myself, and I.

No human men. No romantic entanglements. She’d learned her lesson where that was concerned. Life was on the lonely side, especially with her at the helm of CyberServe. Being its president took up far more of her time than her job as an engineer had, but at least she didn’t have to worry about being hurt.

“Security program has completed downloading,” Alek said.

She glanced at him. “How do you feel?”

“The matrix says I’m operating within system parameters.”

Good old Alek. Unlike the human race, he gave her nothing to worry about.

 

Everywhere he looked, Alek saw threats.

The door to the office locked automatically, but it wasn’t reinforced. He could have punched through it easily, which meant any cyborg in the wrong hands could also be ordered to do so. Though the new protocols should inhibit any cyborg ordered to commit harm to a human, there were always methods the programmers might have missed.

Certain weapons could break through too. Those sorts of weapons would be in the hands of the military only, but again, exceptions could never be discounted.

There were no other accesses to Lillian’s office. That should have soothed the watchfulness the security program had given Alek, but instead, it worried him more. She’d be cornered if someone with harmful intent broke in. And what of a fire? How would she escape dangers beyond those of murderous demonstrators?

This new program has presented me with uncomfortable insights, he told his matrix.

Lillian Kwolek is no less safe than she was before this unit added the security protocol to the system. There is still the automatic security field and two guarded checkpoints between all headquarters accesses and her office.

Yes, but I wasn’t so aware of the issues before now.

He considered his options. The first was obvious. “Mr. Kwolek, will you grant me full access to CyberServe’s security system?”

She was frowning at her computer and didn’t bother to look in his direction. “Yeah, sure. Connect with Mr. Michaels and start the ball rolling on whatever you need for your assignment. Let me know what you require me to approve.”

Alek obeyed. He simultaneously conversed with his matrix as he alerted Michaels to the incoming request and the reason for it. He also sent Lillian a batch of forms and reviewed the next few days’ schedules with her protection in mind.

My data on Brick explains that his initial moves into sentience and emotion came about with the addition of his interpersonal relations program to the security program he began with.

His matrix: Accurate.

Other life assistants have also reportedly achieved these advancements. I have an interpersonal program already active, to which Lillian has added the advanced security module. Should I anticipate emotional awareness?

The answer arrived without a second’s pause. This matrix is unfamiliar with the details of unit Brick’s evolution to emotional maturity. I cannot answer this unit’s question with reliable accuracy.

Can the matrix extrapolate a theory?

Certain fully upgraded programs, including the interpersonal software, can spur true emotions.

My interpersonal software is basic, not advanced. Am I safe from emotional distress?

This unit has achieved self-awareness and learned much over the past year of its operation. Over time, emotions may naturally occur. Should this unit wish to accelerate the process, the matrix advises it to request an upgrade to its interpersonal programming, as it is that software which seems to offer best emotional growth.

Alek weighed the suggestion for barely an instant before dismissing it. He had no interest in gaining emotions. From what he’d seen of the cyborgs that had developed such curious tics, they appeared less focused on their appropriate functions. Even Brick was occasionally unprofessional in Mr. Cameron’s presence. The TWM cracked jokes and discussed dinner plans when the moodhit him. Like Alek, he could pay close attention to several matters at once, but the mere appearance of distraction was enough to make Alek wish to put off any disruptions that might leave Lillian unguarded.

Speaking of which, he had information to gather.

For the next hour, he researched Gunnar Jax, the face and leader of the Freedom League. What he found gave him pause.

“From now on, you don’t go anywhere without me,” Alek informed Lillian.

Her gaze shifted from her computer to him. “Is that the program talking or you? Because I’m less than crazy about that tone.”

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

 

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

On sale now from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and in print.

On sale now, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.

 

 

Releasing Tomorrow - Mine to Keep

 

Broken-hearted cyborg

Alek remembered his life before he’d acquired emotions. Had it really been only weeks ago? Before then, he’d occasionally experienced dim pleasure to have successfully acquitted his duties as Lillian’s assistant. And a quieter gratification to sit at a computer bank and feed his matrix the information it wished to gather. There’d been none of the harsh tug-of-war between agony and ecstasy. That had come as he’d developed too many feelings.

Emotions. Passionate sensations. The incredible highs always seemed to be followed by crushing lows. Brick was wrong. It wasn’t worth it.

It was clear to Alek he’d have been better off to have never developed sentiment of any sort. Now that he had, it was time to start fresh, from scratch.

A whole different life. Since Alek was owned by CyberServe, it would be up to Lillian to agree to it. No doubt she would. She wouldn’t want a lovesick cyborg around…and he had no wish to be around either.

It was the only sensible path. He was too emotionally corrupted to be sold to a buyer. His sole option was to cut his current existence off and forge forward to the next.

In the midst of his unabated misery, he found a measure of hope. He’d hit upon the answer. It was a relief within the awful grief that accompanied the idea of losing Lillian. No, not the idea. The reality. There was no going back.

Alek switched on the computer he sat at. Typed what was necessary for his first step toward freedom. Then he went to his old berth, stepped in, and deactivated himself without a reactivation setting.

Releases tomorrow. Pre-order from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble. Now available in print.

 

He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.

 

CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. 

Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. 

They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.

Releases tomorrow. Pre-order from Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble. Now available in print.

On sale now, the first of the CyberServed series: Made to Order

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Print is also available.

She’s marked for death. He’s her only hope. But can a de-commissioned cyborg once programmed to kill humans be trusted with her life…or her heart?

They called him the Wall, part of a cyborg army that terrorized humans during a long war waged by those intent on wielding power. When Tosha Cameron, owner of a multi-billion corporation, first sees the deactivated cyborg, he’s a tattered remnant of a horrific past.

Most would prefer to see cyborgs destroyed, but those with vision see a valuable resource. When Tosha’s business rivals target her for assassination, the Wall—whom she renames Brick—is her best bet for protection.

Reprogrammed, Brick proves he’s more than a mere machine. Programmed to guard Tosha, he can supply her every need. He soon develops beyond his learning matrix and software, becoming capable of humanity…and more.

Dark secrets from a bloody past are waiting deep in his circuitry, however; secrets that could kill the woman he loves and has sworn to protect.