“Sir, I think you have the wrong girl for this mission.” Alex pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, wishing for once it would stay braided back. The Commander gave her his “no nonsense” glare, and she knew he’d never let her out of this one.
“If not you, then who, Lieutenant? This has been your project from the start! You know this man… this creature, better than any officer here. We need you to make sure it works.”
Alex sighed and tried not to roll her eyes. He had her, and he knew it. “I’ll do what it takes, Sir. But I don’t have to like it.”
“I don’t need you to like it, Lieutenant. It’s your duty, and I know you’ll do it well. You’re an outstanding scientist and a damn fine woman. If anyone can teach this bucket of bolts what it means to be human, it’s you.”
She ran a hand over her face. “He’s not a bucket of bolts, Sir. He’s an android. Our android. I wish you’d use his name.”
The Commander cocked a bushy eyebrow, his lips drawing into a tight line. “Just get the job done, Lieutenant.”
***
It was the first time it had ever been done. The space corps needed a spy who could complete the missions others found unthinkable, so instead of hiring the usual scumbags they created one they could trust. The best and brightest scientific minds on Ganymede Station took the memories of various dead soldiers and fused them together into the perfect man—able to get his hands on enemy secrets through charm and seduction, but undoubtedly loyal to their cause. He needed to be utterly relaxed in any situation, completely trustworthy. Cool, collected, and above all, sexy as hell.
The only problem? Their perfect android spy was still a virgin, and someone had to teach him the ropes. Alex’s team discovered early on that just because you programmed a brain to be sexual didn’t mean the android had clue one about how to seduce a woman or what to do with her once he did.
“David?” Alex entered the dark lab. He usually slept in the back room after the science staff left for the evening. A beam of light fell across the far door. It was propped open, and she could just make out his silhouette resting on his cot.
“David, are you awake?” She pushed into the room, feeling self conscious. Did androids need privacy? Was she intruding?
David rolled over, his shimmering green eyes meeting hers in the darkness. “Miss Alex. How nice to see you.” His voice was deep and even. He sat up and the thin sheet slid off his body, revealing his nakedness. Alex felt her cheeks turning red and looked away too quickly.
“Uh. Wow. Okay… Nice to see you, too.”
Against her will, her eyes wandered downward, over his strong shoulders and sculpted chest, down the light dusting of hair leading down his stomach and straight to-... “I need to speak with you, David. Would you mind putting some clothes on?”
The android’s lips twisted into a smirk. “Of course. I wasn’t expecting anyone so late. You’ll have to forgive me.”
I’ll have to do more than that. Alex swallowed hard.
She never thought she’d accept a mission like this, even for the sake of science. Hell, even for the sake of her entire planet. They needed a James Bond who could infiltrate the enemy—any enemy—through charm alone, and they needed him fast. The peace talks with the Tamerians were coming up, and they weren’t exactly known for their charming personalities. The decades long war proved that. They needed intel on whether or not a trap was in the works before sitting down with them. There had been bombings in the past, and they couldn’t take unnecessary risks.
She turned away as David stood and pulled on some clothing. “What would you like to speak with me about?”
Alex swallowed hard, at a sudden loss for words. She was a good girl, a scientist, for God’s sake! And now she was the one volunteering to teach a man how to make love.
Not a man, Alex. He’s a machine. You helped build him, after all. Maybe it wouldn’t be any different than a life-size vibrator. She pressed her lips together. Of course it would be. Just look at him.
Alex opened her mouth, but snapped it shut as she turned back to him. He was smiling at her, those green eyes sparkling. He ran a hand through his dark hair, smoothing it out of his face. She realized she was staring, but couldn’t help herself. He’d changed into a soft grey pullover and black slacks. The way the material hugged his chest was nothing short of mouth-watering.
“I don’t quite know how to say this. Why don’t we head to my quarters where we can talk privately? I have an assignment. Well, we have an assignment to get you ready for the field. Command wants to utilize your, um, your skills against the Tamerians before the talks.”