Read Beyond Varallan for Free Online Page B

I’d put all that effort into making polite small talk, too.
    “I have no demands. Only a request.”
    Oh, this I wanted to hear. “What?”
    “Will you spend some off-duty time with me?”
    Now I was getting suspicious. I knew what part of me Reever was really interested in. The convoluted grej stuff between my ears.
    From the first moment we’d met on K-2, Reever had repeatedly established a connection between our minds. Through that telepathic link, he could completely paralyze my body, and access my long-term memories. That was how he'd discovered I was a genetically engineered clone.
    This ability of his didn’t thrill me. In fact, after the first time he'd done it, I'd punched him out.
    Reever claimed he’d never achieved that type of link with another human being before. He could even do it without touching me. Another first. The unique connection we shared was, beyond a doubt, the only attraction I held for him.
    Or was it? Suddenly I felt rather warm.
    He repeated the question. “Will you spend some time with me?”
    “Doing what?”
    “Cherijo.” One badly scarred hand crossed the small gap on the table and took my wrist. I pulled back automatically, but he held on. “No. I won’t force you to link with me.”
    “Good idea. You wouldn’t look good with lukewarm chicken noodle soup all over your face.” I let my hand stay where it was, for the moment. Why was it so damn stuffy in here? “Just what do you want, Reever?”
    “I am human,” he said, while his thumb moved back and forth over my knuckles.
    The small, intimate gesture had the most embarrassing effect on me. I could literally feel the color creeping up my damp neck. “Uh-huh. And?”
    He threaded his long fingers through mine. “We share more than you will admit, Cherijo.”
    Okay, I knew what he meant. Although I’d been created in an embryonic chamber, I had the same natural, healthy urges of any human female. Reever knew that from personal experience.
    I felt a trickle of sweat inch down my cheek. “I take it you want more than just the pleasure of holding my hand.”
    “Yes.”
    He’d had more than that already. Reever, manipulated by the Core life form, had attacked me in an isolation chamber back on K-2. Assault quickly turned into a weird kind of seduction. I didn’t cherish the memory of what Reever and I had done on top of that exam pad. That didn’t mean I'd forgotten what it had felt like. In fact, parts of my body were reacting in much the same way right now.
    I cleared my throat. “You’re interested in the more… biological stuff.” What was wrong with me? I was acting like a overly hormonal adolescent.
    “Yes,” he said again.
    You’re not a virgin, I reminded myself, so quit acting like one. Kao and I had spent one glorious night together, the memory of which I would cherish forever. All Reever had to offer were one-syllable answers. I need a lot more than that.
    “You refuse.” His hand began to withdraw.
    Feeling distinctly reckless, I decided it was time to ignore my pride and Reever’s lack of human emotion. I needed him. Certainly that was more important than pride now. In fact, it was all I could think about.
    I snatched his hand with mine, and forced my fingers back through his. “Tell me exactly what you want.”
    The words came from him, with great difficulty. I could almost hear them being dragged out, kicking and screaming not to be uttered. “I want you to be with me, to share your experiences. I want to know you, to talk to you. I want to touch you. I want to link with you. I want—”
    “Okay.” I wanted some of the same things. Especially that touching part. “Good enough.”
    His fingers tightened between mine. “You will spend time with me?”
    That was one way to put it. Could he sense the way I was burning up inside? Was that sweat beading above his lip? “Sure.”
    The cold eyes warmed a degree or two. “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome.” I felt shaky, but there was no