“I’m sorry. I know it was wrong, but Mars has had no interaction with the outside world. To see him respond to another human in such a way… It’s incredible. Please, Kelly. All you have to do is keep him company while I investigate. Talk to him, keep an eye on him, monitor his vitals, and perform the tests. You have my word, if there are any questions asked, I’ll take full responsibility.”

  “Jordan, I can’t. This is crazy.”

  Jordan met his gaze, his eyes pleading. “Look me in the eye and tell me that all you see when you look at him is a soulless experiment and not an innocent man.”

  Kelly swallowed hard. If that’s what Jordan wanted to hear, if that’s what it took, then Kelly would say the words.

  Mars entered the room dressed in a casual pair of black yoga pants and a loose gray T-shirt. He was barefoot, his hair tousled and wet, and his smile had the strangest effect on Kelly. The man was large, his chest expansive, and every muscle was beautifully sculpted. Oh, sweet Krypton, there was no way he was doing this. Kelly shook his head and got to his feet. He headed for the door when Mars’s sultry voice brought him to a halt. The man’s voice was completely at odds with his warrior’s build. It was lulling and refined, an English gentleman.

  “Kelly.”

  If you turn around, you’ll regret it. Kelly turned and almost ran into Mars. He stumbled back and into the wall behind him. Mars seemed unaware of personal boundaries. He was all but pressed up against Kelly, and he was even bigger up close. Big and solid with rippling muscles, yet his voice was kind.

  “You’re nervous.”

  Kelly let out a shaky laugh. “Me? Nah. Just, um, I forgot there’s somewhere I need to be.” Like far, far away from here.

  “You’re lying.” Mars frowned. He cocked his head to one side, his glowing amber eyes studying Kelly before he placed his hand on Kelly’s chest. “Your heartbeat is irregular, and you’re perspiring.”

  “Well, yeah, you’re hot. I mean it’s hot! In here. It’s hot. Has nothing to do with you.” Kelly closed his eyes and ignored Jordan’s chuckle. Oh God, this couldn’t be happening. What was wrong with him? Had it really been that long since he’d been with someone that he was getting flustered over a guy who wasn’t even real? Okay, Mars was real, but not real. A soft, hot breath against his ear sent a shiver up his spine as Mars whispered.

  “Stay.”

  Kelly glared at Jordan. The doctor was playing dirty. It was hard to think with Mars so close. Why did they have to make him appear so… vulnerable? If Mars was a human weapon, why was he so gentle?

  This was ridiculous. Kelly couldn’t throw his whole career away over this… this…

  Mars took Kelly’s hand in his. “I would like you to stay with me.”

  “Okay.” Oh sweet Jesus, he was so screwed.

  “Great.” Jordan patted Mars on the shoulder, and Mars took a step away from Kelly. With a smile, Jordan pointed to the glass panel screen behind Kelly. “You’ll find you’re authorized to access everything you need to perform your duties. There’s a spare bedroom next to Mars’s. Fresh linen will be provided via the access panel in your bedroom. If you need anything, just request it there.

  Jordan gave him a nod and headed for the door. “Mars, behave yourself for Kelly, and do as he says.”

  “Yes, Jordan.” Mars stood at attention and waited.

  “How long will you be gone?” Kelly asked, following Jordan to the door.

  “I’ll try and be as quick as I can.” Jordan looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he gave Kelly’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

  With that Jordan was gone, and Kelly was left to look after a multibillion-credit secret military project with feelings.

  “I’m a dead man.”

  Chapter Five

  After putting Mars to bed—which luckily simply entailed telling Mars it was time for bed—Kelly took some time to read up on Jordan’s notes and Mars’s ability to access any and every interface known to man, provided it was connected to a network. Not long after, Kelly fell asleep, and the next morning it took him a moment to remember where he was. What the hell had gotten into him? Somewhere through the flashing images of him being deported, arrested, and having his brain donated to science as a doorstop, he resigned himself to his fate.

  “If I’m gonna die for this, there better be some damn good coffee in that kitchen.” When he stumbled into the kitchen, he found something else that was damned good. And it was shirtless. Who cooked breakfast shirtless?

  “Sit. I made breakfast,” Mars said, placing a plate of eggs Benedict on the table along with a large frothy latte. Did Mars know they were his favorite, or was it just a lucky guess?

  Kelly took a seat. “Thank you. You cook?”

  “I can do many things,” Mars said with a wink.

  He winks too? “I, um, okay.” Kelly took a sip of his coffee and moaned. “Oh, this is good.” It was exactly how he liked it. He eyed Mars. “How did you know how I like my coffee? And breakfast?”

  Mars smiled brightly. “I heard you discussing your favorite foods with the female scientist. The one named after fruit.”

  “Pepper?” Kelly arched an eyebrow at him. “Well, you’re named after a small planet.”

  “No. I’m named after the Roman god of war. Representation of military power in a quest for peace.”

  Kelly let out a snort. “Peace? Is that what they’ve programmed you to think?”

  A plate clattered, giving Kelly a start. Mars turned with a growl. “I have not been programmed. Everything I know, I have learned.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” Could a nanoengineered soldier be offended? Apparently so. Kelly took another sip of his coffee, his gaze on Mars as he sat at the table with his own plate of eggs Benedict. Where was his shirt? He’d gone to bed in a shirt.

  Mars arched an eyebrow at him. “Also, the planet Mars is named after the Roman god of war. I was led to believe you were clever.”

  Kelly’s jaw dropped. Had he just been schooled by a supersoldier? “Ouch, man.”

  Mars stood to face him, his expression concerned. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, um, just feeling the sting of your verbal lashing.”

  “Oh.” Mars resumed his seat, his expression puzzled. “You’re a strange man.”

  “Nothing new there,” Kelly muttered. He hoped Jordan found whatever he was after real quick. “I didn’t know you ate.”

  “Humans require nutrition. I’m human, therefore I also require nutrition. I can simply go longer without it than you can.” He looked Kelly over. “Much longer. I’m also immune to human ailments and viruses.”

  Maybe it was time to replace the foot in his mouth with some breakfast. “Right. Sorry. Again. This is all new to me.”

  “Understood.” Mars gave him a nod and began to eat. His movements were precise and calculated, his knife and fork moved as if he were working out a puzzle, and his posture was flawless. Kelly was fascinated. Mars was smooth and tanned, each muscle perfectly formed and defined. His shoulders were broad, his waist slim, his arms and legs strong, his ass perfectly rounded. The man was also handsome. Why had they made him handsome? He looked like he should be playing Superman in a movie or something. Chiseled jaw, perfect white teeth, full mouth, and thick eyebrows. Kelly had to give credit to whoever designed Mars. The man was damn easy on the eyes.

  “It’s rude to stare.”

  Kelly took a sip from his large coffee mug in an attempt to hide. They were not off to a good start. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat and took another sip, wishing he could crawl under the table and hide there for the remainder of this ludicrous endeavor.

  “I am more than a thing to be gawked at.” Mars’s amber eyes bored into Kelly.

  “What?” Kelly put his coffee down and met Mars’s gaze. He refused to be intimidated, especially when he was being accused of something he hadn’t done. “I don’t appreciate your assumption. I wasn’t looking at you as if you were a thing. I was admiring you.” Okay, so maybe it was more like ogling, but not for the reasons Mars believed.

  “Admiring?” Mars cocked his head to one side. He studied Kelly before he looked down at himself. With a curious smile, he put a hand to his chest before he turned his gaze back on Kelly. “You find me attractive?”

  “I, um…” Kelly motioned to his breakfast. “I should finish this before it gets cold.” Or this conversation gets any more awkward. Highly possible since Kelly was a part of it. He ate breakfast as quickly as he could without choking while doing his best to ignore Mars’s scrutiny.

  “Why don’t you answer my questions?” Mars asked, his tone more curious than annoyed.

  “Because I don’t want to.”

  Kelly groaned inwardly. He was an intern for the Photonic Royal Society, and the best he could come up with was “I don’t want to”? Mars’s dark brows drew together, and before he could ask any more questions, Kelly finished up, then placed his plate and cutlery in the SteamCube. “Why don’t we get dressed? In separate rooms. Obviously. Not that you didn’t know that. Anyway, we should get started on those tests. Thanks for breakfast.” Before Mars could say a word, Kelly darted from the room. He needed a do-over. This wasn’t going at all as he imagined. If Lucius were here, he’d definitely revoke Kelly’s internship.

  Shower. He needed a nice cold shower.

  Once he’d showered and dressed, he found the supersoldier waiting for him in the medical room next to Mars’s bedroom. Mars sat in a white padded chair, his wrists and ankles beneath the glass half-moon scanners. When Kelly approached the glass tablet beside Mars’s head, he noticed the cheeky smile on the man’s face. It was best he not ask. Had Mars been programmed to be a smart aleck, or had he learned that too?

  Just as Jordan had stated, all Kelly had to do was tap a button on the screen, and the interface would do its thing. At least that’s what he thought until Mars’s amber eyes turned a pale blue color and his irises disappeared.

  “Shit, something’s wrong.”

  “Nothing is wrong,” Mars assured him.

  “Your eyes. They’re glowing blue.” Shit. His first day and he’d already messed up. Oh God, had he broken him? What was the price for breaking a nanoengineered human? More than the pitiful amount in his bank account. That was for sure. He could hear Lucius telling him off already, and Jordan—

  “They’re supposed to glow.”

  Kelly’s pulse slowed to a normal level. “They are?” Of course they are. All perfectly normal. The guy needed to come with a manual. Wait, did he have a manual?

  “It means I’m connected.”

  “To what?” There were no wires, straps, clamps, pads, or any kind of device touching Mars.

  “Everything. The world. Right now, the network. I’m downloading Casablanca. Jordan lets me download a new film every day.”

  Kelly found himself smiling at the childlike happiness on Mars’s face because he got to download a movie. “So you can connect to the web anytime?”

  “Yes, but Jordan has instructed I limit my sessions to what’s requested on my schedule for the day and my films. Downloading too much at once can short-circuit me.” He tapped the side of his head before scrunching up his nose. “I suspect Jordan is trying to protect me from what I might find. He’s not like the others. Neither are you.”

  “Oh?” Maybe he hadn’t messed up.

  “You’re kind. You don’t see me as a machine.” His expression turned curious. “Unless you generally find yourself attracted to machines. Are you technosexual?”

  Well, that was something he’d never asked. “Um, no. Just a regular guy who likes guys.”

  Mars smiled widely. “I like guys too.”

  “Great. That’s really great.” Kelly smiled and turned back to the screen, aware of Mars settling back in his chair, a smile still on his face. Why did Kelly always have to make things awkward? It was good to know he was as smooth with nanoengineered men as he was with regular men.

  Kelly watched the glowing screen. He had no idea what kind of tests were being run. The text was moving far too fast for his human eyes to discern. After a few minutes, the scrolling stopped, the words “Analysis Complete” appearing on-screen. Mars sat up, and Kelly instinctively took a step back.

  “Now what?”

  Mars stood and smiled. “With the neuroglial analysis complete, now comes the physical analysis.”

  He left the room, and Kelly followed. Kelly had no idea what the physical analysis entailed, but he would admit to feeling a little anxious as they approached the extensive training bay where Jordan and Mars had sparred the night before. Once inside, the doors swished shut behind Kelly, startling him.

  “There’s no need to feel frightened,” Mars said with a smile. “No harm will come to you in my presence.”

  Kelly arched an eyebrow. “I’m not scared. Who said I’m scared?” He was not scared.

  “Your pulse, your body language, and your pheromones.”

  “My what?” This was new.

  Mars took a seat on the padded steel bench to the right of the door. He removed his sneakers and socks, his smile never faltering. “Your body releases pheromones whether you are aware or not.”

  Kelly stared at him. “And you can smell that?”

  “Yes. I have heightened senses. Far greater than that of the average human.”

  He stood in nothing but his loose black yoga pants. Kelly swallowed hard. He stood exceptionally still as Mars came to a halt in front of him. Taking a steady breath, he lifted his chin to meet Mars’s amber eyes. They were stunning, the gold around his irises almost glowing. When Mars next spoke, his voice was low and gravelly.

  “Fear isn’t the only pheromone a human is capable of releasing.”

  “Maybe, um”—Kelly dropped his gaze to Mars’s lips before quickly returning his attention to Mars’s eyes—“you should get started.” He cleared his throat and stepped away. Whatever was happening, it ended now. Mars was not some random guy he’d met on the street or at a coffee shop. He wasn’t even a coworker. The guy wasn’t even a guy. He was a biological organism created in a lab with the most advanced nanotechnology in existence. He belonged to the Photonic Royal Society. The fact that he looked like a regular guy, spoke like one, and acted like one, didn’t mean he was one.

  Kelly took a seat on the bench Mars vacated, squaring his shoulders as he collected himself. He was here to observe, to run tests. Nothing more.

  Two of the holographic tubes hanging from the ceiling flickered to life, projecting a screen with Mars’s image and his information, along with his pulse rate, heartbeats per minute, and 3D neuroimaging monitoring his brain’s activity. Kelly was fascinated. His attention was pulled away by Mars approaching the paneled wall Jordan had accessed during their sparring last night.

  Placing his palm to the sleek surface, the panel opened to reveal a vast array of weapons. Mars picked up a silver band, which he secured to his wrist. With a tap of his finger, it expanded into a fingerless gauntlet. From that he moved on to two hefty-looking nanoweapons. Holding one in each hand, both firearms released a brief but high-pitched sound as they charged, the string of red lights along the barrel turning blue to signify they were ready to discharge.

  Kelly gripped the edge of the bench on either side of him as Mars strolled back to the mats and faced away from him. He stood at attention, his arms at his sides, weapons in hand as he spoke.

  “Initiate Mars test sequence.”

  A female voice Kelly figured belonged to the training bay’s interface replied, “Initiating sequence M2093.”

  Mars’s jaw muscles flexed. “Secure Dr. Sutton.”

  What the hell was going on? Kelly stood when four of the holographic tubes dropped from the ceiling, coming to a halt in front of him. They spread out to take position around him, forming a square. The tubes clicked and expanded up several feet high before transmitting a nanoshield around him. Kelly frowned and pressed his hand to the invisible wall before him. The contact tingled, but he couldn’t leave the ten-by-ten square area.

  “What is this?” Kelly asked.

  “For your protection. The sequence initiated is combative,” Mars replied.

  Combative? Wait… “Shouldn’t you be wearing a vest or something? Or at least a damn shirt? Mars?”

  Mars didn’t reply. He stood motionless as several panels around the room opened, revealing small nanolight cannons. The hairs on the back of Kelly’s neck stood on end. It was silly. This was a training sequence. Surely they wouldn’t try to really hurt Mars. Small glowing shields appeared before the cannons, and from where he stood, Kelly could just about make out the red targets.

  The first cannon fired, and Mars dove out of the way. To Kelly’s horror, more than one cannon fired at a time. Mars leaped and rolled, firing at the red targets and turning them green. If one of those nanolights hit Mars, there was no telling what it would do. Had Mars done this before? Judging by the way he moved, how he dropped and rolled, sprang to his feet and ran, firing both weapons, it was clear he had. It was a sight to behold, and Kelly was mesmerized. He’d never seen anyone move like that. Mars was beautiful. The way his muscles moved, how lithe his body was, how there was no hesitation on his part. He was in complete control of his body and his abilities as if there was no thought process needed, only action and reaction.

  The cannons multiplied, and Kelly swallowed hard. Mars tapped the gauntlet, and the edges of a large light shield appeared before they faded. Kelly was more than aware that just because he couldn’t see the shield didn’t mean it wasn’t there. Technology had come so far, and yet, as he watched Mars fire his weapons and block with his shield, he wondered how far they had really come. Suddenly the cannons stopped, and the panels closed. Was that it? Was it over? Just as the thought crossed his mind, half a dozen floor-level panels opened, and three-dimensional holographic soldiers flooded out. Kelly couldn’t help his gasp. The digital soldiers might not be real, but the weapons in their hands and the way they all charged Mars said the pain they were programmed to inflict, the blood they’d draw from Mars, would be very real.