sides.
“Do you like the new upgrades?” Lucas tilted his head to the left to see her clearly.
“They are interesting. The slang chip and the facial recognition will be very useful. Humans express so much with their faces,” Kaitlyn responded stoically looking up at him briefly. “Sixty to seventy percent of meaning is derived from nonverbal behavior in communication. I think I’ll understand people better now.” Her gaze carefully scanned the perimeter.
Lucas knew she was looking for threats. As she was programmed. He flinched at the reference to ‘humans.’
“Like now,” she spoke up again, her grey eyes moving to settle on his face. “You flinched. I know it bothers you when I say humans. I wouldn’t have picked that up before.”
“We should have thought of adding the program sooner.”
“I agree. I didn’t realize so many words had double meanings.”
They drew near to Kaitlyn’s favorite tree. He wondered if she would notice the sturdy birch today. The new chip should have removed that preference from her mind.
Lucas realized he had a lot in common with the tree. Kate shouldn’t be attracted to him and yet she had been.
She didn’t say anything as they passed the large tree.
A wave of sadness washed over him; the old Kaitlyn was gone.
“Can we go that way?” She pointed off to the right where a slant-roofed gardner’s shed sat illuminated by a security light.
“Of course.” Lucas was puzzled that she would want to change direction. Maybe her sensors had picked up on something in that area.
Once they reached a large oak tree, Kaitlyn sat down and shifted to the side to make room for him.
After a slight hesitation, Lucas sank down to the ground beside her. He braced himself for the cold, distant Kaitlyn. Her knee brushed his and sent a jolt through him. He longed to touch her, to lean over and capture her lips again and feel her warmth, but he kept his hands by his side. He would have to live with his decision. His unhappiness for the sake of the project. Dear God, what had he become?
“What did you want to ask me?” Kaitlyn asked, her palms resting lightly on her thighs. In the twilight, her legs looked long and pale.
Lucas flushed. “Oh. Umm, I just kinda made that up. I wanted to see you.”
“I was hoping you would come by.”
“You were?” he said, surprised. He hadn’t been expecting that at all.
She nodded and cast her grey eyes upward to meet his. The moment their gazes met, he felt like he was falling.
He couldn’t stop himself; it was as if she was pulling him towards her, drawing him in. Next thing he knew, his lips were crashing down on hers, and her arms were behind his head, pulling him closer. His eyes widened in surprise, and he dropped the folder. She was soft and pliant beneath his hands, her mouth moving against his, timid, and then needy.
She’s still in there—but that’s impossible.
All thought left his mind, and he closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax into hers. Nothing had ever felt so right in his life even though he knew it was so wrong.
He broke away gasping. This wasn’t possible. She shouldn’t be acting like this. He had fixed the coding personally. “Kate…”
“Why did you stop?” she gasped, curling her fingers into his shirt as if going to pull him back.
Lucas dropped his hands from her shoulders and tried to gather his thoughts. “What do you feel for me?”
“I-I don’t know. I like the way you make me feel when you kiss me. Everything fades away, and it’s just us. My mind calms.”
“Is that the same way you felt yesterday?”
“Yes. Why are you asking these questions? Do you not want to kiss me?”
“What?” Lucas couldn’t help the laugh that burst from him. He traced a palm down her cheek. “No, it’s not that. I want to kiss you more than I’ve ever wanted anything before in my life. It just doesn’t make sense. You shouldn’t have emotions towards me. You shouldn’t have emotions at all .
“Do you like the new upgrades?” Lucas tilted his head to the left to see her clearly.
“They are interesting. The slang chip and the facial recognition will be very useful. Humans express so much with their faces,” Kaitlyn responded stoically looking up at him briefly. “Sixty to seventy percent of meaning is derived from nonverbal behavior in communication. I think I’ll understand people better now.” Her gaze carefully scanned the perimeter.
Lucas knew she was looking for threats. As she was programmed. He flinched at the reference to ‘humans.’
“Like now,” she spoke up again, her grey eyes moving to settle on his face. “You flinched. I know it bothers you when I say humans. I wouldn’t have picked that up before.”
“We should have thought of adding the program sooner.”
“I agree. I didn’t realize so many words had double meanings.”
They drew near to Kaitlyn’s favorite tree. He wondered if she would notice the sturdy birch today. The new chip should have removed that preference from her mind.
Lucas realized he had a lot in common with the tree. Kate shouldn’t be attracted to him and yet she had been.
She didn’t say anything as they passed the large tree.
A wave of sadness washed over him; the old Kaitlyn was gone.
“Can we go that way?” She pointed off to the right where a slant-roofed gardner’s shed sat illuminated by a security light.
“Of course.” Lucas was puzzled that she would want to change direction. Maybe her sensors had picked up on something in that area.
Once they reached a large oak tree, Kaitlyn sat down and shifted to the side to make room for him.
After a slight hesitation, Lucas sank down to the ground beside her. He braced himself for the cold, distant Kaitlyn. Her knee brushed his and sent a jolt through him. He longed to touch her, to lean over and capture her lips again and feel her warmth, but he kept his hands by his side. He would have to live with his decision. His unhappiness for the sake of the project. Dear God, what had he become?
“What did you want to ask me?” Kaitlyn asked, her palms resting lightly on her thighs. In the twilight, her legs looked long and pale.
Lucas flushed. “Oh. Umm, I just kinda made that up. I wanted to see you.”
“I was hoping you would come by.”
“You were?” he said, surprised. He hadn’t been expecting that at all.
She nodded and cast her grey eyes upward to meet his. The moment their gazes met, he felt like he was falling.
He couldn’t stop himself; it was as if she was pulling him towards her, drawing him in. Next thing he knew, his lips were crashing down on hers, and her arms were behind his head, pulling him closer. His eyes widened in surprise, and he dropped the folder. She was soft and pliant beneath his hands, her mouth moving against his, timid, and then needy.
She’s still in there—but that’s impossible.
All thought left his mind, and he closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax into hers. Nothing had ever felt so right in his life even though he knew it was so wrong.
He broke away gasping. This wasn’t possible. She shouldn’t be acting like this. He had fixed the coding personally. “Kate…”
“Why did you stop?” she gasped, curling her fingers into his shirt as if going to pull him back.
Lucas dropped his hands from her shoulders and tried to gather his thoughts. “What do you feel for me?”
“I-I don’t know. I like the way you make me feel when you kiss me. Everything fades away, and it’s just us. My mind calms.”
“Is that the same way you felt yesterday?”
“Yes. Why are you asking these questions? Do you not want to kiss me?”
“What?” Lucas couldn’t help the laugh that burst from him. He traced a palm down her cheek. “No, it’s not that. I want to kiss you more than I’ve ever wanted anything before in my life. It just doesn’t make sense. You shouldn’t have emotions towards me. You shouldn’t have emotions at all .
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