Free The Virtual Man [The Virtual Reality 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Nikki Sinclaire Page A

the two separate anomalies are in some way related.”
    “Well, if my man is the one issuing the signals, rest assured you will not find their source. He’s that good. We’ll have to find him directly through more conventional means. He is a master of technology.”

Chapter 9

Vacationing at Sundes II
    The twin suns showered their rays upon Tiana’s skin. She had never experienced anything quite as freeing as sunbathing in the nude before. She had simply mentioned to Derek that she had always wanted to vacation on Sundes II, a tropical ocean planet with a smattering of islands where the indigenous population worshipped the planet’s two suns. Next thing she knew, he had written a holographic simulation of the planet for her. She tried explaining to him that even her generous expense account didn’t cover customized programming but he had insisted it would be complimentary. Who was she to argue?
    He had done an admirable job. She could feel the cool breeze caressing her sun-warmed breasts. The gentle roar of the waves came and went as they, in typical sporadic fashion, rolled upon the beach. She could even smell the vast ocean’s salt and seaweed.
    Tiana slowly opened her eyes. Men and women, all as naked as she was, wandered to and fro along the wide expanse of beach. Looking at the ocean, she watched a familiar figure slowly walking out of the water. With every step, more of his body became exposed to her gaze as it rose out of the water. The pads of muscle over his shoulders and chest were unmistakably Derek’s. Another few steps brought his tight abdomen out of the water for her perusal. Her patience was finally rewarded as another few steps revealed the blackness of his curls followed by his manhood. Tiana watched mesmerized as drops of water made their way down the length of his body flowing in free-form patterns that she imagined tracing with her tongue.
    As Derek approached his lounge chair, adjacent to hers, his eyes diverted from the chair and fixed upon her body as the look of a man who had not eaten in days filled his handsome mug. Tiana just watched him looking at her, saying nothing for fear of breaking the spell of the moment.
    “Nice outfit,” he finally said.
    “Glad you approve, particularly since you wrote the program void of bathing suits,” she retorted tartly.
    “I simply wrote the program as true to the planet and its customs as possible,” he defended. “The Sundesians are sunworshippers. They believe that the rays emanating from their two suns carry their gods’ messages to them. For this reason, their laws forbid the covering of their bodies. That way they can be as in tune with their deities’ desires as possible.”
    “How convenient. I’ll bet they are a male-dominated society, aren’t they?”
    “Quite the opposite. It is their women who govern and legislate most of their laws.”
    Typical snotty AI
, she thought,
thinks it knows everything.
    “Cut out the history lessons and pass me the sunscreen nanos,” Tiana told Derek abruptly.
    “Sorry, we are on Sundes II. Nanos are not allowed because—”
    “No, no, don’t tell me. They interfere with the sun gods’ ability to communicate their will to their people.”
    “Right. Now you’re getting the hang of it.” Derek smiled.
    Oh no! The smile,
she thought.
I’m melting, I’m melting. If clothes are going to be outlawed, then that damned smile should be outlawed too.
    “Derek, I am a fair-skinned redhead. I don’t tan. I burn and I freckle, but I don’t tan. I need my nanos.”
    “No you don’t. What you do need, however, is milk from the cuidian aloe plant. It grows in most tropical climates except for Earth.”
    “I am not drinking some plant’s milk. That sounds gross.”
    “No, silly girl, you don’t drink it. You apply it to your skin,” Derek corrected her and chuckled. She was such a provincial city girl.
    “Oh yeah, well, how am I going to get it on my back, huh? Nanos are way easier. You just need