Free MaleAndroidCompanion by MacKenzie McKade Page A

really should get back here and get to work. Tell
you what. I’ll take your place.”
    Marc chortled. “I’m sure you would. Listen
to me. No one can know about this arrangement. As far as you know I’ve already
departed for my vacation.”
    “What? You’re staying? With her?”
    “Yes.”
    “Have you told her the truth?”
    Silence stretched between them.
    “This has disaster written all over it, my
friend.” When Marc once again didn’t respond, Toil added, “But what a way to
go. Be careful.”
    “I will. I’ll have my cell phone with me if
anything comes up. Later.” Before Marc buried the telephone beneath his
clothes, he placed it on vibe. His gaze was drawn to the door between him and
Nirvana.
    “What the hell.” With a great big smile he
headed toward her bedroom.
    * * * * *
    Gia had arranged for their late dinner to
be served on the balcony in the privacy of her bedroom. Two candles sat on a
lacy tablecloth, flickering in the soft breeze, adding to the ambience of the
star-studded night.
    Distant laughter and music touched her
ears. Somewhere down below, one of her neighbors was barbecuing, adding to the
juicy scent of the feast before her. Glancing across the table toward Marc, she
placed the cool rim of her flute against her bottom lip and sipped at the
champagne. The last bite of food on his plate disappeared into his mouth.
    Android or not, he had a hearty appetite.
All of the seared prawns were gone, as well as the braised short ribs with root
vegetables and pearl onions. For a moment, she wondered where he packed all
that food, and how exactly did he dispose of it?
    Uhhh… Not going there.
    Picking up his napkin, Marc dabbed his
mouth before settling back in his chair. A contented expression spread across
his face. “ Ahhh. ” He stretched, loosening the sash around the satiny
black robe he wore that matched hers. The sides fell apart, giving her a good
view of his impressive broad chest.
    “Good?” Her glass nearly fell over as she
set it upon the table, but she righted it just in time.
    “Delicious.” He scrutinized her barely
touched plate. “You didn’t eat much. Something wrong?” His expression fell.
“I’m sorry.”
    “No need.” Before dinner she had returned
Karen’s telephone call. The picture of her, Doug and Mary outside her dressing
room had been plastered across the nine o’clock news. The cat was out of the
bag. “I had to do a quick interview with my publicist and speak with a billion
reporters.” Well, not a billion, but even one of the intrusive journalists was
one too many. “My dirty laundry has officially been hung out for everyone to
see, including my parents.”
    Her mother’s call had come in shortly after
Gia’s shower and Marc’s incredible backrub that included warm oil and another
tumble between the sheets. As expected, her mother was beside herself until
Gia, in an attempt to ease her mom’s mind, mentioned Marc, her new boyfriend.
Before she knew it she had promised her mother that he would be accompanying
her to Oregon. Of course, she couldn’t take the android home. Even if her
sister and mother fell for his good looks, her father and brothers would see
through the façade.
    Marc’s backbone went rigid as he
straightened in his chair. Reaching across the table, he placed his warm palm
atop hers. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Is there anything I can do?”
    “Make it all disappear?” she said, half
joking, but in reality she wished she had never taken Doug up on that one
lonely night after fifteen hours of filming. What she needed now was for the
public to forget about her, Doug and Mary, but she worried that wouldn’t happen
anytime soon.
    “I wish I could, honey.”
    She sighed. “Me too.”
    Picking up her dessert fork, she stabbed at
the tiramisu sitting by her water glass, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat
any. “According to Antares, the number of paparazzi outside the mansion has
grown tenfold.” She forked the dessert