Science Fiction Romance: The Heiress and Her Cybernetic Lover (Robot Android Love Novella) (New Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy) Read online

   Copyright 2016 by Olivia Myers - All rights reserved.

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  The Heiress and Her Cybernetic Lover

  Science Fiction Romance

  By: Olivia Myers

  Contents

  The Heiress and Her Cybernetic Lover

  Biomechanical Hearts

  Mated by the Cyborg

  Pleasure In the Stars

  Dreaming of Electric Love

  In the Arms of the Dragon

  Soft Kiss Books

  Thank You

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  The Heiress and Her Cybernetic Lover

  “Hello, Green Peak,” Quinn Morgan whispered with mixed emotions. Her taxi whizzed along a highway which curled through stately mountains.

  The windows of the taxi were down because she’d wanted to feel the wind blowing on her face. Strands of her long, wavy blond hair whipped around, but she couldn’t care less. She was too preoccupied with the new environment.

  Soon she would be exploring Green Peak’s dainty and rustic shops and concept stores. It was an adventure for a city girl like her who was used to living within tall buildings, cramped spaces, and crowded streets. At least the taxi was modern. The cabbie was all human, but there was a robotic mirror that alerted him to approaching vehicles that got too close.

  But as she neared her destination, her heart began to thump harder. Her palms grew sweaty. She had no idea what to expect. All she knew was that her grandfather, James Morgan, had left his entire estate to her when he’d passed away a few weeks ago. She hadn’t even met James Morgan, and she was supposedly the only heiress.

  Her teenage stepsister, Elise, had reacted in typical Elise faction when Quinn had shared the news over the phone. “Well, I guess old James picked the perfect time to kick the bucket. Didn’t you just get fired?”

  “Ouch,” Quinn had responded. “You make it sound as if I’m such a loser! For your information, I did not get fired. I couldn’t take my boss’s demeaning attitude any longer, which is why I resigned.”

  “Yeah, yeah, we both know that,” Elise had said. “But Quinn, you’re twenty-four years old, and you need to think ahead. This is a big responsibility—it’s practically like winning the lottery!”

  Quinn had sighed, wondering if Elise was really a forty-year-old trapped inside the body of an eighteen-year-old. “I never knew my grandfather because Dad wasn’t on speaking terms with him. They hadn’t talked since before I was born. So I have no idea if he’s actually rich. For all we know, he’s probably left me a rundown house, a beat-up truck, and an old horse!”

  Elise had laughed in response. “Just go there and see for yourself. Talk to that lawyer who called you, sell everything, and come back here to the city.”

  It had taken Quinn another week before realizing that Elise had a point. This was, after all, an unexpected blessing. And in her current situation, any form or amount of added fortune would be of great help, even if it was only the selling price of a rusted pick-up truck.

  She had already sold most of her stuff and didn’t have a single dime of savings to her name. At least that had taken care of her monthly bills as she’d tried to search for a new job. No new jobs were forthcoming, however. Apparently, she’d alienated a lot of people with her take-no-shit attitude. Eventually, after talking to her mom and doing a lot of thinking, she’d decided it was worth the risk to just head over to Green Peak and live in her late grandfather’s house for a while.

  Green Peak, Montana was quite a small town. Having researched it before coming over, Quinn learned that it had plenty of natural resources and was a wonderful community to live in—if you wanted a break from the fast-paced and ultra-modern way of life.

  “Goodbye, modern America,” she muttered, already missing her robotic dog which she’d left in Elise’s care. “Welcome back to the ‘old school’ days.”

  The taxi driver suddenly halted. Quinn had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that they had already turned a corner and were now parked in front of a grand, tall metal gate. Beyond it she could see a well-manicured lawn and lush, lovely landscaping. The surrounding walls on either side of the gate were quite high so there was really nothing else to see.

  “Where are we?” Quinn asked, shifting in her seat to try to get a better look.

  “This is the address you gave me,” the driver said. He gave her a quizzical look. “Are you related to the late James Morgan?”

  “Uh, yes, he’s my grandfather,” Quinn answered with some hesitation.

  “Wow,” the man breathed, looking stunned. “He was one amazing fellow! Almost nobody knew about his wealth, but he always helped out the people here in town.”

  “That’s interesting,” Quinn said, her mind whirring with tons of questions and speculations.

  “Are you the lucky heiress of this mansion?” he inquired.

  Quinn shrugged. She was suddenly afraid that he might be some crook trying to fish information out of her. He didn’t look like one, though. Perhaps she was being paranoid because she’d grown up in a neighborhood filled with bandits, con artists, and the like.

  Without giving up any other details about herself, she paid the fare and thanked him.

  She stood in front of the gate with her luggage and a duffel bag, wondering where the buzzer was. So “old man James,” as Elise had nicknamed him, had actually been wealthy after all. Quinn smiled, thinking of how much she’d have to tell Elise.

  She’d always been used to having just enough and needing to work her ass off for money. If it had been Elise or her best friend Jessica in her place now, they would have jumped with joy already. But the lifestyle of the rich and famous had never attracted Quinn, so it wasn’t overwhelming her so much—yet. What was getting to her, actually, was the unknown life that awaited her beyond those imposing steel gates.

  “Welcome, Miss Quinn Morgan,” an automated woman’s voice suddenly said, almost making Quinn jump.

  A hologram of a woman in business attire appeared in front of her, smiling and giving a little bow. “We are expecting you. Please come in.”

  “Wow,” Quinn simply murmured. “Not so backward here, after all.”

  The enormous gate opened on mechanized hinges, just enough to let her in. She hesitantly and self-consciously walked forward, guessing that there were probably security cameras everywhere.

  There was a huge modern cart designed like a fancy sports car waiting for her. “Let me take you to the mansion, Miss Morgan,” the car said in a formal male voice.

  She wasn’t surprised to see a talking cart—they were everywhere in airports and the fancier places in the city which, although she hadn’t frequented, she had seen from afar.

  What did make her gasp, though, was when the cart sprouted jointed arms which lifted her
things into the back seat. For a minute, she stood and stared at it..

  “Hop on, Miss Morgan,” the cart said in a friendly manner. “Attorney Rodriguez is waiting for you.”

  Wordlessly, she did as she was told. She’d already need at least an hour to tell Elise about this place—she couldn’t even imagine what other crazy things awaited.

  ***

  The receiving area of the sprawling two-story mansion was impressively lavish—modern yet homey, with a mountain resort feel. It looked like the kind of place she’d see in ski lodges in the movies.

  “Good morning, Miss Morgan,” a deep male voice said once she’d stepped fully inside.

  Quinn whipped around at the voice. Her eyes widened at the sight of the tall, dark-haired hunk in an expensive-looking navy blue suit. He had piercing dark brown eyes and looked very formal and uptight. Even though he was smiling, the smile didn’t seem to reach his eyes.

  He looks like a mafia leader, Quinn thought. A seriously gorgeous but scary-looking mafia leader.

  “My name is Ivan. I am here at your service, ma’am,” he said, bowing. “Please follow me.”

  As Quinn walked behind him, she couldn’t help staring at his broad shoulders and at the bulky muscles she could imagine lay beneath his sophisticated ensemble. He led her toward a vast living room with plush chairs and sofas, and a very high ceiling from which dangled a glistening crystal chandelier.

  “Miss Morgan!” a friendly-looking Hispanic woman said cheerfully, rushing forward to shake her hand. She had smooth skin, but the gray in her hair and faint wrinkles around her eyes made her look like she was maybe in her fifties. “I’m so glad you made it. I’m Ms. Rodriguez, your grandfather’s lawyer.”

  “Hello, Ms. Rodriguez,” Quinn said with a big smile. She immediately felt at ease. The woman’s positive mood was contagious. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Please, call me Carmela. It’s much nicer to meet you, the only granddaughter of James Morgan!” Carmela gushed, squeezing Quinn’s hands briefly. “I can’t believe it. You actually have his eyes.”

  “Really?” Quinn had never seen her grandfather nor any picture of him, so she wouldn’t know.

  “Yes, really,” Carmela said. “Please, have a seat.”

  They sat on the plush sofa, smiling at each other. From Quinn’s peripheral vision, she saw the mysterious hunky man move to the side and fold his arms across his chest. He looked like one of those bodyguards she saw in the movies. His face had no expression and he simply stood straight without moving, waiting for instructions.

  “I understand you have never met James Morgan,” Carmela began in a more serious tone.

  “Uh, nope,” Quinn said, shaking her head.

  “That’s him,” she said, pointing to a big portrait on the far wall near the grand staircase.

  Quinn followed her finger and was amazed to discover the close resemblance between James Morgan and her own father. She felt a pang, missing her father, who’d died in an accident several years before. It should be him sitting here, getting handed the family wealth. Or they’d get the money together, and he’d be able to guide Quinn best on how to use it.

  There was no sense in thinking about that—she’d have to do her best alone.

  As she gazed at the portrait, she felt oddly comforted. The image of her grandfather was that of a successful yet kind-hearted man. His eyes were the same shade of blue as hers, bright with passion and kindness. His smile looked genuine, just like her dad’s smile, which she remembered seeing only once or twice throughout her lifetime.

  “You probably know that he and your dad had a falling out, which is why you never met him,” Carmela said. “It had hurt him so much. He did attempt reconciliation many times, but your father was a very proud man. James knew that his only son, Jack, would not want to show himself unless he had already reached a certain level of success.”

  “My dad had great pride in his business,” Quinn agreed. “But when he died in an accident, Mom wasn’t able to sustain it. It’s still operational, but it’s just not her thing.”

  Carmela nodded. She then went on to explain that she’d worked for James Morgan’s empire ever since she’d graduated from law school. Later on, she became his personal attorney. “Since you are his only grandchild, he wanted you to have everything.”

  Carmela presented a couple of official-looking documents which Quinn barely understood. Among many other things, Quinn did comprehend that she’d actually inherited the mansion and all of James Morgan’s businesses and properties.

  “He’d transferred all of them to your name so no worries about that,” Carmela assured her. Then she took out some bank statements which totaled about a hundred million dollars in liquid cash.

  “He was filthy rich,” Quinn couldn’t help exclaiming. “What business was he into? I’ve never heard of him!”

  “He ran different businesses and kept a low profile,” the attorney said. “He’s in the oil and mining industry, hotel and construction businesses, and more. He also has—well, you have, now—a couple of charitable foundations. But don’t worry; there are able and trustworthy men and women currently running the Morgan companies.”

  “Okay.” Quinn couldn’t process all of the information. Could she possibly be the sole owner of all this? It was unbelievable, some kind of Cinderella or rags-to-riches story.

  “For now, it’s important for you to take your time getting used to living here and adjusting to your new lifestyle,” Carmela said. “Don’t worry about anything because there are enough servants and assistants here at your beck and call. They are all under the care of your personal butler and assistant.”

  Quinn felt as if she was getting dizzy. “Butler and assistant?” she squeaked.

  “Yes, I believe you’ve met Ivan?” The lawyer then turned around to face Ivan, the brawny, good-looking man standing in one corner of the room. He nodded to them in a strange yet gentle manner.

  “Oh, Ivan,” Quinn said, forcing herself to smile at the guy even though she found him totally weird. “I thought he was some sort of executive here or perhaps a bodyguard or something.”

  Carmela laughed. “Well, personally, I think he really is too intelligent to be just a butler. You see, he’s actually a cybernetic human who was given to your father as a gift. One of his colleagues had a company that made robots so he had his specialists design this man as a prototype for advanced butlers.”

  “So he’s half-human and half-robot, you mean?” Quinn whispered in shock. She stole a glance at Ivan’s direction but he did not seem affected by the conversation at all.

  “Yes, you could say that. His mind and functions have been programmed so he could be the best butler. Also, some of his body parts have been replaced with metal. So I guess that could qualify him as a good bodyguard too… But of course, we also have security personnel here to keep you safe and sound.”

  Quinn looked at Ivan again, this time conjuring up images of his so-called metal body parts. Quickly she reprimanded herself in silence for letting her imagination run wild.

  “Is he aware that he’s human?” she wondered aloud.

  “Doesn’t seem like it,” Carmela answered. “But you’ll get to know him and find out for yourself. He may look frightening, but he’s really kind. He’s very efficient too.”

  Quinn nodded. She was seriously worried about the kind of life that she’d be living from now on. On one hand, it was bound to be an adventure! On the other hand, there were plenty of things that made her anxious. Everything was still so new and overwhelming.

  Carmela briefed her some more on other matters. Toward the end, she handed her a new phone which looked like nothing Quinn had ever seen before. “This is yours. My number is there so just call me if you need help with anything. There’s also an app there called Morgan Estate, which allows you to view all the security cameras around here as well as control various things like lights, music, and even stocking the refrigerator. You can contact the mansion’s personnel
there too.”

  “Wow, thank you,” Quinn said, staring at the sleek, cutting-edge smartphone in her hand.

  “Oh, and here are your bank access cards,” Carmela added, handing Quinn three transparent cards with built-in computer chips. “You can only withdraw from these three. The other bank accounts are for your savings, investments, trust funds, and retirement plan.”

  “Wow, I have trust funds and a retirement plan?”

  “Of course. Everything had been taken care of.”

  “Right,” Quinn murmured. Why did she feel like nothing was in place when everything had apparently been taken care of?

  ***

  Her first few days as the heiress of the Morgan estate went by in an uneventful breeze. She was bored out of her wits.

  Because of all the servants in the house, she had nothing to do. She wasn’t used to waking up with her breakfast ready, having a spotless room every single day without having to lift a finger, and even having live musicians come to entertain her.

  “You’re living the life of a queen,” Elise had told her over the phone. “What’s to complain about? Don’t be so negative!”

  Quinn knew Elise had a point. She should just be enjoying all of these things, after having struggled for years to get through college and live independently, struggling to make ends meet. But Quinn liked being busy. She couldn’t help but feel guilty that she was undeserving of this boon.

  One afternoon, as she was channel-surfing in the entertainment room with the built-in home cinema, her new phone rang. It was her mom.

  “Hi, Quinn! I miss you, honey,” her mother said warmly. “What’s this I’ve been hearing from Elise?”

  “Don’t mind her, Mom. I’m absolutely fine and dandy here! Just so, so, so bored!”

  “I heard that house has its own spa, an entertainment area, a game room, a swimming pool, and much more!” her mother exclaimed. “I think you’re bored because you’re not opening up to that new life. Enjoy it, sweetheart. Think about it this way: now that you don’t need to worry about money, go and do things you’ve always dreamed of! Travel, go out and meet new people, embark on your very own project, shop until you drop…”