Dustwalker

A robot searching for purpose. A woman who brings him to life. Can they learn to love in a broken world?
With his core programming lost to time, Ronin has wandered the Dust for nearly two centuries. Out in that unforgiving wasteland, his armored undercasing, advanced optics, and amped-up processors give him an advantage over other scavengers. He’s resigned himself to this unending trek until one night—until one human—makes him question everything.
Lara Brooks and her sister have spent their lives struggling to survive under the tyrannical rule of Cheyenne’s robotic master, Warlord. But when her sister goes missing, Lara has no one to turn to, no one willing to help her. She’s utterly alone. Her only hope comes from a bot she catches spying on her.
Ronin agrees to protect Lara and find her sister. All she must do in return is dance for him.
The transaction should be simple. Lara’s danced for bots before. Yet the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for her to see him as nothing but a collection of circuits and machinery.
And Ronin soon finds it difficult to deny what shouldn’t be possible…
She makes him feel.
But if Ronin defies Cheyenne’s rules to pursue his growing desires, he risks exposing Lara to a danger far greater than any found in the unforgiving wasteland—Warlord’s wrath.-------Warning: Contains dark themes. Check author's website for all content warnings.