Several of their sessions in the last week had involved his spanking bench. Tonight, he needed more. He brought her over to the shorter bench in the room and placed her down on the floor. “Lie down,” he ordered her.
When she bent over, her ass in the air facing him, he smiled. Such a treasure. “No, Fallon. On your back.”
She hesitated slightly, and he gave her a warning smack on her firm, sweet butt. Her body jerked around, and she lay down on the bench. He had to take a deep breath when her legs naturally splayed open to reveal her glistening, pink lips. Her body knew what her mind didn’t. That she was his. When she crossed her arms over her breasts, he smiled. Her mind, not her body, had control of her hands, and he pulled them away. “Never hide your body from me, Fallon,” he told her, his tone harsh and gravely.
He retrieved a pair of handcuffs and clicked her wrists together beneath the bench. The snick of the cuffs made Fallon gasp, and he took one pert nipple in his mouth while he restrained her. This pair of restraints had a long chain that he ran through a ring in the floor. He stood and surveyed his work.
Her ass hung on the edge of the bench and her feet barely reached the carpet. With her hands cuffed behind her back under the bench, her breasts and belly were exposed to his perusal. He loved the way her thigh muscles tensed as he stared at her. “Keep your eyes on me.”
It was torture. It was amazing. With her gaze locked on him, he stroked his cock for her. He noticed her nipples tightened, and she shifted, restless. Slow and easy, he ran his hands up her inner thighs, his hard length pressed against her waiting entrance. He bent down and took one nipple deep in his mouth, and she whimpered.
His cock dipped just inside her pussy, her moan like sweet music to his ears. Her head tossed back and forth when he switched to her other nipple. He swirled his tongue over the rigid flesh. Control was the name of the game, but his grip was tenuous. The way she arched her hips and twined her legs around his made him want to sink deep inside her heat, but he wanted her to beg, to cry out his name, to call him Master.
Her sob of frustration echoed in the room, and he lifted his head to hold her gaze. “You know what I want, Fallon.”
“Matthew,” she cried and bathed the tip of his cock with fresh wetness.
“Give it to me,” he demanded as his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her hips. “Say it.”
Her clouded eyes cleared, and she shuddered. “Master, please,” she whispered.
“Louder,” he said harshly. He twisted his hips to deepen his penetration, but still kept her on edge, not giving her relief.
“Master,” she shouted.
“That’s right, Fallon,” he murmured. He lifted her legs until her ankles rested on his shoulders, opening her wider to his invasion.
He thrust deep and watched the way her face twitched while she shattered beneath him. Harder, faster, deeper, he used his cock to drive her higher until her whimpers rose to a keening cry. When she squeezed him, her pulsating response made him grit his teeth to hang on. He wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.
When he bent farther, his mouth hovered over hers, her ankles crossed behind his neck. Her breath stopped, her eyes flew open, and her gaze locked with his. Time stood still, and he stayed buried deep within her for what seemed like a blissful eternity. Then, he reared back and owned her.
She screamed, and his cock was awash in her cum. He growled and devoured her mouth while he thrust inside her faster and faster. His release boiled up to his balls, burning him, flooding him with sensations. When her body went rigid again, he let go and streamed his cum inside her.
Beneath him, she went wild, her tongue dancing with his frantically. He kept up rhythmic movements, and she shuddered and shook. He broke their kiss and pressed his lips along her neck. Her pulse pounded under his mouth, and he reveled in the satisfying sensation.
He raised his head to stare at her face. “You’re perfect,” he murmured.
“I never thought… Matthew, I don’t even know what a submissive is.”
He laughed softly and brushed her lips with his. “You do. You just don’t know you do.”
She sighed. “It was wonderful.”
“We’re not done yet, baby,” he told her gently. “I’m still courting you.”
Her smile sent his whole body on sexual alert. “I like your way much better than the Earth way,” she said in a low, sultry voice. “There’s only one problem.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And what’s that?”
“I want to touch you.” Her gaze met his, and his cock swelled. Damn. How the hell did she do that?
His fingers fumbled for the key to the cuffs he’d left on the floor next to the ring. When he clicked them open, she drove her fingers into his hair. When she reached up to press her lips to his, he fell deeper into the chasm of love.
Did she have any idea that he couldn’t live without her, that his life had been an empty wasteland before she’d crashed into his life? Did she know his heart was in her sweet hands? The words hovered on his lips, but he held back. This connection, this claiming, hadn’t been her choice. She needed time to decide whether she wanted more from him.
Then, she thrust her hips toward him, and he forgot to think at all.
Chapter Fifteen
Bruised and languid, Fallon stretched. The morning light, bright and sparkling, streamed through one of the bedroom windows. She reached her hand out and slid her fingers over Matthew’s spine. He stirred beneath her hand and turned toward her in his sleep.
How many times had he taken her? Too many to count. Her body had a deliciously used feeling, and she hadn’t ever been this relaxed with anyone. His arms wrapped around her, and he kissed her gently. “Good morning,” he rasped, his voice low and sexy.
“Mmmm,” she managed. His hands, warm and firm, ran over her back to her shoulders. She nuzzled his lips and melted into him.
“I’m going to be late,” he groaned.
She sighed. “I suppose you shouldn’t keep Michael waiting. He’s so impatient.”
“He’s made up his mind about what’s supposed to happen. He wants us to be ready.” Matthew kissed her and rolled out of bed. “Want to go with me?”
She shook her head. “Dr. Carstairs sent me more DNA information I need to study.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Has that been bothering you?” He ran an agitated hand through his hair. “We should have asked you.”
She crawled across the bed and hugged him. “You couldn’t ask me.” She cupped his face and turned his head to face her. “I was dying, Matthew. Kinley Pasquel saved me. You and Trista saved me. Don’t think I’ll forget that.”
He jerked her into his lap and kissed her breath away. When he finally lifted his head, he tightened his arms around her. “What you need to remember is this is your home now,” he said roughly. “We are your people, your family.”
Tears pricked her eyes. Why would they do that? Her father had ordered Trista and Michael’s parents killed, murdered when they were just children, defenseless. She traced the blaster scar shaped like a star on Matthew’s shoulder. Even this man had been wounded by the machinations of her father’s political ambitions. Yet, he cared for her, made love to her, and had opened up sexual vistas she’d only glimpsed before.
“Matthew,” she began in a strangled voice, then whispered, “I’m so afraid for you.”
He grinned. “Now, that has to be a first. No one has ever feared for my safety.”
“Your mother,” she said with a frown.
He shook his head. “My mother accepted years ago that I would risk my life for the sheer hell of it.” He stroked her hair. “I’ll be careful, baby. I promise.”
While he showered, Fallon thought about the changes in her life. Everything Matthew promised had happened. The council treated her as an asset, not an enemy. Amazingly, she was privy to private meetings. Their trust in her humbled her.
Several times, she’d gone toe-to-toe with her new Claimed partner, b
ut Matthew proved himself to be a scrappy fighter and a reasoned politician. The one council member who she clashed with the most, however, was Michael Tarune.
Though he had suggested the Claiming, Michael was the most skeptical of her contributions to the council. He kept on her, testing her mettle, always questioning, always probing. Their spars were never uncomfortable, which surprised her. Apparently, the Asberek way of politics was passionate, even violent, disagreement followed by general consensus.
Michael prepared for war, while Fallon advocated more diplomacy. Even though Michael predicted aggression, Fallon hoped to avert violence. These were some of the same arguments she and her father had on Earth. The difference on Asberek was startling. Where her father dismissed her peaceful solutions as pipe dreams, Michael argued each point, grudgingly giving way to some of her suggestions.
Ultimately, it was the vid pictures of the coming Earth Central armada that changed even her arguments. She sighed. The destruction of the colony was inevitable. How could she minimize the carnage?
“You’re worrying,” Matthew said when he strode out of the bathroom in a towel. “Don’t make me punish you,” he joked.
She stared at him, her bare feet on the floor at the end of the bed. He seemed so confident, so in control, and she envied that. Even with danger on every side, he believed they’d win. Fallon shivered. All she knew was her father’s will to gain power. The determination in this group of people stumped her.
Perhaps it was something in their history. It didn’t seem like the colonists on Asberek were any different from other colonists. They were picked by lottery so many of them were ordinary, every day people. Some of them were brilliant scientists essentially abandoned on Asberek. Out of the three hundred and fifty founding members of the Asberek colony, only seventy of them were viewed as “exceptional” by Earth Central. Yet, this second generation showed signs of being more than exceptional.
Matthew dressed efficiently while she ruminated about the colony. He was an excellent example of the second generation producing a surprise. Though he tested high in every academic area, like his mother, it was his aptitude for politics and global relations that stunned Earth Central.
Where did Trista and Michael fall in those categories? Since Matthew had unofficially Claimed her, she’d met many of the second generation who were like the Tarunes. What surprised her was the way they accepted her, even though she had been a representative for Earth Central.
It was odd. They were like any other normal couple when Matthew leaned down and kissed her. “I hate to leave you,” he said.
She waved her hand. “Get out of here. You’re a distraction anyway.”
He grinned, and her stomach flopped. Oh Stars. I love him. Stunned, she gaped at him, and his smile faded. “Are you okay?”
Okay? No. Never. I’ve fallen in love, and everything else is coming apart. “I’m fine.” She kissed him. “I’ll meet you at council later.”
His gaze held hers, his dark eyes brilliant and intense. Then, he was gone, and Fallon let out a long, slow breath. When had it happened?
It seemed like it had been there a long time. Why else would she be willing to submit to him? How many times had he showed her tender emotions? Hell, he saved her life. He was still saving her life.
While she dressed, she reviewed all the time they’d spent together. It seemed like the blink of an eye and like an eternity. So much had happened in such a short space of time. Now, his home was her home.
A dull throb of pain pulsed when she plopped down into his desk chair, a reminder that much of their time together was pleasure. It was difficult to concentrate on the files Dr. Carstairs had sent her.
She bit her lip. Matthew had been forced to claim her to save her life. Had he meant it when he said they could have more?
The vid phone rang. With a sigh, Fallon reached over and pressed the button, her thoughts still whirling. “I’m sorry, Matthew isn’t here.”
“Good.” Her father’s voice startled her, and she whipped around to the view screen.
She tightened her lips. “What do you want, Father?”
Harbold Denny stared out of the screen with a familiar expression on his bull-like face. His pinched eyes were sunk deep into his skull, and the veins in his temples showed through his thin skin. “I want you to behave like my daughter, like a Denny.”
What she wanted to say hovered in her mind. I’m sorry I couldn’t oblige you, Father, and die like a good girl. Instead, she decided it was more important to find out what her father was up to.
“What do you want?” she repeated.
He blinked and held up a data disc. “I have to get this message to Todd Aster. I want you to deliver it to him.”
“He’s being held in a high security brig on the Skyway,” she told him.
“I know that,” he snapped. “But you’re fucking Matthew Lestrano. You can get to him. Just use those tits of yours to get access.”
A wave of rage swept through her. Even now, after her father had tried to kill her, had set her up to be a martyr to a cause she didn’t even believe in, he tried to manipulate her. Fallon only had one thing in mind.
Make her father pay.
“Certainly. Send the data. I’ll give it to Todd as soon as I can.”
Uncertainty made her father’s hand tremble. “How do I know I can trust you?”
She tipped a shoulder. “Suit yourself. I don’t care.”
But she did care. Once her father sent that data disc, she’d decode it and give it to the council. Her father’s days of controlling her life were over.
The data streamed into the computer, and she nodded to her father. “I’ve got it.”
“Make sure Todd gets it. He’ll know what to do.”
“I’m sure he will.” She gazed at her father’s face and wondered why she’d tried so hard to get love from him. There was nothing there. He felt nothing for her, no regret, no guilt. She was a tool to be used and broken for Harbold Denny’s power. “Anything else?”
“No. Nothing,” he told her.
“Goodbye, Father.” She clicked off and got to work. Once she decoded that message, she was going to bury him.
Chapter Sixteen
“Her father has contacted her,” Michael said when he waylaid Matthew on the way to council chambers.
“When?” Matthew’s voice was sharp, but he knew Fallon’s chink in her armor, her weakness, was her father.
“Ten minutes ago.” Michael gripped Matthew’s arm. “Harbold sent data to her computer, and I’ve had a look at it. It’s an encrypted code meant for one thing.”
“I don’t want to know, do I?”
“It’s meant to arm a Ryser bomb.” Michael glanced at the chamber doors. “She’ll have to be stopped.”
“Fallon had nothing to do with this.” Matthew meant the words. She wouldn’t be party to destruction like that. But what if she didn’t know?
The question was where her loyalty lay. With her father or with him. And he could think of several reasons why she wouldn’t choose him. But Matthew gave his loyalty one hundred percent or not at all.
Michael, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. “She’s Harbold’s daughter, my friend. She has something to do with this,” he said softly.
“Damn you, Michael, I know my woman,” Matthew snapped. “She wouldn’t do it.”
“The council isn’t fucking her.”
Before Matthew had a conscious thought, his hand had gripped Michael’s collar and shoved the man against the wall. “I’m not fucking her. Get that through your head. I Claimed her,” he snarled.
Michael didn’t fight him. In fact, the man smiled. “Well, damn. You are in love with her.” He sighed. “If you remember, I suggested you Claim her.”
What the hell was he doing? Matthew dropped his friend’s collar. “By the stars, Michael, I’m sorry.”
“I baited you. Listen to me,” he said earnestly. “The council is going to think she’s guilty. Pasquel has t
he same information I have.”
“I need a copy of the whole vid call,” he said.
“I’ll get it.”
“Bring it to the council. She’s going to get grilled, and if I know Fallon, she’ll be hurt by it.” The last thing Matthew wanted was Fallon to pay the price again for her father’s power bid.
“If she’s guilty, my friend, I’ll fry her,” Michael said in a hard voice.
“Hell, if she’s guilty, Michael, I’ll light the damn fire.” The thought was a bleak one, but he had to consider it.
While he strode the long, wide avenue to his home, Matthew wondered if he had been a fool. Love wasn’t something he understood and being in it had confused him. In the past, he’d avoided pain because his instincts were spot on. But this time, he might have let his feelings interfere with his gut.
But everything screamed within him saying Fallon wasn’t part of the plan. She may have had contact with her father, but she wouldn’t be party to something that caused death. Hadn’t she proven her worth to the council?
He entered his house quietly, almost stealthily. The first thing he heard was a stream of curses from his woman. When he entered the living room, Fallon was focused on the computer screen, her lip between her teeth. Another minute later, she said another vicious stream of obscenities.
“Problems?” He leaned against the doorway.
She jumped around, her eyes wide. “Matthew.”
He waited. Her nostrils flared, and her hands curled into fists. Was she going to tell him? Or was she really going to help Earth Central destroy his colony? “Well?”
“My father sent an encrypted code, and I can’t break it,” she stated. She ran an agitated hand through her hair. “He said he wanted me to give it to Todd. But why? He knows that Todd is locked up because I told him.” She tightened her lips. “Something isn’t right. Plus, this code? Is bullshit. There is no code.”
Matthew crossed the room and stared at the screen. “It looks exactly like an encrypted code for a bomb,” he said.
“I know,” she said. “But it’s not.” She clicked on something, and he noted, with pride, how adept she was at computer code translation. “It’s a dummy. Why would my father try to get me to send a dummy code to Todd?”
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