She inhaled a steadying breath and tried to see things from his point of view. It wasn’t cruelty that motivated him to keep her under lock and key. It was fear. “Vicious, it’s been three and a half weeks. I’m totally healed. Your awesome medicine fixed me right up. There’s no reason I can’t go on this trip to the colonies with Deniva and Lenny.”
“I can think of at least a dozen good reasons not to let you go.”
She huffed in frustration. “Vicious, be reasonable.”
“I’m trying,” he said through gritted teeth. “I let you go to the food court today, didn’t I?”
“Oh, well, thanks so much, warden!” Hallie rolled her eyes. “A whole two hours outside our quarters with my friend. And an armed guard,” she added in annoyance.
Vicious frowned. “Menace isn’t an armed guard.”
“Really? Because the guy looked like a walking advertisement for a weaponry store!”
His mouth twitched. “All right. I’ll give you that one.”
She sighed loudly. Taking a step closer, she grasped his shirt and gazed up at him with as much pleading as she could muster. “Vicious, please, let me go.”
He looked stricken at her begging tone. “All right. You may go—but you’re taking Terror.”
“Terror? You’re not serious, Vicious! He’s, well…terrifying. I mean, I like him and we get along well but Deniva, she’s still recovering from her attempted murder and Terror looks like—well, you know.”
Vicious remained rigid. “You take Terror or you stay here.”
Shoulders slumped, Hallie grumbled, “Fine. I’ll take Terror.”
“Good girl. Since you’ve agreed to my stipulation, it’s only fair that I reward you.”
She perked up at his offer. “Oh?”
“Would you like to see your sister? I know you’re taking Deniva to Safe Harbor but I’m sure that a quick side trip to the Jesco colony to see your sister could be arranged.”
“Really?” She grinned as excitement took hold. Vicious had managed to put through a call to Bernie but they’d only been able to speak for less than fifteen minutes before the satellites shifted out of line.
Vicious nodded. “I’ll speak to Terror tonight and make the arrangements.”
“Tonight?” Her head popped up. “But I thought we were going to have dinner and watch a movie.”
He cringed and his eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, Hallie. That’s why I came by to see you. General Thorn is on his way. It’s…complicated.”
“War stuff?” she guessed, certain he wouldn’t divulge the details.
A small smile curved his mouth. “Yes. War stuff.”
“Well. All right.” She couldn’t exactly throw a hissy fit and demand her high-ranking officer husband spend the evening lounging on the couch with her instead of answering a summons from his superior officer.
“I am sorry, Hallie.”
“Yeah. I know.” She sounded glum and bitchy but it couldn’t be helped. In the last week, she’d seen very little of Vicious. He’d been holding in-service training for his officers to help them spot women in trouble. The old thirty-days custom was being slightly changed. Commanding officers would visit the couple once a week, unannounced, just in case. The med bay would now be required to report suspected abuse.
From what she’d gathered during her lunch with Lenny, there were a handful of very vocal men who felt this overhaul wasn’t in line with their extremely private culture. What went on behind closed doors was sacred to these Harcos men. Hallie assumed there would always be hold-outs but overwhelmingly the men aboard the Valiant supported the new changes. The need to protect their women ran deep. Many of them seemed to view what happened to Deniva and her as a mark against the entire ship. It was a matter of pride to restore their tarnished honor now.
Hallie moved a bit closer to Vicious and played with one of the buttons on his shirt. Feeling a bit frisky, she rose on tiptoes to kiss him. He stiffened and didn’t lower his face to meet her seeking mouth. Undeterred, she pressed against him and asked, “How long until you have to meet with the general?”
“I’m already late.”
She tried to nip at his neck but he brushed his hand between her mouth and his skin. “So make an excuse.” She burned with need and desire. “It won’t take long.”
Vicious put both hands on her shoulders and gently shoved her back. “I don’t want you now.”
She swallowed hard as the pain of his rejection swamped her. Her face flamed with the humiliation of his words. She clenched her teeth and tried to shove down the pain aching in her chest. “Fine.”
“Hallie…”
She held up her hand. “No, it’s okay, Vicious. You don’t have to say anything else. I get it, okay? Really, I do. Last night when I came on to you and you pushed me away, I thought maybe you were tired. This morning when I tried to get in the shower with you and you hopped out before I could even touch you, I convinced myself you were running late. But now?” She shook her head. “No worries, Vicious. You’re coming through loud and clear.”
As she stormed out of the living room, he called after her. “Hallie, stop. Come back here. Now!”
She didn’t even slow down. Instead, she lifted her hand over her head and made the crude gesture she’d seen some of the soldiers make. His gasp of outrage snapped in the silence of their quarters. Well screw him! She’d had just about enough of walking on eggshells.
Their first week home from the hospital had been great. He’d hovered nearby and seen to her every need as she finished the healing process. That second week, she’d started her period so she hadn’t been surprised when he didn’t try anything with her. But that was last week! In the time since, he hadn’t even tried to really kiss her. She’d been sure that the night he’d replaced her ruined bride’s collar with a new one, he’d reclaim her as his wife, but he’d simply brushed his lips against her cheek.
What happened to the alpha male who made her melt? Where was the Vicious who would kiss and lick and nibble and fuck her until she was limp and desperate for mercy? She loved this gentler, tender Vicious but she craved the harder, rougher side of him too. She felt completely healed and physically well. Their abstinence had only made her desire more potent. She needed him.
A horrible though struck her as she sought refuge in their bedroom. What if he was angry with her for not conceiving? These Grabs existed to facilitate one purpose—procreation. These men out in the wilds of the galaxy and far away from their home planet needed women to provide them with children.
Her hand drifted to her belly. She remembered Vicious’ big hand spanning her skin, his eyes aglow with the hope of making a child. Their conversation about his tattoos surfaced in her thoughts. He’d spoken so longingly at the idea of having their children’s names tattooed on his skin. Was he angry with her for denying him that chance? Was that why he was pushing her away?
“Hallie?” Vicious loomed in the doorway of their room. He spoke softly but his features betrayed his irritation. “Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you.”
She gripped her shirt in her hands, her fingernails scratching the skin of her stomach. She needed something to hold onto as she fully faced him and asked the question that clawed at her heart. “Are you mad at me because I’m not pregnant?”
He reeled back in shock. His expression slackened. With long, powerful strides, he crossed the distance between them and swept her up into his arms. He sat on the bed and cradled her on his lap. He cupped her cheek and held her gaze. “Don’t you ever ask me that question again, Hallie. I could never be angry with you for something like that. Never.” He swallowed hard. “Whether we have a dozen children or none, I will always love you.”
Now it was her turn to reel with shock. “You—you love me?”
He smiled at her as she stammered. “Yes. I love you, Kitten.”
The pain of humiliation and fear once twisting her gut and squeezing her chest vanished. The purest, sweetest sensation spread t
hrough her chest and belly. She stroked his jaw. “I love you too.”
He kissed her so gently. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Hallie. I never wanted you to feel unloved or undesirable.” He hesitated. “I’m afraid.”
She frowned with confusion. “Of what? Hurting me?”
He nodded. “Seeing you so bloody and battered terrified me. Then I had to watch you suffer in the hospital. You looked so small and frail.” He gulped and shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that image.”
“Vicious,” she whispered. “It’s all right. I’m fine now.”
“Yes, now. But then?” He looked grim. “You could have died.”
“I didn’t.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “Vicious, we live on a war ship. We could be attacked without warning. You’re an officer in the military. You could be called out to a battle at a moment’s notice. You could be killed.” Even saying the words made her tear up but she pushed through it. “There are no guarantees in this life, Vicious. We have each other now. We should enjoy every moment, not focus on the awful possibilities.”
His thumb wiped away the tears sliding down her cheeks. He brought his lips close to hers and teased their mouths together. “I’ll be gentle.”
“Maybe I don’t want gentle,” she whispered in reply and playfully nipped his lower lip.
Vicious growled and claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss. She gripped his shirt and held on for dear life as his tongue stabbed between her lips. His fingers tangled in her hair. His other hand snaked under her shirt and discovered bare flesh. She’d worn no bra today so her nipples were easily available. He pinched one of the pink peaks and made her yelp.
He flipped their positions and took her down to the bed. Crawling over her, he fisted her shirt in both hands and ripped the material in his strong fingers. Her eyes widened at the show of brute strength. In the next instant, his lips touched her breast. She cried out as he licked and suckled. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her bare toes into his thighs. “Vicious! Oh god. Please! Please!”
He chuckled as his mouth dragged along her torso down toward her belly. He slid off the bed onto his knees and grasped her by the waist of her loose-fitting black shorts. With a couple of tugs, he freed her from the shorts and her panties. He clasped her thighs and pushed her knees back toward her chest. She gulped as he gazed adoringly at her bared sex.
“I’ve missed your sweet cunt so much, Hallie.” He lowered his mouth and swiped her slit from the opening to the very tippy top. She mewled and whimpered as he licked and sucked her clit. His tongue fluttered over the pink nub. One of his thick fingers penetrated her slowly. A second finger soon joined that one. They thrust deep and awakened every nerve in her channel.
Delicious tingling rippled in her lower belly. It had been so long and she was so sensitive. Vicious moaned hungrily as he lapped at her clit. Those skillful fingers of his found just the right rhythm to drive her wild. Her shoulders arched off the bed as he licked and fingered her into climax. She cried out his name as blissful bursts of ecstasy exploded in her core. “Vicious! Vicious! Vicious!”
He placed a noisy kiss right on top of her clit before standing. He unzipped and lowered his pants and boxer-briefs. There wasn’t time to get completely undressed but she didn’t care. He stroked his massive cock in his big hand and fondled his sac. Heady with lust and still shaky from her climax, she reached for him. “Take me, Vicious. I need you.”
He moved onto the bed and between her thighs. His mouth dropped to hers, the unique scent of her spicy musk teasing her. He kissed her with such intensity her toes curled and her belly wobbled. His rock-hard erection nudged her pussy. He grasped the base of his big cock and used the ruddy crown to draw circles around her sensitive clit.
She moaned and clutched at his shoulders. She wiggled her hips. “Quit teasing me, Vicious.”
He chuckled and lined up with her opening. “All right, Kitten.”
“Oh!” Head thrown back, she relished that first hard thrust of his cock inside her wet sheath. It had been so long, too long, and she needed him so badly. She scratched at his upper arms and dragged his mouth down for a kiss. “Be rough with me, Vicious.”
He groaned loudly at her desperate entreaty and began to jerk his hips hard and fast. She was so aroused and wet that friction between their bodies instantly felt good. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts and darted her tongue into his willing mouth. Vicious gripped the comforter on either side of her head and snapped his hips. He took her hard and fast, his cock plunging deep and with such force that she gasped.
When he lowered his body, their chests touching now and mouths mating, her clit came in contact with that smooth plank of skin along his happy trail. Every thrust stimulated her clitoris. Their tongues dueled as Vicious drove into her again and again. His hands roamed her body, the gentle caress of his rough palms setting her skin afire.
“Vicious,” she whispered against his cheek. Her thighs tensed as that fluttery panic started low in her core. “More. Oh! Harder! I—ah!”
She climaxed then, her whole body undulating beneath his larger frame. Vicious thrust so deep and hard she slid up the bed a few inches. His mouth settled over hers as he jerked roughly, his seed spilling into her in hot jets. When he relaxed, he stayed buried deep inside her and kissed her tenderly.
For the longest time, they caressed and traded sensual kisses. Reality intruded on their sweet moment. With a resigned sigh, Vicious pulled out of her. He placed a lingering kiss on the tip of her nose. “You were wonderful.”
She smiled up at him. “We should do that again. Soon.”
Laughing, he climbed off the bed and headed for the bathroom. “What’re you doing later tonight?”
She giggled as he disappeared into the bathroom. Not long after, he returned with a clean shirt, fixed uniform and a wash cloth.’ He knelt at the edge of the mattress and spread her thighs. She blushed as he gently wiped away the evidence of their hasty coupling. He kissed her again and returned to the bathroom to deposit the cloth in the hamper.
“I’ll be home late.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “Don’t wait up, Hallie. You need your rest.”
She started to argue with him but just nodded. “I won’t stay up late.”
His fingertips trailed down her cheek before he finally found the strength to pull away. “I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.” He left the bedroom. A few seconds later, she heard their front door click and the lock beep as it engaged. She fell back to the bed with a dramatic sigh and grinned at the ceiling. Finally, she had her Vicious back!
*
“I take it Hallie is feeling better?” General Thorn pinned Vicious with a knowing smile as he entered the man’s private office.
Abashed, Vicious started to apologize. “I know your time is valuable, sir. I should have—”
“You should have told me that you were otherwise engaged,” General Thorn interrupted. “Colonel, I know I have a reputation as a hard-ass but I’m not unreasonable. You and your new bride have been through quite a lot in the last month. Besides, you were never given a proper honeymoon period.”
“About that,” Vicious said, “I was planning to request some time off in the upcoming weeks. I’d like to take Hallie on a proper vacation—away from the Valiant. Sergeant Crow’s trial and sentencing is next week. I don’t want her here when the verdict comes down.”
General Thorn pointed to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit. We need to talk.”
Vicious experienced a tremor of anxiety. He did as instructed and waited for the general to sit. With a sigh, he stated the obvious. “I’m not getting my vacation time.”
The general chuckled. “Not if things go my way.”
Vicious was suddenly very glad Hallie had pounded her way through his thick skull to make him see reason. That orgasm had mellowed him out enough that he wasn’t angry with the general for screwing with him. He felt only frustration. “Why?”
&nb
sp; General Thorn sat back in his chair and spread his hands out in front of him. “This war is growing more complicated, Vicious. We’re not fighting one single enemy. There’s no planet to decimate with our highly advanced weaponry. We’re fighting a shadowy group. This isn’t a campaign that will end soon. The war council recognizes this. It’s time for the force to change as well.”
His gut tightened. “What kind of changes?”
“For one, the Valiant will be elevated to the Alliance flagship of this sector. The sky fleet and land corps are spread too thin in this area. We need a central point of control.”
Vicious perked at this new change. It was something he and other officers in this sector had been complaining about for the last year. “Does that mean you’ll be moving to the Valiant permanently, sir?”
The general shook his head. “General Creed is retiring from the war council. I’ve been promoted to his position. They want someone with real experience fighting this kind of war making the decisions.”
Finally! For so long, they’d suffered in the field as men who had no idea of actual on-the-ground operations made decisions from the top down.
With true feeling, Vicious said, “Congratulations, sir. You’ve more than earned this promotion.”
Thorn smiled. “Thank you. My wife is rather pleased, as you can imagine. In our entire marriage, she hasn’t once lived on planet. It will be a nice change for her, I think.”
“I’m sure,” Vicious agreed. His thoughts turned to the vacancy General Thorn’s promotion would leave. “Will General Slate be taking your current position?”
Thorn nodded. “General Slate gets his third star and Harm gets his second. That leaves a new opening at the brigadier level, of course. The man who takes it will assume command here on the Valiant.”
Vicious schooled his features. The thought of having a new man in charge left him a bit uneasy. That adjustment period could be devastating to the men on the ground, especially if the new general didn’t see eye to eye with the commanders in the field.
General Thorn laughed. “Don’t look so worried, Vicious. I’m sure the new brigadier general taking the reins will more than meet your standards.”
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