by Ivy Barrett
The hand on her thigh slid higher, slipping beneath his lips for a moment. His fingers felt cool and intrusive after the torrid pleasure of his mouth. He glanced up, her fluids still gleaming on his lips and chin. Without a word he pushed a finger into her smoldering passage and watched her response. Her inner muscles convulsed with little aftershocks and he smiled.
He waited until she calmed then slowly withdrew and resumed his teasing trek from her core to her anus. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and tried not to tense. She should have realized he wasn’t finished. Fane never gave up on anything once it caught his attention. Excitement rippled through her as she thought of all the possible ways she could apply that particular concept. His finger pushed against her anus and her gaze flew to his.
“Pay attention,” he chastised.
“I was paying attention.”
“Then why did my finger catch you by surprise?” She expected him to move his hand now that he’d made his point, but he had something else in mind. “On the bed, hands and knees, ass in the air.”
Her jaw dropped and heat blazed across her face and upper chest. “I don’t think so.” She released a nervous laugh. “I’m not doing doggy-style.”
“I prefer to think of it as surrender, but that’s not what I had in mind.” He swatted her hip, long fingers catching the lower curve of her ass. “Now move.”
Reluctance hindering each step, she crossed to the bed and visualized the position he’d requested, so vulnerable, so open. “Fane, I really don’t want—”
He slapped her bottom with his open hand and a gasp interrupted her plea. The sting was momentary, but heat crawled across her skin and sank slowly into her muscles. “‘Companionship and comfort,’” he quoted. “You promised willingness for protection. Are you reneging on our deal already?”
“No,” she snapped. “I’m here, aren’t I? I am willing.”
“Prove it. If you’re offended by ‘doggy-style,’ then bend over the bed and spread your legs.”
“As if that’s any better.” Her voice sounded almost shrill.
Fast as lightning, he grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her down across the bed. Her hands came up automatically, so she ended up bent at the waist with her forearms resting on the bed. He moved behind her and kicked her feet apart.
Each aggressive movement angered her more, but she knew better than objecting. Most of their past encounters had been playful and hot. This was clearly discipline triggered by her reluctance. Arguing at this point would only make things worse.
He delivered two firm spanks to each side of her bottom and she clenched her teeth, trying not to react to the humiliating situation. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of crying out.
“Why am I spanking you?”
“Because you’re a sadistic pig.” The insult was out before she could stop the impulse.
A flurry of fast, hard swats was his only reply. The pain increased as his hand landed on areas already tender from previous slaps. She clawed at the bedding and clenched the muscles in her butt, doubly upset because she’d brought it on herself.
“Relax,” he directed. “It hurts worse when you tense up like that.”
She tried to obey, but her body simply wouldn’t cooperate. He spanked her again and a cry tore from her throat. Soon she cried out with each punishing stroke, which only added to her humiliation.
“What did you do wrong?” His tone was much more autocratic when he finally paused to speak.
Tension banded her chest and tears gathered in her eyes. A confusing combination of emotions twisted inside her: anger, humiliation, even fear. She knew Fane wouldn’t hurt her badly, but something menacing and powerful loomed in the distance threatening to shatter her emotional defenses.
“I need to obey you.” Her voice sounded so raw she barely recognized it as hers and hot tears spilled onto her cheeks.
“Why?”
The question surprised her. It was hard to think as the persistent throbbing gradually spread from her ass to her core. Even as a child, no one had dared to chastise her physically. Yet Fane dared. Fane hadn’t hesitated.
“I belong to you,” she whispered and heat cascaded through her body. “While I’m on Stilox.” The clarification was a reminder to both of them. Regardless of how intense this became, it was temporary.
Without explaining his actions, he walked to the nightstand and opened the drawer. His body blocked her view, but it was obvious from his movements that he was sorting through the drawer and collecting the item or items he sought.
Her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, “What are you looking for?”
“You’ll see.” When she started to move, he whipped his head around and warned, “Stay put or there will be consequences.”
She heaved a frustrated sigh, but maintained her lewd position.
He moved behind her and ran his fingertips over her spank-reddened ass. “Your ass was made for discipline. You look so damn hot like this.”
Hot, to be sure, but she meant it literally. Her skin still burned though the throbbing was starting to ease. Then she felt something cool slither between her cheeks and cover her puckered opening. She closed her eyes, dreading what was to come. Clearly, he hadn’t lost sight of what started this entire detour.
“Do you trust me?” Warmth crept back into his tone.
She opened her eyes and glanced over her shoulder. “Why is this so important to you? Isn’t my pussy enough?” She intended to stop this before he fucked her, so why was she allowing any of this?
“I will never harm you, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that no one else harms you.” His gaze locked with hers, his expression intense. “Either you believe that or you don’t.”
She turned her head back around, unable to withstand his penetrating stare. “I believe it.” And she did, but this wasn’t about trust. It was about betrayal, about a long delayed retribution.
“Then trust me with your body.” He eased his slippery finger just barely inside her ass. “All of it.”
She squeezed her eyes shut as the invasion continued, his finger pushing deeper and deeper. It felt odd, not painful, but definitely intrusive. He rotated his wrist and eased a second finger inside her. She moaned. The fullness was much more noticeable now. Her body felt stretched and invaded.
He slid his hand forward and back, slowly pumping his fingers into her snug ass. Cassie refused to think about what he was doing or how violently he would react to her rejection. She concentrated on the sensations, accepted the newness and the stark sexuality. He moved faster, pushing the pleasure higher then drawing it down through her body in a cascade of tingles.
Just when she thought she had control over the unwanted sensations caused by his punitive caress, he moved his other hand in front of her and covered her clit with one of his fingers. His hands worked in tandem. He filled her ass as he rubbed her clit, urging her arousal higher.
He closed his fingers around her clit and carefully squeezed as he pulled his finger all the way out. She came hard with a startled cry, shuddering violently as the spasms gripped her. “Oh, God, how did you do that?”
With a throaty chuckle he turned her around and paused for a consuming kiss. “If I weren’t so desperate to be inside you, I’d give you a more lengthy demonstration.” He swept her into his arms and placed her on the bed.
This was it. Somehow she had to find the strength to push him away. He is king of the mutants! He used you, drugged you, betrayed you. This shouldn’t even be a struggle.
If he touched her again, she’d be lost, and all this would have been for nothing. She scrambled off the other side, dragging the bedding with her to cover her nudity. “I can’t do this. I can’t close my eyes and pretend none of it happened. You used me! I didn’t even know your name while you looked into my eyes and pretended to care for me.”
“I wasn’t pretending and you know it.”
&n
bsp; “All I know is you pursued me and seduced me and I’ll never be that stupid again!”
Fury erupted in his gaze for just a moment before resignation extinguished the flame. “So this is payback?” He sounded far more frustrated than he looked.
“Did you honestly think a couple of orgasms would make me forget what you did to me?”
He stared at her for a long moment, his expression turbulent. “You’re in violation of our alliance. Shall we begin negotiations instead?”
* * *
“Are you sure she’s ready for a field test?” Chancellor Martin Howyn stared at his colleague, searching for the slightest tic in his expression or inappropriate tension in his posture. General Padric Bryson had been with him from the beginning. Howyn liked to think the general was the one person he could trust implicitly, but Howyn had been disappointed too many times before.
“I’d be more comfortable if your daughter were here to oversee the field test. There are so many things that could go wrong. But our buyer is restless. We don’t dare delay the project any longer.”
Howyn stiffened, turning from Bryson to hide his expression. He’d carefully insulated Cassie from many of the harsher realities of life. Or at least he’d tried. Her expertise was invaluable, her skill essential. Still, she lacked the stomach for true brutality. That’s why he had Bryson. “I have no doubt Cassie will be located, likely sometime today.”
Bryson accepted the information with a stiff nod. “Are you suggesting we postpone the field test until after her return?”
“No. I agree with you. We’re running out of time.”
The window tint decreased as he approached, presenting him with a spectacular view of the Sanctum skyline. His empire spread before him: jutting office buildings, elegant residential complexes, and posh shopping emporiums. If Project Chrysalis performed as well as expected, the entire star system would fall under his control.
“A rapid rescue will minimize Cassie’s trauma, but I suspect she’ll need time to recuperate. We have no choice but to push on without her.” He sounded callous even to his own ears, but there was no way he could have anticipated the abduction and he was doing everything in his power to get her back. The mutants were far better suited to this mission than conventional forces, a fact that was at the heart of his new project.
“This incident proves my suspicion that Keller was Max,” Bryson said casually. “Your chief of security had no reason to kidnap Cassie while there are several ways a rogue mutant might use her abduction as leverage.”
Howyn turned around, brows arched as he faced the general. “Keller was Max? Do you know something I don’t?”
“Max was trying to overthrow Fane. We’ve known that for weeks. You gave Fane the perfect opportunity to move against his rival without repercussions. There is no way Max is coming out of this alive.”
Which was precisely what Howyn had intended when he made the offer to Fane. Irrational ambitions could be overlooked or channeled into more meaningful veins. When Max chose to bait his trap with Cassie, he’d sealed his fate. Howyn delivered him into the hands of his enemy then washed his hands of the entire situation.
The silence lengthened and Bryson adjusted the fall of his uniform jacket, a sure sign of his anxiety. He was well past middle age and yet projected a powerful presence. “What if Fane can’t deliver on his promise?”
“You’ve obviously never stood toe to toe with Fane. There’s something about him that makes my skin crawl and I’m not easy to unnerve.”
Bryson let the subject drop and returned to their earlier topic. “What did you have in mind for Karris?”
“Karris?” He released a derisive snort. “You’re on a first-name basis with her now? Chrysalis One is no more or less important than any other weapon. No, Chrysalis One is less important because she only houses the weapon. Do not allow yourself to think of her as anything more than a biological container.”
“I understand. It won’t happen again.” The reply was stiff, monotone, but his gaze revealed an acceptable degree of contrition. Howyn almost bought the expression until he saw Bryson’s clenched fists. Was the general going soft on him? Bryson’s newfound compassion would definitely make this next part interesting.
“If the field test is to move forward as scheduled, Chrysalis One will need access to mutant energy in a controlled environment.”
Bryson nodded, his gaze sharp and watchful. “We could station her outside one of their haunts and—”
“Emphasis on controlled environment. Her programming is untested. We’re not even sure if the nanites will allow her to absorb mutant energy at the levels necessary to produce the desired results.”
“What are our other options?”
“I’m glad you asked.” Bryson watched him cross the spacious office and manually trigger the door. He’d activated a privacy shield when Bryson arrived, so he was unable to summon his assistant with his usual voice command. “Send her in,” he told the shapely young woman seated in the reception area.
He stepped back from the doorway and studied Bryson as Nehalem, one of the general’s lesser wives, moved into the room. She was dressed in the nondescript uniform of a penal inmate, her long auburn hair pulled back away from her pale face. Incarceration didn’t agree with this pampered beauty.
“What is she doing here?” Bryson demanded. His resentment was hypocritical. Her indiscretions couldn’t begin to equal his. Even so, Howyn enjoyed the resulting tension.
“As we both know, your lesser wife—”
“She is not my anything anymore,” Bryson snapped.
“She is whatever I say she is.”
“And what do you say I am?” Color returned to her sculpted cheeks and Howyn smiled.
“For reasons that are not your concern, we would like to catalogue mutant abilities. If you are willing to seek out such abilities and return them to us without the donor realizing what has happened, you would be appropriately rewarded.”
“You want me to fuck mutants and return to you while their energy is still in my system?”
“Precisely. But they cannot know that you are anything more than a collector,” Howyn warned.
Bryson crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Nehalem. “It should be an easy enough part for her to play. She’s had enough practice.”
Howyn turned to the general, prepared to deliver the final blow. “For obvious reasons I’m reluctant to trust her.”
“I’ll be far more effective without a handler.”
Ignoring her insistence, Howyn focused on the general. “There are no secrets in the Underground. Many of the mutants will have heard of her betrayal. They will not be at all surprised when you develop a taste for exotic pleasures.”
“Like watching worthless mutants fuck my wife?” He didn’t sound pleased, but the front of his pants had begun to bulge. He looked at Nehalem with a cruel smile. “No one will question my desire to punish you and we both know you’ll enjoy every minute of your punishment.”
Chapter Four
Fane exhaled his frustration and reached for his pants. So things weren’t going to be as simple as he’d hoped. Part of him welcomed the challenge while a more demanding part longed for Cassie with torturous intensity. Still, without her stubborn nature, Cassie wouldn’t be Cassie.
After slipping on his pants, he finger-combed his hair back from his face and looked at his reluctant wife. “You vowed to give yourself to me willingly.”
“I vowed to come willingly to your bed.” She gathered the blanket around her like a shroud and sat on the foot of the bed.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, yet her taste lingered on his tongue, keeping his passion smoldering. “Your treatment will be far different without my protection. Are you sure you want to become a prisoner?”
“Dress it up anyway you like, I am a prisoner.”
And he couldn’t free her. Too many people would benefit from her captivity. Cassie was
the first real glimmer of hope any of them had received in a very long time. Her knowledge and expertise would help them understand the mutation, perhaps even stabilize or reverse some of the damage. The prospect thrilled him yet frightened him too. Hope could be so cruel when it led to disappointment.
Keeping the blanket tucked close against her chest, she carefully freed her arms. The upper curve of her creamy breasts swelled into view. Damn it. This was supposed to be their wedding night.
“You promised we’d talk.” She glanced at him then looked away. “Perhaps if I understood everything that happened I could… I need to know.”
She looked like a golden temptress, supple and feminine. The last thing he wanted was to talk about the past, but the details were obviously important to her. With a frustrated sigh, he sat on the bed and stuffed a pillow behind him. “Nothing I can say will bring Nicho back. I’d rather concentrate on the future.”
Drawing her legs up under the sheet, she folded them in front of her and settled into the softness of the bed. “Did Nicho work for you?”
The pain in her eyes tore at his heart and reinforced his reluctance to indulge her curiosity. “You already know the answer. We can’t change the past.”
“I need to know the truth, all of it. Did you recruit Nicho before or after he married me?”
“None of it matters now. Why put yourself through this?” He leaned forward and reached for her hand, but she snatched it away.
“Just answer the question.”
Her mind was battened down tight, not a hint of emotion escaped. He knew he could force his way through her shields, but he wasn’t willing to abolish what little trust she had in him. “Nicho loved you. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“Your avoidance is answer enough. You sent him to me and—”
“It wasn’t like that. I went after Nicho because of his connection to you, but you were already engaged when I first approached him.” Her lips trembled and tears gathered behind her long lashes. He fisted his hands, desperately wanting to touch her, to comfort her.
