by Lolita Lopez
Cipher agreed. “Something’s not right.”
“Wait! What the hell?” Raze exclaimed as the feed went black. “Did we just lose it?”
Cipher tapped away but couldn’t retrieve any data. “It was shut off inside the room.”
“Reckless?” Raze guessed. “He walked out of view. He probably cut the audio when he saw them come back to confront him.”
“Probably,” Cipher agreed. Sitting back in his chair, he asked the obvious question. “Did those three get into a fight? Was this a workplace dispute?”
“Looks that way,” Raze said quietly. “Shit. What a mess!” He scratched the back of his head and made a face. “Get Keen over here. This is a criminal matter. It’s out of our purview.”
“You got it, boss.” Cipher keyed up his mic to relay the request. Raze stomped off to pull the team back and end the lockdown.
What followed was three hours of absolute bullshit. Cipher and the rest of SRU Alpha were forced to wait on the departure deck as Raze, Keen, the captain of the Mercy and Falcon, Orion’s newly promoted second-in-command, argued about who had jurisdiction over the case and whether Reckless and Chance could stay on the same medical ship together. Until Reckless or Chance gained consciousness, there wasn’t any way to get an idea of what had happened. Evidence in the treatment room might give Keen some clues, but he needed to interview both men.
“Listen, you three sort this out among yourselves,” Raze said finally, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “I’m clearing my men back to the Valiant.”
Without waiting for a reply, Raze whistled sharply and circled his hand in the air, signaling the team to round up and move. Cipher fell into step behind Flare and Harm. When they stepped onto the dart, Blaze was waiting for them, leaning back against the door to the cockpit. “Clusterfuck, huh?”
Raze smacked Blaze’s shoulder. “Brother, you don’t know the half of it. Take us home.”
Blaze nodded and returned to the cockpit. Cipher found a seat and dropped down in a tired huff. There wasn’t much said on the short flight back to the Valiant. They all seemed lost in their own thoughts. Cipher had so many questions about what had happened between Reckless, Talon and Chance.
There was something strange about those final few seconds of footage. Whatever Chance had thought was going to happen when he confronted Reckless with Talon had gone wildly wrong. Considering Reckless was the least wounded of the trio, it seemed to Cipher that the doctor was likely the perpetrator. Unfortunately, with his rank and connections, even if guilty, he was unlikely to face any real consequences.
That thought irritated him as they docked and returned to HQ for their debrief. When they were finally dismissed, he trudged to the elevator with the rest of the team. The unmated guys stepped off on the floor where Cipher had recently lived. Raze had stayed behind for a meeting with Orion and Vicious so the remainder of his ride was quiet and alone.
As he unlocked the door to their quarters, he wondered if he would find Brook in bed or lounging on the couch. He didn’t find her in either place. Instead, he followed the light coming from his workspace. They had been lucky enough to be allotted an apartment with a third bedroom. He had converted it to a place where he could bring projects and tinker away on new designs and ideas. He had encouraged Brook to spend as much time in there as she wanted, and he trusted her to treat his projects with care.
When he pushed the door open and found her kneeling by one of his more secret devices, he froze.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He hadn’t told her about those designs yet. How the hell had she even found it?
His gaze moved to the goggles perched atop her head. Of course. She must have found the goggles in one of his desk drawers. They allowed the wearer to project blueprints over their surroundings and were standard issue to most engineers and techs. With those on, she would have been able to see that hidden cabinet tucked away along the wall.
Finally sensing him, she glanced toward the door. Her curious expression morphed instantly to one of pure happiness. She hopped up from the floor and rushed toward him. “You’re home!”
He wrapped his arms around her and played her words over and over in his head. Home. He was home. With his mate. Was there any sweeter greeting?
“I’m home,” he replied and kissed her lovingly. She responded with the same pliable softness she always did, letting him take and seek until he had his fill. When he pulled back, he brushed his thumb along her cheek. “Did you get some rest?”
“I did.” She rubbed her hand across one of the loops on his tactical vest. “Are you okay? Do you want to talk about what happened?”
“I’m fine. It was a false alarm.” He let his thumb move along her pouty lips. “And, no, I’d rather not talk about what happened right now.” His focus drifted from her face to the device on the floor. “I’d like to talk about that, though.”
“Oh.” She bashfully dropped her gaze. “I found it with these.” She reached up and tugged the goggles free from her head, making a mess of her hair as she did. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone through your things.”
“It’s fine.” He took the goggles from her and tossed them onto the closest chair. Smoothing her hair with his hands, he asked, “Do you know what that is?”
“A puzzle box?” she guessed. “I’ve been trying to open it for the last half hour.”
He shook his head. “Not a puzzle box.”
“Is it something classified?”
“No.”
She threw up her hands. “I give up!”
“Do you really want to find out what it is?”
She narrowed her eyes as if trying to read him. “Why do I get the feeling that thing I found is something naughty?”
He smiled down at her. “Because it definitely is.”
“Oh.”
“Yes.”
She bit her lower lip. “Will I like it?”
His heart thundered in his chest as he imagined her writhing on top of it. “Why don’t you sit on it and find out?”
Chapter Sixteen
Brook glanced at the strange black box she had discovered while snooping and then back at Cipher. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, and the mischievous glint in his eyes convinced her she would definitely enjoy whatever it was.
“Okay.”
“Take all this off.” He touched her dress. “Everything. I want you naked.”
She swallowed nervously and felt those first flutters of excitement and desire in her belly. “Yes, sir.”
She stepped back and started to strip. She slowly peeled out of her blue dress and draped it over a chair. Her panties and bra followed next, joining her dress on the chair.
“Take down your hair,” he instructed, his voice husky and dark.
“Yes, sir.” She complied with his order, unraveling her braid until her hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders and back.
“Come here.” He held out his hand, and she walked toward him as gracefully as she could manage, ignoring the urge to skip happily over to him. He led her to a chair. “I want you to sit here, with your legs over the arms. You’re going to touch yourself and think about me.” Taking gentle but firm hold of her chin, he gazed down at her and sternly ordered, “You will not come. Do you understand? I want you wet and aching when I get back from my shower.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered shakily. Following his instruction, she sat on the chair and lifted her legs until they were draped over the arms. His appreciative gaze fell between her wide-open legs. Only that morning he had spent half an hour with his face buried in her sex, licking and sucking until she was trembling and keening.
“No orgasm,” he reminded her.
“I won’t, sir.” She watched him leave and then closed her eyes. Thinking only of Cipher, she slid her warm hands down the front of her body. She cupped her small breasts and played with her nipples in the way she had learned she liked most. It wasn’t exactly the same as Cipher’s rough fingers tugging
and pinching, but it still felt good.
She let her right hand move lower, skimming along the slope of her belly until she felt the tuft of hair between her legs. Her fingers traced each side and then the seam, repeating the movement until she felt that tingle toward the top of her mound. She parted her folds and let her finger slide all the way to her entrance and then back up her clit. She rubbed the little nub in slow, easy circles and let all the memories of the wicked things Cipher had done to her come to mind.
Gradually, her arousal increased until she could feel the slickness when she swirled her finger at her opening. She breathed a little harder now and dipped her finger into her wet heat. With her fingertip now slippery, she strummed her clit while remembering the way Cipher’s tongue felt there. She began to pant as the exquisite feeling started to expand and pulled her hand away from her body. She gripped the arm of the chair and waited for the sensation to fade.
When it had faded enough, she touched herself again. She was just starting to feel that wonderful trembling when she heard Cipher’s footsteps approaching. Still rubbing her clit, she turned her face toward the doorway and met his burning gaze. She could practically feel his eyes moving over her naked body, lingering on her breasts and the hand between her legs. She returned the desirous stare and raked her eyes down his incredible body. The towel around his hips sat so low she could see the trail of hair that led right down to his thick cock.
“Cipher,” she whispered and reached out to him. “Sir. Please.”
He didn’t make her beg a moment longer. Striding toward her on those long, powerful legs, he scooped her up out of the chair and carried her back to the device. “Kneel down next to it.”
She slid out of his arms and did as he asked. He crouched down and slipped his finger along a hidden switch on the side of the innocuous black box. Feeling silly for not finding the switch earlier, she curiously watched as he lifted and set aside the lid. Inside the box, there was a black half-moon shaped mound. On the top, there was a shiny black plate with ridges and bumps.
“Touch it.”
She glanced at him before reaching out with her finger. “Oh! It’s so soft.”
“It’s made from a medical grade material. It warms up when it’s pressed against your skin. It’s impervious to fluids, and it molds to your unique shape.”
“Oh.” It finally clicked. This was a something she was supposed to straddle, and the squishy ridges would rub up her in all the right places.
“It’s never been tried,” he admitted. “I’ve been tinkering with it for a while. I’ve made other machines for couples before,” he confessed. “Most of them were simple thrusting attachments, but this one is a little different. It vibrates and rolls and massages. You can add a penetrating attachment here and here.” He pointed out the hidden slots. “I’ve even got designs for different stimulation plates and several modes of vibration.”
She couldn’t help it. She grinned at him and started to giggle. “Oh, Cipher. You’re so wonderfully you.”
He cocked his head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That only an engineer like you would think to combine all the different ways to drive a woman wild in a neat little box like this,” she explained. She slipped her arms around his shoulders and embraced him tightly. Nuzzling her face against his, she whispered, “You really are the most considerate man.”
He kissed her, darting his tongue into her mouth to taste and tease. With his forehead against hers, he asked, “Do you want the first ride?”
“Yes, sir.” She giggled happily and climbed onto the contraption. It was surprisingly comfortable, not too wide or high. Still wet and warm from touching herself, she pressed herself against the stimulation plate and gasped at how good it felt.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“You ready for the next part?”
Hands on her upper thighs, she nodded. “Show me.”
He reached behind her to the base of the device. A delicious vibration started between her legs. She inhaled a shocked breath as the vibration started to move back and forth along the stimulation plate. The firm jelly-like ridges felt like different tongues on her all at once, and she swallowed hard. She had never felt anything like this. In only a few seconds, she was on the verge of climax.
Cipher knelt in front of her and tangled his hands in her hair. He tilted her head back and claimed her mouth, stabbing his tongue inside and sucking on the tip of hers. She shuddered atop the device and whimpered against his lips. His sensual kisses were matched by the firm grasp of his hands, one staying in hair and the other moving down to clutch at her ass. He pressed her down against the device, and she shattered with a gasp, coming so hard she couldn’t speak.
“That’s it, baby girl,” he urged. “Watching you come makes my dick so hard.” He nipped at her lower lip as she trembled wildly. “Can’t wait to feel your mouth on my cock.”
“Yes, sir. Let me taste it,” she begged. “Please.”
He leaned around her to adjust the speed of the vibrations before rising tall and removing his towel. He tossed it aside and grasped his big, thick cock. His hand moved up and down the length of it before it settled just below the head. He nudged her lips with the tip, smearing the slick droplet of fluid gathered there on her mouth, before pressing it forward. “Suck.”
She had only learned how to do this days earlier, but from the way he groaned, she was a quick study. Just as he seemed to find pleasure in using his mouth on her, she found it intoxicating to do the same for him. He was so big that he stretched her lips, and she couldn’t even get close to taking all of him. He didn’t care. He had told her as much that first time he had taught her how he liked it. He got the most enjoyment from the head and right below it so that’s where she concentrated.
His hand tangled in her hair, pulling lightly and making her scalp tingle. She gripped his muscular thighs as she bobbed back and forth on his shaft, humming happily around it and making sure to use her tongue. He growled as she worked her lips over him, and he gently pumped his hips. She glanced up at him, his cock buried in her mouth and her legs shaking as the device vibrated her closer and closer to an orgasm. His eyes were stormy and dark with desire, and she had the heady realization that even in this precarious position, she was the one with the power over him.
“You look so beautiful with my cock in your mouth.” He stroked a finger down her cheek and thrust carefully into her. “You feel so good, baby.”
She hummed around him and sucked him in as deep as she could, relaxing her jaw and trying to take more. He groaned, and the fingers tangled in her hair tightened. The vibrations between her legs were driving her crazy now. The biggest ridge rested right below her clit, and the waves were flowing through her in all the right places.
Cipher tilted her head back with the hair trapped in his fist and pumped shallow and short, sliding his cock over her willing tongue. “Are you going to come with my cock in your mouth?”
She nodded and moaned around him. Her thighs tightened around the device, and her nails scratched at his hips, leaving red marks as she clung to him. He reached down with his other hand and pinched her nipple, tugging it and rolling it. The spark of pain sent her flying over the edge. She whined around his cock as she rocked atop the device, riding wave after wave of pleasure until she slumped against him.
He pulled his cock free and moved behind her so quickly she fell forward onto her elbows. She gasped in shock and delight as he pushed her shoulders down and lifted her ass, spreading her for his coming invasion. The blunt head of his penis pressed into her pussy, and she cried out with desperate need.
“That’s it, little mate,” he growled. “Take it. Take all of it.”
Her toes curled as he slid so deep that she could feel him nudging against the entrance to her womb. He wrapped the long waves of her hair around his hand and started to thrust hard and fast. She gasped when his palm cracked her bottom. “Ow!”
“Naughty lit
tle girls get punished for snooping,” he grunted and smacked her other cheek.
Heat blossomed on her skin, and she cried out with a mix of shock and pain. “Sir!”
“Are you my bad girl?” His hand bounced from cheek to cheek as he thrust into her. “Do you deserve to be punished?”
“Yes, sir!” She couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. It was as if she had lost control over her brain. She was completely at Cipher’s mercy as they played their wild game.
Leaning forward and straddling the device, she was stretched wide open for him and her clit was in constant contact with the vibrating ridges. The mix of thrusting, spanking and vibrating was too much, and she let go, unable and unwilling to try to hold back a moment longer.
A howl unlike anything that had ever come out of her mouth echoed around the room. She sounded almost like an animal as she cried out with the passionate waves of pleasure that completely overwhelmed her. Cipher seemed just as lost in the moment, roughly taking her from behind. He gripped her hair and her hip, surely leaving bruises on her skin, and fucked her like a wild man.
Too soon, he shouted her name and thrust so deep, she slid off the device. He followed her to the ground, trapping her smaller body under his as he shuddered and filled her with his seed. She couldn’t think and could barely breathe as her pleasure wrecked body trembled under his. He shifted on top of her, still buried to the hilt and kicked aside the whirring machine. It clattered loudly and stopped making noise.
He moved aside her hair and started kissing her neck and temples. “Brook,” he whispered lovingly. “My sweet, sweet girl.”
She closed her eyes and relished the feel of his lips moving so tenderly across her skin. She shivered when he grazed the stubble on his chin along her shoulder and giggled when he kissed that sensitive spot on the curve of her neck.
Finally, he rolled off of her and onto the floor. Propped up on his side, he stroked her back and smiled at her. His expression turned so loving and vulnerable as he confessed, “I’m falling in love with you.”
