a hand to her chest. “But that place is filled with
murderers and rapists and child molesters.”
He nodded. “They house the vilest of the vile there, but
we had good intel on an insurgent ring operating out of one
of the prisons. Terror and I were chosen to go deep
undercover and infiltrate the terrorist cell. It went well—
too well. Terror managed to get very close to the head of
the cell by framing Dodson, the second-in-command, as a
mole. Needless to say, the mole didn’t take it well. I
should have been there but I was halfway across the
prison trying to smuggle our intel out via a corrupt prison
guard. It’s my fault he’s scarred in that way.”
Hallie started to console him, to tell him it wasn’t his
fault, but stopped herself. This had happened so long ago
and Vicious clearly wasn’t the type of man who wanted to
be coddled. “I’m sorry. That’s an awful burden to bear.”
He swept a finger down her cheek. His expression
sobered. “Unfortunately, little one, it’s now you who must
bear a terrible burden.”
Her throat tightened at his somber tone. “What’s
wrong?”
“Come sit with me.” He tugged her over to the low,
wide chair in the corner of the living area. The bag
sounded heavy as it hit the floor with a thunk. He pulled
her onto his lap so that she straddled him. His lips
dropped to her bare collarbone, traveled along the curve
of her neck to her jaw, pressing soft, ticklish kisses every
inch or so. Her breasts ached and nipples grew hard as he
teased her skin with his gentle kisses.
One big hand spanned her back. The other curled in her
hair. Their gazes met, hers questioning and his concerned.
“Tell me, Vicious. Just tell me what’s bothering you.”
“General Thorn has come to the
Valiant
. He’s on a
layover on his way to the Beringer field.”
“Oh. And that’s bad?”
“Not usually,” Vicious answered carefully. “He’s a
good soldier and an upstanding man but he has
specific
tastes. He likes to throw private parties in his quarters for
the officers. The
mated
officers,” he clarified. “I received
an invitation not long ago.”
Hallie’s mouth went dry. She fought to swallow. “I take
it I won’t like this kind of party.”
“Not likely,” Vicious replied honestly. “You’re so new
to this. I don’t even know if it’s something you’d ever
enjoy. It’s not exactly something I’m keen for either.”
She wrung her hands. “What, exactly, goes on at these
parties?”
He eyed her for a long moment. With a sigh, he reached
down and grabbed the bag. He hauled it onto the arm of
the chair and fished out one item.
She stared at it for a second, unsure of what it was. “Is
that…is that a cat mask?”
He nodded. “The general likes to see women dressed as
cats.”
Hallie gawked at the strange, shiny mask, the material
some kind of synthetic that she’d never seen. At first, she
couldn’t believe Vicious was serious. Then she realized
how ridiculous it was. A burst of laughter escaped her
lips. She couldn’t contain it and giggled even louder. “Oh,
Vicious. You’re joking! You can’t possibly expect me to
believe that grown women will be walking around in cat
costumes!”
He frowned. “Why are you laughing? And who said
anything about walking?” He shook his head. “Crawling,
Hallie. You’ll be crawling if we go to this party. You will
play the part of a properly trained cat. You will sit at my
feet or on my lap. You will eat and drink from a dish. You
will purr when told and play with toys.”
Her jaw dropped. “Vicious, this is insanity.”
He shrugged. “We’re all entitled to our kinks.”
“Yes, but this isn’t yours. It’s the general’s.”
“Tonight, if we go, it’s mine. Ours,” he corrected.
“
If
we go?” Was he offering her a choice to say no?
Because she was going to jump on it.
“Last night, you were panicked and scared in my
restraints. Make no mistake, Hallie. I enjoy having you
restrained and will restrain you again when I think you’re
ready to try, but I won’t inflict harm on you, emotional,
physical or mental.” He leaned his head back against the
chair. “I worry that if we go tonight, if you see how
intense
this world can be, you might be harmed.”
“Intense? How?” She needed more information. Right
now, her mind was going to some awfully dark places.
“There may—will—be public sex. Wife swapping is
likely.”
“Sw-swapping?” Her stomach lurched. “No, Vicious.
Please.”
He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “I will
never share you, Hallie. You needn’t worry about that.
Other men, however…”
“Why?”
“I know you don’t understand it but some women enjoy
the swapping experience. There are husbands who enjoy
watching their wives receiving pleasure at the hands of
another man. It’s not wrong for a husband to give his wife
her fantasy.”
“No, I suppose it’s not.”
“Do you have fantasies?”
“What? No!” She shook her head. “When in the world
was I supposed to have the time to fantasize? Most nights,
I dropped into bed so tired I could barely think. Until very
recently, I’d had three of my nieces in bed with me. No,
definitely no fantasizing going on in my head.”
“Well we’ll have to change that.”
“Why?”
“Fantasizing is healthy,” he replied. “If you have
fantasies or secret needs, I will be the one to make them a
reality for you.”
“Swapping you for another man isn’t ever going to be
one of them.” She played with one of the matte black
buttons lining the front of his uniform shirt. “I wouldn’t
like that.”
“No, I don’t think you would.”
She continued to play with the button. “If we don’t go,
will you get in trouble? I mean, this man is your superior,
right? Will he hold it against you?” She lifted her gaze to
his face and saw the briefest twitch in his cheek. “Don’t
lie to me, Vicious. I know what you’re thinking. You want
to protect me. You don’t want to make me feel guilty. Just
lay it out for me. Just the facts.”
He seemed reluctant but admitted, “He’ll hold it against
me.”
“It will impact your career?”
“Yes.”
“Which will impact our lives.”
“Yes.” His voice was softer now. “I’m sorry, Hallie.
I’d hoped we’d be further along in our relationship before
this issue ever came up.”
“Life rarely follows a plan.” She drew her initials on
Vicious’ thick arm, her fingertips swiping over his tanned
skin. “You won’t let another man touch me.”
“Never.”
“And I just have to act like a cat, right?”
“Basically.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Basically?”
He nodded. “I don’t know the specifics of how the night
will go down. I’ve never been to one of these parties.
Even as an officer, I wasn’t allowed to join.”
“Because you didn’t have a wife?”
“Yes.”
“And now you do.”
He smiled and caressed her face. “Yes.”
“How long before we leave?” She didn’t even bother
masking the hopeful tone in her voice. Sitting on Vicious’
lap was doing a number on her. She was hyper-aware of
his scent and heat. His warm hand sliding up and down her
back left her tingling and needy.
“Not long enough,” he said, his voice filled with regret.
“I tried to get back quickly but there were some last-
minute issues with a recon team and then I had to get to the
supply shop.”
She touched the bag. “What else is in there?”
He pushed it toward her. “Take a look.”
As if reaching into a bag full of snakes, she slipped her
hand into the sack and felt around. Her fingers touched on
something that felt like clothing. She pulled it out and
almost died. “No, Vicious! I can’t wear this!”
“Why not?” He fingered the flimsy pair of black-and-
orange-striped panties and the matching bra. “I can’t wait
to see you in it.”
Her face flamed. “I don’t mind if
you
see me in it but
not those other men.”
“It was this outfit or nothing, Hallie.”
She gulped. “Nothing? There will be naked women
there?”
“It’s likely. I once went to a pet party that was arranged
for us aboard a sky brothel. Most of the women were nude
and wearing various masks and tails. Some of them had
body paint. Others wore lingerie like this.”
She started to protest the outfit but realized she was
probably better off saying thank you. At least he wasn’t
going to make her go naked. “Wait. Did you say tails?”
Vicious reached into the bag and withdrew a black-and-
orange cat’s tail attached to…well…she wasn’t sure what
that was. He must have seen the confusion in her face. “It’s
a plug, Hallie. It goes—”
She put her fingers against his lips, quickly silencing
him. Shame turned her face red. “Yes, Vicious. I’ve
figured out where it goes.”
He slowly dragged her fingers away from his mouth but
kissed each fingertip before letting them drop. “Are you
afraid to try?”
“Are you serious? I thought you were going to kill me
last night just putting your…”
“Cock?”
“Yes.”
“In your pussy?”
“Vicious!” She eyed him in frustration. “I’m not saying
those words now.”
“You said them last night.” He nibbled at her wrist,
setting her skin alight. Little shivers rocked her core.
“That was different.”
“Why?”
“It just was.” She bit back a moan as his hand moved to
her breast. His huge palm completely covered her small
bit of flesh. The calluses rasped her skin. “Vicious.” Her
voice was softer now, needier. “You said we didn’t have
a lot of time.”
“We don’t.” Without warning, he picked her up and
carried her to the couch. He lowered her onto the squeaky
cushions and parted her thighs with his massive hands. “I
have to taste you.”
Before she could stop him, his mouth dropped to her
sex. She cried out in shock at the sudden assault. “Vicious!
Oh!
Oh
!”
His tongue flicked her clit. She scratched her fingers
through his super-short hair and tried to find something to
hold onto as he licked and sucked the pink pearl. Panting
and clutching at him, she went from barely aroused to
begging for release in no time at all. His skillful tongue
lapped at her clit while a thick finger breached her pussy.
He thrust in and out, slowly at first but building speed,
until she threw back her head and screamed his name. Her
orgasm was hard and fast, the pulses of bliss so bright and
sharp they left her breathless and shaking.
She expected Vicious to unzip his pants and mount her
but he didn’t. He wiped his mouth on her lower belly and
then claimed her lips in a tender kiss. Their tongues
dueled but it was Vicious who won the battle. He smiled
against her mouth. “I had no idea this room had such an
echo.”
She blushed. “I can’t help it. You make me lose
control.”
He grinned. “That might be the best compliment I’ve
ever received.” He pecked her lips again. “Wait here.”
He stood and crossed to the bag they’d abandoned. He
pulled out a tall, cylindrical bottle and grabbed the tail-
plug thing. He dropped the bottle of clear gel onto the
couch next to her but took the tail into the kitchen. She
heard water splashing into the sink. When he returned, he
was drying off the plug end of the tail. She gaped at him.
“You did not just wash that thing in our kitchen sink!”
Vicious laughed so loud, the sound so similar to a bark
it made her smile. “It just came out of its package, Hallie.
It’s brand new.”
“Still…”
Shaking his head and chuckling, he sat down next to her.
She gasped in surprise when he picked her up and dragged
her across his lap. The guy sure had a thing about
manhandling her. Face down and bottom in the air, she
tried to wiggle free. “Vicious! What are you doing?”
His big paw smacked her backside and she yelped. “Be
still, Kitten.”
“That’s not funny,” she growled.
He chuckled. “I thought it was rather apropos, all things
considered.”
“You’re something else, you know that? I mean—ow!”
Vicious smacked her bottom again. “Hush and hold
still.”
She gritted her teeth. “That’s easy for you to say. I’m