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.”
Vicious hoped that was true. General Thorn reached
into his desk and retrieved a black envelope with silver
lettering. Vicious recognized it as the type sent out by the
war council when promotions were made.
“Here. I think you’ll find this man’s dossier quite
interesting.”
General Thorn tossed the envelope at Vicious, who
caught it easily. He lifted the seal and retrieved the
documents. His gaze scanned the cover page. His belly
clenched. His gaze lifted to the general who grinned at
him.
“Well, Vicious?”
Vicious stared at the promotion orders raising him from
colonel to brigadier general. He’d spent his entire military
career striving toward this moment. He’d clawed his way
through the ranks, shedding blood and risking his life, in
the hopes of someday attaining this pinnacle. To reach the
level of general in the Harcos land corps was no easy feat.
Twenty-four years of his life had been given to reaching
this goal.
“I don’t know what to say.” Vicious tore his gaze from
the official paperwork. He gulped as emotion threatened
to swamp him. “Thank you, sir.”
The general shook his head. “None of that, Vicious.
You’ve earned this. I’ve watched you since you were a
little boy at the academy. Even then, you were a leader.
These last few weeks, especially, you’ve shown that
you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make things right.
You’re a man who will look after the soldiers
and
their
families. In a protracted campaign like this, that’s
absolutely paramount.”
General Thorn sat forward. “Speaking of families, I’d
suggest you talk this over with your wife before you make
a decision.”
Surprise rippled through Vicious. “You think I should
discuss my promotion with Hallie?”
The general laughed. “I know what you men think of me.
I know what you think of my attitudes toward women. You
couldn’t be more wrong, of course.”
“I—”
General Thorn held up a hand. “It works to my
advantage to have everyone terrified of me. The truth is
that woman of mine has me eating out of the palm of her
hand. Just as I’m sure your Hallie has you eating out of
hers.”
Vicious shifted uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t go that far,
but yes, we’re more equal than not.”
“That’s the dirty little secret, Vicious. Most of us are
ridiculously, stupidly in love with our wives. I’ve
mastered my wife but I value her opinion and respect her
advice. These women? They may wear our collars and do
what we tell them in public but at home?” The general
shook his head and smiled. “They have all the power.”
A strange relief swamped him. It was good to hear that
he wasn’t the only man who struggled with the traditions
of their people. “When do you need your answer?”
“Soon,” General Thorn replied. “It would be good to
know before the end of the week whether you’re taking the
promotion or not. Either way, you have my blessing.”
When Vicious left the general’s office half an hour later,
he was still in a daze. Him? A brigadier general? It was
almost too good to believe but he held the envelope in his
hand. He squeezed the paper between his fingertips to
reassure himself it was all real.
As he rode the elevator down to their floor, the reality
of the promotion hit him. He wouldn’t just be in charge of
the men aboard the
Valiant
. No, four thousand men, four
battalions strong, would look to him for guidance and
leadership. Their wives and children would count on him
to keep their men safe and to bring them home alive.
It was a huge responsibility.
So big, it would take time away from his new life with
Hallie. If they were successful in conceiving a child, it
would mean even more sacrifice from his new family.
Vacations and downtime would be few and far between.
The perks would be nice, but he didn’t think Hallie cared
much about a bigger, nicer home or elevated status.
Inside their quarters, he quietly locked the door and
made his way to their bedroom. He stood in the doorway
and watched her slumber. She’d left the lights dimmed for
him. Naked and turned on her side, she looked like an
erotic tableau with the sheets twisted around her hips and
her breasts bared. She was the most delicately beautiful
thing he’d ever seen.
Could he really choose his career over Hallie?
Chapter Fourteen
Hallie rolled onto her back and strained to hear.
Vicious had come home almost an hour earlier. She’d
been dozing when he took his customary night shower.
She’d expected him to join her in bed but he’d left the
room quietly. At first she’d been miffed but then decided
he was probably hungry. Noises from the kitchen had
confirmed her suspicion but he still wasn’t back.
She glanced at the clock on his side of the bed. Worry
gripped her. Maybe something was wrong. Had he gotten
bad news at his meeting with General Thorn?
Hallie sat up and slid off the bed. She didn’t bother
getting dressed. Vicious liked her better naked anyway. If
he was in a sullen mood or upset, seeing her nude curves
might brighten his mood.
She left their bedroom and entered the main living area
of their quarters. He wasn’t there or in the kitchen. She
saw a faint light coming from the slightly ajar door of his
office. When she reached the door, she listened for a
moment. She wanted to be sure he wasn’t taking a call
with someone. The last thing Vicious needed was his
naked wife barging into a live call.
She pushed the door open a little and stepped into his
office. The lights were dimmed and it took her vision a
moment to adjust. Vicious sat at his desk. He glanced up at
her and frowned. “Are you all right? Is something wrong?”
She shook her head and walked over to him. “I’m fine.
Are you okay? You didn’t come to bed.”
Vicious reached for her, his hand sliding along her hip
to cup her bottom. “I didn’t realize you were awake. I just
needed some time to think.”
“Oh. Well I can go—”
“Don’t.” He patted her butt and then pulled her close.
“Sit with me.”
Nodding, she let Vicious haul her onto his lap. She
kissed his jaw and snuggled close to his warm chest. Her
head seemed to fit so perfectly there. He stroked her arm
and stared at the wall. He seemed so pensive. She didn’t
want to interrupt his thoughts. Being held by him was more
than enough.
“I’ve been offered a promotion.”
Her head popped right up and she grinned at him.
“Vicious, that’s wonderful!”
He seemed grim. “Is it?”
She frowned at his lack of enthusiasm. “Of course it is.
You’ve worked so hard for your career. I don’t know a lot
about the military, obviously, but I know enough to
understand just how hard it is to get to where you are right
now. To be promoted from colonel? That’s huge.” Her
chest threatened to burst with joy. She kissed him long and
hard. “I’m so proud of you, Vicious.”
His worried expression faltered. A smile curved his
mouth. “Are you?”
“Yes.” She hugged him tightly. “Incredibly proud.”
“You’re not angry that I’m considering accepting the
promotion to general?” Fear flashed in his pale-blue eyes.
“I won’t take it if you don’t want me to, Hallie.”
She gawked at him. “Vicious, if you
don’t
take the
promotion, I’m going to be mad you.”
Surprise brightened his face. “Really?”
“Yes!” Rolling her eyes, she sighed. “Why in the world
would you think that I’d want you to give up this chance
for me?”
“Because it means I’ll have to put in extra hours. We
won’t be able to take as many vacations or have as much
time together. It’s an incredible responsibility, Hallie.”
“Vicious,” she asked carefully, “do you love me?”
“Yes.” The answer was swift and sure.
“That’s enough for me.” She kissed him. “I don’t need
vacations and I don’t need you home every night for
dinner. Would I like those things? Yes, of course. Are we
going to argue every now and then? Um, yeah. Will we
have to compromise and make sacrifices? Yes, absolutely.
Is it worth it? Yes!”
He regarded her for a long moment. His voice thick
with emotion, he finally spoke. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Hush,” she whispered against his lips. “We both
deserve each other.”
She smothered his laugh with another kiss, this one
slow and easy. Vicious took control of the kiss in that way
that she’d come to love. His warm hands caressed her
naked skin and made her shiver. He petted her lovingly
and cupped her small breast in his big paw. “I can’t get
enough of you, Hallie.”
She shared his sentiment. He’d become a drug that she
craved more and more every day. She whimpered as his
masterful hands aroused her. A little wiggle of her hips
told her she wasn’t the only one aroused. Feeling brave,
she reached between their bodies and grasped his erection
through the thin fabric of his sleep pants. Vicious groaned
at her intimate touch.
A naughty thought occurred. There was one thing they
hadn’t tried yet. During one of Lenny’s visits to the
apartment, she’d shown Hallie the channels in the 900
range of the entertainment console. At first, she’d been
appalled that people videoed themselves having sex. After
a little more study, she realized it was an easy way to
learn new tricks. Some of the things she’d witnessed on
some of the more extreme channels would never happen
but what she had in mind right now? Oh yes. She really
wanted to try that.
Hallie slipped off Vicious’ lap and knelt at his feet. His
brow furrowed and he swept long strands of hair from her
face. “What are you doing, Kitten?”
“What do you think?” She reached for the waistband of
his pants but his fingers gripped her wrist. Her confused
gaze snapped to his face. “What?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
She licked her lips and smiled up at him. “I want to put
my mouth on you, Vicious.”
His eyes widened slightly and his nostrils flared. He
released her hand and caressed her cheek. “If you don’t
like it, that’s fine. You can stop at any time, Kitten.”
“All right.” Fingers trembling now, she reached for his
pants and tugged them down in the front. His cock sprang
free. She gazed at it for a moment and wondered how in
the world she was going to get the thick, blunt tip all the
way into her mouth. He looked so much bigger this close.
Tentatively, she grazed her fingertips over his hot skin.
She heard his slow inhale and watched his abdominal
muscles working. She couldn’t believe her lightest touch
had affected him so. He seemed to be experiencing the
same excitement and anticipation she did when he parted
her folds with his fingertips and put his tongue on her clit.
She grasped his big cock and stroked him from the tip to
the base. She kept her fingers loose and light, just teasing
him a little. He made a low grunting noise that drew her
gaze. He looked almost pained, his mouth drawn tight and
his cheeks twitching. She quickly recognized the
expression though. It was one he often wore when they
made love and when he felt extreme pleasure.