homemade sin.
Compared to the other men she’d glimpsed since
arriving on the sky ship
Valiant
, Vicious seemed so much
bigger and terrifying. It was no wonder he’d managed to
catch her in that grassy field. She’d really never stood a
chance against him.
The other soldiers aboard the transport ship had seemed
skittish around him. During the ride on the surface-to-sky
shuttle, they’d been given a set of seats near the front of
the craft. They were far away from the other couples. Part
of that she put down to his rank. Most of it, though, seemed
to be respect and fear. After the way he’d actually
growled
at one of the medics trying to examine her during
the intake procedure, she understood why the soldiers
gave him so much space. Who would want to invite that
kind of wrath?
He hadn’t made any attempts to chat her up, either.
She’d found his lack of conversation incredibly grating.
The man had just stolen her away from her home and other
than asking her basic questions, hadn’t offered much else.
She didn’t know what he did, how old he was, where he’d
come from or even what he wanted from her.
Judging by her current predicament, he wanted things
she’d never given any other man, and in ways she’d never
even imagined. It appeared the rumors of rough sex, of
bondage and beatings and all other perverse behavior,
were true. Soon enough, she’d have firsthand knowledge
of it. Vicious hadn’t placed her here in this dimly lit room
on this uncomfortable table, her limbs shackled and her
skin bare, so they could play board games. No, he was
going to claim her body whether she wanted it or not.
She choked back a sob of frustration. A petty voice in
her head hoped Bernie was enjoying her new life in the
colonies. Hallie wouldn’t have even been in the Grab this
morning if it hadn’t been for her older sister. She wanted
to be angry with Bernie for putting her in this position but
honestly wasn’t. Bernie had done a bad thing—by their
village’s standards, at least. If that information had
become public knowledge, Bernie would have been a
marked woman.
Smuggling her off the planet the same way Hallie had
been helping others was the only way to save her sister. It
had cost Hallie her savings and forced her into her sister’s
spot in the lottery to satisfy her family’s quota, but it was
worth it. In four months or less, Hallie would be an aunt.
Protecting that precious, innocent life was worth all of
this.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the silent room. She held her
breath as tears rode the curves of her cheeks. Even though
he hadn’t made his presence known to her, Hallie had
suspected Vicious waited nearby the entire time she’d
been in restraints. He didn’t strike her as the kind of man
to take unnecessary risks like leaving her alone in a dark
room with a leather strap across her neck, even if it was
loose.
Humiliation burned her face. She’d never been naked in
front of a man before this day. She sure as hell had never
shown
that
part of herself to any man. Now it was on
display, her thighs spread so wide that the lips of her sex
were parted for his enjoyment.
She flinched at the first touch of a rough
,
warm hand on
her foot. He poked her flesh in various spots. It occurred
to her that he was probably checking her blood flow. That
was something, at least. If he was thorough enough to
worry about injuring her, surely he wouldn’t hurt her too
badly tonight?
His hand slid down her calf and along her inner thigh.
Panic seized her lower belly. She sobbed loudly as the
realization of what was to come hit her hard. This man,
this stranger, was going to take her, probably brutally, and
there was nothing she could do to stop him.
She squeezed her eyes shut as Vicious climbed onto the
table, insinuating himself between her thighs. The stiff
fabric of his pants scratched her tender skin. She gulped
but kept her eyes shut, hoping with every fiber of her being
that she would be able to block out this horrible memory
someday.
His bare fingertips trailed her cheek and jaw. There
was such softness in his touch. It confused her greatly. She
didn’t understand this man or his world.
“Why do you cry, little one?”
Her eyelids parted at his question. His icy-blue eyes
displayed concern. He looked almost as confused as she
felt. How in the world could he possibly be surprised by
her near hysteria?
Finally, she found her voice. “I’m scared.”
“Of me?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t fear me, Hallie,” he urged, his voice silken.
“You are precious to me.”
“Precious?” She pulled on her wrist restraints. The
tugging made her wince as pressure was applied to the
spot where he’d had her new identification chip implanted
during the intake procedure. “You’ve got me chained up
like a dog.”
“To protect you,” he explained. “I feared you would try
to run away. Was I right?”
She glared at him. “Of course!”
“That would be dangerous, Hallie. Women who
abandon their mates during the bonding period are
available to the first man who catches them. Do you
understand? I know you think I’m a monster but you must
believe me when I say I will protect you. No other
unworthy man will touch you.”
She didn’t doubt that. Considering he’d growled at a
medic who was just trying to take her blood pressure and
listen to her heart, she couldn’t imagine what he’d actually
do to someone stupid enough to try to touch her in a sexual
way.
Vicious dipped his head. His lips hovered above hers.
She could feel his warm exhalations on her skin. He
teased his mouth across hers. “Don’t fight me, Hallie.
Submit to me and you’ll know only pleasure.”
She didn’t get a chance to tell him to go to hell. He
claimed her mouth in a punishing kiss. The air rushed from
her lungs as his lips moved against hers. She’d been
kissed a few times but those stolen moments of excitement
in barns and behind the bleachers at the annual harvest
festival dance now paled in comparison.
Vicious might be a ruthless soldier, but the man could
kiss.
He nibbled her lower lip before sucking it between his
teeth. His tongue touched hers, just briefly, and
disappeared again. When his tongue returned with more
insistence, she surrendered to his invasion. He swiped the
roof of her mouth and sucked the tip of her tongue. She
shivered beneath him. He kissed her again, deeper this
time, and let his tongue thrust in and out of her mouth. The
similarity to another sex act wasn’t lost even on her
virginal mind.
Vicious breathed hard when he abandoned her mouth.
He seemed as if he were trying desperately to maintain his
control of the situation. Was it possible that she affected
him as much as he did her?
Her breasts ached in the strangest way. They felt
heavier than usual and her nipples stood erect. At his
slightest movement, his shirt grazed the stiff peaks. She
gasped when his mouth lowered to her neck. His hand
pressed her face to the side, baring her throat to his
attention. She shuddered beneath his big, hard body as he
licked and nipped at her neck. He sucked a certain spot
until it was tender, then laved the area with his tongue as if
to soothe her.
“So beautiful,” he murmured. He cupped her breast in
his hand and captured her nipple between his fingers. He
squeezed lightly, not enough to cause pain but enough to
cause little darts of sharpness. She gasped and tried to
twist away but there was no escape. “Don’t fight me,
Hallie. Let me show you how good it can be between us.”
“Please,” she begged, her face burning with shame. “I
don’t like this.”
“Are you sure?” He traced her nipple with his fingertip.
“Look how your body responds to my touch.”
He dropped his mouth to her breast and traced her pink
flesh with his tongue.
There was no stopping the moan that erupted from her
throat. Her entire body vibrated with a new awareness as
he teased her nipples with his tongue. He moved from
breast to breast, his tongue twirling and his lips suckling
gently. His fingertips pinching lightly. Her lower belly
wobbled as wild frissons of white-hot heat fluttered in her
core. She’d never imagined a man could evoke these kinds
of sensations.
Down below, her clitoris throbbed. Every swipe of his
tongue across her nipple seemed to transfer to the pink
pearl hidden there. She could feel wetness seeping from
her core. The unwanted evidence of her arousal would no
doubt be visible soon. With her legs in the air and her
thighs pulled wide open, there was no hiding her shame.
“Don’t,” he ordered, his voice soft but firm. He placed
a hand against her cheek and forced her gaze to meet his.
“Don’t ever be ashamed with me, Hallie. There is nothing
between us that is improper. I am your mate now, your
husband. This body,” he swept his hand down her
stomach, “is mine to enjoy. And this body,” he touched his
chest, “is yours to enjoy.”
Surprise rippled through her at his last statement. He
chuckled and nipped at her chin. “What? Do you think I’m
the only one who gets to have fun?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t know what you
want from me.”
“I don’t either,” he said after a long moment’s pause. “I
thought…”
She waited for him to finish the statement but he never
did. “You thought what?”
He smiled and kissed her tenderly. “Later,” he
whispered. “No more talking.”
“But—” He silenced her with another kiss, this one so
wildly erotic it made her toes curl. His warm hand
caressed her belly and slid along her hip to her upper
thigh. His tongue danced with hers. He’d said his body
was hers to enjoy. She decided to do just that. Thinking
about what-ifs and whys wasn’t going to get her anywhere
right now. Restrained beneath him, her only choice was to
feel and enjoy.
His hand moved to her inner thigh and stroked toward
her secret place. He cupped her bare mound and she
gasped. He lifted his head and trapped her with his gaze.
She tried to look away as her cheeks blazed with heat but
he wouldn’t let her.
“Look at me, Hallie.” His thick fingers parted the soft
folds of her sex. “You’ve never been with a man.” It
wasn’t a question. He’d been with her during the intake
procedure and had heard her answers to the extremely
personal questions asked. “I’ll be gentle with you.”
He kissed her again but she tore her lips away when his
fingertip tapped her clitoris. She gasped against his cheek
as he expertly manipulated the little nub. His lips drifted
along her throat to her breasts again. His short hair rubbed
her chin and cheek as his mouth teased her nipples and his
fingers explored.
“Kitten, you’re so wet,” he whispered, his voice tinged
with awe. “So hot and slick.”
She’d never been called a pet name like that and had
definitely never had someone remark on her degree of
arousal. His fingertips swirled in the slippery wetness. He
lifted his gaze to hers as he slowly penetrated her virgin
entrance with one finger. Her body clenched in protest.
Her heart raced with excitement and embarrassment.
“Relax. Let me inside you.” He kissed her gently. “Let
me show you pleasure.”
“I—”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to hear
can’t
. I
want to hear one word, Hallie. Just one.” He eyed her
seriously. “
Yes
.”
She gulped. “Yes.”
His expression softened. “Good girl.”
The finger inside her slid a little deeper.
The feelings he awakened amazed her. Living in a small
house crammed with sometimes as many as a dozen
people hadn’t provided her with much privacy to discover
her own sexuality. The few times she’d been brave enough
to touch herself in the shower had ended quickly and
without ever realizing the full depth of an orgasm.
But this? Oh god. Vicious had touched her intimately for