movement tentative. Would he mind? Her fingernails
lightly scratched at his scalp. His tongue fluttered over her
clitoris and drove her closer and closer to the edge. Her
toes curled into the mattress. Her thighs tensed. Any
moment now…
“Vicious!” His name echoed in the room as she
climaxed with such intensity. Her shoulders came up off
the bed and she undulated wildly as his tongue attacked
her with even more vigor. She tried to close her legs and
pull away from him but those big hands clamped on her
inner thighs and held her in place. He went wild on her
pussy and forced her into a second orgasm that left her so
limp she could barely breathe.
The sensation of his rough palms stroking her belly and
sides roused her from the stupor he’d induced. He kissed
his way up her body and then captured her mouth. The
spicy musk of her arousal filled her nose. It was a strange
yet incredibly intimate experience to smell and taste
herself on him.
Vicious was so sensual and gentle with her. He didn’t
try to penetrate her with the massive cock now rubbing
against her belly. It was his right but he didn’t force the
issue. His tenderness was surprising but she wasn’t
foolish enough to think him soft. The man was a ruthless
soldier. He could just as easily snap her neck as caress it.
When he shifted, his thick erection grazed her pussy.
She flinched and tried to shut her thighs, just in case she’d
read him wrong.
“Easy,” Vicious urged. “I promised I wouldn’t harm
you. I’m not that much of a brute.”
She shot him an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right.” He grasped her hand and dragged it
down between their bodies. He wrapped her fingers
around his big cock. She couldn’t even come close to
encircling him completely. “Stroke me, Kitten.”
She gulped nervously. He was huge and hard. “I don’t
know how.”
He kissed her, his tongue darting inside to dance with
hers. “Like this.”
His big paw covered hers and showed her how to
stroke him. His mouth returned to hers. He kissed her silly
while guiding her hand up and down his monstrous shaft.
She couldn’t believe that thing had been inside her last
night. No wonder she felt so battered this morning!
Still, she couldn’t wait to have him in her again. That
feeling of being stretched and filled had been better than
her wildest dreams. When he’d strummed her clitoris and
helped her climax with his cock inside her, she’d thought
for sure the pleasure would be the death of her. It was
wicked and lovely.
Vicious kissed her with more intensity. His hand sped
up, forcing hers to glide up and down his shaft at a quicker
speed. Wetness appeared beneath her fingertips. His pre-
cum, she supposed. Though her sex education hadn’t
included any of these finer details, her eldest sister had
made sure to tell her that even if a man pulled out before
he came it wasn’t truly safe. Pre-cum could get her in just
as much trouble as semen. Sadly, that wasn’t a lesson
Bernie had learned.
When Vicious’ hips started to pump, she experienced a
frisson of excitement. She could see the little vein jumping
in his neck. Leaning forward, she licked the spot and then
nipped at him, mimicking the way he’d tormented her last
night.
“Hallie!” He shouted her name, his tone surprised and
pained. In the next instant, something hot and wet sprayed
her belly. Stunned, she glanced between their bodies and
saw his semen spurting from the tip. It amazed her so much
she forgot to keep stroking for a few seconds. When she
resumed her up and down movement, Vicious shuddered
and spilled even more of his essence onto her skin. He
groaned and shivered before reaching down to stop her.
“Enough. You’re killing me.”
She grinned with the realization she could affect him so
much. He slid down beside her on the bed. She kissed his
jaw and then his mouth. His deep, relaxed breaths buffeted
her face.
Idly, he smeared his seed around her belly. When he
lifted two semen-coated fingers to her lips, she shot him a
questioning glance. Did he want her to—?
“Lick me, Kitten.”
She considered telling him no but then thought of the
way he’d tasted her. He seemed to enjoy her flavor.
Perhaps he tasted just as good?
Her tongue stole out and flicked across his fingertips.
His taste, a pleasant sweetness, burst on her tongue. She’d
been expecting something quite different. This was a nice
surprise.
“Suck them clean,” he ordered, his voice gruff and
deep.
She held his gaze as she sucked his fingertips between
her lips and licked his skin clean. Feeling bold, she bit
down gently on his fingers. Vicious hissed but smiled.
“You’re a fast learner.”
“Am I?”
He kissed her deeply, his tongue swiping hers and
making her tremble. “You are, and it pleases me very
much.”
His admission filled her with the strongest sense of
pride and accomplishment. Less than a day as his mate and
already she craved his compliments. What in the world
was happening to her? Was she really falling for Vicious?
This quickly? It wasn’t possible. Love took months to
develop, didn’t it? Surely this was just infatuation or a
side-effect of the lust he inspired.
If it wasn’t, and if she was truly falling in love with
Vicious, she was in big trouble. It wasn’t a good idea to
give her heart to a man who was, for all intents and
purposes, a stranger. She didn’t know the first thing about
him. Yes, they clicked in the bedroom but outside that
door? God only knew if they were compatible.
“I want to feed you before I leave.” Vicious sat up and
held out his hand. “Come shower with me.”
Without a second thought, she placed her hand in his. It
felt so right. She allowed him to haul her off the bed and
followed him into his bathroom. This man was her
husband now. He’d won her fair and square in the Grab.
There was no going back. If she could find happiness with
him, why not grasp it with both hands and hold tight?
Vicious pulled her into the oversized shower stall. He
wrapped his arms around her and tipped her chin. His lips
touched her forehead. “You’re thinking again.”
“Yes.”
“Good thoughts?”
She kissed his chest. “The very best.”
* * * * *
Vicious watched his young bride eat. He noticed the
way she’d placed such small servings on her plate. She ate
slowly, as if trying to savor every last bite. He caught her
eyeing the plate of sausages in the center of the table. He
expected her to take another serving of the breakfast meat
but she poured another glass of water instead. It finally
occurred to him that she might not realize she could have
more.
He stabbed two of the links with his fork and pushed
them onto her plate. “Eat.”
Hallie stared at the sausage as if it were a forbidden
food. “No. You need to eat as much protein as possible.
I’m fine with my water and fruit.”
He frowned. “I arranged a large breakfast for us. There
are no food shortages here. You should eat as much as you
like.” He considered her thin frame. “It wouldn’t do you
any harm to gain a little weight.”
“I don’t want you to go hungry, Vicious. I’ll be fine with
this.” She gestured to her glass of water and the tiny
serving of fruit.
“The hell you will,” he grumbled. Ignoring her protests,
he picked her up and settled her onto his lap. She wore
one of his shirts and nothing else. It was a look he rather
liked. Picking up her plate, he moved it closer and then
grabbed one of the sausage links. “Open up, Hallie.”
“Vicious—”
“Eat or I’m going to toss you over my lap and spank
your ass.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“Try me, Kitten.”
She gauged his sincerity. Realizing he was serious, she
reached for the piece of sausage and took a bite. “Happy?”
“I will be once you’ve eaten your true fill.” He
caressed her back. “Food is ample here. As a colonel, I
receive a generous monthly salary. You will not go to bed
hungry. Is that understood?” She nodded. “Why in the
world would you think that I would be happy with you
eating so little?”
She shrugged. “Food is expensive in my village. The
groceries in our home are rationed carefully.”
She didn’t need to say anything more. “Your father and
brothers forced you to take the smallest portions.”
“Of course.” She shrugged again. “I was a housekeeper.
I don’t require that many calories to survive.”
He bit back a curse at their selfishness. At the very
least, they could have rotated days or nights for the
smallest amounts to safeguard her health.
“You’re my wife now and I won’t have you starving
yourself.” His hand moved to her belly. “You could be
carrying my child, Hallie. A pregnant mother deserves the
very best nutrition.”
She chewed slowly. He recognized that thoughtful
expression. Anxiety twisted his gut. “Are you upset by the
thought of carrying my child?”
“What?” Her gaze snapped to his face. “No. I mean…I
don’t know.”
He figured that wasn’t as bad as an absolute no.
She touched his arm. “I’m not averse to the idea. I want
to be a mother, Vicious. I just didn’t think it would happen
in this way. We hardly know one another.”
“Yes.” He couldn’t argue that point. Hoping to reassure
her, he added, “I will be a good father to our children,
Hallie. They’ll never want for anything. Nor will you.”
She smiled and entwined her fingers with his. “I don’t
doubt that.”
“It will take time to learn about one another, but I think
we’ve made a good start of it. I can’t promise that it will
be sunshine and flowers but I’ll try my very best. You
have my word on that.”
“I’ve heard that Harcos men never go back on their
word.”
“We don’t. It’s a matter of honor.” He speared another
sausage link and lifted it to her lips. “Eat.”
“May I have some juice?” She looked a bit sheepish as
she asked for such a simple thing.
“Of course.” He hated that she’d been taught to think she
wasn’t worthy of enough food to fill her belly. He poured
a big glass of the pale-blue juice and then grabbed a
biscuit. He slathered the sweet, creamy butter on the soft
bread and shoved it into her hand. “Eat this too.”
She didn’t fight him on that order. Though she ate rather
daintily, her bites small and well-spaced, she devoured
everything he set in front of her. He liked watching her eat.
It brought him an immense amount of satisfaction to know
he’d provided her with more comfort and security than
she’d known. Hallie deserved so much more than the
hardships she’d endured down on that backward hellhole.
“I wish I could stay with you all day.” He allowed a
little wistfulness to infiltrate his voice.
“Why can’t you?”
He was pleased to hear her disappointment. “I’m the
highest-ranking member of the land corps aboard the
Valiant
, Hallie. The soldiers aboard this ship depend on
me. I don’t have the luxury of the typical four-week leave
that most new husbands are allowed.” He frowned as he
played with her hair. “We are at war, after all.”
“I forget that sometimes,” she admitted. “That we’re at
war,” she clarified. “Our village is so small and
technologically lagging that we’re not exactly a prime
target for any of the Splinter campaigns. We had that
problem with the Merkorian beasties but your people
seem to have nipped that one in the bud.”
He snorted at her use of the term “beasties”. It seemed
such a playful word to describe those scaly, slimy
reptilian monsters with their blood-sucking fangs and
acidic venom. For years, they’d been the primary enemy to
Hallie’s people. It wasn’t until the civil war moved into
her planet’s sector that his people had seen a benefit to
making a treaty with them. They’d agreed to rid them of
the Merkorian problem in exchange for the use of their
airspace, the right to police and patrol their orbital zone,