Chapter Four

M outh dry, Naya licked her lips and stared right back at Menace. Was he serious? He looked deadly serious. Emphasis on the deadly. She marveled at his thickly corded arms and ridiculously broad chest. With his gray undershirt stretched across his muscled form, he looked a little less intimidating. She noticed the heavy tattoos running from the edge of his neck to his wrist but only on the right side. The long stretch of tanned skin on his left remained unmarked.

"Naya?" he prompted gently and took the flogger from her hand. "What do you say?"

She considered his dare. Multiple orgasms? Surely that couldn't be true. She had a hard enough time finding one climax on her own and had never been able to find one with a partner. Of course, she'd never had a partner as dangerously sexy as this man. Menace scared her with his hulking size and fierce features, but he exuded such raw sexuality. If any man in the universe could coax two orgasms out of her, it was probably this one.

To be at his mercy terrified her. Could she really trust a man she'd known less than a day to make love to her? She examined his honest face. He'd promised he would never hurt her and she believed him. The way he'd taken down those canes was proof enough of his desire to be good to her. The cynic in her screamed that it was all for show, but she didn't believe that. He'd come in here with a white flag of surrender. That had to count for something.

Her gaze jumped to the cold metal table where his hand rested. She shook her head. "Not there."

His eyes widened slightly. He seemed just as surprised by her acceptance of his offer as she was in giving it. Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to let this stranger touch her?

"All right." Menace gestured around the room. "Pick a spot that seems comfortable."

Gulping nervously, Naya gripped the tough fabric of the uniform shirt covering her nakedness and scanned the room. She spotted a black couch-like contraption against the other wall. It had a curved shape, the sleek fabric gently sloping and rolling like an S. It looked comfortable enough and as close to a bed as she was going to get. "What about that?"

Menace followed her pointing finger. "I think that's a perfect choice. Come with me."

She gazed at his outstretched hand. Asking her to come with him seemed a huge improvement over being Grabbed and tossed over his shoulder. She gathered her courage and placed her hand in his. She gripped his fingers. "Don't make me regret trusting you."

His lips twitched in a smile. "Never."

Naya let him tug her along beside him. When they reached the big curving couch, he dropped her hand and moved to one of the cabinets lining the wall. He tossed the flogger with the wide, soft strands onto the countertop. He opened a bottom door and retrieved a wedge-shaped cushion that he placed in the lowest curve of the couch.

"To support your back," he explained. "You Calyx women are a lot smaller than our women. So many of our supplies are made with them in mind but the manufacturers are starting to add supplements like these to make them work for your kind."

Naya anxiously nibbled on her thumb. She'd just noticed the numerous loops adorning the edges of the odd furniture piece. There was only one reason for them and it wasn't decorative. "Are you going to cuff me again?"

"Why do you sound so worried? You still have that hairpin, right?" Menace glanced at her and smiled as he secured the extra cushion in place. "Do you want me to cuff you?"

She shook her head and pinched the pin between her fingertips. "No."

"Why not?"

She blinked. "Because it's weird."

He frowned at her and gestured for her to hand over the hairpin. She hesitated before giving it to him. He slipped it into his pocket. "Weird? That's not very helpful. Do you mean uncomfortable? Do you mean frightening?"

"All three," she replied. "It's weird that a grown man wants to cuff a woman and restrain her for sex. Where I come from, men restrain women so they can hurt them. It's as simple as that."

"But what if I ask for your permission to restrain you and I promise not to hurt you?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Are you trying to negotiate with me? You realize that I ran one of the most successful shops in Connor's Run, right? You can't beat me when it comes to negotiation."

Menace looked surprised. "I didn't know that you were a businesswoman."

"You didn't ask."

He had the decency to look chagrined. "You're right. What did you sell?"

"Everything and anything I could make a profit on, but my main business was pawning."

"That's loaning money, right?"

She nodded. "A customer brings in something of value and asks for a loan. I keep the item until they repay the loan plus a small amount of interest. If they don't come back for the item, I sell it in my shop. Simple. Easy. Uncomplicated."

"Were you very wealthy?"

Naya laughed. "Hardly."

"But you said your business was successful."

"It was, but the only way to get wealthy on Calyx is to deal dirty and do people wrong. That's not my style. No, I ran a clean shop and treated my customers right. I earned a comfortable living."

"What happened to your shop?"

"I sold it the morning they announced the lottery results and had the money transferred to a bank in the city. A friend of mine will transfer it to the colonies in a week's time."

His eyebrows arched. "You must really trust this friend to give him complete control of your funds."

"I do."

"More than me?"

She eyed him carefully. "You're not my friend."

"I could be," Menace countered. "I could be more than your friend."

More than her friend? Her lover? Her confidant? Her support system? She doubted any man would ever be able to be all of those things to her. "You're my captor. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Menace grunted in annoyance. "I thought we were past that."

"How about we go back to your planet and I'll hunt you down and take you back to Calyx where you'll be my property. Let's see how quickly you get beyond that."

"Fair enough," he finally conceded. "But we are together now. You're mine. That collar around your neck makes us mates."

Naya fingered the offensive circle of white leather. Rather glumly, she said, "Not exactly a silver wedding band, is it?"

Menace instantly perked up. "Would you like one? If it would make things easier between us, I'll get two in the morning and find someone to perform a ceremony."

His enthusiastic response shocked her. She hurriedly shot him down. "No, I don't want to get married."

His face fell. "I see."

Seeing the hurt etched on his face made her ache. "No, I don't think you do.

Marriage is forever. It's a real commitment."

"I made a real commitment to you the moment I put that collar around your neck."

"We must have different ideas of what commitment means. Where I come from, it means love and affection and dating and laughter and all that wonderful stuff." Judging by the look on his face, she was only making things worse by pointing out everything they didn't share. "Look, I'm sure you're a nice guy, but I don't plan to stick around here."

"Are we back to that? To threats of escape?" He shook his head. "It's a foolish dream, Naya. No one ever escapes. Ever." He reached out and grasped her hand. His fingers brushed the raised bump along her wrist where they'd implanted one of their damn ID chips. "You're being tracked around the clock. You're on restrictions until I give word to security. You can't even get out of this room."

His words circled round and round in her head. The ominous threat left her sick and cold. She snatched her hand away and turned her back on him. "You're a real miserable bastard, you know that?"

A long, painful moment of silence stretched between them. When Menace's hands touched her shoulders, she flinched. Dwarfed by his big, hard frame, she couldn't run. Maybe she didn't want to run. It was maddening really. One moment she wanted to bop him right in the nose for being so infuriating. The next she wanted to fall back against him and enjoy the strength of his arms holding her tight.

Menace gently kneaded her tight shoulders, his powerful hands easily manipulating her sore muscles. His body heat penetrated the fabric of the uniform shirt she wore and soothed her raw nerves. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's the truth."

"It is, but now you think I'm a controlling jerk."

"To be fair, I thought that before you told me about the chip implanted in my wrist."

He snorted with amusement. "Thanks."

A white-hot frisson pierced her core as his thumb stroked the side of her neck. Trying to ignore the wonderful sensation he caused, she asked, "Why are you so intent on keeping me? Why not let me go and try again at the next Grab?"

"I want you . I'm keeping you."

Recalling his ugly remark in the forest, she wondered aloud, "Even though I'm just the consolation prize?"

His hands stilled on her shoulders. With one swift step, he moved in front of her. Hands cupping her face, Menace gazed down at her, his expression one of concern. "Naya, do you think I meant that?"

"You said it," she snapped back. "I learned a long time ago to believe what people tell you, even if it's said jokingly."

"Naya, I was joking. I was smiling when I said it."

"Yeah, well, I couldn't exactly see your face, could I?" she grumbled unhappily. "You'd thrown me over your shoulder, remember?"

"Yes." He exhaled roughly and wiped a hand down his face. "I can't seem to get anything right with you."

Naya noticed the vulnerability in his expression. The depth of his remorse left her questioning everything she'd believed about this man and his culture. Sure, he'd Grabbed her, gagged and restrained her in flight and cuffed her to a chair in this torture chamber, but he hadn't shown her any violence, not even when she'd struck him first. She'd been rude and nasty and had verbally abused him so badly his fellow soldiers had been laughing openly—and still he hadn't raised his voice with her.

It occurred to her that maybe she was the one who had everything wrong. All along she had considered escaping to the colonies the ultimate goal in her life, that only in Jesco or Safe Harbor could she find happiness. What if she'd been wrong? What if Danny's tale of the Artist who was Grabbed living a life of luxury and happiness was true? What if this was her chance?

Fingers trembling, she placed a hand on Menace's chest. His pale eyes flashed with uncertainty. Considering how badly she had behaved, he probably thought she was going to strike him or try to shove him backward to flee. She held his gaze and rose on tiptoes to kiss him. He was still much too tall for her to reach his mouth but he got the message and dipped his head.

Their lips finally touched. The bright burst of bliss filled her chest with such warmth. For the first time since meeting Menace, she relaxed completely. His lips were softer than she'd expected and moved gently across hers. She put her other hand on his chest and gripped the thin fabric of his undershirt. His scent, completely natural and unadorned, filled her nose. He smelled of man and soap and nothing else.

As if he feared spooking her, Menace cautiously placed his hands on her neck and face. He caressed her skin with his calloused fingers. The rough sensation of his fingertips gliding over her neck and cheek ignited her desire. She couldn't remember ever being this aroused by a man. Maybe it was the danger of the unknown or the primal maleness of Menace, but she practically vibrated with lust.

His tongue stabbed between her lips. She welcomed the invasion with a swipe of her own. His heavy breaths fanned her face. Their tongues dueled, but Naya quickly realized this was a battle she wasn't going to win. She didn't want to win it. For the first time in her life, she wanted to give up control.

"Menace…" She breathed his name as need gripped her.

"Tell me I can have you," he instructed, his voice husky. "Give me permission to have you, Naya."

She didn't think twice. "Yes."

With a low hum of excitement, Menace swept her up in his arms and carried her to the oddly shaped couch. He placed her on it and knelt near her feet. Even on the floor, he loomed over her. Those long arms could reach every part of her body.

Overcome with nerves, she licked her lips. He grasped the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head. It was tossed over his shoulder and disappeared from sight. He removed one boot and sock and then the other. His tactical pants quickly followed.

When he stood up to push his boxer briefs down his strong thighs, she couldn't take her eyes off him. She'd seen a few naked men in her time but none compared to Menace. Tattoos emblazoned the tanned skin of his right side. Myriad scars, some puckered and pink and others a glossy white and extremely thin, dotted his body. This man had known such immense pain and violence. Maybe they had something in common after all.

Her gaze slid to his cock. She tried to hide her shock, but his smug smile told her she wasn't successful. She couldn't blame him for being smug. It was a huge cock. Thick and long and erect, it commanded her attention. Her pussy pulsed as she imagined what it would feel like to have that massive tool inside her. Very, very good, she guessed.

Menace knelt down at the edge of the couch again. He picked up her foot and caressed her calf. His fingertip traced some of the scratches she'd received from running through the woods. "Do these hurt?"

She shook her head. "They're just ugly."

"I've got something in my med kit that will help them heal." He lowered his head and kissed each and every one of the scratches. She held her breath as his lips danced up one leg and then the other. He placed her feet back on the cushion and let his hands glide up and down her thighs.

When he didn't go straight for the prize, so to speak, she was impressed. The few lovers she'd had in the past had always zeroed in on the secret spot between her thighs almost as quickly as her pants had been out of the way. But not Menace. He seemed to have other ideas about seduction—and she liked them.

With one knee on the couch, Menace nuzzled her neck. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his hot breath tickling her earlobe and his big, warm hand stroking her outer thigh. A bit breathless, she remarked, "You're very good at this."

He chuckled against her throat and licked the spot where her pulse raced. "I want the first time to be good for you."

Her heart stammered but for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't his desire to make the experience wonderful for her that made her heart race. No, it was the realization that he thought she was a virgin. She'd heard stories about these Harcos men and their penchant for virgin brides—something she most definitely could never be.

Alarmed by his misconception, Naya put both hands on his chest and shoved him up off her. Frowning, he gazed down at her with concern in his green eyes. "Did I do something wrong? Am I moving too fast?"

"No." There was no easy way to break the truth to him. Best to just blurt it out, she figured. "Menace, I'm not a virgin."

His expression turned to one of amusement. "And?"

Confused, she replied, "You said you wanted the first time to be good for me."

"I do." He kissed her with such tenderness. "Our first time," he clarified. Holding her gaze, he asked, "Why would I care about the state of your hymen?"

His blunt question made her face burn. "I thought you sky warriors were big on the whole virgin bride thing."

"Some are," Menace confirmed, "but I'm not one of them." His fingertips followed the line of her jaw down to the curve of her throat. "You're fine just the way you are."

Naya couldn't believe this fearsome sky warrior who had stolen her away from her planet had just said the most romantic thing she'd ever heard. "Oh."

"Stop worrying," he urged. "Don't think. Don't question. Just feel, Naya." Don't think? Don't question? How about asking me not to breathe?

Menace claimed her mouth in a sensual kiss. He left her dizzy and trembling when his mouth finally broke away from hers. If he kept kissing her like that, it would be almost impossible for her to think or question. She might not even be able to draw air into her lungs.

He flicked through the buttons on the shirt and pushed the fabric off her shoulders. She sat up just enough to allow him to whisk it away. Naked again and at his mercy, she balled up her hands and placed them on her thighs.

Menace spotted them instantly and clasped her wrists. "No. Relax. "

"I can't help it."

"Do I need to cuff you?"

Her stomach lurched as the memories of being cuffed and arrested flashed before her eyes. She didn't want those ugly thoughts to intrude on this moment. "Please don't."

Menace tilted his head. Had he seen the fear in her eyes? Probably. To his credit, he didn't mention her weakness. Instead he lifted her hands overhead and carefully pried her fists open. He pushed her fingers against the big wide loops of braided material above the couch. "Hold on to these."

Relieved not to be cuffed, she gripped the fabric loops. "I won't let go."

He chuckled and placed a noisy kiss right above her breast. "I'm sure you won't."

"Ah!" she moaned as Menace traced her nipple with his tongue. The sensitive flesh puckered as he laved her dark skin. He sucked her nipple between his lips and licked across the tight bud. Inhaling sharply, she tried to press her knees together as her clit throbbed to life. Menace's position between her legs made it impossible.

"You have extremely sensitive breasts," he remarked. A light graze of his teeth against her supple flesh made her shiver. "So beautiful," he whispered, his voice filled with awe.

She groaned when he pinched her nipple between his fingertips and concentrated all his oral efforts on the other one. Back arching, Naya surrendered to Menace's tormenting fingers and mouth. She'd never experienced anything like this. Every nerve ending in her body burned. Down below, her clit pulsed almost painfully. She felt sure that if she reached down and touched the pink pearl, she'd come instantly.

When Menace suddenly moved, she protested with a whimper. "Where are you going?"

"Easy, sweetheart," he murmured and rubbed her lower belly. "I'm just grabbing something from this drawer."

She followed his hand to the cabinets and drawers lining the wall. He tugged open the second drawer from the top of one cabinet and retrieved something shiny and metal. Swallowing hard, she stared at the object he displayed on his flattened palm. They were two bright-blue, tiny clips with black, padded tips hooked together on a chain. She'd never seen anything like it. "What is that?"

"They're nipple clamps."

Her gaze jumped to his face. "Excuse me?"

He laughed at her shocked expression. "They're nipple clamps. They squeeze your nipples."

"But—why?"

"It feels good."

"For whom?'

"For you."

She narrowed her gaze. "Says the man who isn't having his breasts tortured by them."

"There you go again with the torture claims." Menace shook his head. "If I was torturing you, would I ask your permission?"

"Well…no."

"Would you like to try them?"

"No." The answer jumped from her lips. "Absolutely not."

"Are you sure?" He didn't seem the least bit daunted by her refusal. "You might really enjoy them." He shrugged. "You might hate them. You won't know until you try."

She pursed her lips. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

He grinned mischievously. "No."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll try them—but if they hurt, I'm taking them off immediately."

"Fair enough." Clamps in hand, Menace crawled over her on the couch and skimmed her neck with his lips. He didn't go straight for her breasts but took his time licking and kissing and nibbling until she was burning hot again. As he played with her left nipple, he asked, "What's your favorite color?'

The odd question threw her for a loop. "What?"

"Your favorite color," he repeated. "What is it?"

"Blue. Why?"

"I'm going to give you a safeword. It's the word you'll say when you're feeling overwhelmed or frightened or uncomfortable when we're together. We can safely explore your boundaries that way."

"Blue," she repeated skeptically. "Why can't I just say stop?"

"Because sometimes we say stop when we really mean go ."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever— oh !" She gasped when Menace applied the first clamp to her nipple. The sharp pinch of pain took her breath away. "Ow!"

He adjusted the pinching power of the clamp to a more tolerable level. "How's that? Are we blue?"

Were they? She didn't know. She just knew that the clamp squeezing her nipple felt so strange. Not bad, exactly, but really weird. "No."

"All right. Let's try the other one." He adjusted the tension before placing it around her right nipple. "How's that?"

She made a face. "Okay."

"Okay good? Okay bad?"

"Okay good? Maybe?"

He laughed. "Well you're not trying to whack me upside the head and you're not screaming blue , so I think we're all right."

Naya hissed when Menace grabbed the chain between the two clamps and pulled it taut. The tug on her nipples sent a bright flash of discomfort arcing through her chest. He squeezed the large ring dangling from the front of her white collar. There was some kind of opening mechanism in the hoop, because he was able to loop the nipple clamp chain onto the loop and close it. The new tension on the chain accentuated the tugging pull of the clamps around her nipples.

Menace kissed the tip of her nose and then her mouth. He massaged her breasts in his huge hands. Her nipples throbbed but it wasn't painful. She felt more aware of her breasts than ever. Goose bumps prickled her skin. Menace playfully flicked the clamps and made her gasp.

After a deep, lingering kiss, Menace made his way slowly down her body again, kissing here and teasingly biting there until he was on his knees at the edge of the couch. He grasped her thighs and pushed them wide apart. She gulped at the realization her pussy was on full display now.

"Put your feet here." He pressed them into place, bending her knees and opening her thighs even wider. "That's it, Naya. Just like that."

Her belly wobbled as Menace swept his palm over her sex. She kept the area neatly groomed with just a small, perfectly trimmed triangle crowning her mound and the rest of her pussy bare. Menace ran his fingertips down her smooth slit. "I like this. I think I'll let you keep it."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's so kind of you."

He chuckled and carefully parted the lips of her sex. She could feel the cool air in the room against her hot, slick flesh. He framed her swollen clit between two fingers. "You have the prettiest clit I've ever seen."

Well, that was a compliment she'd never imagined receiving! Uncertain what to say to such a remark, she simply watched him as he explored her most intimate region. There was no mistaking the hunger darkening his eyes.

"Wouldn't a piercing look so beautiful right about here?" He brushed his fingertips across the hood protecting her clit.

She slammed her knees together and trapped his hand there. "I don't think so!"

His mouth curved in a smile. "It's just an idea."

"It's a bad idea."

He laughed and forced her thighs apart again. "We'll table it for now."

Naya glared at him. "Table it? If you think— ah !"

Menace swiped her clit with his tongue. Her head fell back and the issue of piercing her genitals faded into the background. When the shock of being licked there faded, she experienced a wave of embarrassment. He shouldn't be doing that—but it felt oh so good and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

Until now, all of her sexual experiences had been rather perfunctory and short. None of her lovers had ever put his mouth between her thighs. Maybe that was why she'd never been able to climax with any of them. All the thrusting in the world couldn't compare to the wickedly delicious sensation of Menace's tongue circling her clitoris.

Gripping the loops of fabric, she gave way to instinct and lifted her hips. Menace groaned against her pussy and shoved her thighs even wider apart. His tongue traced one side of her sex and then the other before returning to her clit. He lapped at the bundle of nerves and sucked it between his lips. When he rolled his tongue over the inflamed bud, Naya saw stars. "Oh! Men—Menace!"

A flutter of panic shook her core. The realization she was so close to an orgasm stunned her. Even in bed at home, it could take her fifteen or twenty minutes of fantasizing and rubbing to get even close to a climax. Half the time that was as good as it got for her. Somehow Menace and his magic tongue had obliterated whatever mental roadblocks normally prevented her from coming.

Menace found the perfect rhythm with his tongue. Naya's breathing deepened. Her breasts ached and the clamps pinching her nipples suddenly changed from a minor annoyance to a surprising accentuation of the pleasure rippling through her belly. Eyes closed, Naya concentrated on Menace's soft, pliable tongue flicking her clit and his big hands pushing her thighs wide open. It was the image of being fully at his mercy that sent her over the edge.

"Menace!" She shouted his name as the first wave engulfed her. Fighting to surface from the wild pulses of ecstasy, Naya held tight to the fabric loops above her head and undulated atop the low couch. "Oh! Oh! Oh! "

Just as the first ripples of pleasure started to slow and spread out, Menace changed his tactic. He sucked her clit, using hard, long tugs on the swollen pearl to bring her right back to the edge again. He released the bud and used his now firm tongue to swipe side to side across it.

Naya lost it. "Ah! Ah! Unnnnhhhh! "

The guttural groan that left her throat echoed off the playroom's walls. She snapped her hips and pushed her pussy even tighter to his mouth. Menace hummed excitedly and lashed her clit until she thought she just might die. The waves of pleasure overwhelmed and drowned her.

Menace finally backed off. His licks slowed and decreased in pressure. He kissed her clit twice and wiped his mouth on her lower belly. She still shuddered with aftershocks when he pushed back onto his knees and grabbed the flogger from the nearby countertop.

Even through the haze of lust, she realized what was going to happen now. She should have been scared. She should have tried to roll of the couch and flee but she didn't. Mellowed out by those powerful orgasms, she felt more inclined to trust him. He'd shown her nothing but pleasure so far, hadn't he?

Menace caressed her leg. "Keep your hands over your head and your thighs wide open. I want those feet planted right there. Don't move when I strike you. That's the first rule you have to learn when we're playing impact games. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

His eyebrow arched in surprise. "Sir?"

She gave a little shrug. "It seemed appropriate. You remind me of the headmaster at my old school with all the rules you're spouting and that scary thing in your hand."

He snorted with amusement. "Remind me to hit up the shop tomorrow. I think some costumes might be in order."

She frowned. "Costumes?"

"I'll explain later." He leaned forward and kissed her. "This won't hurt. You're going to love it."

She wasn't so sure about that, but she'd been skeptical about the multiple-orgasm thing and he'd proven her wrong. He'd been right about the clamps too.

Sitting back on his heels, Menace gathered the long, wide tendrils of the flogger in one hand and gripped the handle with the experience of a master. Her personal experience with being beaten by others told her that he wasn't far enough away or high enough up to really harm her. There wasn't enough room for him to get a good swing going.

The tendrils thwacked her left inner thigh first and then the right. The soft tongues licked at her lower belly and then her thighs again. With each flick of his wrist, Menace increased the pressure and the speed. The slow, thudding beat soon became something a bit snappier. Her skin erupted in a blush of heat. It was the strangest sensation and one that she quickly began to enjoy.

It stunned her that something she'd once loathed with the fury of a thousand suns now made her pussy ache with need. What the hell was happening to her? Maybe Menace had it wrong. It wasn't the Harcos women who were aroused by and needed these kinds of games to climax. It was she .

Menace had scooted back enough to put some power into the hits. She moaned as the fast-flicking tongues of the flogger smacked the sensitive skin of her belly and thighs. When they brushed across her breasts, she gasped. Her already throbbing nipples cried out for more stimulation but she didn't dare let go of the fabric loops she gripped.

And then Menace shocked her by directing the last three whacks right onto her pussy. She cried out at the unexpected thwacks. On instinct, she started to close her legs to protect her vulnerable flesh but remembered at the last second that she wasn't supposed to move.

Menace caught the quick correction. "Good girl."

His compliment and pleased smile left her feeling so incredibly proud. He tossed aside the flogger and fell between her legs again. His skin felt cool against the red-hot patches on her thighs. He attacked her pussy with his tongue. It took less than a minute before she shrieked his name and came hard. "Menace! Menace! Yes! "

He lifted his lips from her sex and crawled over her. Mouth hovering just above hers, Menace removed one nipple clamp and then the other. The rush of blood into her pinched nipples made her growl. He smothered her with passionate kisses but didn't stop tormenting her breasts. He pulled and lightly twisted her nipples as she panted against his throat. Her clit clamored for attention.

"Menace! Please. "

"Beg me, sweetheart."

Any other man asking her to beg would have gotten punched right in the gut, but Menace's raspy instruction made her so wet. She wanted to beg him. She wanted him to master her. "Make me come, Menace."

With a groan, he captured her mouth again. His punishing kiss stole her breath. The hand tormenting her nipple left her breast and dipped between her thighs. Two wide, long fingers penetrated her slick passage. He thrust slowly at first, allowing her to acclimate to his invasion, but then he found that spot along her inner wall that made her cry out and tense. He laughed triumphantly and began to forcefully fuck her pussy with his digits. His fingertips rubbed that spot again and again.

Legs trembling, she dug her toes into the couch. "Please. Please! "

Menace kissed her cheek. His lips moved to her ear. "Let go, Naya. Come for me. Come for your master."

Her master? Oh, if anyone could ever possibly earn that title with her, it was Menace, the man who had mastered her body with such ease.

Menace brushed his thumb across her clit. Once, twice—and then she climaxed. Head thrown back, she screamed with delight. Menace buried his face in her neck and nipped at her flesh. The combination of the sharp sting of his bite and the thrusting, strumming fingers between her thighs pushed her into a stratosphere of ecstasy she'd never known existed. She rocked and bucked and shrieked his name. "Menace. Menace. Menace! "

On and on the climax went. When she could take no more, when she was limp with pleasure, she pushed her face against his shoulder and pleaded, "No more, Menace. No more."

His hand went still between her thighs. Very carefully, he pulled free from her body. His fingers glistened with her nectar and left wet trails along her belly as they moved up her torso. He turned her face toward his and claimed her mouth in a gentle kiss.

Overcome with warring emotions, she gazed up at him. The tenderness reflected in his pale-green eyes left her feeling so confused. Her hatred and frustration with Menace for ruining her plans and taking her away from her friend and her future in the colonies had all but vanished. How was that possible? How had Menace managed to change her mind so quickly?

Amazing as it had been, it wasn't just the sex. Oh, he'd rocked her world all right—but there was more to it than that. Other than her father and Dankirk, Menace was the only man of her acquaintance to show her such kindness and patience. She wasn't naive. She understood that Menace was showing her the very best of him in the hopes she would acquiesce to his desire for her to stay and be his mate.

The idea of choosing him and this new life on the Valiant didn't terrify her anymore. She wasn't silly enough to think they were soul mates or anything ridiculous like that but she was wise enough to see that Menace offered her something she'd always wanted. Stability. Happiness. Security.

He caressed her cheek. "Are you all right, Naya? Was it too much?"

She shook her head and teased her mouth across his. "It was perfect. You blew me away."

His eyes widened in mock shock. "Was that a compliment?"

Naya narrowed her eyes. "I can be nice sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Menace palmed her breast. Her nipples were still sore from the clamps but he was gentle with her. "We'll have to work on that."

If this was his idea of behavior modification, she couldn't wait to sign up. "When?" Menace shifted on the couch and pinned her beneath him. His hard cock nudged her lower belly. "How about right now?"

His playful grin made her laugh. "Was all that just foreplay?"

Dipping his head, Menace whispered, "Sweetheart, we're just getting started."