Colter's Revenge (6 page)

Her mind cleared again. She grabbed at her chance.

“You’re doing this for a reason. What is it? Are you in this with Cheri Blakely? Are you both planning to sell me to the Pleasure Palace? The general will come for me. He won’t let you get away with this,” she lied.

Anger flared in those green eyes. He was furious with her. Not just mad but spinetingling pissed off. Why? Because of her question? Or was it something else?

“This suction cup is designed to create sensitive nipples,” he said coolly. “A ring is placed on the outside edge of the suction cup. As your nipple is sucked into the cup, the ring is dropped over your nipple and hugs it nice and tight, keeping it plump and ultrasensitive.”

Ashley bit her bottom lip as it did just what he said, the small, black rubber ring rolling onto her nipple and tightening wonderfully.

“After doing this a few times, your nipples will be so sensitive to my touch, you won’t be able to think straight.”

“Interesting way to divert the enemy.”

“Odd that you should consider yourself my enemy.”

“Boy you sure have me fooled if you aren’t mine.”

“I wouldn’t do this to just anyone, Starry Eyes.” There it was again. The soft look that drifted in and out of his eyes so fast it was frustrating.

“Then answer my question. Why are you doing this to me?”

“I’ll let you ponder about the reason for a while. In the meantime…”

She sucked in a sharp breath as he placed the suction cup onto her other nipple. Pumping it wickedly, she felt the air suck her nipple right into the contraption. God!

That felt unbelievably wicked.

“You like that, do you?”

“No.” The heat flaming her face made a liar out of her.

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He chuckled.

She threw him a dirty look and dug her nails into her palms as the rubber ring slipped over her nipple and held it captive.

“There, that should hold you until I get back.”

“You aren’t leaving me here like this!”

“Why not?” he tossed over his shoulder, his hand on the doorknob.

“Because someone might come in, for crying out loud!”

“Wouldn’t want that now, would we? Can’t have tons of men running around Pleasure Palace getting the idea that an unClaimed female was in their midst. They might get the wrong idea. Might think you’re here to service them.”

Oh boy! He was talking as if he might bring them in here.

“I’m not unClaimed,” she hissed.

The instant she said those words she immediately wished she could take them back. He stopped cold. His body tense, coiled with tension. When he turned around, she noticed the paleness to his face. A lack of color that hadn’t been there moments ago.

“How many?”

“Five,” she bit out.

His eyes darkened with such fierce anger she swore he just might hit her. She didn’t know how long he stared at her, but she could tell he was trying to determine whether she spoke the truth or not.

Finally he shook his head. “You’re lying. There’s no way the general would let you come here with only one bodyguard and a note allowing you to bid on the cure. He would have sent you with at least one of your husbands, not a note.”

“They’re all very busy men.”

“Too busy to make sure their valuable possession won’t get snatched? No, Ash. I don’t think there are any husbands in the picture, at least not yet. I will tell you what I do think, however. I think you’re full of secrets. You were scared when you showed up and handed Cheri that note. Scared of Cheri, yet relieved to see me.”

Ashley swallowed at the tightness strangling her throat.

“Why were you relieved to see me, Starry Eyes? Did you think we’d be able to pick up where we left off in Iraq?” His voice lowered into a tight whisper. “Did you think I would share you with Blade again?”

She shook her head, trying hard not to remember their ménage à trois with Blade.

“Do you want me to share you with other men, Ashley? It would be the ultimate revenge for me to watch other men pleasure you over and over again, keeping you on the edge for hours, for days, maybe even years like I’ve been on the edge just thinking about you.”

Oh, God! He’d been thinking about her just as she’d been thinking about him. But why was he so angry? Why was he talking about revenge?

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“My Claimed wife didn’t think she could be shared. But once she started, she got addicted to ménages mighty fast.”

Her heart stopped at the mention of a wife. The mere thought of him being with another woman pissed her off. Made her see red. Made her realize she could never have him again now that he’d Claimed another.

She shouldn’t be so jealous, so surprised that he had taken a woman. Colter was a passionate man, a man with fierce sexual appetites. During the few weeks they’d been together, he’d made love to her so many times she’d lost count. He couldn’t stay long without sex.

And from the bulge pressing against his pants, he certainly wanted some.

“I’ve heard many women fantasize about having sex with more than one man at the same time. You’d think this Claiming Law would have women scrambling to be Claimed,” he said thoughtfully. “Perhaps I should see about why you’re walking around here as an unClaimed woman.”

“The general—”

“Fuck the general!” he snapped so harshly she literally jumped on the mattress.

“The general is not here at the moment, Ash. Neither are your…imaginary husbands. No one is here to help you. It’s just you and me. The sooner you remember that, the better off the next few days will be.”

Having said that, he yanked the cabin door open and slammed it so hard on his way out, the windows vibrated.

Next few days? Oh please, God, no. Please tell her she’d heard wrong. 33

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Chapter Three

Colter couldn’t stop his hands from shaking as he lifted the tall glass of Terrorist Tequila, a strong alcoholic beverage brewed overseas and shipped to the States via the black market.

He wished the trembling in his hands were due to the powerful drink. It wasn’t. Seeing Ashley naked and vulnerable, finally having her collared and chained to the bed, at his mercy—getting ready to exact his sweet revenge—made him so horny his balls and cock had grown so painfully hard he’d been barely able to walk out of the room.

He should have told S.K.U.L.L. to take her away as they’d done with her bodyguard and the pleasure slave. Should have asked them to keep her tucked away somewhere safe until he could deal with her.

For now though, she was safe with him.

Safe in her room—chained to her bed. Totally naked. Gorgeously naked. Her nipples properly ringed. Red. Tight. Perfect for sucking—for bringing the flare of arousal into her bright blue eyes.

She was probably getting terribly sore by now.

Good. His cock was good and sore too.

But he’d never allow himself to fuck her again. Never allow himself to get lost inside her warm, wet, welcome pussy as he’d done at the general’s mansion. Shit!

The general.

They shouldn’t have saved his life. Should have let that son of a bitch get his head blown off and just left him to die. Then again, if he hadn’t met the general, he’d never have met Ashley.

Bastard!

Colter lugged back another stiff swallow of the cold drink, trying hard to ignore his trembling hands.

He should have told her the original deal. Should have told her she’d been a gift to him. A gift from the general for saving his scrawny neck. Instead he’d fantasized. Told her he would take her away from her life as the general’s pleasure slave. Told her he loved her.

Damned if he hadn’t meant it.

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“Sulking over your drinks, Dr. Van Dusen?” Cheri Blakely’s soft voice curled around him, making him tense, making his guts twist with irritation. “I thought you were meeting with Ashley? Did she stand you up?”

“She had…another commitment.”

“Her loss is my gain. May I join you?”

“Please.” At this precise moment, the last thing he wanted to do was to talk to Cheri, especially with Ashley’s nipples ready to burst beneath those rings he’d put on her. She wouldn’t suffer too greatly if he waited a few more minutes. It would just make her ultrasensitive for the next step in his plan.

“I’ll have a shot of absinth, please,” Cheri gestured to the nearby bartender. “And get one for Dr. Van Dusen also.”

Colter downed his tequila and smiled tightly as he felt Cheri’s hand sliding up his inner thigh.

“I’m sorry, Cheri, but like I said, business before—”

“Please, let me indulge myself, Dr. Van Dusen. It might be in your favor when the time comes to bid on the X-virus C cure.”

“Of course, the cure.” He needed to keep his mind on the cure, not Ashley.

“Already so aroused?” Cheri murmured as her hand cupped his clothed bulge. A bulge that had grown painful as he’d brooded over his drinks while thinking about Ashley and the revenge he had planned for her. A revenge that should be frivolous compared to what needed to be done in order for him to get the cure.

“I tend to react quickly when a beautiful woman has her hands on me,” he tried to keep his voice steady and smooth even though he felt like bucking his hips in an effort of getting her hand off him.

Despite the fact he could hear his zipper lowering, could feel her ring-laden fingers slide into his pants, he forced himself to keep his gaze on her. Forced himself to keep his lips smiling at her.

“I can make you a generous offer right now for the cure of the X-virus. I can have the money transferred into your account within minutes,” Colter said softly.

“Ah, darling, I’m afraid the cure isn’t here.”

Shit!

He clenched his teeth as her fingers found his swollen rod. She smiled. Her red lips parted. Her eyes glazed. Cripes, it looked as if she might get herself off just by touching him.

“When will the cure be arriving?”

“When all the other doctors are here.”

Can you be a little more specific?
he wanted to ask, but he winced in pain as her sharp nails scratched along the side of his left ball. A burning sensation quickly followed. Shit! That hurt! He found it hard not to shift uncomfortably. 35

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“Try the absinth I ordered for you,” she purred, and nodded to the green liquid shimmering in the shot glass. He hadn’t even noticed the bartender having placed it there.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Oh but you must at least try. It is my favorite. Just like scratching a man’s balls is a favorite hobby of mine.”

Great.

He winced as her sharp nails scraped along the tender skin encasing his right testicle.

“Hurt?”

Shit, yes.

“A little.” He forced his voice to remain cool, steady.

She pouted.

“I can make a man stay on edge for hours just by scratching his balls.”

“I’m sure you can,” he took a sip of the absinth, pretending disinterest. The bitter herbal taste of the liquid, however, was hard to ignore as the flavor melted over his tongue.

“Especially after he’s gotten drunk on absinth.”

Lovely.

He took a couple more sips for good measure and tried to ignore how his balls pulled up and tightened harder beneath those fiery fingernails. The buzz of the alcohol zipped along his veins. Just what he needed to take off the edge of tenseness at having this woman groping him.

“At Pleasure Palace they don’t make absinth as they normally make it elsewhere,”

she purred. “Of course, they still use the traditional wormwood, star anise, fennel and herbs, but they also add a secret ingredient.”

Who cares?

“They’ve doubled the wormwood, therefore doubling the thujone. Thujone is the principal narcotic found in the wormwood plant. It’s also a main ingredient found in my cure for the X-virus.”

Now that got his attention. His heart picked up speed at an alarming rate. Whether it was from the tasty, bitter drink or her willingness to talk about the ingredients in her X-virus cure, he wasn’t sure.

He played with the condensation on the side of his suddenly empty glass, trying to act cool, a direct contrast to the frustration gnawing at him at not being able to ask questions. It would only make her suspicious.

“How interesting.”

Cheri giggled like a schoolgirl. Her cheeks flushed brightly and that glazed, lusty look in her eyes deepened. Her fingers were now scratching up the sides of his cock, 36

Colter’s Revenge

leaving such a burning trail of hurt he hoped like hell she wasn’t using razor blades on him.

“You let me suck your cock right here and now and I just might tell you a little bit more about the cure.”

“Might” being the operative word. He could sense she was a woman who played her cards close to her chest. No way in hell was she going to give away too much. But there could always be that chance she might say something important. Something he could use and give to S.K.U.L.L. to work with.

He was quite ready to do anything to get the information he needed to get his brother released from wherever he was being held. S.K.U.L.L. said they knew where and, if he could trust them, his brother would be back home within a week. Desperation slammed into him. He needed to get the cure from Cheri and give it to S.K.U.L.L. It was the only hope Tyler now had.

“No one is stopping you,” he said tightly, tensing himself against the assault of thinking about her mouth against his cock. The only mouth he wanted on his cock was Ashley’s. Not this bitch’s.

He caught the surprise and then the pleased look splashing over her face at his agreement to have her go down on him.

She’d been expecting him to deny her. Why? Did she already suspect he wasn’t who he said? Although S.K.U.L.L. had reassured him Pleasure Palace only hired a select, highly trained pleasure crew and that no one he knew worked here, there was always that chance someone, perhaps another customer or the owners—who he knew personally—would show up, recognize him and rat him out.

Had Ashley’s bodyguard informed someone before S.K.U.L.L. had taken him out?