His Virtual Bride

Can a wanted man and an amnesiac find happiness?

Flight Commander Geoff is a wanted man on Earth. Somebody has stolen his spaceship and made it look like he's the culprit.
The Honey
contains every construction detail for her replacement. If those details fall into enemy hands--Marsian hands--another interplanetary war is far too possible.

Keely Ketchum has lost her memory. She knows she was found aboard a spaceship, but she has no idea how she got there. All she knows now is that Marsian Queen Paris has paired her with Geoff in order to find the queen's demented great-uncle,
Le Roi
. But Geoff seems more interested in finding his spaceship.

 The question of their future lies in Geoff's acceptance of who she used to be.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

His Virtual Bride

Copyright © 2011 Dee Brice

ISBN: 978-1-55487-817-8

Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

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His Virtual Bride

Virtual Seductions

By

Dee Brice

Dedication

As always, to Bud--just because.

Prologue

Jove, commonly known as Jupiter to planetary purists, reached out across the millions of miles separating them and touched Venus.

"Are you worrying yet again, dear Jove?" the Goddess asked, her eyes closed, her voice a seductive purr.

Wondering how she knew it was he who had awakened her, he replied, "Not worrying exactly. Just wondering."

"About? Or do I even need to ask? What has Mars done now?"

"Nothing. Yet."

Venus sighed and opened her eyes. "Tell me what you think he's going to do. He promised--"

"He wouldn't start another war. But we both know his promises about wars don't hold water. Still, I don't think he has war on his mind. This time."

"Then what is on his mind?" Asperity dripped from her voice.

"Either he's meddling with his new Marsienne queen…"

Venus briefly quirked one brow. She really didn't care what havoc Mars wrought on his own people. After starting the last interplanetary wars in 2110, he deserved whatever trouble came his way.

Jove cleared his throat. "Either he's meddling with Kiki--who now calls herself Paris--or he intends to meddle with one of ours."

That got Venus' complete attention. "How do you know his intentions?"

Jove made an impatient gesture that cleared all the asteroids and space dust between Venus and the planet Mars ruled. With another gesture, Jove and Venus could see the vidscreen Queen Paris was reading so avidly.

* * * *

If you want Flight Commander Geoff to return to Mars, you must take drastic action.

The Marsienne sighed. "I can't force him to come back. When those meddling Earthlings sent that Venus-blasted spaceship after him last year, he left me without a backward glance."

You know how much he loves
The Honey.

Paris gritted her teeth at the reminder. She was human and a queen! Yet Geoff preferred his spaceship to her. Mars damn him to perdition.
Or…
She thoughtfully chewed her lower lip. "If I could somehow get that blasted ship to Mars, Geoff would come after her. And somehow I'd convince him to stay." She glared at the vidscreen. "Can you help me?"

Yes. Have plan to send
The Honey
to Mars
.

"I don't want to know the details. The less I know about your plans, the fewer questions I'll have to answer. Just do it!"

It shall be done
.

* * * *

Jove grabbed Venus' arm before she did Paris bodily harm. "Flight Commander Geoff is one of mine," he avowed. "I'll not let Kiki--er Paris--force him into staying on Mars. Besides, we promised Mars we wouldn't interfere."

Venus pulled free. "Interfere, no. But protecting our own is quite another matter. Paris used my name to curse Geoff's ship. That makes
The Honey
one of mine. I
will
protect her."

"Still… I am curious to see how this plays out. Can whoever sent this message to Paris carry out the plan?"

"Will Geoff come after
The Honey
?" Venus asked, her eyes thoughtful yet calculating. "Yes, Jove, let us see how this plays out. In the meantime…"

"Let us while away the time in more pleasurable activities."

They reached for each other.

Chapter One

Keely Ketchum wanted to kick ass. Intended to kick ass. Would kick ass--as soon as she finished admiring Justice Geoff's perfect
gluteus maximus
. Not that she could see all of its perfection, just enough of it to make her drool. The man was, after all, almost clothed. If she could call those skintight chaps that seemed to leave his ass exposed to all his admirers clothes. Of which--in her opinion--there were too many clinging to him and playing grab ass with those hard-looking, well-muscled buttocks.

Another thing--and it made her even madder--she was almost certain she'd seen him completely naked. That booty shaking, Lothario snake! If only she could remember her past and what part Geoff might have played in it! The boss, Queen Paris, said her memory might return--if she didn't push too hard. But--Jonathan Jacob Jones!--she couldn't even remember how she knew that phrase, let alone knew it was cussing.

"Care to dance, Ms. Ketchum?" The snake in question pronounced her last name like two words--
catch 'em
.

He must have activated some sort of silence cone around them because she no longer heard the ear-shattering music or the propositions his groupies shouted at him. And the atmosphere smelled almost free of smoke--cigars and the Goddess only knew what else!

His deep voice flowed over her like satin sheets and almost made her forget why she'd sought him out in the first place. She closed her eyes, then looked up at the ceiling. She didn't want to know what the front of those chaps might reveal. Oh yeah. The boss had sent her to find Geoff and suggested she try Io. Since Paris had no idea in which den of iniquity Keely might locate Geoff, she'd wasted too damn much time looking in every sleazy dive on the entire moon. This particular dive was a giant step up from Geoff's usual hangouts--or so she'd heard. Which was why she hadn't found him sooner.

Io was the one place in the entire galaxy she wished she could forget. It catered to every whim and sin, known or only imagined. Geoff was partying hearty--probably on the information about
Le Roi--
the queen's loony great-uncle--she'd gathered and Geoff had stolen from her! And no doubt had sold to the highest bidder. Who may or may not have been Queen Paris of Mars.

"Paris wants to see us." Keely turned and looked up into Geoff's hazel eyes--amused, condescending, sneaky, thieving eyes. His groupies, or maybe she should call them
grope-ies
, had disappeared. Thank the Goddess.

 "Paris? Oh you mean Ki--Can't get used to her new name. Us?" he asked when Keely just stared up at him.

"Yeah, us. You gotta problem with that, Snake? Take it up with the queen when we get back to Mars. Let's go."

"Now?"

"Yeah, now. What's the matter, Snake? Get airsick surfing the wormholes?"

"Ya know, Ketchum, for such a gnat-sized shrimp, you've got a big mouth."

Keely straighten to her full height--all five-feet three-inches of her quivering with indignation. True, she wasn't nearly as tall as most humanoid females in the Milky Way, but she wasn't exactly a shrimp either. "At least my knuckles don't drag the ground when I walk. You coming?"

"Not yet, Ketchum. But I will."

The amusement in his voice made her grind her teeth. His smile--even white teeth under a luxurious black mustache, dimples flashing--made her heart beat a little too fast. He held out his arm like an ancient-Earth knight.

Whoa! Where had that thought come from? With no time to think about it now, she considered flouncing away. Refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd ticked her off, she put her hand on his arm and flashed a smile of her own.

For a moment she thought he might kiss her hand.
Stupid.
He didn't even like her. He'd hardly kiss her hand, let alone any other part of her. For some unfathomable reason, her gaze fastened on his mustache.

Unable to resist, she glanced down at his crotch and nearly swallowed her tongue. It looked as if he had nothing on under his skintight chaps. Worse still for her composure, the bulge between his legs seemed to thicken and twitch. Returning her gaze to his mustache she said succinctly, "Womb broom." She fled, no longer caring if he followed or stayed behind.

* * * *

Geoff watched her flee, appreciating how her firm little ass flexed under her black, no-nonsense flight suit. He stroked his mustache and wondered how she would react if he used it on her. In precisely the way she'd blurted out. He wouldn't mind sweeping her womb--not that he physically could. But he wouldn't mind tasting her. Hearing her voice--normally so cool and indifferent--sob his name.

No time, he thought as he followed her cap of red-gold hair through the gyrating crowd. No time to consider how those pale green eyes would darken, glaze, and close when he made love to her.

Paris would not have sent Keely to find him if the Marsienne queen merely wanted to chat. She'd have contacted him through his implanted communicator. Since her scientists had yet to figure out how to make those communications private, Paris had sent Keely. Which meant the queen must have a lead on Geoff's missing spaceship. Which was what had brought him to Io. Rumors abounded, but none of them had brought him any closer to recovering his ship. Geoff intended to get
The Honey
back. Even if it mean partnering with a smart-mouth like Keely Ketchum.

"You have got to be kidding," Geoff said when he spotted Keely's puddle jumper spacecraft. Wedged between two luxurious and obviously private spaceships, it reminded him of an old-Earth moped squeezed into a sliver of space between an SUV and a Hummer. The gangway led to a hatch even Keely had to duck to get through.

She simply glared at him as she disappeared inside.

Geoff strung together a series of oaths--Jovian, Venusian, Plutonian, and a few he'd learned from fellow space jockeys operating out in the Horse Head Nebula. He literally crawled under the hatch. It slammed behind him. The locks snicked into place, making him feel even more claustrophobic. He should have told Keely he'd make his own way back to Mars. But the bossy female would probably have had him arrested and brought aboard this…this flying coffin anyway.
Jove blast her
!

He was so lost in misery, he didn't even notice the ship hurtling through the nearby wormhole. All he heard through his mind's litany of revenge--a few of which dealt with tying Keely to his bed and having his way with her--was her laughter.

Wind chimes
,
he thought, finding another reason to dislike the pushy woman. Her laughter sounded like the wind chimes outside his bedroom windows on Earth.

"You can stand up now." Smothered laughter laced her voice like strychnine in Saturnian brandy.

"Yeah," he muttered, crouching as he eased to his feet and anticipated hitting his head.

"Neat, isn't she? This baby can shrink to accommodate just me or expand to carry ten. Conserves energy in case I need to fight off pirates. Wish I had one like this at home."

"Where's that?" Realizing his head had six inches clearance above it, Geoff filled his lungs with sweet, re-filtered air and stretched.

"Here 'n' there. Head's beside the galley if you need it. I'll be on the flight deck."

"Sure."

Sensing she was trying to avoid his question, he followed her. Or tried to at any rate. The Jove-blasted flight deck door shrank before he could squeeze through it.

Her voice over the ship's intercom sounded tinny when she told him, "There's pb and j in the galley. Bread's fresh, too."

"Thanks," he muttered, raking his fingers through his hair. During the eight months he'd been searching the galaxy for
The Honey
he'd been on most of the colonized planets. Nobody--native or otherwise--had even known about peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

He glanced over his shoulder at the dollhouse-sized door and wondered. Was his pint-sized nemesis from Earth? And if so, how the hell had she gotten to Mars in the first place.

They found Queen Paris in the conference room of her headquarters operation outside the Marsian capital, now renamed The City of Paris in honor of its newly named ruler. Geoff thought of it as the brains of her government. But, in fact, there was only one brain responsible for the creation of her vision and for its success--Queen Paris herself.

"Any problems?" Paris' moss-green eyes settled on Keely.

"Other than having to force Justice Geoff away from his groupies, none."

"It's Geoff--just Geoff," Geoff muttered, adding, "All's quiet in the City." He held Keely's chair. She harrumphed at him like she could handle her own chair, but sat. "Just the usual gutter sleepers and drunks."

"Minus you," she murmured.

"Ms. Ketchum still resents losing that information about your great-uncle
Le Roi
," Geoff continued mildly.

She glared, but kept her thoughts--no doubt scathing--to herself.

"Geoff, tell Ms. Ketchum what brought you back to Mars."

Do I gotta?
flashed through Geoff's mind. Realizing the thought was childish, he schooled his features to an indifferent mask. He sat, delaying the inevitable by rearranging old-Earth pens and writing tablets. Odd--considering all the high-tech electronic gizmos Paris had available to her--how her staff relied on ancient technology. Geoff thought humanoid opposable thumbs might have something to do with that reliance.

"Mr. Geoff." The queen's cool voice demanded Geoff get on with it.

"Somebody stole my ship!" he muttered, furious at having to share the information. Especially with Keely.

Keely, sea foam green eyes wide, gaped at him.

"I believe Ms. Ketchum may require further elucidation, Mr. Geoff. Try not to scowl when you tell her. She may think you consider her the thief."

  "Probably stole it himself. What's the going rate for scrap metal these days, Majesty?"

"By damn, madam!" Geoff bellowed, surging to his feet and surprising a start from his nemesis and a brief frown from the queen. "
The Honey
was--is still--the Admiralty's flagship. I was--am still--her captain!"

"Admiralty? What is that?" Keely looked from Paris to Geoff, then back at Paris.

"Similar to Jupiter's army, but air- and sea-based," Paris explained.

"Ahh, tyrants."

"I hope you'll keep that thought to yourself, Ms. Ketchum. When living among them one never knows who might repeat the charge and attribute the words to you."

"Yes, ma'am."

Fascinated by Keely's suddenly mild demeanor, Geoff stared at the top of her head.

Not knowing what else he could say to Keely, Geoff sat. "Do you have a lead on
The Honey
?" he asked, focusing on the Marsienne queen.

Paris' eyes gave nothing away, but Geoff suspected the queen's steepled fingers hid a smile.

"Not a lead, exactly," she replied. "More like a suspicion." She pushed a button and recent pictures of her great-uncle, the former King of Mars, displayed on the giant vidscreen behind her. They showed
Le Roi
's attempts to disguise himself.

Keely, leaning forward like a racehorse in the starting gate, whistled. "By the Goddess, Snake, if we catch him, I bet Her Majesty would buy you a brand new spaceship and one for me as well."

Geoff growled. He didn't want a
brand new spaceship
. He wanted--needed--to get
The Honey
back. Otherwise, he'd be stuck in outer space for the rest of his life.

"
If
," Paris said, "you can catch him."

"So far he's eluded everyone who's tried to catch him," Geoff observed. "Too bad we can't put out a galaxy-wide BOLO."

"Is that a
be on the look out
for?" Keely asked.

Ignoring the question, Paris said, "You know I can't do that, Geoff. My great-uncle's supposed death is what makes my reign possible." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't understand why he left Sylva. He seemed so happy with her on Pluto."

"Maybe she wouldn't bow and scrape like he was used to," Keely mumbled.

Geoff made a
shut up
gesture.

Paris flashed a feral grin and went into her royal routine. "We would have you remember two important facts, Ms. Ketchum. First, we tolerate your presence on Mars because you have been of minor assistance to Flight Commander Geoff in the matter of our missing great-uncle. Second, like our Earthling ancestors in France, we still use the guillotine to punish traitors."

Noting Keely's paleness, Geoff couldn't resist poking at her. "Add to that the assumption of guilt until proven innocent…"

"I
do
have a lead on
Le Roi
. Once you and Keely sign the paperwork, you two will go to Saturnalia. I've learned he may be staying at The Embassy." She sounded as if she wished her great-uncle were closer. So she could dispose of him? Or merely keep an eye on him?

"What paperwork?" Keely sounded belligerent and suspicious.

"To share whatever information you gather equally," the queen answered, a warning in her voice. "To share the reward for
Le Roi's
capture equally."

Geoff recognized irritation when he heard it. Paris clearly was fed up with arguments about whom the information belonged to and who would earn a large reward for returning her great-uncle. Or her undying enmity, if
Le Roi
was caught by someone else or managed to escape forever. But Geoff couldn't keep from saying, "Keely will only slow me down. Get in my way."

"Bull…" Keely automatically started to reply. Her eyes narrowing and her chin jutting out, she added, "Besides,
Le Roi
knows you. I have a better chance of getting close to him."

"And spiriting him away without having to share the reward."

Paris deactivated the screen, then stood. "After you requisition supplies from Marsienne City, you'll be taking a short trip to Jupiter before you go to Saturnalia You remember Jupiter, don't you, Geoff? That's where you acquired my face."

"That's a story I want to hear," Keely said, standing and pulling Geoff to his feet.