There was a short pause.

  “Contract appears to be in order. MicroSel Security headquarters will expect you.”

  She watched the security ships starting to move away to allow GrimJustin better access. Just like that? Well, two out, one to go. “No way in hell, motherfucker.”

  She leaned over the console and muttered to herself.

  “Prepare to be boarded.” It was as if Brenner was speaking directly to her.

  “Boarded my ass,” she repeated, again and again, almost like a litany. “No fucking way. I should just fire on that bastard.”

  And to her horror --to her endless, fascinated horror --the damned shuttle complied, firing its entire arsenal at its mother ship, a single orange beam that ended before it even reached port where it drained into its force shield, depleting the shuttle of power and leaving Dinah in mute shock and dread.

  * * *

  On GrimJustin, there was silence.

  “Oooooh, shit,” was heard whispered once, and that was before Brenner strode out without saying a single word.

  Then shock settled in. Duke was first to dig up a hundred-credit coin. “Six hours before he shows up for food,” he said, and betting began in earnest. Unaware of his stamina being bet on, Brenner waited for the shuttle to dock. He waited until the door swooshed open, waited until she bounced out, sweating and gasping for cool air since the laser took out most of the shuttle’s power and therefore lowered air filter quality. Her mouth was moving, but he didn’t hear whatever she was saying; it didn’t really matter, nor could it spill over the roar in his own head. He let her come closer, still talking, still saying something about payment -- fucking payment --until he simply reached out, grabbed both her wrists and slapped the handcuffs on her. Again.

  That didn’t shut her up. “Look, I told you I’m very sorry. It was an accident --”

  He just grabbed her wrist and pulled, stalked out of the docking bay, dragging her behind him. She had to run lightly to keep up. He strode toward his quarters and when she halted, realizing where he was going, he simply dragged her in. She was cussing at him now, panting and screaming and cursing, until he locked the doors behind him, grabbed her by the shoulders, pressed her against the door and, just to stop the profanities streaming from her mouth, brutally claimed it with his own. She staggered between him and the door when he finally tore his mouth away from her.

  “What --” she had to clear her throat, “--what the hell are you doing?”

  He dragged her forward, pushed her onto the bed and stripped off his shirt.

  “You mentioned payment?” His voice was calm even though the muscle in his jaw twitched.

  Nerves fluttered around arousal. “Sure, I told you --”

  He cut her off. “You are going to pay my way.”

  She lifted her chin, daring him. “I don’t feel pain.”

  “Good. You’ll last longer.” The small smile he shot her was positively evil. Chills, hot, cold, she couldn’t tell which, raced down her back. He stood in front of her, naked now, his magnificent cock jutting out toward her.

  “Strip.” The single word was full of heat.

  “I can’t.” She brought her arms out to indicate the cuffs.

  “Your pants.”

  She scooted on the bed, worked the snug pants off her waist, past her thighs. She muffled a scream as he simply lifted her and arranged her face down over his lap as he sat.

  With all the dignity she could muster she turned around to look at his face. His jaw was still clenched. His hands now molded her ass, squeezing it, spreading it, squeezing it again. She sighed, willing her body to relax. Then yowled at the sting, more in shock than pain, when his palm made a resounding smack on her exposed flesh.

  “Bastard!”

  He laughed at that --that fucker actually laughed! --and brought his palm down again, this time on her left cheek. She yelped again, couldn’t help it really.

  “Fucker!” The sound of the slap, the light sting of his palm, the heat that accompanied it all made her juices stir restlessly.

  “What’s that?” Another smack, this one reverberating all the way to her clit.

  “Fucker!” She screamed it louder, excitement making her shiver under the restraining hand on her back, craving more.

  “Was that an apology?” He lifted his palm again, brought it down on her stinging skin. Then cupped it, squeezing her flesh.

  “No way in hell!”

  “You know,” he said, his tone calm even though his cock was huge and twitching under her, “last time I did this you came pretty hard. Didn’t they train you to control yourself?”

  “Bastard!” she screamed at him, writhing now, the heat from her ass kindling fire in her sex.

  “We already established that.” He smacked her ass once more before sliding a finger into the slicked folds of her pussy. Her wetness gripped him as he withdrew to circle a finger around her clit, causing her to gasp.

  “Almost time for round two.” With that, he lifted her effortlessly and deposited her between his spread legs.

  Eye level with his magnificent cock.

  “Wet it,” he ordered hoarsely. “You’ll need it.”

  Her eyes widened even as her mouth opened to take him in. His hands fisted in her hair, guiding her down and up his shaft. Her mouth stretched around it and she brought her cuffed hands up to cup his balls. She looked up to see him watching her, the heat in his eyes so intense she almost felt it.

  Her tongue swirled around the sensitive skin of his cockhead as she took him deep. She should bite him. She should really bite him and show that fucker what she was capable of. But he groaned, the sound of it sending more shivers down her spine, and she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She just sucked his cock and tore grunts of pleasure from him. She felt him tremble as she worked his cockhead deep into her mouth. Suddenly, with a growl he pulled away and, cupping his hands under her arms, lifted her.

  “Round three,” he whispered in her ear, and she shuddered in his arms as he carried her to the leather bench by the comp center. Depositing her so she straddled it, he knelt in front of her.

  Dinah watched him take out a few shiny virtaStraps and her brow wrinkled in confusion. They were both here, why did he need virtual reality? Didn’t he want to fuck her?

  She was about to ask when he claimed her mouth again, pushed her tank top down so it bunched under her breasts, and plastered the first virtaStrap over her lips. Her nipples were next and he laved them with his tongue before gently placing the straps on each peak. Finally, he spread her thighs and went to work on her pussy, lazily tonguing her clit, bringing her to the very edge before placing a strap over her vagina, covering both her clit and her opening, smoothing it into place with long delicious strokes of his finger.

  Standing, he surveyed the results. Mute, she stared back at him. He brought out the vGoggles. Wait, she shook her head, what are you doing?

  He trailed a fingertip over the strap on her lips before shoving the goggles on her.

  There were two Brenners. Both of them naked, cocks ready. Both of them grinning.

  “Ready, darlin’?”

  The one to the left made a gesture as if putting something on his face. His own goggles, she realized, as the holographic Brenner came forward. Instinctively she backed away, giving him room on the bench. He sat in front of her, grin on his face, cock on alert. The other Brenner walked behind her.

  “Now you’ll get fucked.”

  She wasn’t sure which one of them said it, but she felt a warm hand urging her forward. Virtual Brenner lifted her, positioning her so her pussy gripped the tip of his cock. Slowly, he lowered her, seating himself deep within her. Dinah gasped at the fullness, somehow insanely real --hard and thick and huge --and she clenched around him, squeezing him. He kissed her mouth and leaned back, taking her with him, so she arched over him, her cuffed hands looping around his neck, her breasts brushing against the hard muscles of his chest.

  And she felt his hands on her ass.

  She tensed now, feeling another cock pressed against her asshole, as warm male hands stroked her body.

  “Easy, darlin’,” virtual Brenner said.

  She felt something cool and slick drip on her skin, fingers spreading it around and into her puckered opening.

  “You’ll get the ass fucking you deserve,” the real Brenner growled behind her and pressed the head of his cock against the tight hole of her anus. He was huge, impossibly thick, the lubrication slippery smooth, and as her body opened to the onslaught, virtual Brenner under her lifted his hips, just a bit, and the base of his cock brushed against her clit. The sensation of it, combined with a feeling of two cocks inside her, made her moan.

  “You like that?” Behind her, Brenner worked his cock into her incredibly tight passage. The edge of pain made the pleasure sharper, as she forced her ass to relax, to take him in fully. “You like that?” he asked again, and lightly slapped her ass.

  “Better answer him.” This was from the virtual Brenner, the one busy caressing and twisting her nipples with his long clever fingers. She could only moan, so she moaned loudly as behind her, Brenner slowly pulled out and just as slowly worked himself back in, the fiery sensation deliciously, erotically dark. Under her, Brenner lifted his hips, stroked her pussy deeper. Behind her, Brenner again pulled out and plunged back in. Fingers teased her nipples. Hard hands gripped her ass. One pulled out. One dug in. She couldn’t tell where one started and where the other ended, but the pleasure was so intense she screamed from it. They moved faster, each doing the reverse of the other, one pulling out as one worked in --faster now, deeper, harder --as she kept screaming from the sheer intensity of two cocks rubbing the delicate walls of her passages until she finally exploded, shuddering around them both, her muscles spasming, milking, sucking, until Brenner pounded himself into her with a roar as his own orgasm hit.

  * * *

  She must have blacked out.

  Dinah opened her eyes to find herself sprawled face up on the bench, the straps off her body now, the cuffs gone, her muscles feeling like pools of melted wax.

  Brenner was above her, concern in his eyes. “Okay?”

  She had to clear her throat before she could answer. Her voice was hoarse.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

  There was something under her. She looked down to find the cuffs between her spread thighs. Inside the ring of the cuffs rose up a thick pink dildo.

  Well, that would explain how real it felt.

  “Pink?” She raised a brow at him.

  He smiled, shrugged. “I think you’re a pink kind of woman. Underneath it all.”

  He brushed a lock of hair off her face, the gesture so tender she averted her eyes. Don’t read anything into it, for God’s sake.

  “Come on.” He lifted her again. Damn if she wasn’t starting to like the effortless way he could cart her around. She resisted snuggling into the curve of his neck.

  “I can’t take more punishment.”

  His arms tightened around her and she felt his lips brush the top of her head. “I think you can take what I have in mind.”

  She found herself deposited in a tub with warm water swirling around her calves. She balanced herself by bracing a hand on his wide shoulders as Brenner dipped a cloth into the water and with soothing circular motions, bathed her back, breasts, stomach, between the cheeks of her ass, before finally, he dropped the cloth and washed her sex with gentle fingertips, dipping inside her for a quick moment before lightly grazing her clit. Arousal stirred lazily. She parted her legs for him as his large warm palm splayed against her buttocks while his other hand parted the folds of her sex. He leaned in, gently and thoroughly using his mouth on her, softly caressing around and over her clit until it hardened under his tongue, and sucked it lightly. Her hands kneaded his shoulders and her soft moans of pleasure filled the room.

  The orgasm that rippled through her was gentle and slow, like his lips, and she would have staggered if he hadn’t caught her. Lifting her out of the tub, he carried her to bed. She blinked at him as he settled her in, covering her body with a silver blanket. When he got in next to her, she scooted over, curled around him, and slept.

  Chapter Seven

  She was all but sprawled on top of him when she woke. His arms were wrapped around her, loosely anchoring her to a warm, solid male body. The heat of him, the musky scent pumping off his skin made her want to burrow. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest and his arms tightened around her. She looked up into the face of a sated male.

  “Hey.” His voice was a rumble under her.

  “Hey yourself.” Dinah offered him a tentative smile. She wasn’t sure how to play it now. This casual closeness was somehow more intimate than anything else.

  She scooted out of his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, holding the sheet to her breasts. Idiotic, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “So now what?”

  Jack turned, supported himself on his elbow. Somehow she got a feeling she wasn’t going to like this.

  “AIC Franklin contracted me. To discharge you.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “MicroSel obviously has me on file now.” Just like they had Brenner on file and vTech disavowed any knowledge of him and Duke. Surprise, surprise, vTech pulled the exact same shit. She exhaled, braced herself. “Are you going to?”

  “What the hell kind of question is that?”

  She felt anger bubble, at him, at vTech, at the whole fucking galaxy. Anger and… dread. “A reasonable one.” She forced her voice soft. The tingling in the back of her head was ignored.

  Battling a strong desire to lift her up and shake her until her teeth rattled, Brenner got out of bed. “I don’t kill women I have relationships with.” He was starting to consider it though. Just this once.

  “You just capture and fuck them, is that it?”

  He clenched his jaw. “I bid and accepted the debriefing contract because I figured better me than someone else. Which I may add, you seemed to agree to.”

  “Moot point,” she tossed at him, also standing now, the bed between them. “I trained for the possibility of being captured.”

  “Of course.” His voice was clipped. “You did. Forgive my insensitive urge for not wanting my lover exposed to pain.”

  “Your… your lover?” It came out as a shocked whisper.

  “What the hell else do you call it?”

  “We fucked in VR!” The shouted words reverberated obscenely in the room. “It wasn’t real!”

  “Fine.” He was done with this shit. “Let’s try it another way. vTech left us to fend for ourselves at Kremlin. You got us out. Consider it a payment for a long overdue debt.”

  She was glaring at him now. “Let’s just rest this whole debt payment issue. I was contracted. So relax, you don’t owe me shit. I was offered a nice sum to change your data.”

  Brenner physically felt the impact. “You… were contracted.” It wasn’t a question.

  “We all have our freelance jobs. Intel trainees don’t get paid well.” She shrugged. “No idea who you should thank. Payment was anonymous through eCred. You want someone to thank, you can start with them.” She kept rubbing at the back of her neck, right where the chip was. He was too damn pissed to care at that particular moment.

  He stared at her for a long tense moment. Then without another word, he strode out.

  * * *

  Med walked into the conference room to find Brenner staring at the monitor.

  At the sound of his footsteps, Brenner straightened in his chair, as if he hadn’t just been sitting brooding for the past ten minutes. “New request coming in.”

  “Cut that shit out.” Med sat down next to him. “You’ve been at it for fortyeight hours.” With a quick motion he snapped the monitor closed, cutting off Jack’s excuse to stare at something. “You’ve been so quiet I want to put my fist in your face just to get you to cuss.”

  Brenner snorted at that, a chuckle without humor. “That bad?”

  “And she is the same. I liked her better when she was cursing you at the top of her lungs.”

  “Look, Dinah and I --”

  Med didn’t let him finish. “Go talk to her. Go make love to her. I don’t care which. Just get it out of your system. You’re driving me insane.” He pulled the monitor over to face him and, opening it, studied the potential contract. “She’s in the gym.” He didn’t look at the door as it opened and closed quietly behind him. Instead, he ran a fingertip down the scar that stretch from the corner of his mouth to his jaw. And wondered at the possibilities.

  * * *

  In the gym, Dinah beat on the bag. She used gloves this time --mostly because she’d skinned her knuckles so badly the day before that they’d bled onto the simulated leather. And instead of lecturing her on it, Med gave her some kind of wiping cloth and told her to get the blood off before someone else used the bag. Her fists stung a bit, her legs were taut and she was breathing heavily. She beat the bag, and didn’t feel it. Her skin was breaking, her muscles singing, but the impact of flesh was minimal, dull, dissatisfying. Still, she beat the bag. It was better than crying. She’d fucked it up, royally. All of it.

  The tingling in her head was loud now, not really painful, but somehow cold, sharp. She pummeled out a series of jabs, hissed a breath…

  And there he was… leaning on the wall, tall, big and gorgeous. Weary now, she crossed her arms in front of her. He just stood there, those green eyes hot.

  Her nerves stretched thin. “What.” She snapped it out, more of a command than a question.

  “You’re fucking beautiful, you know that?” He stalked forward. Dinah stood her ground, though her mind urged her to back away. Her arms fell to her sides. Her throat closed. “I’m not playing this game anymore.”

  “What game?”

  He was close enough that the heat from him was tangible. “Not interested.” Damn it, she wasn’t going to back down. His hands glided on her shoulders, slid down over her arms. Gripped. “I can make you interested.”

  She felt his touch. Mildly. It was minimal, like warm water on skin. Pleasant. Nice. No heat. Med said after a while she wouldn’t feel anything at all. Looks like it had started. She had to get away from him. The touch of his hands had sent her up in flames just days ago. Now --nothing. Why the thought terrified her, she had no idea. “No. You get pissed, I get fucked. I’m sick of rough sex.”