STORY EXCERPT

Colonel Craig Hauser looked on with concealed horror as his future bride entered through the gates of Utopia shackled to the floor of a large circus animal pen.

The lumbering diesel truck pulling the steel-barred container shuddered to a stop directly in front of where he stood. His line of sight was suddenly parallel with the prisoner who would soon be his mate. She glared at him. Her contempt of the situation blazed clearly in her vivid blue eyes. Her look was one of angry, feral disbelief. He found it difficult to blame her.

“Colonel Hauser, sir? Would you sign the entrance papers?” The driver of the monstrosity in front of him held out the papers secured to a clipboard along with a pen.

“Constable Bailey, what is the meaning of this?” he replied angrily, snatching the clipboard from the deliveryman.

“Well, sir, it’s standard operating procedure to bring pre-orientated females into the compound in this manner. Especially when they’re as untamed as she is. You know that, you’ve read the Supreme Commander’s laws.” It was true. Craig had read the damned laws governing this place, but he didn’t have to like them.

“I can’t believe she warranted chains. She’s so tiny. Couldn’t you have just put handcuffs on her and driven her in?”

“No, sir! This one was way too wild. She may be small, but she’s feisty as hell. And tricky, too. We’re lucky we got her in there at all. She was biting, scratching, and kicking the whole way inside.”

Craig chanced another look inside the cage. Her expression hadn’t softened, but he noted a sneer now. He hid a smile and wished he lived in a different world where feistiness in women was appreciated or even tolerated. But unfortunately things had changed. All it had taken was one large asteroid strike and history was forever altered on planet Earth. At least part of humanity had survived this time. Even if it was the Supreme Commander’s version of Utopian humanity.

“Can’t fucking blame her,” Craig said under his breath quiet enough so that Bailey couldn’t hear.

“You’re a lucky man, Colonel Hauser. I’ll bet she’ll be a lively one in your bed even after her mind is wiped.” Bailey leered into the cage and looked over one shoulder to wink at Craig.

“Shut your goddamn mouth, Bailey.” Craig registered clearly the woman’s wide-eyed, angry understanding of her future with him when Bailey spoke.

“It don’t matter, Colonel. Once she’s been re-oriented, she won’t remember any of this conversation anyway.” Bailey suddenly pulled out a tranquilizer gun and shot his future wife in the stomach with a dart.

The woman let out a small shriek before slumping to the floor of the cage in an unconscious heap.

“For the love of God, Bailey, do you have to be so fucking callous?”

“Standard procedure, Colonel Hauser,” he said with superiority. “You act like you care about this little hellcat. How can that be? You don’t even know her. Do you?”

“No. But she is going to be my wife here inside Utopia.” Craig tried not to sneer as he said the final word.

“I thought you didn’t even want a wife, sir. I mean, you and Major Blackwell are the last two men to get married here in Utopia. The Match Maker, in accordance with the Supreme Commander’s laws, has made it pretty obvious that the next two females found in the outside world would be mind-wiped and turned into your new wives. She’s a stranger. Why do you even give a shit how she’s treated?”

“What’s mine is mine. And I won’t see mine mistreated. Now be gentle with her from now on, or I’ll register a complaint.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” Bailey’s contemptible tone was obvious.

Craig knew Bailey and his, Match Maker-selected, wife fought like cats and dogs. But too damn bad. The constable’s unhappy marriage was no reason for abuse of power against his future wife.

“Don’t cross me, Bailey. Just treat her with respect. That’s all I ask.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Bailey said again, smiling an evil ferret little grin only making Craig want to punch his teeth down his throat. Instead, he provoked in return.

“By the way, how’s it working out with your wife? I hear she isn’t too happy with you or her situation even after reorientation.” Craig’s placating tone of voice was at war with his intent.

Bailey frowned. “She’s happy enough. She’s lucky I put up with her. And if she don’t start cooperating, she’ll find herself gone. Maybe I’ll just get me a new wife one of these days.” He glanced back into the circus cage with increased interest at the newest member of their Utopian community.

Craig felt an inhuman anger creep up. Instead of punching Bailey in the jaw he said, “You should re-read your marriage vows. I believe there is a clause which states, until death parts you.”

“Only for her. I’m a man. I have different rights.”

“Different rights?” Craig didn’t want to argue over idiotic laws of Utopia, so he welcomed the interruption by the watch commander.

“Colonel Hauser, you’re wanted on the phone, sir. It’s the Match Maker. He’d like to speak with you pronto.”

Over one shoulder he called out, “Tell him I’ll be right there.” Craig then turned to Bailey. With a deadly tone that he reserved for only those who foolishly pissed him off, he said, “See that my future wife is treated well, Bailey, or else you and I will dance.” The dancing Craig had in mind involved fists and blood.

ADULT EXCERPT

Craig woke up to a weight pressing on his chest. Am I having a heart attack? Memories from the night before slipped in and invaded his mind. Rachel was still on top of him in the exact same position as when they’d fallen asleep after the second of two very satisfying sexual encounters.

No heart attack, just a long-deserved sexual release. Damn, she felt good.

Rachel’s head and shoulders lifted up just then, and he watched her sleep-filled eyes take in her surroundings. At least she didn’t flinch or try to run. She smiled and laid her head back down on his chest, snuggling back in so to speak. When her breasts ground into his chest he couldn’t believe it, but he grew hard again. He glanced at the clock. Four in the morning. He wondered briefly how she felt about early-morning sex.

Stop it.Let her rest, you animal. But she shifted, and his greedy cock was not going to be put down easily. Her hips shifted over his deliberately as her lips connected to his throat.

“Is it time to become intimately acquainted yet?” Craig asked in a low murmur. The radio played on, but he wasn’t sure if the listening devices were amplified enough to pick up their conversation.

“Mmmm. I don’t know. Perhaps,” she said sleepily.

“It’s early. We have a couple of hours until we need to get up,” he whispered. “You should sleep.” But then he ran his hands up and down her back in a tender caress. When he squeezed her ass cheeks, she ground her pelvis into his cock and secured her mouth to the hollow of his throat. Her lips, caressing the sensitive skin on his neck, made him desperate. This groping of each other went on for several minutes, then she made as if to move off of him.

Craig hugged her tight once before she slipped to the side of his already aroused body. Her arms looped around his neck. She pulled him along as she moved onto her back in the large bed beside him. He rolled with her until she was securely tucked beneath him. Her legs were spread wide, and her hand ran sensuously down his back and ended up on his ass.

Rachel slipped her legs around his and quietly guided him to push his cock inside her sweet, wet pussy. Like a newly discovered addiction, he had to have her again. One more time. Ten more times. His need of her had a limitless capacity.

Craig entered slowly to move inside her at a more leisurely pace this time, but with determination. She felt so indescribably good. Or maybe he just hadn’t been with a woman in so long the feeling was amplified.

No matter what they pretended for their pervert, bug-planting listeners tonight, Mark was going to take one look at Craig during breakfast and immediately know he’d gotten laid repeatedly. No way in hell he’d be able to hide his utterly sated and satisfied look. After his shower last night he’d practiced in the mirror. He’d tried to look stressed and on edge. Instead, he’d just looked goofy and completely happy with his forced marriage.

“Harder,” Rachel whispered.

“Like this?” he answered back in a murmur, almost unable to form words. He increased the tempo of his thrusts. The delectable feel of flesh on flesh slick with desire assaulted him, and he felt the now familiar rush of sensations this action brought. As he thrust inside her body even harder, Craig tried not to come. For Christ’s sake, he’d already fucked her twice before. How was it that he felt like a teenager with his first girl right now?

Rachel didn’t speak, but her hips moved with him. She met each of his pounding thrusts so that the connection went deeper each time. She moaned in a breathy, sexy way.

God, she felt great. The radio still played, covering their actions, but he got a little thrill at the thought of beating the system. Thaddeus would be at the breakfast later. If he was the listener, would he be stupid enough to say anything and give it away?

Rachel’s fingernails suddenly grazed his back. She arched her chest against him. He felt the telltale signs of her orgasm clench on his shaft. Her breath came in deep, slow gasps, in an effort to remain silent as to their actions, he supposed.