Secured Mail (2 page)

Most of the guys on the team had laughed their asses off at the thought of a society where women’s sexual pleasure was paramount. Secretly, Thea liked the sound of it and had to remind herself that the Valhallan males only acted like that to make sure their women conceived. And that was not acceptable to any intelligent right-minded twenty-fifth century female.

She sat down at her desk and dipped the pastry in her coffee. Still, it didn’t stop her wondering exactly how far the Valhallan males were prepared to go to give a woman pleasure. The three bodyguards, Sven, Harlan and Bron, who had arrived with King Marcus and Queen Douglass were outstanding specimens of manhood. All over six feet tall, endowed with toned, muscled bodies and faces as gorgeous as any current holo-movie star, they were certainly prime eye candy.

But, despite their reputation and their looks, she hadn’t heard a peep about any of them having a fling with the female members of the staff. What did they do for sex? She licked a glob of frosting from her lower lip. It was a shame. In her dreams, one night with Sven would suit her down to the ground.

Coffee spewed out of her nose and she spat out a chunk of pastry. What was she thinking? Sven was
so
last century and after Mark, she’d made a decision never to get 8

Secured Mail

involved with a guy she worked with again. Her affair with him had not only broken her heart but almost wrecked her career as well.

She mopped up her desk and settled back in her chair. Not that she intended to get

“involved” with Sven or anything. After Mark, she’d listened to her colleagues’ advice and decided to play the sex game like a man. Love and leave ‘em, especially if they start to get clingy. It had worked well for the past five years and she hadn’t met anyone who’d made her change her mind.

She pictured Sven. Well over six feet of bulky muscular scathing magnificence. He would be a challenge all right. That auburn hair didn’t go with an easy laid-back personality. If there really were so few women on his planet, perhaps he wouldn’t be any good at sex? She shook her head. Nope, she reckoned he’d know just what to do with a woman. She remembered the heavy feel of his muscular chest under her hand, the steady thump of his heart. His feet were big too…

“Yo, Cooper!”

She opened her eyes to find her newly promoted boss, Matt Logan staring at her.

“Hi Matt, just daydreaming, what can I do for you?”

He smiled, displaying even, white teeth. He was in his late thirties, still unmarried and the closest thing to a best friend Thea had ever had. “Must have been a good dream, you looked like you were just about to come.”

She felt herself blushing. “I was just thinking about what I was going to eat tonight.”

“Yeah, right, more like
who
you were going to eat.”

“Shut up, Matt and keep your mind out of the gutter. What did you want?”

He came through the door and perched on the corner of her desk. Reaching across, he snagged the last piece of her pastry and popped it in his mouth.

“I just wanted to talk to you about the meeting tonight. I hear that Sven Magnusson was beating the crap out of one of the journalists again today.”

Thea sighed. It was impossible to keep anything secret in the small compound. As the new Valhallan public relations director on Earth, Matt needed to know when there was trouble.

“Yeah, Sven decided to remind one of the reporters from the
Inquirer
that he was trespassing on private property.”

Matt frowned. “Did he hurt the guy?”

“Difficult to say. I don’t think he broke anything but the guy threatened to sue.”

“Of course he did, he’s a reporter. We’re going to have to talk to the king about this.

Perhaps we could send Magnusson on some anger adjustment therapy courses or something.”

Thea burst out laughing. “Oh my god, I’d love to see that. Please do it, please.”

Matt looked puzzled. “Don’t you like the guy?”

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Kate Pearce

He’s okay, I guess. If you like bossy, domineering giants.” Thea sipped her coffee and hoped Matt didn’t see the color still heating her cheeks. Sometimes he was way too observant for a man.

His expression sobered. “I need you to get along with him, Thea. He’s our closest link to the king and I have to keep things sweet between us and the Valhallans. The clean up of their world is almost complete. Our government hopes that the king will be grateful enough to agree to take new settlers from some of our more overcrowded planets. In order to get the king to consider the idea, we need to treat him and his people well while they are here.”

Thea stared at Matt. Despite their long friendship, it was unlike him to share intimate details of his complex job with her. Since his new promotion she sometimes felt out of step with him.

“Why are you telling me this?”

He shrugged. “Because you’re a woman and we’ve noticed that all Valhallan men bend over backward to accommodate the needs of their females.”

Thea put down her coffee. “So when you say, ‘be nice’ what exactly do you mean?”

Matt grinned and held out his hands palm up. “Not what you’re thinking, so calm down. I’m not saying leap into bed with him. Just take the time to get to know him and get a sense of how the Valhallans will view a proposal on future immigration.”

Thea stared back at him, a hollow feeling in her stomach. “I’m not prepared to get all chummy with Sven here. Its difficult enough being the only female on the security team as it is. In order to get to know him, I’d have to see him outside work.”

“Is that a problem for you?”

“I’m not sure.” She bit her lip. “Is this a direct order?”

Matt stood up. “Not yet, more of a favor.”

“And if I refuse to help?”

He held her gaze, his blue eyes sympathetic. “You know what the Planetary Service is like, Thea, there’s a record of everything and everything can affect your future.” He leaned a shoulder against the door frame, a slight smile on his face. “Hey, perhaps at the meeting tonight, instead of anger counseling, I could suggest you as a possible mentor for Sven. You know, you could kind of help him learn to deal better with Earth ways—offer him the opportunity to hang out with you some more.”

“You’re kidding, right? If you say that, everyone is going to think I’m coming on to the guy! “

He winked. “Okay, I won’t say that. I’ll try to think of something else. I was only trying to cheer you up.”

Thea scowled at him. “Then it isn’t working.”

“If you promise to think about what I said, I promise I won’t say a thing tonight.

And it would be better if the idea came from you. It would seem more genuine. “

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“I’ll think about it. Now go away. I’ve got to get my report done on the wall security breach.”

As Matt’s whistling faded down the corridor, Thea continued to stare at her cooling coffee. Her government wanted her to get close to a huge intergalactic Viking who thought she was beautiful. Did she want to get to know Sven? It was tempting. She considered her options. If she helped out, she’d only be obeying orders. No one would think she was interested in Sven for herself.

One part of her despaired that despite her efforts to blend in with the boys, they were only using her to get at the Valhallans because she was female. She threw the coffee cup in the trash. But perhaps it was the only way. The thought of one of the men trying to get close to the queen made her smile. The Valhallan males would probably kill him. So that left her, the only female bodyguard on the team, to save the day. She grinned. Perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

* * * * *

“My Queen, if I offered to suck up to you, would you be offended?”

Sven continued to rock the little prince in his arms as he watched Douglass Blood Axe, the Earth-born Queen of Valhalla complete her sit-ups. At four months old, despite his desperate need for a nap, the babe’s intent golden gaze was fixed on Sven’s face.

Douglass groaned and sat up, pushing her long dark hair out of her flushed face. They were in the king and queen’s bedroom which was dominated by a huge four-poster bed with black silk sheets and crimson quilts.

“What?”

“When I suggested that I would be very interested in sucking any part of her, she got mad at me.”

“This person was female?”

Sven cooed at Prince Thor who obligingly gurgled back at him. “Yes she was.

Why?”

“Because as I’ve told you before, you can’t go ‘round saying stuff like that.”

“But she said it first!”

A stifled sound came from Harlan, his fellow bodyguard, who lounged on the bed behind the queen. He wore nothing but a thin silk loincloth and gold arm bands that emphasized the muscular strength of his upper arms. Sven tried to ignore him.

Douglass wiped her face with a towel Harlan handed her and got to her feet. “What exactly did she say?”

Sven frowned as he tried to remember. “She said that she was suspicious of men who sucked up to her, or something like that.”

“And you offered to suck any bit of her she wanted?” Douglass glared at him. “And you wonder why she was offended. She was offended, right?”

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Sven gently held the baby over his shoulder and rubbed his back. “Yes she was, but then everything I say to Ms. Cooper seems to offend her.”

“She’s the female security liaison, isn’t she? I haven’t had much chance to talk to her yet but it’s nice to have another woman around the place.”

Baby Thor obligingly burped and Sven kissed the top of his downy head. “Yes and she seems to dislike me although I have no idea why.”

Douglass snorted and reached for the baby. She tucked him back in his willow basket and headed for the bathroom door. “I need a bath. Will you and Harlan join me?”

Harlan picked up the basket and Sven followed along behind, trying not to frown.

The bathroom was almost as enormous as the bedroom and contained not only a large shower but a deep bath set in the floor big enough for six. Thick cream carpet covered the floor and the windows were permanently shaded. The scent of roses hung in the steamy air as Harlan started to run the bath.

After checking to see if the baby was going to sleep, Sven stripped off his leather pants and white shirt and helped the queen remove her clothes. Douglass sighed as he rubbed her shoulders. He stroked the mass of bunched muscles at her neck.

“You are tense, My Queen. Are you missing Danny and the king?”

The queen dropped her head until her chin rested on her chest. “Danny is probably having a great time with his Granny at Disney Planet. He’s probably forgotten I exist.”

Sven laughed softly. “Seven year old boys are not known for their sensitivity.

Would you rather he cried in his sleep missing you every night?”

“Of course not, it’s good that he can get away. The last year or so hasn’t been easy for him.”

Sven silently agreed. Since his mother’s marriage to King Marcus, Danny had exchanged his narrow life on Earth for the wonders of the Valhallan court and a stepfather who doted on him.

“I don’t believe he regrets his mother’s choice of husband.”

“You’re right about that. Marcus has been wonderful with him…”

“So if you are content about Danny, it must be the king you miss.”

“He’s been in Washington for four days now.”

Sven kissed the top of her head. “And you have not benefited from his lovemaking.

I will see if he is available on the live link. He will not be pleased if he returns to find you unhappy. “

He activated the link from his wristband and an image of the king reclining on his bed appeared on the bathroom wall. He looked tired. Sven bowed and gestured at Douglass who was about to step into the bath.

“Greetings, My King. Are you alone?”

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“Greetings, Sven. Yes I am.” He smiled as his gaze fastened on the queen. “Does my wife need pleasuring?”

“With your permission, Sire. Harlan and I would be honored to accommodate her.”

The king nodded, his suddenly alert gaze fastened on his wife. “Will you let them touch you for me?”

Douglass smiled. “If you will watch and enjoy too.”

The king undid his pants to display his already erect cock. He wrapped one hand around the base. “I always enjoy watching you come.”

Sven picked the queen up and stepped down into the large bath, settling her on his lap.

Douglass relaxed back against his chest, the soft curves of her buttocks settled against his spread thighs, trapping his cock against her spine. His shaft hardened as she wiggled against him. He slid his hand down to cup her mound, making sure the king could see his every move.

“You should not wait so long to ask for our assistance. We are all still your servers.

We are here to provide you with pleasure.”

“I know that.” She turned her head to look up at him. “You also remember that I said it was okay for you to go out with other women while we were on Earth don’t you?”

Sven frowned. “Why would I want to do that when I can pleasure you?”

He slid two long, thick fingers through her slick warm folds until he penetrated her.

Harlan entered the bath and immediately began to lick at Douglass’ nipples. She shivered as Sven grazed her clit with his thumb.

“Because your vow to the king means you can’t have real sex with me. “

The king’s laughter boomed across the room. “Not unless you wish to die horribly.”

Sven increased the glide of his fingers. “This isn’t real?”

Douglass pinched his thigh. “You’re being deliberately…ah…deliberately…oh, that’s nice, don’t stop.”

He cupped her breast, offering it to Harlan’s mouth. Harlan knelt up, his fingers working the queen’s other nipple as he sucked, his erect cock grazing her hip. Sven felt her channel tighten and added two more fingers, knowing she needed to be filled well.

He glanced up at the image of the king who watched them intently; his hand worked his shaft with strong, deft fingers.

“Touch Harlan’s cock, my love. Pretend it’s mine.”