Vicky Peterwald: Target by Mike Shepherd Read Free Book Online

lieutenant. Certainly not advice that his fleet’s proud battleships were outclassed by a newfound threat.
    “You are dismissed,” he growled.
    Vicky came to attention, saluted, and left.

CHAPTER 5
    V ICK Y stormed into her quarters. In the room, she found the six members of her team waiting for her. Her spaces were identical to those of the admiral. Vicky pointed at the lieutenant. “You, with me,” and then quick-marched for what she assumed was a night cabin.
    Fortunately for her pride, she guessed right. It was small, but it had a bed, a desk, and the other necessities. She whirled to meet the lieutenant, who almost collided with her. That made it easier for her to strip off his shipsuit. She saw in his eyes a mixture of emotions she was all too familiar with from the men in her life.
    Shock. Terror. Wonder. And enough lust to overcome them all.
    He stripped himself out of his underwear while Vicky undressed and leapt onto the bed. He was ready. She spread her legs, and he was atop her in near record time.
    He was also spent in near record time.
    “Okay, you’ve had your fun,” she growled in his ear. “Now make me feel like I want to feel.” Or at least deaden the pain and fear.
    Let me feel something!
    He knew what she wanted. This was not the first time she had taken him by storm. It was either him or the chief, and the CPO was older and maybe wiser. The lieutenant had served her needs before.
    Today, he failed. It wasn’t that he did anything differently; it was more Vicky’s problem. Every time she closed her eyes to let her passion rise, all she saw was a gunman crashing through the door and a huge pistol aimed between her eyes.
    It was hard to let herself sink into the throes of carnal lust when all her teeth wanted to do was chatter with terror.
    Finally, she pushed him away. He, however, was all ready for a second go at her. “Put a sock on it,” she snapped.
    A PRESENT HAS ARRIVED FOR YOU, formed in her head. Y OU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT IT.
    Without a thought, she was out of bed and pulling on her shipsuit. Before the lieutenant had managed to get out of bed, she was opening the door.
    Doc Maggie had left them. No surprise there.
    But there was a surprise. In the middle of the conference table sat a vase full of roses. Her team stood around it. All but Mr. Smith. He eyed it warily . . . from well across the room.
    Kit reached for a card prominently placed among the flowers. “It says it’s from a secret admirer. Should I open it and see if the secret is inside?”
    “Chief, is that vase safe?” Vicky snapped. All kinds of hormones raced through her blood. This puzzle was not what she wanted. Or needed.
    “I think so, Your Grace. My sensors find nothing wrong with it.”
    “Mr. Smith?”
    “I have nothing to add to the chief’s report. Still . . .”
    Yes. Still,
Vicky thought. And did not like the feel of the hairs on the back of her neck. She was talking before she even realized she had made her decision.
    “Kit. Take the flowers outside. Put them on the deck well down the passageway.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” the servant said, and moved quickly to obey.
    The settee, this one black, was against her night quarters bulkhead. She went to sit on it.
    Kit returned and came to sit on her right, Kat on her left. The men, three now that the lieutenant had rejoined them, formed a semicircle in front of them, facing the door.
    A minute passed. Then another.
    Vicky was just beginning to wonder if she had made a fool of herself when the explosion came.
    She heard the roar of it, and then felt the overpressure in her ears even through the closed door.
    The ship’s alarm went off. Shouting and the pounding of heavy boots announced the arrival of the damage-control party. Lighter footfalls no doubt meant corpsmen and maybe even investigators.
    “Kit, open the door and take a look outside.”
    Kit moved quickly. The door open, she glanced outside. “There is no fire in the passageway, Your