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I showed him Holly’s note, and his expression changed to a frown.

“I can’t go, so I was hoping—”

“You want me to,” John said with a nod. “I can do that. She’ll recognize me.”

“Yes,” I replied, relieved that he seemed untroubled by the request, though I never should’ve doubted him. “It might be dangerous, but—”

“I’ll get Ayanna’s help,” he cut in. “It won’t be a problem. I’ll tell you what I find out.” He pulled me in and kissed me. “Now, if there are no more interruptions, I need to fuck you. Badly.”

I laughed against his lips. I knew I should tell him about my plan to get into the Military Archives. But it would be incredibly dangerous, and I knew John. He’d never want me to put myself at risk, especially since he couldn’t be there to protect me. The problem was, I didn’t think there was a safe way to get the answers I needed, and right now, I just wanted to be with him. I didn’t want to upset him or argue with him in the short time we had together. I had other, much more entertaining plans for the night.

So instead, I gave him another kiss and said, “Maybe just one more. I bought something for myself today. Well, for us.”

He gave me a confused look. “What would we need from here?”

I leaned over to my nightstand and opened the drawer. I withdrew a small, round object, about the size of my palm, and held it out for him. The soft-touch silicone was pleasantly smooth against my skin.

John shot me another dubious look. “Uh…what is it?”

I swallowed hard. “It’s a sex toy. More specifically, a clitoral vibrator.”

It’d been a bit of a hassle to buy it without embarrassing myself in front of Hamilton. They sold them in the drugstore as a ‘marital aid’, because whoever arranged the marriages in the compounds was aware that those unions often didn’t include orgasms, particularly for the women. They were discreetly advertised as an alternative to cheating on your chosen spouse. I’d never owned one before, but I’d tested it earlier that day and knew I had to show my husband what I’d discovered.

John’s eyebrows shot up at my explanation. “The hell’s a sex toy?”

Surprised, I burst into giggles. “You’ve never heard of them?”

“Baby, I lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere with my grandparents my whole life,” he answered wryly. “The only porn I ever had was a stash of old romance novels I found in an abandoned house when I was seventeen, and that was like finding treasure. Where would I have heard of them?”

“I don’t know,” I said, giving him a playful shove. “I just…”

My cheeks heated, not knowing exactly how to elaborate, which made him laugh and press a kiss to my temple.

“Why don’t you show me?” John suggested, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Or have you gotten shy all of a sudden?” He spread a couple kisses down my jaw, speaking in a low, predatory tone. “I’ve been inside you more times than the sun sets. Any secrets you had are mine now.”

I sighed as he continued kissing down my neck, tightening in anticipation at the possessiveness in his voice.

“Kiss me first,” I murmured, lifting his lips back toward mine.

He groaned, pushing his tongue into my mouth and palming my breasts, still covered by the thin, silky robe I wore. I shuddered as he lightly pinched my nipples, sending delicious tendrils of pleasure down to my core.

I allowed him to continue until I could feel wetness blooming between my thighs, then gently pushed him away and took a step back.

“You’re a tease tonight,” John said, amused. “Trying to tempt me into throwing you on the bed and taking you, here and now? You know you don’t have to do that.”

I smiled coyly as I untied the belt on my robe and let it fall to the floor, leaving me bare. “But it always works, doesn’t it?”

His eyes darkened with desire, following the lines of my nude body. “My wife’s a beautiful woman. I’m only human.”

I flushed with pleasure, then nodded at the chaise lounge in the corner of the room. “Go sit there for now.”

John raised an eyebrow. “What are you up to?”

“You’ll see.”

He gamely perched on the edge of lounger. I took a seat at the foot of the bed, vibrator in hand. When I pressed the button on the side and the vibration flared to life, John tilted his head, clearly curious. Oddly nervous, I lowered the toy between my thighs and found my clit. I was rewarded with an immediate bolt of pleasure that curled my toes, and I sighed heavily.

“That…buzzing feels good?” John asked, fascinated, and I giggled, but it was cut off by a pleasurable moan as I increased the pressure.