Alex pulled out of the kiss, but Ulric didn’t remove his hand from the back of her head. He actually tightened his grip on her hair, pulling it back enough to expose her neck. He licked her skin, rousing a shiver.
“ Promiseisn’t a piece of crap. I inherited her from my father. It was the best thing he ever gave me.” Well, the ship and her attitude.
She spent a lot of her childhood riding around with her father while he delivered his own cargo. Except noneof his business deals were ever legit, and he liked to keep a lot concealed from her. Mostly, Louis Wales made his dubious living as a smuggler, but she never let on that she knew. She enjoyed a life in space with him and knew he tried his best to support them.
After more than a decade’s absence, her mother decided to resurface one day, demanding Alex go and live with her. Her mother being the more politically powerful of the two, her father had no choice but to obey. Alex was sent to a planet she hated and was forced to live a life she despised. When she turned 15, her mother coerced her into an engagement with someone she didn’t even know. The guy was her age but still a stranger. Besides, Alex never liked to have others choose her path in life, and especially not her selfish mother.
“I can offer you a lot, if you’re willing to accept it,” Ulric said. He trailed his tongue up the side of her neck, followed it onto the underside of her chin, and back to her mouth. When he kissed her again, it was rough, hungrier. “I hate knowing that you’re out there in space on your own. Stay with me a while longer, and let’s see where this leads us.”
She tried to shake her head, but his grip was too tight to allow any movement. “As tempting and appealing as that sounds, I can’t.”
Alex sat back, Ulric’s erection caught beneath her. He groaned, closing his eyes for a second. The guy was a machine. He was always ready to go. He also happened to be the only man she’d encountered who was capable of matching her libido. They were perfect for each other on so many levels. Ulric could offer her so much-a life in a permanent place without the need to travel anywhere, countless hours of satisfying sex, and unlimited credits without the guilt of not earning a penny, because Ulric hadn’t even earned it himself. He’d inherited everything from his wealthy parents.
This is why he’s all wrong for me.
It was enough to keep her coming back, but she couldn’t stay.
Some people’s happiness was easier met than others, and Alex was happy with a ship and the attitude she carried in her genes. Ulric seemed to embrace the lazy, laid-back life he’d been handed on a platter, but he always looked bored, as if he was looking for the next big thing to get him off. Maybe that’s why he liked having her around.
Alex loved adventure, loved being out there. Travelling from one system to another was what made her feel alive. Nothing could match it. Well, nothing except a night of passion with Ulric.
“Why can’t you?” The tease in his eyes made her uneasy.
She shrugged. “I need to get the job done. Freelance is a huge responsibility.”
“Give it all up, then.” His mouth was only centimeters away from hers. “You don’t need to have so much responsibility resting on your shoulders.”
“What?” Alex backed away from him, and his fingers slid out of her hair.
“You heard me. Give it all up.”
Wide-eyed, she backed up until she could slide off the side of the bed to consider the insane suggestion she was positive she’d heard him make. Ulric was a lot of fun, a hell of a lover, and gorgeous, but she couldn’t quit her own life for him. Surely she hadn’t heard him right.
“Are you serious? You want me to give it all up, so I can sit on my ass all day with you?” She laughed at the thought.
“Your hot ass wouldn’t be sitting all day. I’m sure we could find a few things to keep us occupied.” He winked. “So, what do you say?”
“No. I can’t.” Alex shook her head to reinforce her decision. The curls bounced in front of her eyes as she made her way toward the armchair holding the rest of her discarded clothes. She grabbed her bra and slipped it on.
“No, don’t get dressed. I was enjoying the view.”
Alex’s pulse quickened. Why was this conversation having such a wild effect on her body? Why was he even suggesting such a thing?
“How long did you want me to stay?” She had to admit she was curious. A part of her might even want to accept. A tinypart she was determined to ignore.
“I don’t know…indefinitely.”
She couldn’t help but snort. “You’re not serious!?” She slipped her tank top on and could feel him watching her every move.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Alex adjusted the fitting top and turned to stare at him. “Ulric, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but we both know you’re not thattype of guy.”
“What type of guy am I, then?”
She sighed. “You’re the type of guy who likes to roam free and get it on with whoever happens to be there at the time.” Alex had seen him chasing skirts firsthand, and before that, his reputation had done most of the talking.
He shook his head. “Maybe you’re right, but when I’m with you, I don’t know…something changes, and I don’t want to let you go.”
“Oh.” She knew what this was. He hated the ‘goodbye’ side of things. She did too, but she’d be back sooner or later.
“What’s ‘oh’ supposed to mean?”
She made her way to the side of the bed, knowing this was a risky move. “I understand. I really do, because I hate leaving as well.” She might end up kicking herself for admitting this, but what did she have to lose? She always managed to leave emotion out of their encounters but had otherwise shared with him as much as one person could with another. Being naked and vulnerable, giving into someone else’s sexual fantasies, and allowing them to be a part of your own was heavy stuff. It allowed for a certain degree of vulnerability, but it was all on a physical level.
“Okay, that’s easily fixed. Stay with me indefinitely.” His brown eyes were twinkling, hopeful. This was certainly a side of him she hadn’t seen before.
“Ulric, I just told you I can’t!”
“Why can’t you?” he asked.
“I have a job to do,” she almost shouted. “Stop trying to make things harder than they-”
“What if I told you that I love you?”
Alex opened her mouth to snap at him for interrupting, but she stopped. What the hell? Had she woken up in some sort of alternate universe? A man like Ulric Cale would never blurt out these words to anyone. He was control incarnate. To throw such a statement out there opened him up to rejection.