He needed release so badly he could taste it, and with the autopilot engaged and the bed not even a foot away, all he could think about was stripping Alison to her skin and loving her body until they reached their destination. âWe almost died.â
âIâm well aware of that.â Moving to the other side of the room, she started picking up random items. âWhat I donât understand is why youâre all hot for me all of a sudden.â
âItâs not all of a sudden.â The words came out more like a growl. âYou have no idea how difficult it was for me to resist you earlier.â
âThen why did you? Iâm a whore, Fenton. A sure thing and you still refused.â
âYouâre not a whore. You only did that because you had no other choice.â
Shoving an armload of clothing into the closet and sealing the door, she turned to face him. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her eyes were wet. âThatâs all I am. All Iâve ever been. Back on Earth, it was different. I was a pleasure companion, one of the best in the business. An hour with me cost more than most men earned in a month. And I made sure they got their moneyâs worth.â
Shame burned color on her cheeks. âBut I fucked up. Epically. I traded more than my body, I traded my soul. So donât sit there and kid yourself that I was only doing what I had to in order to survive. Iâm not a good person. Iâm not even a good whore anymore.â
He couldnât stand to see her cry. Slowly, so as not to startle her, Fenton moved closer until he tugged her into his embrace. She struggled at first, but he persevered until she was wrapped in his arms. Rocking back and forth he offered her silent comfort until she sagged, emotionally spent.
She was so soft and warm in his arms, she fit like sheâd been born to mold into him. Hearing her confessions should have cooled his ardor, but he was still hard, still fighting the phase split.
Tilting her chin up he said, âAlison, listen to me. You risked your life to save me back there. I owe you my life. You arenât bad. I know, Iâve seen evil up close.â
âThe overlord?â she mumbled.
Fenton wasnât sure how much she knew, but he refused to lie to her. âYes. He was pure evil. He killed for sport, for pleasure, to alleviate his boredom. The deaths of my entire family are on his head. And to save myself I did some despicable things too. But Iâm determined to atone for my sins as best I can.â
She sniffled and wiped her eyes. âYou ever sleep with someone for money?â
âNo. But my sister did.â
Raising her watery gaze to his, he watched her shock register. âWhat happened to her?â
âShe died of wasting sickness. Gave of herself until there was nothing left to give. It was horrible to watch the disease consume her a little bit at a time.â
âIâm sorry.â
He nodded, accepting her softly spoken condolence. Fenton could have told her then about his mission, why heâd been resisting her, but she had that look, the one heâd seen on some of the men under his command, desolate and exhausted and utterly without hope.
âI only told you that because I want you to understand that I will not judge you on what youâve done in the past. I see the person you are now, strong, self-sacrificing, a survivor. A beautiful, independent woman.â
She snorted, but he saw the pleasure creep over her face so he forged onward. âHow did you learn so much about the culture in the Hosta System?â
âObservation mostly. I watched and listened to others to pick up what I needed to know.â
âAnd youâve done this before, correct? Mimicked other cultures to help yourself blend in?â
Her teeth sank into her full lower lip but she nodded.
âDo you have any idea how impressive that is for me, someone who has never left his home
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