Promise

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  Alex Wales:

  Promise

  By

  Yolanda Sfetsos

  Eternal Press

  A division of Damnation Books, LLC.

  P.O. Box 3931

  Santa Rosa, CA 95402-9998

  www.eternalpress.biz

  Alex Wales: Promise

  by Yolanda Sfetsos

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-61572-417-8

  Print ISBN: 978-1-61572-418-5

  Cover art by: Dawné Dominique

  Edited by: Andrea Heacock-Reyes

  Copyright 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos

  Printed in the United States of America

  Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights

  1st North American, Australian and UK Print Rights

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This is dedicated to strong

  women everywhere.

  Acknowledgments:

  I want to thank my supportive family for their love, understanding, and for listening to my endless writerly chatter.

  Also, a huge “thank you” to Andrea for being so awesome and patient, as well as Dawné for the kickass cover!

  Chapter One

  “You know you don’t have to leave, right?” The way those dark eyebrows tilted over his dark eyes filled the suggestion with temptation.

  Usually, all it took to get Alex back into Ulric’s bed was a suggestive smile, and she would forget where she had to go or what she had to do. This time, she already had a job lined up. If she didn’t hurry, she’d be late, and she couldn’t afford any delays at the moment. Spending a mini-vacation on this space station might have saved her from spending any credits for a few weeks, but her funds were running low, out in the real world. She usually had just enough to scrape by, so forfeiting work was out of the question.

  Alex smiled but continued to dress. She ignored the way her skin itched to feel his touch. Ignored all the things they’d just spent hours doing and wanted to do all over again.

  If I don’t stop acting like this, I’m never going to leave this room. As tempting as Ulric was, she couldn’t afford to give in to his seduction right now.

  “Alex, I really don’t want you to go,” he continued, an evocative smirk tempting her further. He lay naked on the bed, and his impressive physique stretched out in all its muscled glory. One hand smoothed down the red, silk sheets barely covering him, showing off what he was insinuating. “Maybe, I should rephrase that to, ‘I want you to stay, so I can make you scream some more.’ I like to make you scream.”

  She bit down on her bottom lip. She shouldn’t be staring at his obvious show of arousal, but she couldn’t look away. He’s so darn tempting.

  Alex hated to admit it—even to herself—but sometimes, she didn’t want to leave his side. When she spent time with Ulric, she didn’t have to struggle out there in the big, bad galaxy while trying to earn an honest, or dishonest, buck. Everything came easy to this man, and when she was with him, the same happened to her. Lying around naked and having every meal delivered to this room was a way of life any girl could get used to. Still, she’d never really taken the path of least resistance. Her life had been an uphill struggle for as long as she could remember.

  As wonderful as it was to spend a couple of days—or even weeks—doing this, she had a life to get back to. There were places to go and jobs to do. Planets and space stations in this part of the galaxy were so far away from each other, she needed every second she could get to maximize her profit.

  Today, she had to be strong and resist his gorgeous allure. Even if she couldn’t tear her eyes away from what the silk sheet revealed, now that it sat low enough to expose him completely. Oh, he knew how to tempt her.

  “Well, what’s it going to be?”

  She swallowed the words she really wanted to say. “Ulric,” Alex said with a sigh. “You know I can’t stay any longer.”

  “Says who?”

  “Unlike you, I need to work if I want to eat.”

  “You eat pretty well here, don’t you?” If he hadn’t followed it up by wiggling his dark eyebrows, she might have thought he was seriously talking about her actual nutrition and not what they did almost every waking moment they spent together. As much as she enjoyed the endless pleasure Ulric never failed to deliver, sometimes she wondered if there was more to his double entendres when he suggested she stay longer. Lately, whenever she stopped by, he insisted she add a couple of days to her stay. A few days usually ended up turning into an extra week or two of being lost in the luxury of his carefree lifestyle.

  She rolled her eyes. “Grow up. You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I know you need to keep that piece of crap you call a ship going.” The tease in his brown eyes only made him more irresistible. “Are you choosing your ship over me?”

  Alex buttoned her pants and paused to stare at him as he lounged on the bed, trying to reel her back in.

  On this space station, in the middle of nowhere, it wouldn’t be hard to give in to someone else’s plea. In a harsh reality—where most of the time people had to engage in illegal activity to barely survive—most would jump at the chance of a partnership with so many obvious benefits. Yet, how long would he want her around if she gave in and dropped everything for him? How long would it take for him to be the one wishing she’d just leave, already?

  Ulric wasn’t the type of guy who devoted his life to just one woman, and that suited her fine. In fact, it was why she kept coming back to him in-between deliveries. Ulric was an uncomplicated relationship to maintain—their quest for mutual pleasure united them.

  She leaned forward and pressed her palms against the end of the bed, making sure the tops of her arms pressed her bare breasts together.

  Predictably, he lowered his gaze. He was no doubt satisfied to have gotten a reaction out of her. She couldn’t hide her hardened nipples when he made her feel so horny all the time.

  Alex lifted a knee onto the bed, crawling toward him very slowly. Almost moving like a lithe cat, ready to lap up some milk. When she reached him, she skimmed her lips over his and made a move to pull back quickly. She didn’t want to prolong or turn it into anything more meaningful than a goodbye kiss, but he covered the back of her hand with his, pinning her to the spot. The long fingers of his other hand entwined around her curls, massaging her scalp.

  She couldn’t pull away, so she gave into the kiss. She opened her mouth to him, allowing his tongue to venture inside. She didn’t resist when he pulled her by the hand he’d just been covering and encouraged her to straddle him.

  Ulric Cale was all wrong for her. Still, Alex couldn’t help but be drawn to him. One move, suggestion, or simple invitation was all it took to have her practically melt into his arms. She enjoyed the ease of getting lost in the ecstasy of sharing his bed and all the pleasures he provided.

  Sometimes, she didn’t understand what he saw in her. He lived and practically ran this space station, while she was nothing more than a courier who travelled the stars, delivering one item after another to earn enough credits to support herself. The pay wasn’t great, but it was enough to keep her ship in the air and her stomach ful
l.

  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.

  “Promise isn’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 none of 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 tiny part 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 that type 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.

  No one rejected him.

  Besides, she didn’t know what to say, had never heard those words from anyone her whole life. In her 25 years, not a single man had ever uttered those words to her and meant it. Not even her father. Now, here was Ulric—the rich, arrogant guy who chased her for months before she eventually succumbed to his flirting—saying them. She’d never imagined he would be the one to say them.

  She looked up, wishing she’d already had a chance to put her light-weight jacket on. Goosebumps rose along her skin. All of a sudden, she felt so darn cold. Not exactly the reaction she’d expected to feel when a man eventually said, “I love you.”

  “You don’t mean it,” she whispered, meeting his eyes.

  “Ah, yeah. I do.”

  She released a shaky breath. “Ulric, don’t try to conquer me like you do your business ventures.” She twisted her hands over and over, until he forcibly took them in his. Did he honestly see her as just another challenge to be conquered, or was the accusation simply her defense mechanism to his unexpected admission?

  She didn’t know. Not yet.

  “That’s not what I’m trying to do, Alex.” He looked away, his eyes dow
ncast. His fingertips toyed with hers. “This isn’t the reaction I expected the first time I managed to get those words out of my mouth.” He turned his gaze back to meet hers. She’d never seen vulnerability on his face, nor was it an emotion she’d ever expected to see on this over-confident individual.

  Was he serious? Maybe Alex had become so cynical, she couldn’t wrap her mind around this.

  “Then what are you trying to do?” Alex narrowed her eyes at the naked man lounged on the round bed in front of her. His body was utter perfection—muscles in all the right places and smooth, mostly hairless skin. If she didn’t know any better, she’d assume he was genetically engineered at birth or some sort of android, made to resemble a human.

  That’s a creepy thought. After all, this was her lover.

  Alex wasn’t usually a one-man kind of girl, but after the start of her affair with Ulric, that all changed. She’d lost interest in all the other possibilities she encountered on foreign planets. Maybe they’d somehow managed to change each other. She hadn’t admitted it to him—and never would—but she hadn’t taken a lover in years, because he kept her cravings sated.

  “I’m trying to convince you to stay with me.” His fingers chased lazy circles around her palms, while he kept his intense eyes pinned on hers, his lips pouty. “I want this thing between us to be a little more permanent. Alex, I don’t want to spend hours getting interrogated, or see doubt in your eyes. I just want you to stay with me. Will you do that?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t.”

  “You can’t, or you won’t?” The suspicion in his eyes made them twinkle in the darkness engulfing them inside his bedroom. Ulric had the top section of the space station all to himself. No one disturbed him, unless he wanted them to.

  She turned away and looked out the large window on the other side of the room. Stars shimmered in the blackness of space. It had been a long time since she’d actually enjoyed living in one place. After her mother’s attempt at imprisoning and marrying her off for her own gain, Alex found it hard to stay in one place for too long. The only home she could see herself in for any period of time was her ship, but even that was mobile.