She’d been driven from her home, forced to realize that her beautiful life was nothing but a dream her father had spun, a dream that turned to a nightmare when the creditors had come calling.
Running scared for months, she’d worked long hours to feed herself and her sister, to keep a roof over their heads. She’d protected her sister, protected herself, and when someone had tried to push them around, she’d fought back.
Unfortunately, the person who’d tried to push them around was the Raven, and fighting back had led to something completely unpredictable. They’d wound up on Rigellus’s ship, and again, she and her sister had been expected to suffer.
But they’d fought back. And they’d won.
It was her enemy whose bits were scattered all over that asteroid. Not hers. She turned to face the Raven, her expression like stone. She’d survived all this, and she would survive whatever this pirate and his gang of criminals thought they’d do to her as well.
The viewscreen went black. “Head for the Outer Rim. We’ll lie low and offload this cargo.” His voice was thick with authority, and his men jumped to do what the Raven ordered. Then he glanced at her. “Follow me.”
He stalked off, and Ally felt a flash of frustration at the way he expected her to do what he ordered as well. Ally had little choice however. The Raven was king of his domain, at least for now.
She expected him to take her to where her sister was, but instead, they landed in a large suite decorated in sumptuous furnishings. It was empty. After Ally walked through the door, the Raven turned and locked it behind her.
They were alone.
Tension filled her. Ally had faced down the Raven twice before, but neither time had they been alone and in close quarters. His nearness just served to reinforce his size, his sheer masculinity. His presence intimidated her.
“Where is my sister?”
“She’s safe. Celdrake is a perfect gentleman.”
His voice was deep, resonating through her limbs and filling them with a sudden and strange languidness.Why does he have this effect on me?
“And are you a perfect gentleman?” The words slipped out before she realized it.
The corners of his lips twitched. “You already know the answer to that.”
“You’re a pirate. A scoundrel.”
He moved closer, and she had to crane her neck to meet his gaze. Nodding, his gaze pierced her, holding her in place. “So you say. But I’m also the man who just saved you from slavery.”
“Funny, because where I’m standing, I think I’m the woman who just saved you from a flying pile of garbage. Maybe I should tell your crew how the Raven was brought down by Popkins.”
She expected him to get angry. She could deal with angry. But her words made him smile instead. His hands suddenly gripped her arms, and he jerked her into him until she was pressed against his hard muscles.
“You have quite a mouth on you, little girl.”
Ally grinned, mostly out of spite but also because she considered what he said a compliment. “Oh yeah?”
His gaze was so intense, she wanted to look away. But she couldn’t.
“Yeah. And I just have to taste it.”
His head swooped down, his lips seizing hers in a ferocious kiss that stole the breath from her body. Electric light burst inside her, blazing through her synapses, illuminating every nerve cluster.Ye gods, this man can kiss!
Ally had only been kissed twice in her life. Once after the dance to celebrate her finishing the academy by her teenage boyfriend. And once after a night of drunken revelry with a near stranger.
Both had been exciting in their own ways, but they were nothing compared to a kiss from the Raven. Every inch of her body was singing with arousal.Wow.
When he released her, Ally couldn’t catch her breath. Then she heard his chuckle. Glancing up, she noticed the self-satisfied grin on his face, and a wave of anger hit her. Reeling back, she slapped him with all her might.
He didn’t even flinch. Her palm felt like it impacted against stone, but she refused to show a hint of the pain that was lighting it up now. On his cheek, a bright red imprint of her hand stood out, reminding her of the mark on her own cheek.
“You may be a pirate. You may be a thief. But you will show me some respect. And you will never touch me again without my permission.”
His eyes narrowed. “I could claim you now, throw you on that bed and fuck you for hours, and no one would tell me no. Not even you.”
