Page 29

“Can I get into the cargo hold from here?”

“Sure. Head along the corridor, and you’ll see a hatch on the floor. Twist the lock to the right and pull it open. You can hop down from there. What do you want to go in there for?”

“In case you’re right and I do sell out. We need to keep something to celebrate on our return journey.” Holly grinned as she hurried along the corridor, located the hatch, and hopped into the cargo hold.

She opened one of the crates and selected two boxes of her favorite pear and ginger chocolates before securing it and climbing back into the main ship. She carried the boxes into the cockpit and wedged them under her seat.

“That’s an excellent plan. I get withdrawal symptoms if I don’t have one of your treats every few hours.”

Holly grinned and shook her head. Avel was flattering her. No one could love her food that much.

“That’s it.” Avel nodded as they approached Green Star station.

Holly pressed her fingers against her lips. She was actually doing this. She was taking a huge step toward her new career.

“Hey, stop looking so terrified.”

Holly glanced at Avel and tried to smile. “It’s a bit terrifying.”

“In a great way,” Avel said. “You can do this. I believe in you.”

She wished she believed in herself. Holly clasped her hands together and stared at the station. There was no backing out now. She was here and had to go through with it, even though her stomach roiled and her mouth felt dry.

“Holly, look at me.” Avel twisted in his seat, caught hold of Holly’s head between his hands and kissed her.

Her yelp of surprise was muffled as his mouth covered hers and their tongues met.

What was he doing? Holly had no time to question Avel’s motives as the passion grew between them. He wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her closer as the kiss deepened.

Holy triple chocolate muffins with pink sprinkles! Avel tasted of chocolate and coffee, and Holly could smell his woody, clean scent as she leaned toward him.

She had no clue why Avel was kissing her like this, but for those few seconds, she stopped worrying and let herself enjoy him.

Chapter 10

The kiss had been meant as a distraction. A way to reassure Holly the world wouldn’t end if her chocolate didn’t sell.

But when Avel had turned to her and seen the worry in her eyes, he hadn’t held back. He’d wanted her to know how desirable she was.

As their lips had met, a primal urge to claim her swept over him, and he fed that into the kiss, pulling her closer and growling as her arms wrapped around him.

Holly’s mouth opened willingly, and she fed off him just as he did her. He tasted the sweetness in her mouth and felt soft skin under his fingers as he held her tightly, his arousal growing and his cock hardening.

She was crazy to think she wasn’t good enough and that she wouldn’t succeed. Holly was adorable, funny, sexy as hell, and her chocolate was awesome.

He moved from his seat and onto his knees so he rested between Holly’s thighs, not breaking the kiss as he did so. At this angle, they were eye level, and he could stroke as much of Holly as he desired. And he desired a lot of her.

Avel wrapped both arms around her and molded her to his chest. Her ample cleavage crushed against him, and he felt her hard nipples beneath her jumpsuit.

She desired him as much as he wanted her. Avel couldn’t leave her alone. He’d tried staying away and distracting himself with work, doing all he could to avoid encountering her on Prodigy. But he kept getting drawn back into Holly’s world.

He wasn’t even conscious he was doing it, but Avel was always looking for her. He’d catch a glimpse of a curvy blonde walking in front of him and hurry to catch up, thinking it was Holly and he could engineer a meeting.

Avel had berated himself on numerous occasions for chasing a stranger then realizing what he was doing and stopping himself. It was like he didn’t have control of his mind. Holly had hooked him with those sexy curves, her sweet chocolate, and this gorgeous mouth that he explored with growing lust.

She was the most tempting treat he’d ever uncovered, and she had no clue what she did to him.

If Avel was looking, he’d want someone like Holly in his life for good. He wanted someone who still had an innocence about them and hadn’t been tainted by the problems of the world. Not like him. He’d seen the darker side of people’s nature too many times and often found himself buried neck deep in it.