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“Then lay your claim. Make sure this jerk knows Holly’s off limits.”

Avel couldn’t do that. He wanted to more than taking another breath of air. He wanted Holly as his. But he also wanted the very best for her. He wasn’t the best.

He pulled his shoulders back. “I can’t be with her, but I can help her have a good life.”

Iska tapped the bar with his fingers. “How are you going to do that?”

“Cancel her debt and all the conditions I set her.”

“You set her conditions?”

Avel shrugged. “Nothing dodgy. Although, I will set one condition she must stick to before she takes this deal.”

“That’s a dangerous game, my friend.” Iska arched an eyebrow. “What’s the condition?”

“Holly never sees that moron again. She can go on with her life, free from debt and running her business, but only if she gets him out of her life for good.”

Iska shook his head. “You can’t make conditions like that.”

Avel finished his coffee and stood, convinced this was the right thing to do. “This will help her. And me. I’ll feel good knowing that I’ve given Holly a gift like this. Something useful she will benefit from.”

“Sure. It will make you feel good for about five minutes.” Iska stroked a hand along his tail. “What about the next time Holly slips into your thoughts and gets you thinking about a future together? How are you going to stop acting on that?”

“I won’t keep thinking about Holly when I know she’s okay.” Avel stepped away from the bar. “In fact, I’m gonna see her now and tell her my plans.”

Iska looked skeptical. “Good luck with that.”

“And to you with your new cub.” Avel clapped him on the shoulder before hurrying out of the Enchanted Captain. This was it. He’d found the solution. A way to help Holly and not get her sweetness sullied by any guy, including him.

Avel hurried into the dining hall and spotted Holly emerge from the kitchen, a full tray of food in her hands.

Her gaze froze when it met him before she placed the tray down and disappeared back into the kitchen.

His gut clenched. She didn’t want to see him?

He let out a sigh of relief as she returned, carrying a tray with coffee and pastries, a tentative look on her face.

Damn, how he wished he could have Holly, but this was the best thing for her. Holly would be set up, free, and have nothing to worry about.

Avel smiled as she approached, pleased to see her bruises from the crash were gone. “Hey.” He took the tray from her and set it on a nearby table. “Is this for us?”

She nodded. “A new recipe. You are my taste tester, so it’s only right you try it.”

They both sat and stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.

“It looks like you’ve recovered from our adventures in space,” Avel said.

Holly passed him a mug of coffee. “I’m back to normal. It’s amazing what sleep and nano-med patches can do. How about you?”

“The ankle’s almost back to normal.” Avel grabbed a pastry and pulled it apart. “I didn’t mean to act like a jerk yesterday.”

Holly ducked her head. “You don’t have to explain. We’d survived a crash. It was an extreme experience.”

“No, I want to.” This was harder than he’d thought it would be. Why couldn’t he just shut the door on a future with Holly and move on?

Her brows rose slowly. “Okay, so explain.”

“We’ve had some great times together.” He stuffed some sweet, flaky pastry into his mouth. “I consider you a friend.”