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Chapter 6

Eden stomped alongthe corridor, her hand pressed against her heart as she headed to the cargo hold.

Was that what Blaze thought of her? He believed she was that shallow and only wanted to sleep with him because of his status.

He was a jerk after all.

But she’d wanted him to kiss her like she wanted her next breath of air. Her body had lit up the second he’d touched her, just like it always did.

And she’d been curious and turned on by how alpha possessive he’d been around Ranger. What woman didn’t like to be fought over and shown she was desirable?

A soft chirrup from a pen made Eden turn, and she let out a breath.

A sandy brown tullap was staring at her, her small beady eyes fixed on her.

She walked over and sank down by the pen. “Hey, little lady. It won’t be long until we get you to your new home. You must be excited. You get to find a mate. Someone to make you happy.”

The tullap chirruped again.

Eden grabbed a handful of food from a nearby container and fed her some. The smell of the grain feed reminded her of one of the many jobs she’d had as a teenager. She’d never been allowed any pets but had worked two jobs to get herself through school with honors. One of those had involved evenings and weekends working at the local pet emporium. It had been filthy work, mainly involving cleaning out the animal pens. She hadn’t minded that she left the place smelling of animal droppings every evening. It had given her satisfaction to see them looked after. And when she got a break, she’d always hang out in the pens, petting the animals and snuggling them.

“I never thought I’d find myself on a ship with you lot. A girl needs to catch those big dreams, though.” She fed the tullap another nugget of food.

She’d almost lost her chance for a better life when her mom introduced her to McKenzie.

She’d just found out she’d received a scholarship to study biology and had figured her mom would be proud of her, but she’d bitched and moaned and accused her of abandoning her only family. She’d said she needed Eden around to keep her on the straight and narrow.

A week later, McKenzie had appeared. He was gorgeous, charming, and so sweet.

Eden had always been cautious of the men in her mom’s life, but he seemed different and only five years older than her.

She shook her head. She’d been eighteen and dumb. She still thought decent guys existed, even after seeing the shit her mom went through with the losers she hung out with.

And she’d been desperately lonely. Her mom only loved her when she could get her something.

“I should have stuck with the animals,” Eden murmured to the tullap. “You’re much easier to figure out. If you’re not happy, you growl. If you’re content, you purr or wag your tail. Humans are complicated. The aliens aren’t much better.”

She frowned as the kiss with Blaze invaded her thoughts. His delicious taste, the scrape of his chin against hers, and the weight of his body pressed up against her sparked a flame of wanton need.

The tullap pressed her face against the bars, and Eden risked giving her a quick scratch under the chin.

Her real problems had begun when McKenzie suggested she didn’t go to university. She should stay with him, and they’d have an amazing life together.

And she’d seriously thought about it. He was good to her. He made her laugh, and he really seemed to care. For the first time in her life, she’d been adored and loved.

And it had all been one big, screwed up act. An act her own mom had paid for. She’d funded McKenzie’s drug habit on the promise he kept Eden from going to university. Plus, he got to screw a hot girl who’d do anything for him, whenever he wanted.

A swell of bitterness rose in Eden’s throat. “That won’t happen to me again. Never trust. Then you can’t get hurt.”

Her comm link signaled an incoming call. She rolled her shoulders, sat back, and activated it.

“Hey, beautiful. You free?” It was Ranger.

“Sure. What’s up?”

“I’ve been thinking about you. Thinking I shouldn’t care if Blaze has a hard-on for you.”

Eden shook her head and frowned again. “He doesn’t.” Her cheeks heated as she remembered Blaze’s cock grinding against her heat.