Page 37 of Seducing Jenny
“Less than a minute now,” Petal replied, glancing at me with a strange look on her face. “And no, why would we?”
I frowned at her. “The ship is less than a minute out, so—”
The jet engines of an imperial interstellar cruiser abruptly announced themselves in the clouds. It lowered toward Credo’s island, with its cargo hold opening. Crates were dropped with parachutes over the island. It wasn’t even going to land.
No chance to sneak aboard. No chance to take someone hostage to get on board. No fucking chances at all.
Petal winced and rubbed her fingers against her temple. “There she is.”
“Your head again?” Trunk asked, concerned.
She nodded. “These damned headaches…”
I couldn’t hear any more of her words, as she rambled on about not feeling like herself.
My heart did not merely sink at the realization of what they’d meant. It tumbled down through the core of the planet. “Byship, you meant aninterstellarship, didn’t you? Not aboatship.”
Trunk frowned at me. “You thought we meant a boat?”
“Why is aninterstellarship doing the supply drop?” I asked, my tone laced with anger. “That’s got to be far more expensive than a boat ship.”
Trunk shrugged. “That’s how it’s always been done since I’ve been here.”
Beyond defeated, I dropped the butterknife in the sand, returned to the house, and climbed the stairs to my room. I didn’t need the butterknife anymore. Keeping track of the days didn’t matter. There was no point to any of it. No point to anything at all.
I wrapped myself in my bedspread and slept away the rest of the day.
It was dark outside when someone knocked again.
“Go away,” I muttered, facing the wall.
But the door clicked open.
I huffed out my nose. “Trunk, I want to be alone.”
The door closed.
Relieved that he’d left, I exhaled…until the mattress shifted behind me.
“I told you,” I growled irritably, not bothering to turn. “I want to be alone.”
“Well, I don’t,” Petal said, her voice smooth and seductive.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, rolling over to face her before taking in her attire. “What are you wearing?”
A whisper of purple lace barely clung to her body. She might as well have been naked. Her muscles were taut and defined,impressively so, and against my will, my eyes locked on her tits. She noticed.
“I thought you might appreciate the effort, Malice.”
I forced myself to meet her gaze. “Why are you here, Petal?”
“I want to have a party,” she said, her voice flirty and lilting. “Don’t you want to have a party?”
My jaw clenched. “I am in no mood for a party. Of any kind. Please leave.”
She smiled and toyed with the string between her breasts. One tug and they’d spill free. “I know you like what you see. I can show you more.”
“Don’t.”
