Page 27 of Auctioned to the Convicts
“That’s where they put the last whore who came through here,” Ren answered. “Gives the pilots and guards a chance for somerelaxationwithout leaving the port.”
The pot slipped from her hands, creating a loud bang on the counter. “I’m not a whore.”
He’d rattled her. Good.
She straightened her spine, inadvertently pushing her breasts out. Not a whore. Right.
“You’re in a unit with four men,” Ren said, with as much bite as he could.
This was Narkos, not Argus. Men bartered, stole, and manipulated for what they wanted. And women were no different, even here, using what assets they had. He knew Dresden had forced her to form a unit, but she could have chosen from dozens of solitaries who were literally beating one another up to make it to the front of the crowd of men to be seen.
Instead, she’d dragged Ren into this unit even though he hadn’t wanted it. No doubt she’d known he was an engineer. Fucking Sersie had probably told her. She’d chosen him because she planned to use him. The woman was smart, but she needed to learn this wasn’t Argus, that she didn’t have any power here. She may have trapped him in this unit, but she wouldn’t use him. She had no value here, except as a piece of flesh to fuck.
Tilting her chin up in a defiance that had no place here, she said, “Maybe you haven’t heard, there’s a shortage of women. Having multiple mates is expected and accepted on Argus and most of the worlds in this sector of space.”
“Don’t smart-mouth me,” Ren said, drawn to the rise of her chest as she breathed. He was dying to touch her, to feel that soft flesh beneath his palms.
“Then don’t disrespect me,” she said, her voice raised. “If you’re worried about the money, I’ll pay you back every credit you put toward Ky’Li’s treatment.”
“Shouldn’t Ky’Li be paying me back?” He leaned in close, his eyes moving over the plump red lips and rounded face down to her sizeable breasts. He ran his hands through her silky dark red tresses, imagining how he’d coil her hair around his hand and control her movement as he fucked her from behind.
She tensed under his touch but didn’t move away. “What do you care who pays you back as long as you get your precious credits?”
Precious credits?She didn’t know how hard he’d worked for those. How many years he’d been saving every last credit he could to put toward his future, to make sure hehada future.
“You think paying me credits will make things right between us? Make up for the fact that I’m now trapped in a goddamn unit? You had no consideration for what my plans were. You never asked what I wanted. You just ripped my choice from me. We don’t get a lot of choices on Narkos and being in a unit means getting even fewer.”
“You think I did this to hurt you?” Her voice pitched impossibly high, even for a female. Hell, those weren’t tears in the corners of her eyes, were they?
She brushed passed him, heading to the middle bedroom. Her clean feminine scent along with that view of her lush ass was enough to make him hard. Forget credits. If he was going to be in this unit, he’d take what now belonged to him.
Her.
Ren followed her. She twirled around unexpectedly. Her cheeks had heated, but she didn’t shy away. She had courage this one; he’d give her that.
“I didn’t mean to disrupt your life,” she said.
“Intent doesn’t matter,” he said, as he unbuttoned his pants. Her eyes went wide as she backed up a step.
“I never raised my goddamn hand like the rest of them. There were dozens of men willing to join your unit and yet you chose me. How would you like if I ripped your choices from you, if I demanded you sleep with me as payment? After all, it’s what’s expected, isn’t it, 475?” He backed her against the wall.
“Please,” she said, her lower lip trembling.
He’d scared her. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that until she lifted her chin in defiance.
“You’re not special, 475. You’re here because occasionally The Company sends females to give the men hope, something to look forward to, a way of keeping them complacent without dishing out Flight or Crash to take the edge off of living in a colony. They don’t care what you do for a job or even if you make quota because the only quota you’re expected to make is to screw as many guys as possible, starting with your unit. So, let’s go, 475.”
Ren dragged her by her wrist to his room and flung the door open. He pulled the top of her dress down far enough to expose the creamy flesh he’d seen at auction, the sight that had excited him as it had all the other men. He hated how weak and desperate he was to feel a woman’s body against him after so long, but he wanted her. And now she was legally his.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she asked. All color drained from her face, and she started shaking.
Ren ignored the twinge of guilt. She knew what was expected of her. He wasn’t falling for her helpless routine.
He ran his hand over the one breast, dipping his fingers into the lacy bra. God, she felt so fucking good. He raised his eyes to her face to see those lovely green eyes of hers. She wasn’t fighting him. She wasn’t even looking at him.
That made him madder. At her, at Dresden, and at the entire fucking situation.
“Look at me, 475.”
