Page 46 of Auctioned to the Convicts
“I thought I’d learned from my mom’s mistakes, that I’d be strong enough to keep the guys from fighting all the time. But all of you resent each other and me—”
“Why is this unit important to you?” he asked, cutting her off.
“This unit is the only family I’ll have here. Without it, I’m nothing.”
His lips thinned this time. “You’re so wrong.” His hand smoothed down her back, coming to rest just over her ass.
She clenched her jaw, but said nothing, allowing him to touch her. She’d offered herself to him in exchange for treating Ky’Li, so she couldn’t turn Vaughn down. Even so, despite her offer, despite the fact that heownedher, she was so tired of everyone looking at her as if all she was good for was spreading her legs.
His hand returned to her hair, tucking a lock behind her ear. “I bet you don’t know the effect you have on others. Especially here.”
She could still feel Max’s hands on her. “I’m not a whore,” she said as she leaned out of Vaughn’s reach.
“No, you’re not. I didn’t mean to imply you were.” His hand traveled down her arm, to her injured hand. The doctor in him took over as he poked and prodded at the bruised flesh and moved each finger one at a time.
“You said the men in this unit are fighting all the time,” he added as he continued his exam. “That’s not true.”
“Perhaps, but it’s not like anyone’s talking much either. You hate Sersie and me, Ky’Li hates Ren, Sersie resents me at the same time he’s trying to get to know me. I think he blames me for something. Probably for him being in this unit, like the rest of you. And then there’s Ren—” she winced and sucked in air as Vaughn bent one finger too far. “He’s mad at the universe,” she finished.
Why the hell was she unloading on Vaughn? He was the calm one of the group, the one who commanded respect from each of the others, even though no one liked one another. Vaughn was the key to bringing this group together.
Vaughn exhaled. “Being in a unit means giving up one’s freedom. It’s not something I wanted, but I’m stuck with it now. At least I’ll have you, and that’s a benefit.”
“You don’t wantme. You only want a woman to fuck. It’s not the same thing,” she blurted out.
She hadn’t missed the pure desire in Vaughn’s eyes when he looked at her. He was no different from any of the other men, he just wasn’t as outwardly obvious about it.
“You’re underestimating yourself,” Vaughn said. “And me. Challenging Griggs took courage, more than most of the men here have, including me. But you’re right. I was hard the second I saw you up for sale, Hannah. I wanted you then and there. I thought about how many credits I had. Then when Dresden said you’d only be sold to a unit, I knew I’d lost you. I wanted a woman, didn’t need one, not as much as I needed my freedom.”
“You’re stuck with me and the others. Might as well fuck me. Get something out of it, as you said.”
He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m sturdier than I look.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
There, for a moment, she could swear she glimpsed that heartfelt compassion of his shine through warm eyes. Vaughn didn’t want to be in this unit any more than the others, and there was a war raging within him because of it, because of her. She knew that anger, she had experienced it when she was sentenced, but then she’d come to terms with it, accepted that her life had changed forever.
“I’ll do what it takes to bring this unit together, Vaughn. Tell me what it will take to get your cooperation.”
“Why is this unit so damn important to you?”
“Whyisn’tit important to you?”
Without warning, Vaughn’s mouth crashed down on hers. Before she could break the kiss, his hand cupped her head, holding her steady while his tongue learned her mouth, dipping and stroking every part of her. That fire, the one that rose within her every time she looked at Vaughn returned. She’d get burned if she wasn’t careful.
The pad of his thumb stroked her lips as he pulled away. “I don’t hate you. I don’t even think that’s possible.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. The man and that damn kiss, beautiful and spine-tingling as it was, confused her. “I want to know you, Vaughn. For you to know me.”
His smile, playful and serious at the same time, emerged. “I’ll give this unit a chance if you do the same for me.”
Could it be that easy? Let a guy kiss her and then he’d agree to cooperate? No, she was missing something. And Vaughn had been rather guarded with his offer. “What about Sersie?”
“This isn’t about Sersie. Just you and me. Right now. Here.”
Her stomach that had twisted up in knots relaxed, then his fingers lightly traced her collar bone. The sensation made her stand straighter and push her chest out until taut nipples poked against her bra and shirt.
