Page 25 of Becoming Brandy

“Try mine,” she said, coiling a fork full of noodles.

He leaned forward, opening his mouth to take in the pasta. She watched him suck the noodles in and chew, wiping cream from his chin. Eating could be sexual, and she was having that feeling now, watching him eat. He was so strikingly handsome with his angular features and high cheekbones. He reminded her of a more muscular Jon Stamos. She’d had a thing for Uncle Jesse from Full House when she was a teen. Maybe that was why she was finding herself leaning closer, elbows on the table.

“Good?” she asked when he was done chewing.

Nodding, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “But that’s enough eating.”

After he stood, he walked around the table, took her arm, and pulled her up. Shocked, Brandy didn’t know how to react. But he didn’t wait. He swept her into his arms, drew her close, and pressed his mouth to hers.

It happened so fast. His hard body was against hers, one hand on her back and the other in her hair. His mouth was urgent, kissing and sucking, his tongue trying to pry her lips apart. It was all too sudden. She pushed against him, trying to extract herself from his embrace.

“What are you doing?” she asked when her lips were free.

He frowned. “What you wanted me to do.”

“What? I never—”

“You were practically begging for it.” He said it with such confidence she laughed. His eyes narrowed angrily.

“Listen, Drake, we were having a nice time until you nearly sucked my face off. What’s so wrong with a little dinner? A little conversation?”

“You aren’t here for conversation.” He let her go, stepping back. His voice was a growl again.

“See, that’s your problem right there. You think that sex is all a woman needs. It’s not true. Human women like sex, but they also like to be talked to, listened to. They like to be wooed and asked about their day.”

He frowned. “How was your day?”

“Shitty,” she said with a sad laugh. “I’m stuck on a ship with a bunch of alien guys who only wanted me because they thought I was someone else, and now they want me because they think it will piss off Han. Oh, and to pump out a bunch of babies!” She returned to the table and slumped into her chair.

Drake stood where he was, staring at her. “What do I ask about now?”

She held out her hands in a frustrated gesture. “If I have to tell you, it doesn’t count.”

“What doesn’t count?”

“Never mind.” Stabbing a bite of food from her plate, she put it in her mouth. She chewed in a very unattractive fashion. At least food could make her feel better.

Drake sat heavily in his chair. For a while, he watched her eat. Then he picked up his own fork and knife and began to finish his meal.

“Is our ship like Han’s?” he asked, his voice tentative.

Brandy finished chewing and took a sip of wine. She needed gallons if she was going to make it through this date. “Your ship is a lot like Han’s, but his is white and yours is purplish. The layout is mainly the same. Oh, and as far as I know, Han has never thrown a guest into one of his prison cells.”

His gaze snapped back to her. “So you’ve never done anything you regret?”

She met his gaze, the comment stinging. As a prostitute, she’d done hundreds of things she regretted. Hell, most of her life was just one big list of regrets. “I’ve never tried to kill anyone.”

“I wasn’t trying to kill you.”

“Then what exactly were you trying to do?”

Drake turned his gaze away.

“Fine, don’t talk to me. We don’t need to get to know each other. That’s not an important part of a relationship.” Brandy huffed, realizing how futile this all seemed. She couldn’t wait until Han called back to see how she was fairing so she could tell him she wanted the hell off this ship.

“I don’t want to talk about me. Talk about you,” Drake said, gesturing to her. “What is Earth like?”

“Earth in general? It’s big, blue, and green.”

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