The Pleasure Principle

Shoving a hand through his hair, he shook his head and let out a short laugh. One that sounded like a man who’d just been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar and didn’t mind it. Which really confused him. But he said to Gizelle, “Don’t get all patriotic on me, sweetheart. I’m as dedicated as they come. You can’t top me.” He shook his head again. “But I’m far beyond capable of leading fighter brigades. It’s not a part of me anymore.”

She opened her mouth to protest. The excitement in her eyes making them wide and vibrant.

But he cut her off instantly. “No, Gizelle. I’m not going back. And I meant what I said earlier. There’s not enough gold or currency in all of space to change my mind.”

He moved past her, cutting off the connection of her hand on his arm. Stalking back to his desk, he refilled his glass. But he didn’t drink. Instead, he stared at the amber liquid as it swirled in his glass. This planet, this new life was safe and sane for him. Well, okay, maybe not wholly safe because he was a spy. But he was so damned good at pretending to be an Earthling detached from the mayhem in his home galaxy that he’d created a persona and existence that did give him a measure of security.

And best of all, he wasn’t watching the people he cared about die on a daily basis.

Turning away from Gizelle, D.T. stared out the open windows at the four distinct glimmering rays of the moons that played on the placid water. This view typically calmed him, but not tonight. Not with Gizelle here. Not with this sudden burning need he had to convince her of his good intentions.

To what end, he didn’t know.

Except that D.T. hated how she’d pulled away from him six months ago. How she’d avoided him all this time, and had only ended up here tonight because he’d stol

en the gold from her. Lured her here. And then she’d pulled away from him again, hadn’t she? So he had to reveal all his weaknesses and relive his past in order to make her see him for who he really was, and maybe win her back?

Yes.

Goddamn it!

“D.T.”

Her smooth-as-silk voice made his eyes close. When her fingers touched his arm again, he drew in a deep breath, inhaling the sultry night air and her intoxicating scent. He’d compartmentalized his life the past four years, and that had meant putting Gizelle in a place that didn’t conflict with his job or his previous life and memories.

Tonight, however, she was a part of his entire existence. And he knew she wouldn’t accept anything less. Surprisingly, when she moved closer to him and her breast brushed his bicep, the hard nipple teasing his skin through the thin material of her blouse, D.T. felt a peculiar longing that told him he could no longer hide from his past. Compartmentalize his life. Keep Gizelle at bay.

But even as those thoughts infiltrated his mind, he knew another absolute, one that would never sit right with her. One she would never forgive him for.

Staring down at her, D.T. said, “I’m not going back, Gizelle. Not for gold or currency. Not even for you.”

Chapter Six

Heartbreak was an emotion Gizelle had locked away, in the depths of her soul, a very long time ago. She’d experienced the kind of core-shattering pain that only came with losing people she loved, the bone-deep sorrow, the intense grief. Some miracle had given her the strength to rise above it and focus on something other than her sense of loss during her darkest years. The overwhelming pain had been dimmed by her rage. Anger was an emotion she could channel into something good, while grief would only lead to despair and hopelessness if she’d allowed it.

She hadn’t. Gizelle had embraced the fury inside her when her family had been murdered by Gyllian snipers right before her eyes. She’d been spared, but only to do the bidding of the Gyllians. Her rage had helped her focus on escaping their clutches, stealing a fighter ship, and braving a near-impossible escape from the enemy’s battle station.

Gizelle was a fighter through and through. It was an inherent part of her, fully engrained within her, body, heart and soul.

So when D.T. admitted to being the legendary General she sought and then refused—outright, adamantly refused to return to the Milky Way with her, to leave the outrageously extravagant Pleasure Planet in order to help save their people—

“Oh!” Her fists clenched at her sides before she lifted her hands and waved them in the air. She’d strangle D.T. if only she could! “That self-serving son of a bitch!”

Trey poked his head around the wall of the cockpit of her small cargo ship. “Something wrong?”

She narrowed her eyes on him.

Trey cocked his head to the side. “Guess you didn’t get what you wanted from Vaughn.”

“Oh, I got what I wanted from Vaughn,” she said between clenched teeth. “He gave me the gold. It’s in the cargo hull.” He’d given her something else, too, but there really was no need to share that with Trey.

“Damn him,” she said. “I need more than the gold. I need General Tanner!”

Trey’s dark brows knitted together. “Now you’ve lost me. I didn’t catch much of the conversation after the, uh, show.”

Gizelle shook her head, ignoring the heat that touched her cheeks at his unabashed remark. “I’ve lost me, too. I mean, all this time, he was right underneath my nose.”

“Come again?”