Passion Play (Abducted 3)

“No.” She sipped her coffee. “I…thought about a lot of things.”

His heart clenched. Was this a good or bad thing? From the way she avoided his gaze, he was afraid it was bad.

He handed her the plate.

“Thanks. It smells good.” She took the plate and sat at the table.

He served up his own omelet and sat across from her. They ate in silence. If she wanted to talk to him about her thoughts, it seemed she was waiting until after breakfast.

Definitely a bad thing.

Once she’d finished her meal, he gathered her plate and his and set them aside.

“So you thought about a lot of things last night. Would you like to share some of your thoughts?”

She gazed at him and nodded. Her forlorn expression told him this was a very bad thing.

“I…” She shook her head and sucked in a breath. “I don’t want to hurt you, but…”

Heghat. His heart clenched. He was sure he didn’t want to hear this.

“I can’t do this,” she continued. “I can’t be your tanashay. I can’t stay on this ship or your planet. I need to be free. I need to be independent.”

“I don’t intend to take away your independence.”

She leaned forward. “Terrien, I can’t do it. No matter what you intend, I will be on a different planet. I will have to depend on you. I don’t know your culture. I don’t know how to get a job or even what I’d do. I don’t even know your language.”

“Language is not an issue. You can learn it easily. We have technology to allow you to absorb a new language quickly and effortlessly. And as for a job, we don’t have money. People are provided with all the basics, and they can earn extra credit for luxuries if they wish. Since you are an artist, you will not only have total freedom to live and do whatever you want, you will have the means to live a very luxurious life.”

“I’m not an artist. I paint as a hobby, but I can’t make a living at it.”

She’d been passionate about her art in high school, but she hadn’t wanted to wind up like her mother, with no reliable way to support herself. Her sister had talked her into a career in marketing where, theoretically, she could make use of her artistic ability. Unfortunately, that hadn’t happened, but she did earn a reasonable living.

“On Sa’oul you can. All art is held in high esteem, and since you are from another world, your work will be highly sought after. Believe me, Crystal, you will not be dependent on anyone.”

Crystal drew in a deep breath and stared at her hands, her fingers interlaced.

It would be wonderful to spend her days painting rather than working in marketing at the hotel. But that was only one concern about being dependent on Terrien. The bigger concern—the one she could not get past—was her dependence on him sexually.

No, not sexually. It was because—her heart clenched painfully—she was in love with him, and a woman in love made poor decisions. She’d seen that over and over again with her mother.

Crystal knew she could not let a man, or her emotions for a man, control her. She knew she had to walk away, no matter how much it would hurt.

She stood up, her hands clenched into fists.

“Terrien, the point is I am not your soul-mate. I don’t believe in soul-mates, and I don’t intend to marry you, or live with you, or whatever it is you’re expecting. I have a life on Earth, and I’m happy with it. If you really care for me…you’ll take me back to Earth.”

“Crystal…”

She hazarded a glance at his face and wished she hadn’t. The agony in his eyes tore through her.

“You can’t mean it.”

She nodded, tearing her gaze from his. “I do. If you really love me, let me go.”

She turned around and strode back to her bedroom.

Chapter Thirteen