Joanna Wylde - Jerred's Price

Exhaustion filled her limbs and she scooted down into the bed, taking unseemly pleasure in the simple act. She checked her wrist chrono, realizing she had been up hours past her usual bedtime. She was wiped. Part of her screamed out that taking a nap at this point would be a huge mistake. She needed to move, to get going.

But on the other hand, when would she have a chance to rest again? She couldn’t keep moving forever. In fact, she couldn’t keep moving much longer. She needed to be sharp and alert if she was going to get through this. Perhaps taking a nap would be a good idea after all. It would give her subconscious a chance to work on an escape plan…

Before she even finished the thought, she was asleep.

Jerred entered the hostel silently, aware that even the wildest of its residents were probably asleep by now. It would only take a few minutes to gather his things. Then he’d go and find the girl, and they’d leave the station. He was relatively certain the guards would love to arrest him again and get more money.

The door to his room slid open with a quick touch—he saw her immediately. She was sprawled across his bed with an arrogant abandon that brought a smile to his face.

He shut the door behind him silently, and came to stand beside her. Here was one challenge resolved already. She was his for the taking.

He noted his belongings spread out across the bed and smiled. The little witch had tried to rob him. So much for her holier-than-thou attitude. It was just as well. He would have taken her with him no matter what, but now he could do so without guilt.

The woman was a thief. She deserved whatever she got.

He reached down and grasped her shoulder lightly. She didn’t stir. Bemused, he sat down beside her and shifted her to the center of the bed. She muttered something in her but sleep didn’t wake. Her face seemed soft, almost innocent. He smothered a laugh.

This one was anything but innocent—she’d made that clear in the bar. She might claim to be a waitress, but she was offering far more services than that with every step she took.

She would be well-paid for her time. But he’d make her earn every penny of it along the way. She rolled toward him, murmuring softly in her sleep. His breath caught. He had been so angry, so disgusted, that he’d forgotten the punch-to-the-gut kind of feeling seeing her gave him.

Her face was so lovely…

Reddish-blonde hair, wildly curly in a way he just knew had to be natural. He settled himself closer, running one finger lightly through a reddish ringlet of hair beside him. A smattering of freckles across her nose and cheekbones… They turned lighter lower on her face, but there was a darker one, right next to the corner of her mouth.

Almost against his will, he leaned forward and kissed the small speck of a spot.

Her skin was smooth, soft. Wonderful smelling.

The adorable little spots continued down her neck, growing darker and more distinct across her chest and the slope of her breasts. Now there was something else that held his full attention. She wasn’t huge, but she was well-endowed. They were a woman’s breasts—full, with the kind of deep cleavage a man just wanted to sink into.

He leaned forward and nuzzled down into her, kissing the exposed flesh, tracing his tongue down into the crevice that tantalized him so. He could feel himself hardening, feel the tension in his body rising. There was something so wonderful about being close to her, as if he could sink into her body and find a kind of peace he’d never dreamed possible.

No wonder he had lost his mind over this woman. No wonder he’d risked his mission without a second thought. In that moment, he knew he would have done anything to stay close to her.

Anything.

He pulled back, and looked down into her sleeping face. Her eyes moved beneath their lids, and he felt her draw in a deep breath. She was waking up.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, pure and blue before him. She looked confused, and then her gaze narrowed. Her face transformed, all softness gone.

“You,” she hissed. “What are you doing here?’

“Don’t you think that I should be asking the questions?” he replied softly. “After all, it’s my room.”

She moved toward him suddenly, and he rolled on top of her. It was instinct, self-preservation, and not a moment too soon. Her knee slammed into his thigh; she’d been aiming for his crotch.

Witch.

She bucked against him, trying to escape. He held her down, imprisoning her with his body, allowing himself to simply enjoy the feeling of her moving beneath him.

Every twist, every motion, rubbed her against his cock. He wanted to thrust into her and take her, but if he couldn’t have that quite yet, this wasn’t a bad alternative.

All too soon she caught on, and stilled.

“So, what do we do now?” she asked, her voice tight.

“Oh, I have all kinds of ideas,” he replied dulcetly. “But I don’t know if you’d like them or not. I suppose that before we get any further, we should agree on a price? I’d hate for you to think I’m not a man of my word, and I think we’re long past playing coy.”

Giselle glared up at him, disbelieving. After all that had happened, how could the bastard still think she was for sale? She’d had him beaten and arrested, for love of the Goddess! Her eyes narrowed as she thought about that. “How did you get out so quickly?”

He smiled at her, a disgustingly smug look coming across her face.

“I’ve found that justice is for sale here on Transit Station Three,” he said slowly.

“Remember, I told you everything was for sale if you were willing the pay the right price. Why don’t you tell me what your price is?”

“How did you manage to pay a fine that big so fast?” she asked. He merely looked at her, one eyebrow cocked in amusement.

“Your price?” he prodded after a moment.

“I told you, I’m not for sale!”

“Then why are you here?” he asked. “If the only reason you came here was to rob me, it seems that it may be in my best interest to call the guards and report you. What do you say to that?”

She froze, terrified. She had more than a guess as to what the guards would think of that… Time to try a new approach.

“Can we just forget this ever happened?” she asked suddenly, giving him her most winning smile. “I only came here because I needed a place to stay and I didn’t think you’d be around. I made a serious mistake, and I’m sorry for that. Can you just let it go?”

“Why did you need a place to stay?” he asked. She shook her head, disgusted for revealing so much.

“Tell me, or I call the guards,” he said with sudden insight. He knew something was up; she could see it on his face.

“Look, you’re imagining things,” she replied. “I’m sorry I bothered you, but there’s nothing to this. I was just locked out of my apartment, and I figured your room would be empty. I wasn’t carrying any cash to get a room of my own and Manya had already left for the cycle.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “You didn’t need a keycard for your apartment; you already used that little excuse to fool me once. After that, I think it’s very generous for me to offer you money. Some would say you owe me.”

She rolled her eyes, forgetting to smile.

“You don’t want me to call the station guards for a reason, don’t you?” he asked.

“You’re here because you’re in trouble.”

She shook her head, denying it. His grin grew broader.

“No, I’m right,” he said, “I can tell. There’s a little twitch by your eye. You’re lying.”

“No,” she said softly. “No, just let me leave. Please.”