Free Marked for Pleasure by Jennifer Leeland Page A

can find a flight back to Teran space—”
    “What?” The word exploded from her mouth. “You're dumping me off?” She wanted to wring his fucking neck. Mate with her and then dump her? No fucking way.
    Conner's green eyes sparkled. “I don't want you to get killed.”
    “Back at you,” she snapped. “So let me go. I can help.”
    “This isn't your fight.”
    She grabbed his shoulder and swiveled him around to face her. “I spent two years of my life chasing you, chasing a fucking ghost, because your boss told me a lie. I'm wearing your mate mark. I have every reason to want this over.”
    His lids dropped over his eyes. “For you, it is over.”
    Her pulse pounded. Over. He meant it. What had he said? He never intended to mate. It was an accident, something to save their skins. She didn't mean a fucking thing to him. Her mind couldn't wrap around it, but it was true.
    And she'd allowed herself to have feelings for him.
    Strong feelings.
    Even while she'd chased him, studied him to wreak her revenge, she'd been fascinated by him. The clues were all there. If she'd paid attention, she'd have noted how his reputation was based on reports from others, not what she observed.
    And somewhere, deep in her heart, she'd known it.
    She hadn't pursued him to kill him. Perhaps she had wanted him from the very beginning. She closed her eyes and turned her back on him.
    What a joke. She was in love with him and probably had been before she'd confronted him on the Star of Pleasure . It explained so much, why she would succumb so easily to him, why she wanted him so intensely.
    Tears clogged her throat. Idiot. You certainly asked for this one . She thought about the rage, the mating mark burning on her arm. What would she do to keep it, to keep him?
    “There's probably a transport to Corilus too. You could go home.” Conner's voice sounded directly behind her. She wanted to shake him, throttle him, throw herself in his arms.
    Instead, she kept her back to him and stayed silent.
    “Rhea, I want you to be…happy,” he said, so softly she barely caught it.
    She wanted to whip around and scream she'd never be happy without him. She'd be half a person like Leo, looking for his soul. How could he leave her after creating the bond, the one bond, that tied them together?
    Her guts churned, and she did what she knew best. She made a plan. He might think he was going to leave her, but she wasn't going to be alone without him for the rest of her life.
    A deep breath and she turned to face him. “I will be.” She summoned a bright smile and almost laughed at the way he blinked in surprise. “Going home is a good idea.” He frowned and nodded, an odd expression of disappointment on his face. Maybe he wanted her to argue with him, beg him to come back if he lived.
    But she was going to make sure he lived. Even if it cost her everything.

Chapter Seven
     
    Why did he feel depressed? Conner couldn't figure it out, but he had a sensation of feeling let down when Rhea acquiesced so easily to being left on Elison. He shifted in his copilot's chair and glared at the console.
    “She's doing what you want. What's your problem?” Leo's smirk was almost more than he could bear.
    “You, of all people, know what my problem is.” He wouldn't even look at his old friend. The shock of seeing the man across that arena hadn't subsided yet. Part of him was elated Leo was still alive. Part of him was enraged that his best friend had let him grieve for three years. Leo and Shanie had been his friends, a shining example of Nyral mating for their single and errant comrade. He'd been hurt by Shanie's death too. Then to lose Leo three years later had left Conner adrift. A perfect target for General Halloway.
    “You love her.”
    “I can't. I barely know her.” How long? Only two days. That was insane. They were sexually mated, but nothing else. She would get over him quickly.
    “It only takes a minute. I fell for Shanie in less than that.”
    “You