Exactly like me.
I put my hands on my hips. Hot sex. No strings. We’d both get what we wanted. “Fine.”
The governor arched a brow. “That easily? I should have given you an ultimatum days ago. This base wouldn’t be in such turmoil.”
I pursed my lips, not pleased he’d put all the blame for things being a little crazy on me. It wasn’t my fault the males were acting like a bunch of cavemen.
“Fighters, you willingly fought in the pit for this female. Will you now agree to allow her to select a mate?”
The four males puffed up their chests, lifted their chins. They nodded and agreed readily, no doubt confident, each of them, that I would choose him.
“Who do you choose, Gwendolyn Fernandez of Earth? Your decision will not be questioned, your answer final. Please state the warrior’s name and planet of origin, so there will be no confusion. Whom do you declare as your mate?”
This wasn’t the way I wanted to find a guy, but the perks were too good to pass up. A big cock attached to a hot guy and my freedom? I’d be able to go on missions, get off this planet for a while. The governor was being generous. If I didn’t agree, I had to assume he would take the choice away from me. I would be mated to someone within the hour, someone he would probably select. It was all down to whether I would choose my own destiny or allow the decision to be made for me.
The whole situation was unfair, but then, that was life on the Colony. Suckage and more suckage after that. The males here were even worse off than I was, if I was being perfectly honest. I had my pick of hundreds of sexy, virile, eager males. And they only had the hope that they’d be matched to an Interstellar Bride, and that was only if the system, the testing made a match. Hope for a bride… and me.
I looked at the four males before me, then up into the stands. At him. I lifted my hand and pointed, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. I had no idea how this was going to go down, if he’d be pleased or appalled. If he was interested or would hate me for trapping him. But I knew two things. One, I wanted his body pounding into mine. I wanted to touch him. Smell him. I wanted skin to skin contact in a big way.
And two? If the rumors were true, and I believed they were, Mak didn’t want a mate. He didn’t want to be on this planet any more than I did. We were both trapped. Prisoners. We could have fun and use each other for our own ends.
Of all the males here, he was the only one who would give me what I really wanted… hot sex with no strings. Besides, if I had to choose, I was going to go for what my traitorous body craved. “I choose Makarios Kronos of Rogue 5.”
No one spoke. All was silent in the pit and the stands around it. Slowly, he stood.
Our gazes met.
Held.
I forgot to breathe.
Around us, no one moved. No one made a sound as a single beat of my pulse pounded through my ears like a bass drum. One beat.
Two.
Then all hell broke loose.