Stopping by Anteris for a little loving wasn’t as relaxing as it used to be. Especially when her lover had suddenly developed expectations.

A vacation would have to wait. Promisewas in good shape for an old ship, but time could be very cruel to spaceships. The older they got, the harder and more costly maintenance became.

Her father owned it for 20 years before she inherited it from him, and he kept it in great shape. She was determined to do the same.

“Alex Wales, I hope you’re daydreaming about me,” Sackor said, interrupting her reverie.

She had no choice but to turn away from the stupid teenage girl and focus on her latest customer. As far as her clientele went, this guy was one of the scummiest breeds. On the other hand, he always managed to come through with both cargo and credits. She suspected Sackor had some sort of sick fascination with her, but she did her best to ignore his advances.

Sackor was also a piece of crap and would screw anyone over to get a better deal.

Alex met his glossy eyes. Creepy.

His four long, spiky fingers were lined with cheap, silver jewelry. On top of his head sat a fake crown, with two thin antennas sticking up from the inside. He even wore a red cape to fuel his delusion of having royalty in his blood. The only thing in his blood was filth. Everyone knew that only humanoid races had any sort of established monarchy.

Given the chance, she would love to squash this giant insect, but not while he still provided a steady stream of cargo. She didn’t know what he moved from this space station to nearby planets, but it had to be some sort of liquid, because it was always inside barrels.