Jewel — Veronica Tower

Jewel's family fortune is entirely dependent on the continuation of a multitrillion-dollar business relationship -- a relationship to be cemented by an arranged marriage to Kole Delling, a man Jewel has no reason to love. Desperate to secure her freedom, Jewel joins the crew of the tramp freighter Euripides and passes her time on the outskirts of the Fringe and in the arms of Erik Gunnarson.

Erik calls to Jewel in every way that Kole doesn't. An honest worker scratching out a living, he may be a little rough around the edges but there's no question how much he wants Jewel -- in his bed, against the bulkhead or in the shower. He can't get enough of her, and he's not too frigid to admit it. With Erik at her side, Jewel finds it easy to forget the opulence of her home world and the advantages of her birth.

But an accidental discovery near an abandoned planet threatens Jewel's newly found freedom. Driven by greed, the crew of the Euripides is taking an awful risk, one that could jeopardize not only Jewel's freedom but the lives of every crewmember on board -- including hers.