Alex Valentine finally has a life – it’s not really a good one, but compared to what he has survived before Alex thinks this is as good as it’s going to get for him. Alex’s current job as a bartender at the Durty Nelly’s provides a roof over his head, some cash from tips, the opportunity to make a living without using his body as a rentable commodity and freedom from drugs. Still, Alex lives under the shadow of all those years that he lived drugged out of his mind while he was forced to be a pleasure slave in a secret resort under the draconian rule of the earth government. Now, however, Nick, the man responsible for sending him to this resort, has turned up as a new part-owner of Durty Nelly’s which leaves Alex scrambling to find a way to appear unavailable to his advances. When Sandy offers Alex a way to evade Nick by pretending to be boyfriends Alex jumps at the chance – but will he be able to carry the charade through when he can barely stand being touched?

Sandy D'abu has been keeping an eye on Alex as a favor to his crew mates while they are away on a mission. To do this Sandy has established a rapport with Alex by bantering and not responding to the man’s flirtatious manner while bartending. However, when Sandy senses that Alex might be facing some trouble that he can’t handle, Sandy jumps at the chance to help by offering to pretend that they have a relationship. Problem is that Sandy really wishes that they had a real relationship, but he is afraid that Alex may never be ready to place that kind of trust in another man again. But as their pretence progresses, Sandy can’t help but become emotionally involved with Alex – will he ever get Alex to trust him enough?

Off World 2: Sanctuary is an awesome sci-fi/futuristic tale that plainly demonstrates the talent that Stephanie Vaughan has in world building and creating characters that will leave you breathless with their emotions. Alex is a man that has endured nothing but abuse at the hands of others and who is slowly building himself back from the ground up. He is a character who will stay with you for a long time as his struggle to overcome his past and create a life for himself is heart-wrenching and watching him battle his instinctual reactions is almost painful. However, as Alex slowly begins to blossom under Sandy’s gentle and constant attention, it is like experiencing the magic of finding that one person that will love you for who you are all over again. Sandy is the man we all wish we had in our lives with his infinite patience, gentle understanding and complete confidence in who he is and his love for Alex.