Page 22 of Caught By Menace

She sat back on her heels. “I don’t see how we can avoid the conversation.”

“Naya, the Grabs exist so soldiers who have earned enough points through skill and bravery can build families.”

“But so quickly? We hardly know one another!”

He couldn’t argue against that fact. She hugged herself and a slight shiver of panic stabbed his belly. She was pulling away from him emotionally. All the trust he’d built with her was threatening to shatter. “What can I do to make this easier for you?”

“Give me time, Menace.” She caressed his naked thigh. After a moment, she finally spoke. “I’m willing to give this thing between us a try, but I can’t risk making a child with a man I hardly know. That’s not right, Menace. I know what it’s like to be unwanted.”

His eyes widened. “No child of mine would ever be unwanted.”

The look in her eyes told him she wanted to believe him. “You say that now, but I’ve seen what resentment does to a kid. Being told that you’re the reason someone was trapped isn’t a good feeling. I lived it for years. I won’t—I can’t—do that to my child.”

It was obvious someone had hurt her deeply. Her mother? Her father? Both? “You would never resent your child.” He believed that with every fiber of his being. “Neither will I.”

“Menace…”

“I won’t come inside you. I’ll pull out.” He bargained with the only chip he had. “If I could go down to the infirmary and get birth control for you, I would, Naya.”

“Why can’t you? I thought your society was all about technological and medical advances.”

“We have population issues. The war has lowered our birthrate dramatically. A couple can only gain access to birth control after the birth of one child or the presentation of medical issues in the female. Very rarely they’ll grant waivers for other reasons. I’m willing to put in the paperwork, but it could be months.”

“Months?”

He nodded and tensed his jaw. It killed him to offer, but he refused to force her into a situation she didn’t want. “If you would prefer, we can abstain from intercourse until I get an answer on a petition.”

She tilted her head. “You’re serious?”

“I am.”

With a little sigh, she said, “There are other ways.”

He frowned. “Other ways?”

She nodded. “I was taught to chart my cycle by a midwife in Connor’s Run.”

“Chart your cycle?” He had no idea what that meant.

“You keep track of certain signs and your temperature so you can anticipate your fertile window and avoid sex during that risky period.”

“And it works?” It seemed too simple to be true.

“Beautifully,” she said with a slight smile. “There’s a reason Connor’s Run and some of the wealthier sections of The City have such low birthrates. When you use charting with a sponge soaked in certain solutions, you have an almost foolproof recipe for family planning.”

He jumped on this new bit of information. “I have a thermometer in my med kit.”

She laughed and rubbed his stomach. “You only check your temperature in the morning.”

“Oh.”

“But we’re safe tonight.”

“You’re sure?” He didn’t want her to feel pressured tonight. The mistrust and resentment that would breed could kill their fledgling relationship.

She drew a lazy design on his leg. “My cycle is just a few days old. I typically have ten to twelve days in the first half of my cycle where I’m safe, five to six when it’s risky and then fifteen to eighteen days before my period begins. But,” her gaze skipped to his face, “nature isn’t foolproof.”

She couldn’t have uttered a truer statement. “The choice is yours, Naya. I’ll respect whatever decision you make.”

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