Page 76 of Poison Evidence

“Were you working?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me next time. Even if you don’t leave the cave. You were close to the entrance. Even if you screamed, I wouldn’t be able to get to you in time.”

She couldn’t see his face in the dark cave, but she heard in his voice something that reminded her of when she’d been wearing the headphones on the sunbathing deck onLiberty. His voice held more emotion when she couldn’t see him. Probably because without an expression to read, she listened better.

“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you next time.”

His hands cupped her face. She wished she could see his eyes. “I’m falling in love with you, Ivy, which means you’re in more danger than ever. More danger than my sister and nephew, because you’re here, while they’re in Russia and out of reach.”

All drowsiness left her.

“You’re falling in love with me? You’ve barely talked to me for three days. And we’re stranded on an island together.”

His lips were on her throat and trailed along her neck to the sensitive spot just below her ear. “Because I thought it would be easier for us both if I stayed away. But it didn’t make it any easier. And now I feel stupid because I’m on short time as it is, and I’m wasting it.”

He nibbled on her earlobe, then nipped at her jawline, moving toward her lips. Then his mouth was on hers, and she let him in.

He kissed her deeply. She reveled in it and kissed him back, taking over when he would retreat. She opened her thighs, and his body settled against hers, pushing her deep into the air mattress that needed more air.

He finally lifted his mouth from hers. “This isn’t fair to you. I’m endangering you.”

She ran her hands over the stubble on his cheeks and chin. Texture to add to her mental map. “I’m needed to run CAM. There is no interface. I’m the only person who knows the commands. And frankly, I keep changing them as CAM learns the terrain.”

“But once we have the AUUV, all bets are off.” He kissed her neck again. “I’ll kill anyone before I let them hurt you. Anyone.”

“I know.” After all, she’d seen him do it. Maybe it hadn’t been intentional, but all three men had died just the same. “What happens when we find it?” she asked softly.

“I contact my handler and arrange for the exchange. You’ll call whoever Dominick has sent for your exfiltration—my guess is Luke and maybe the former CIA operator, Ian Boyd. They’ll take you back to DC, and I’ll hand over the AUUV.”

“Nothing is ever that simple.”

“No. But close enough.”

He would be killed, likely executed on the spot. The thought made her want to vomit. Instead, she stroked his chest and tried to wipe away the vision of a Dimitri-less future. “Make love to me.”

“I shouldn’t. It’s not fair to you,” he repeated. “All I can give you is right now.”

“There’s something else you can give me.” The words were a low dry whisper, spoken before she even knew if she could follow through and state the wild, dangerous idea that had tickled at her thoughts for days.

It was a future, of a sort, for him, and also what she’d wanted desperately for years.

“What do you mean?” Dimitri asked.

“You could give me a child.”

Dimitri stiffened against her, then pushed back as if to rise, but she grabbed his shoulders. “Please, Dimitri. I want a baby—I’d planned to attempt in vitro when I get back to DC. I’d already started reading through the sperm catalogue. And it’s not like there are any guarantees. I’m two weeks out from my period, so I’m probably ovulating, but that doesn’t mean it will take. Believe me, I know that better than anyone. But I’d like a chance. I’d like to think maybe, when all this is over, a piece of you will live on.”

“No.” His voice was hard. Cold. “Absolutely not.”

She cupped his face. “I would love your baby with every ounce of my soul.”

“But don’t you see? A baby is another weapon. My God, I can’t imagine what the GRU would do to my own child.”

The reverence in his voice on the words “my own child” told her he wanted what she offered, even though he feared it. “But they’ll never know it’s yours. And if you…if you really don’t survive this, they’ll have no reason to hurt the baby or me.”

“And if they take me prisoner instead of killing me on the spot, it would be torture knowing you were unprotected.”

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