Page 34 of Human Required
I shifted slightly, and his arm instinctively tightened around my waist. Even asleep, he was protective. Possessive. It shouldn’t have thrilled me, but it did.
My fingers traced over a long scar that traversed his ribs, feeling the raised tissue beneath my fingertips. What was happening to me? This wasn’t just physical attraction. Something deeper was brewing—something that terrified me more than being kidnapped had.
“This is completely inappropriate,” I whispered to myself, even as I nestled closer to his warmth.
Part of me wanted to slip away before he woke and pretend this hadn’t happened. But another part—the part growing stronger by the day—wanted to be exactly here when those blue eyes opened, and face whatever this was becoming.
Seven days ago, I hated him.
Now? Now I wasn’t sure what I felt. Only that going back to simply being captor and captive seemed impossible.
His breathing changed subtly, and I held my own, not quite ready yet for him to wake. Not ready to see if he’d regret what we’d done.
Several minutes later, I felt Aeon stir beside me. His arms tightened ever so slightly, as if checking I was still there before his eyes even opened. When they did, the piercing blue that met mine carried none of the calculation or guardedness I’d grown accustomed to. Instead, his face broke into a smile so bright and genuine, it caught me completely off guard.
“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice rough with sleep as he traced a finger along my bare shoulder.
My heart performed an embarrassing little flutter. The smile transformed his entire face, softening the hard lines and making him look younger, almost boyish, despite his battle scars and imposing frame.
But then uncertainty flickered across his features. His brow furrowed slightly, and I recognized the look. He was analyzing, processing, and anticipating my reaction. Probably wondering if I regretted what we had done.
Did I?
“I should—” I began and then swallowed hard. “God, I’m starving. Is there breakfast somewhere in this colony of yours?”
His face remained carefully neutral, but something in his eyes dimmed. “Of course. The marketplace opens early.”
We dressed in awkward silence, with careful movements and averted gazes. I pulled on my rumpled scrubs from the night before, painfully aware of how they’d ended up discarded on his floor. He dressed with military precision, but I caught him glancing at me when he thought I wasn’t looking.
“Ready?” he asked, standing by the door, suddenly formal again.
Walking through the colony beside him felt different. Before, he’d been my escort—my guard. Now, the space between us vibrated with unspoken questions. The settlement sprawled before us with its sleek buildings nestled among the lush jungle foliage. The morning air hung heavy with moisture, carrying unfamiliar scents of alien fruits and flora.
“The medical supplies you requested were secured yesterday,” Aeon said as we navigated the growing crowd of the marketplace.
“Good. I’ll need to start training your medical staff immediately.” I latched on to the professional topic like a lifeline. “Particularly on prenatal monitoring. You’re working with insufficient protocols.”
I looked over and caught him staring at me with longing. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I rambled on some more about work.
“I’ll need to see all the pregnant women by the end of the week. And we should establish a rotation system for the medical staff to?—”
“Olivia.” My name on his lips halted my rambling. “You’re deflecting.”
I stared at a vendor’s colorful display of fruits, suddenly fascinated by their unusual shapes. “I’m hungry. That’s all.”
He sighed and then stepped forward to exchange something with the vendor, returning with two purple fruits. “Try this. It’s sweet.”
Our fingers brushed as he handed it to me, and the casual contact sent a ridiculous jolt through my system.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, taking a bite to avoid further conversation. The fruit burst with unexpected sweetness on my tongue.
“About last night—” he started.
“The third trimester complications worry me most,” I interrupted, wiping juice from my chin. “Your facilities aren’t equipped for emergency cesareans.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded. “We’ll prioritize that equipment.”
Throughout the marketplace, I kept the conversation relentlessly professional. Yet I couldn’t help noticing how Aeon’s gaze softened whenever it landed on me—full of that longing and something else I wasn’t ready to name. Something that made my stomach flip despite all my attempts to ignore it.
