Page 72 of Protected By the Convicts
He raised a brow at that. It wasn’t an insult by a long shot. Ky’Li had kept her alive. He’d killed for her. And Foley knew it. There was no way he didn’t.
How was Vaughn going to protect Ky’Li from Foley? Vaughn wasn’t sure what losing Ky’Li would do to their unit, but it would definitely crush Hannah. She’d chosen him even before they’d landed on Narkos.
Vaughn had been chosen out of necessity.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Vaughn finally said. Those words were easy enough since they were the truth.
“What’s wrong, Vaughn?”
You’ll leave me again.
She stepped into his personal space, rested her head against his chest. Her scent tickled his nose, and he drew a deep breath, taking as much of her in as he could. “Promise you won’t leave me,” he said.
“I promise.”
He grabbed her by her arms, pushing her away from him. “I mean it, Hannah. I can’t go through that again. I can’t lose you, do you understand that?”
* * *
HANNAH
The pain in Vaughn’s face truly surprised Hannah. She could see it in him now, the sense of loss. Leaving Ren, Sersie, and Vaughn behind had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but she’d never thought about what they were going through. She hadn’t thought they’d miss her all that much once enough time had passed.
“You think I’d ever leave you if I had a choice?” she asked.
Her sweet Vaughn who still remained closed off at times swallowed but said nothing. It was a defense mechanism of his, like standing behind blast doors when a fire raged through a building. There was a fire inside of him that he contained all too well, keeping her on the other side of the doors, away from him, away from the pain.
She traced along the short scruff of his beard. It was rougher and longer than she remembered. He had circles under his eyes, too, as if he’d been pulling too many back-to-back shifts.
“I’m here now, Vaughn. Except it doesn’t feel like you still want me.”
Crystal blue eyes practically bore a hole through her as he backed her against a wall.
“Never say that again. Don’t even think it,” he said before his mouth captured hers.
She expected a hard crashing of mouths, tongues, and lips. Instead, his tongue gently grazed her lips, her mouth. He nipped at her earlobe, sending a shiver through her. She’d missed this, missed him. She’d been incomplete without Vaughn.
He lifted her, their mouths still pressed together, as he carried her off to her bedroom. Hannah melted inside at the feel of the silent but serious man holding her. At last, all was right with the universe.
