Page 85 of Rescued By the Convicts
“Hannah’s a trooper. She’s past the morning sickness, but the humidity seems to be draining her.”
“All of us. Argus was never this hot. Jayce is determined to find cooling units. He wants to surprise Hannah’s unit with one.”
“Oh, they would love that, especially Hannah. I can’t imagine being pregnant in this heat.”
“Can you imagine being pregnant at all?”
She moved to his front. “Are you asking me if I’d like to have kids, Ivan?”
“We wouldn’t stop you from working,” he said cautiously. She split her time between research projects with Sersie and continuing to learn under Vaughn’s tutelage in the med-center. She enjoyed both and seemed happier than ever. The expression on her face right now gave him his answer. She was scared of the idea.
“It’s not that I don’t want kids. I grew up convinced I’d have kids one day, and I looked forward to it, but then Namir—”
Ivan put two fingers on her lips. “Namir and everything he did is in the past. This is your choice now, no one else’s.”
“It’s something we should all decide. Together.”
“Reece and Jayce are on board with the idea.”
“You discussed it without me?”
“Not intentionally. Vaughn had been talking about being a father. He’s quite nervous. I think being in a unit is a comfort to him.”
She stayed quiet as her eyes stared upward, toward the sky. Anytime that sad expression came over her, Ivan knew she was thinking of Zev.
Ivan wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sure he’s fine, little bird. Leading his life the best he can.”
“We’ll never see him again, will we?”
“No.” He felt the shudder go through her and hated that he hadn’t found a way of breaking the news to her, even though she already knew the situation. Ivan had come to understand each person in his unit much better in the two months they’d been on Narkos. While he and Reece tended to be realists, Jayce was, ironically enough, the optimist. He believed anything could happen as any situation, any circumstance, could be manipulated.
Melina. . . His sweet Melina was the well of hope that fed the rest of them. She let them dream of what they’d all given up on long ago, a chance to be happy, to love, to appreciate life again. And Zev. . . he’d been the ultimate protector in the unit, the one who’d willingly walked away, to ensure they could remain together. He’d shown Melina how to fight for herself and their unit in a way Reece and Ivan couldn’t.
“I love him, Ivan. Even though he didn’t love me, I really do love him.”
Ivan placed his chin on her shoulder. He was sure Zev loved her, but the man had never told her that for a reason. Zev was careful with his words, as he understood how easily they could hurt, and he would never hurt her.
“Hannah looks like she’s melting over there,” he said, to take Melina’s mind off of Zev. “Perhaps she needs more of that cooling gel you developed.”
“It was a joint effort. Sersie found the plant and theorized what it might do after some initial testing.”
“But you developed it,” he said, kissing her forehead. He wouldn’t minimize Sersie’s contribution, but he wanted her to see how important she was to more than their unit. “Go, make her comfortable, Dr. Archer, while I start working on the roof. Tonight, I plan to fuck you inside our house instead of a cramped tent on the hard ground.
“Promise?” she asked, her eyes revealing how vulnerable she felt right now.
He kissed her long and hard, his tongue stroking her lips until she responded in earnest, once again his confident Melina.
* * *
MELINA
“How was your session?”Melina asked as Jayce met her outside of the med-center.
“It never occurred to me we’d find a therapist here.”
“Or that you’d go to one?” she asked.
“That too,” he said as he smiled.
