Page 66 of January Bell

“You’re gonna make it worth weeks of wait?” I ask archly.

“If that’s what it takes,” he says very seriously.

He lets one of my hands go, but only so that he can cup the small curve of my breast, rolling my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

“Do you trust me to make it up to you when we finally find our new home?”

“I don’t know,” I say.

And then I laugh at the absolutely resolute expression that takes his face.

“I have a feeling I can make you regret saying that,” he tells me. “Now get me out of this bed so that I can make love to you the way you deserve, my mate.”

I immediately begin screaming for Bex and the rest of the med team.

They run in with their version of a crash cart, Tati holding a med scanner in one hand and a huge syringe I know all too well is full of sedative in the other.

They stare at each other after taking in our strange situation, Zan holding my wrists and me straddling him.

“We’re going home,” I tell them cheerfully.

“Oh thank god,” Bex says. “No offense, but you two have been exhausting me. Especially when we still have to get the rest of your friends out. I’ve got a bead on Poppy, by the way.”

“Listen, I want to see them as bad as you all want to rescue them. It’s all we’ve talked about while we’ve waited for Zan to come around, after all. But now is not the time. I need to take care of this heat or I’m going to absolutely go crazy.”

“Yeah, please leave,” Tati says, cringing. I’ve only known her for about a week now, but she’s definitely the most reserved of all the Federation astronauts who ended up married to the Slavens here.

“We’ll bring a team and check in on you tonight and drop some food off for all of you and make sure that your vitals are⁠—”

“They can drop food off,” I say. I don’t take food for granted, not anymore, and I don’t think I ever will again.

“I will not need my vitals checked tonight. My mate will be doing that for me.” Zan argues and I shrug, because yeah, that is the plan. If his vitals are in his dick.

God, I’m so glad he’s awake.

“Sick,” Bex says appreciatively. “When you guys are done, like, fucking, maybe we could have a double date, because I have a feeling my husband is going to get along with you just great, Zan.”

That makes me laugh.