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Iceman hadn’t let goof Rose since he’d found her in the white dome, the litter of bodies all around her and Karasu. She was now on his lap as the chopper raced toward Alaska Regional Hospital where they had taken Volk and Kat.
His fingers snagging in her loose hair, he pressed her head against his shoulder, then wrapped her up in a strong, secure embrace. She closed her eyes, and he heard her swallow. Iceman shifted his hold. Spanning her jaw with his hand, he tipped her face up and brushed a soft, reassuring kiss against her mouth.
“I knew you’d find me,” she whispered.
Sliding her arms around his back, she hugged him hard, and Iceman closed his eyes and hugged her back. “Damn right. I would follow you across the world.”
She tightened her hold and pressed her face against his neck, her chest expanded. “You kind of did,” she pointed out so softly that he could barely hear her. She took another deep breath, then tightened her hold even more. “Chris, I’m pregnant.”
Iceman turned his face into the silky tangle of her hair, his arms tightening around her torso, the wrench of emotion so profound that he felt as if something huge had opened up inside him. “Seriously? Only you can get into a firefight while carrying my child.”
It took a long time before he could ease his crushing hold, the fullness in his chest almost more than he could handle. Drawing an uneven breath, he caught her by the back of the head and pressed a kiss against the soft curve of her neck. Rose clutched him, and he realized that she was even more shaken than he was. Softening his hold just a little, he gave her a quick hug, trying to comfort her. “If it’s a girl, we should name her Tansy,” he whispered.
Her breath caught. “Oh, Chris.” Tears streamed down her face. “And if it's a boy, Alexander.”
Her deceased sister, who died in Paris, and his deceased brother, who died in his arms. The names were fitting. Giving her another firm hug, he rested his head against hers, experiencing a lightness that made him feel nearly indestructible. He finally had her back and now they were expecting their first child. Experiencing another surge of emotion, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He smoothed his hand up the full length of her back, molding her more snugly against him. “So,” he said gruffly, “we’ll get you checked out and then we’ll head for home.”
Cupping his hand under her jaw to nestle her head closer, he felt her swallow hard, then she nodded. Affected by her emotional response, Iceman drew her deeper into his embrace and rested his cheek against the top of her head. “I love you, Rose,” he said huskily. With all the gentleness he could muster, he lifted her head so he could see her sweet face. She had her eyes tightly closed and her jaw clenched, but in spite of her battle to hold everything in, tears seeped out from beneath her lashes. His throat tight, he bent his head and kissed her face. “I love you so much.”
Her throat worked and she swallowed again, then she opened her eyes and looked at him, the shimmer of tears adding a heart-wrenching vulnerability to her raw emotion, letting him see everything she felt. “I love you so much, Chris. So much. I realized how deep it went when I thought I might never see you again.”
He lowered his head and kissed her, closing his eyes when she opened her mouth and responded. Iceman put all the tenderness, all the caring he felt for her into that slow, languid kiss, and finally the tension in her body eased and she relaxed in his arms. Releasing an uneven sigh, Iceman slowly withdrew, watching her come out of the sensations that kiss aroused, her lips moist and parted. Resisting the urge to take her under again, he brushed her hair with the backs of his fingers, smiling into her eyes when she finally opened them and looked at him.
“So, what are you thinking, a half a dozen?”
She stared at him, then gave him one of her dry, amused looks. “A few too many.”
He grinned at her. “I don’t know. That’s a nice round number.”
Straightening in his embrace, she gave him another dry look. “That may work for eggs, but not for me.”
“They are your eggs,” he murmured.
“They are, but,” she gave him a soft, lingering kiss, “I’d settle for four.”
Iceman grinned against the softness of her mouth. “Deal, Mrs. Snow.”
* * *
“Karasu,”Preacher whispered over and over again. Grasping the back of her head and hugging her against him, he turned his face against hers, the cramp in his throat getting worse. “I love you, babe. I was lost without you.” His voice was tense.
Tears gathering in her lashes, she tightened her hold, pressing her face harder against his. “Me, too. So lost. I’m so glad to hear your voice. I was so worried about you.”
She clung to him for a long time, then she drew a relieved breath and kissed him softly on the mouth. Preacher closed his eyes. She was so soft.
She flattened her hands against his back. Experiencing a flurry of emotions, he tucked her head tighter against his and caressed the base of her skull with his thumb, her hair like silk against his hand. Waiting for the thickness in his chest to settle, he continued to stroke her neck, wishing like hell they were out of public view. He gave them both a minute, then eased his hold a little and shifted her head so he could see her face. She looked content and comfortable. He hated to put any worry on that beautiful face.
Knowing he had to maintain a balancing act, Preacher managed a smile. “I wasn’t surprised to find you in the thick of it with homemade nunchucks,” he said with a chuckle, hoping to ease her into the news he had to deliver.
She laughed softly. “You know me. I can’t stand being idle.”
“I’ll say.” He wanted to haul her back into his arms, but he had to get this information out. She needed to know.
Exhaling unevenly, he caught her face in his hands, then reluctantly lifted her head. “We need to talk, babe,” he whispered huskily. Tipping her face up, he gave her a soft, gentling kiss, then he looked down at her, his gaze very serious, her hair shining like satin in the sun. His chest got tight all over again. “We were all in a helicopter crash. Trasker ordered us shot down,” he said, his tone steady.
“Volk?”
“We think he broke his pelvis.”He saw a glimmer of fear in her eyes, and he touched her face, trying to reassure her. “He’s getting medical care now at the hospital where we’re headed,” he said quietly, pressing his thumb against her mouth when she was about to interrupt. “It’s one of the best hospitals in Anchorage.”
