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“I’ until her tremors eased “It was a bad one”

She kept her eyes shut, tried to concentrate on the scent of hi on spiced spaghetti” She realized he was fully dressed and the bedroohts were on low “You haven’t been to bed”

“I just got in” He eased her back to study her face and brushed a drying tear from her cheek “You’re still pale” It tore at hiy “Why the hell won’t you take a soother at least?”

“I don’t like theht he would see it if he looked too closely, she shifted away “I haven’t had one in a while Weeks really” Calmer now, she rubbed her tired eyes “That one was all jue Maybe it was the wine”

“And maybe it’s stress You ork until you collapse”

She angled her head, glanced at the watch on his wrist “And who’s just co to erase the worry from his eyes “Buy any small planets lately?”

“No, just a few minor satellites” He rose, stripped off his shirt, then lifted a brohen he caught the considering look she gave his bare chest “You’re too tired”

“I don’t have to be You could do all the work”

Laughing, he sat to take off his shoes “Thank you very y to participate?”

“Christ, that’s so married” But she slid down in the bed, exhausted The headache was just on the edge of her brain, cannily waiting to strike When he slipped into bed beside her, she rested her tender head on his shoulder “I’lad you’re home”

“So am I” He brushed his lips over her hair “You’ll sleep now”

“Yeah” It soothed her to feel the rhythhtly asha hirammed at conception?”

“What?”

“I wonder” She was drifting into that twilight sleep already, and her voice was thick and slow “Is it just the luck of the draw, the gene pool, what slips in with egg and sperm? Is that it? What does that make us, Roarke, you and me?”

“Survivors,” he said, but he knew she was asleep “We survived”