Barbarian's Valentine: A Slice of Life Novella (Ice Planet Barbarians Book 19) Read online

  Barbarian’s Valentine

  Maddie's mate is returning soon, and she wants to make his homecoming a special one. Pregnant Josie wants to seduce her mate all over again. The solution for both of them? A Valentine's Day celebration, ice planet style. There'll be kisses, scanty outfits, and a pair of reunions you won't forget.

  Come and revisit two of your favorite couples from the original Ice Planet Barbarians series!

  Barbarian’s Valentine

  An Ice Planet Barbarians Slice of Life

  Ruby Dixon

  Ice Planet Barbarians - book 19

  Copyright © 2019 by Ruby Dixon

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Photo - Shutterstock

  Cover Design - Kati Wilde

  Edits - Aquila Editing

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  IPB Reading List

  Want More?

  1

  MADDIE

  “It’s another clear day, baby boo. You know what this means?” I return inside my hut, practically singing the words out, I’m so happy.

  My son Masan looks up from where he’s playing with his pet bird. He’s still in his jammies, and the damn thing’s on his lap as he gently feeds her chewed up bits of seed. But his little face lights up when he hears my announcement. “Papa’s coming home soon?”

  “Yup!” I tell him happily. It’s the brutal season, and Hassen’s been over at the beach for the last few months, helping teach the newcomers how to take care of themselves and survive. A few rounds of people have returned, including our chief, but my mate is still there. I know he’s helping out because he’s needed and Hassen’s a good person at heart. He loves to help out.

  But this Mama Bear is ready for Papa Bear to get his ass home because Mama Bear is SUPER horny and needs to get laid. I think of my delicious mate, all tall and thick and gorgeous, and my girl parts tingle with need. If he isn’t coming home soon, I’m going to him on the next round, because I am not a woman designed for celibacy. It sucks, and I never thought I would need—or miss—a man nearly as much as I miss my Hassen. He’s been gone before, but never quite so long, and I’ve moved past the whole “I’m independent and fine” to “weeping into my pillow at night.”

  At least I have his son to keep me occupied. I move to Masan’s side and plant a kiss on my son’s brow, then push his messy hair out of his eyes. He’s inherited his father’s gorgeous thick black hair, but he’s also inherited my flyaways and he always looks a bit untidy. “How’s your bird?”

  “She’s getting fat,” he tells me proudly, beaming up at me. “And she slept with me last night.”

  I wrinkle my nose at the thought. “Did she, now?”

  He nods and scoops up the damn thing, utterly pleased. “Millicent’s so smart.”

  “So I guess she’s not gonna fly away anytime soon, huh?” When he gives me a hurt look, I just press another kiss to his brow. “I’m teasing you, Masan. You can keep her for as long as you like, but the moment she starts building a nest, she is an outdoor bird, do you hear me?” Because dirtbeaks are gross. They build their nests with just about the only “soil” they can reach given the thick layer of snow covering the ground at all times—that means dvisti dung chips. Which, yeah, no. I’m trying to be an understanding mama, but I draw the line at a poop nest in my house.

  Sometimes I wish that Masan hadn’t been the kid to find the baby dirtbeak that had fallen out of its nest on one of the egg runs. But my son loves animals, and he’s utterly fascinated with Farli’s Chompy and Kate’s kitten, so I wasn’t entirely surprised that he brought the thing home. It keeps him busy while his father’s away, so I don’t mind it as much as I should. The darn thing was so scrawny and ugly, all sharp edges and flat, slimy-looking dark feathers that it seemed positively hideous and evil looking, so I’d suggested the name Maleficent.

  My sweet boy couldn’t remember the name Maleficent and it somehow ended up as “Millicent” instead. I guess it fits the poor bird, considering she’s really filled out in the last few weeks. He’s been diligent about feeding her and taking care of her, and he carries her everywhere with him in the cutest little basket. She looks kind of like a tiny indignant cross between a chicken and a toucan now, with dark feathers and a long bill and blinking eyes that watch me far too closely.

  I’m not a fan of birds. If it was up to me, Millicent would have gone home with some other kit, but my little Masan is not a tough cookie like his mama. He’s a sensitive child, and ever since Millicent arrived, he’s stopped crying at night because his papa’s gone.

  Bless that dumbass bird.

  “Do you think Papa will like her?” He looks up at me with hopeful eyes, hugging the bird to his chest as she pecks at his chin.

  “I’m sure he will,” I reassure my son. “He’s going to be so proud of you when he sees what a good job you’ve done with her.” And I love that my little son puffs up so proudly, beaming. For a moment, he looks just like his father and my heart squeezes with loneliness.

  God, I want my man home already.

  But it’s been two days of clear weather, and Veronica and Ashtar promised that they’d fly again in a few weeks, when we had a break in the brutal season storms. It’s colder than a penguin’s tit right now, but the skies are crystalline blue and that means—hopefully—that Veronica and Ashtar will be flying in for a visit.

  And I hope Hassen is hitching a ride, or I’m going to kill him.

  I can’t help but get excited as I move around the hut, making breakfast for my son (and his bird). I cook and straighten up the small kitchen area as I do, inwardly wincing at how I’ve let the housekeeping slide while my husband wasn’t home. Okay, not that I’ve ever been a great housekeeper, but now that he’s coming home, I want to wow him, and a messy kitchen is not the way to do it.

  Then again, will he care about the kitchen? We won’t be leaving the furs for days.

  “You’re giggling, Mama. What’s so funny?” Masan asks.

  I clear my throat and plate up some scrambled eggs for him. “Just excited about Papa coming home, baby boo. Thinking about all the things I need to get done between now and then.”

  And oh, there is gonna be a lot to get done. I think of how I want to greet Hassen, and idea after delicious, sexy idea unfurls in my mind. I’m thinking I find a babysitter for Masan and Millicent, put on some sexy clothing, and go to town on my gorgeous husband.

  “You’re giggling again, Mama.”

  “So I am. Eat your eggs.”

  He feeds Millicent her nut mash and we eat our eggs, and then I help my son bundle up for the cold weather. He gets his basket and declares that he’s going to take Millicent out to play. That’s fine with me, because if he has her with him, I don’t have to watch over her and make sure she doesn’t poop inside the house. Is this what moms with new puppies feel like, I wonder? Except they’re probably not picking stray feathers out of everything in sight. “I’m going to go visit Aunt Lila and bring her food,” I tell him as I tug another layer over his head. “You stay in the village, okay? Don’t go farther out than B
ek and Elly’s hut.”

  Masan makes an exasperated sound. “But Joden wants to get a dirtbeak of his own. He’s gonna go shake nests and see if he can get a baby out so he can have his own Millicent.”

  “Uh, no, you are not doing that,” I tell him. “You tell Joden if I hear he’s doing that I’m going to get his papa. You stay in the village, and play with Millicent, and no visiting the other dirtbeaks, understand?”

  Masan’s lower lip sticks out, but he nods. We put his little gloves on and then I grab a fur cloak and bundle up before picking up the bowl of food I’ve got prepared. It’s a lot of work to just go down the “street,” but it’s nasty-cold this time of year. Once we’re outside, the frostiness hits your face like a wall, but my son doesn’t notice it. With his bird basket, he skips down the walk, heading right for Josie’s hut where a few of the kits are playing outside already. I watch for a moment as he races up to a heavily bundled Joden and says something. Joden nods and produces a small stick, and then they set Millicent gently down on the ground and wave it in front of her face.

  Are…they going to try to teach a dirtbeak to fetch a stick? That’s cute. Kinda pointless, but cute. I watch a moment longer to make sure that they’re behaving and then head next door to Lila’s hut. The screen’s on the front, but I can hear someone moving around inside and they have a fire going, so they’re up. I scratch at the screen.

  Rokan appears in the doorway a moment later, the baby in his arms. He puts a finger to his lips, indicating quiet, and invites me in.

  I step inside, and I see my sister’s still in bed, sleeping. There are dark circles under her eyes and I wince in sympathy. “Lolo still not sleeping through the night?” I whisper.

  Rokan pats the baby’s back, rocking her in a gentle motion as she sleeps. “She does not feed as easily as Rollan did. Last night she wanted to nurse every handful of minutes. My Li-lah did not get much sleep, so I am letting her rest until Lo-lo needs to nurse again.”

  I squeeze his arm sympathetically. He’s a good man and very protective of my sister, which I approve of. Little newborn Lola—who we call Lolo more than anything—has been the screamiest, unhappiest baby, and it’s wearing Lila out, so I’m glad Rokan’s home to be with her. We’ve done this a few mornings now, quietly puttering around to try and let Lila get some sleep. I move to the kitchen area, spoon some of the food into a cooking pouch to warm it, and then set it on the tripod over the fire to heat up. As Rokan continues to rock the sleeping baby, I cross the hut and peer into Rollan’s sleeping corner. He’s sitting up, quietly waiting, and beams at me. What a great kid, my nephew.

  “Let’s get you dressed,” I whisper, “and get some breakfast into you so you can play outside. The boys are trying to teach Millicent how to fetch a stick.”

  His face lights up, and within a space of a few minutes, he’s layered up and ready to go outside. I snag him and make him eat breakfast first, and then send him on his way once he’s done, his chipmunk cheeks still full of eggs as he races out to meet the others.

  That done, I straighten up my sister’s house as quietly as I can, mindful of the fact that she’s sleeping and the baby is, too. I pick up clothes and tidy up her tiny kitchen, and then glance over at Rokan. The dad looks almost as tired as my sister, but he continues to sway back and forth, over and over, his big hand cradling Lolo’s tiny back.

  “You need anything?” I ask quietly. “Want me to babysit for a few hours?”

  Rokan gives me a tired smile and shakes his head. “I am weary, but there is no place I would rather be than here holding my daughter and watching over my mate.”

  I smile at that.

  He rubs his hand up Lolo’s little back and then gives me a curious look. “Two days of good weather, is it not?”

  “It is,” I say, and practically dance with excitement. “Is Hassen coming home? Does your ‘knowing’ tell you anything?” Rokan’s got this weird psychic ability to know things before anyone else does, and he’s never wrong.

  “Very soon,” he agrees. “Hassen will be excited to see you. He has told everyone at the Icehome camp about you.”

  “Of course he has. I’m awesome.” But it feels good to know that my gorgeous husband has been gushing about me to other women. Suck on that, ladies. He’s mine. “I’m trying to think of a way for us to celebrate when he gets home.”

  “I am sure there will be a celebration.”

  Yeah, but I’m trying to think of ways for me to privately celebrate with my man, not with the tribe. “I was thinking a sitter so we could have some alone time but…I don’t think Lila’s up for the job.” I look over at my sleeping sister. She’s making me tired just looking at her and I would never ask while she’s got a fussy newborn. “Any ideas?”

  “Perhaps Summer and Warrek, then? It might be a good idea for Rollan to spend time with Warrek. Give my mate some time to relax and Warrek has many things he can teach.”

  “Oh, that’s a good idea. We can pose it as a cousins’ sleepover.” My son will never be the wiser that his parents really just want to get ultra-freaky for a few hours. “You’re a genius.”

  Lolo stirs, a little whimper in the back of her throat. We both freeze, but she shoves one little three-fingered hand into her mouth and sucks on it, going back to sleep against her father’s chest.

  Rokan breathes a sigh of relief.

  I point at the door and use sign language instead. I’m going to go, I tell him. I’ll check with Warrek. If you need anything, just say.

  He gives me a thumbs up and sways with the baby once more, and I ease my way out of their hut, tiptoeing.

  I pause to check on the boys for a few minutes, watching them play. It looks like the stick game has turned into a round of chase, and Millicent follows behind Masan’s heels, waddling as fast as her plumed little bird feet will take her as he chases Rollan. At least they’re all still in the village and behaving, as far as I can tell. Joden’s a good kid, but he’s also a kid with a lot of ideas, and not all of them good ones.

  When they run close, I wave them over and fix Masan’s hat for him. “You boys come to my hut for lunch, okay? Rollan’s mommy is sleeping.” I look around and notice that Joden isn’t with them anymore. “Where’s Joden?”

  “His papa came and got him,” Masan tells me, breathless. “They are going herb hunting because his mommy has a bad tummy. Can we go herb hunting, Mama?”

  Plants? Yick. I’m still not very good at telling them apart. “Maybe later. Right now, Mama’s going to go talk to Summer and Warrek, and then I’m going to make an extra-special dinner to take over to Auntie Lila and Uncle Rokan’s house.” I beam at them. “Won’t that be yummy? We can even make not-cookies with some cooked hraku seeds I’ve been saving.”

  “Not-cookies!” they both cry, dancing with excitement.

  “Yup, not-cookies,” I agree, since they’re not like the cookies I remember but mostly a hash-up of nutty crap baked over a fire, but the kids love them as a special treat. “But you have to play outside for a while first, OK? Stay here and I’m going to go visit Summer and Warrek. I’ll be back.”

  I wipe snotty noses, fix clothes, and then send them on their way. A few of the other kits have come out to play, and I see the cute blonde pigtails of the twins, along with the wild curls of Georgie’s girls. It’s not a class day and I worry there’s going to be no parent watching over them, but Nora steps out a moment later and waves at me, then sits on the stone bench in front of her hut, and Old Drenol’s sitting on the bench in front of his hut, with Lukti at his side. That’s good enough for adult supervision for now, which means I can slip over to Summer and Warrek’s hut.

  I head down the path, toward “Newlywed Lane” as we like to joke. All of the newly mated couples have taken up houses near the back of the settlement for privacy reasons, and it makes me sigh, thinking how much fun it was to be newly mated with nothing to do all day but fuck like bunnies. Not that I’d trade Masan for anything. I love that boy so fiercely it makes
me hurt inside. But I’m also envious of the bright, new joy I see on Harrec and Kate’s faces when they look at each other. Or Bek and Elly, who seem to be in a world all their own.

  My man really needs to come back. Maybe we’ll resonate a second time like Kira and Aehako did, and spark the new, fresh magic of a mating all over again. I touch my stomach, thinking about that. A second baby. I like the idea…but I also think about how tired Lila is. Sleepless nights trying to comfort a fussy baby, breastfeeding that made my already big tits utterly enormous and painful, and having no free time to myself because there was another person entirely dependent on me. Hassen helped, of course, but he also had to do a lot of hunting, and some nights it was just me and a cranky baby. It’s kind of nice now that Masan is older and turning into his own person instead of just a needy little mouth…but then I think of sweet baby Lolo, and how amazing resonating was.

  And how fucking intense the sex was.

  Kinda a toss-up. I guess I’d be happy either way, really.

  It’s all moot if my mate doesn’t come home, anyhow. But I’m going to think positive. Rokan said some encouraging things and the weather is still nice, and so I head over to Summer and Warrek’s hut and scratch cheerfully on their door.

  Immediately, I hear a lot of scrambling inside. “Coming!” Summer yelps. “Uh, just a minute!”

  I smirk to myself, because I recognize that distracted tone of voice. Someone just got caught having sex.

  “Coming!” she calls again.

  “Or not,” I mutter under my breath, delighted at my own pun.

  A moment later, Summer comes to the door and pulls it aside. She’s flushed, her smooth black hair disheveled. Her shoulders are bare and she clutches a fur to her breasts to hide her nudity. “Oh, hi Maddie. We weren’t expecting someone to come by.”