Thankfully, on average they weren't any smarter than humans. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if that were not the case.
Right now, it seemed to him that humans' main advantage was in their numbers. The immortals obviously didn't procreate as rapidly, or there would have been many more of them. The fertility rate of these males must be much lower than that of humans. It made sense since they lived forever and didn't need to create offspring as rapidly to continue the existence of their species.
Dimitri shook his head.
He was one of them now, which meant that his fertility was as low as theirs.
Did he mind?
Not really. He was too young to think about kids, and certainly not on this godforsaken island.
Petrov was still asleep when they were done with breakfast, and Dimitri was uncomfortable leaving Mattie basically alone in the lab. "I should go if I want to be done before lunch, but Petrov is still asleep, so lock the door and don't let anyone in while I'm gone."
Mattie nodded, but there was a flicker of the old fear in her eyes. "What if there's an emergency?"
"Then wake Petrov up. But there is never an emergency, and I have the code to get back in, so I don't need you to open for me." He leaned down and cupped her face in his hands, tilting it up so she had to meet his eyes. "I love you." He kissed her softly. "The lab door is reinforced, so even the enhanced soldiers can't break in, and no one has the code to the lock other than Petrov and me, and now you. You'll be perfectly safe as long as you stay inside and don't open the door for anyone."
Looking relieved, she covered his hands with her own. "I'll clean up the dresser while you're gone. Get it ready for sanding."
"Good." He kissed her forehead. "I shouldn't be long, provided that I find anything at all."
"Wait." Mattie pulled back. "Before you go, can you help me move the dresser out to the hallway?"
Dimitri blinked. "The hallway?"
"Our room is too small to turn into a workshop. When I start sanding and painting, the dust and fumes will make it impossible to breathe in there."
He stared at her for a moment, then started to laugh.
"What?" She looked offended. "What's so funny?"
"Why didn't you think of this yesterday? When we muscled that thing up the stairs and squeezed it through the doorway and rearranged the entire room to make it fit?"
Mattie had the grace to look sheepish. "I was excited. I wasn't thinking about the practical aspects."
"Clearly."
"Don't be mean." She swatted his arm. "I'm admitting that I made a mistake. The least you could do is be gracious about it."
"I'm always gracious." He dodged another swat. "Fine, fine. I'll move the dresser. But you owe me."
"No problem. Name your terms."
"I'll think of something."
The look she gave him was pure mischief. Then she pulled him down by the front of his shirt and kissed him.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was thorough, passionate, the kind of kiss that made his blood heat and his thoughts scatter. Her fingers tangled in his hair, her body pressed against his, and for a long moment, Dimitri forgot about dressers and sandpaper and everything else that wasn't the feel of her in his arms.
When she finally pulled back, she was breathing hard, and he was ready to take her back to bed.
"Is that an acceptable form of payment?" she asked, her voice sounding husky.
Dimitri groaned. "If you keep kissing me like that, I'm never going to leave."
"You have to." She smoothed down the front of his shirt where she'd wrinkled it. "Save it for later, mate. I need my supplies. But first, move the dresser for me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
