by Rena Marks
“He wishes there was more. It’s why he’s suddenly avoiding me and Reson. We used to tell each other everything, and now he’s broken up our trio.”
“There won’t be anything. He’s just my patient, nothing more. And he’s not inappropriate.”
Blaze was her patient, too, and there had been inappropriate thoughts about him. She winced. This was too weird. “That is why you’re not my patient. Why I’m glad you’re going to Dr. Eric. I can’t handle both, a patient and...our friendship.”
“Why not?”
This wasn’t the first time he’d asked her.
“Something happened a long time ago. I fell for a patient.” She admitted. “He didn’t make it, and it took me so long to recover, I almost changed careers.” She took a bite of an asparagus spear, barely tasting it. “And, truth be known, I miss you. I miss being with you. The way you make me laugh. The way you make me feel. I miss turning a corner and knowing I’m going to run into you somewhere during the day. If starting this new program means I lose that with you because we grew uncomfortable with something that happened between us...then I’m not sure I want to explore the new program.”
“Nothing between us is bad or wrong, doc.”
“No,” she agreed. “But I don’t want to lose our friendship.”
“You haven’t lost it.” His voice was soft. “I’m still here.”
They both continued to eat off her plate.
“May I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“How did you feel about the exploration with me?”
“It was amazing,” she admitted, looking down at the food. But her voice had dropped down to a whisper.
“If you didn’t have the project, would we have delved into something personal?”
“Not as long as you were my patient.”
He reached out and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear. “I’m not.”
She looked into his beautiful eyes. “I think we may have been headed there eventually. My new program sped things along.”
“Then I’ll continue your project with you. And our friendship remains.”
She smiled at him. “Great. Then get your own food. I’m hungry.” She speared her fork into his mound of mashed potatoes.
“Greedy underneath that fancy doctor jumpsuit?” He chuckled. “Seriously, doc, I missed you, too. I don’t want anything or anyone to ever come between us.”
She could have been imagining it, but it seemed like the mess hall grew a little more cheerful. Voices rang a little louder, and conversations carried on all around them.
“Are you done working?” Blaze asked her.
“Yes. Mmm.” She speared a piece of meat into her mouth and chewed slowly. It was tender, spicy, and delicious. She picked up another piece for him to try. While he ate it, she almost told him about the sperm sample dying but then realized this could go south. He may think she came to him just for another. Oh, goddess that was exactly what it looked like, however untrue it may be.
“I’m coming with you. We’ll watch a movie. We need to make up for lost time.”
She smiled. “Now that’s the pushy Xeno Sapien I missed.”
He grinned. “We both know your place is swankier than mine.”
“It’s because I clean, Blaze.”
But she was teasing, and he knew it. “What is this cleaning, doc? Maybe you can show me sometime?”
She laughed at him. “I’m out of here. I’m heading home. Meet you in a few?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll program the door to let you in.” She held her breath, suddenly shy. Allowing him access to her quarters was a huge deal.
He nodded.
She held her hand up, and he touched his to hers, fingertip to fingertip. The press of his skin against hers would allow her to reprogram the lock sequence as long as she didn’t touch anyone else.
They let their hands linger long after the touch released his sample.
“I’ll see you soon,” she whispered.
The first thing she did was program the computer to allow him entry, placing her hand with his DNA sample combined with hers to the swipe screen. Then she picked up a few items she’d left out earlier and went to the shower.
The hot water soothed her as it built steam, clouding the glass door. That was one wonderful development since being on Earth-Ground. Sani-showers were a quick way to clean, but the comfort of a hot shower was definitely lacking. Earth-Ground had plenty of natural water and real showers were installed on Xenia. She took her time enjoying hers.
“You ready to show me how to clean?”
She nearly squealed in surprise.
Blaze stood in her bathroom, removing his shirt as she watched. She swallowed, watching his perfect muscles as each cut was slowly revealed. His pants were dropped next, revealing his long, hard cock. The heavy weight of his balls hung underneath his erection.
Though she stood in a hot shower, her lips felt dry. She licked them as he gave himself a stroke. She took a deep breath and opened the shower door.
His large frame blocked a large part of the spray. She soaped her hands, glad she preferred old-fashioned bars of sweet-smelling soap. She started at his neck, brushing soap into his collarbones, working her hands down.
“Cleaning is easy,” she said. “When you clean others, you just take your time.”
“And if I clean myself, doc?”
“If I’m watching, you take your time, too.” Her grin was impish.
“I can go slow.” His voice had lowered to a sexy, husky growl.
The words shot a flicker of heat down to her core. “Mmm. I’ll watch to make sure you’re doing it correctly. Doing it slow enough.”
The expression alone on his face was enough to lose all her reservations. She was so glad things were back to normal with Blaze—and she was glad to have this extra something between them. This spark, this craving, this need.
His breath hitched as her hands soaped him, and he lifted his arms, making her mouth water. Normally she saw the bulge of his biceps, but when he lifted his arms, his triceps also bulged. They were so defined, and she was the one who got to touch them. She ran her fingers over the cuts and trailed her soap into the warmth of his armpits, the act strangely intimate.
He groaned and reached for her, but she held her hands up. “Pay attention.”
She continued soaping his chest, fingering his nipples, his ribs, the sides of his waist. His massive erection was swollen and still, begging for her touch.
She rubbed soap into his groin, knowing he was particularly sensitive by the way his hardened cock twitched.
She looked up into his eyes as she rubbed her fingers up and down the muscles of his thighs to his knees, starting with down strokes on the outside and swinging upward on the inside of his thighs.
Then it was time to clean his testicles. They waited while she soaped her hands some more and cupped the heavy weight of the blue tinged sac in the palm of her hands.
He tossed his head back to moan at the contact. She stroked his balls, rolling them in her palm, and he braced his palms on the shower walls, on either side of her.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered.
He grunted, his eyes clenched shut. So she reached further underneath him, her finger tracing the smooth skin beyond his balls to the pucker of his anus.
His eyes popped open, a steely gray filled with desire. Power filled her at the knowledge that she could drive this easygoing Xeno Sapien male into an insane need.
“Game’s over.” His voice wasn’t normal. It was so deep, so thick with lust, a shiver ran down her spine.
He grabbed her beneath her arms and hoisted her up along the shower wall, his fingers digging into her ass and then her thighs. At the same time, his wings erupted, blocking the shower spray from hitting her face.
The sheer amount of power he emitted was such a sexual turn on. But then, with Blaze, what wasn’t? He lifted her as easily as a child, reminding her that h
is strength wasn’t entirely human.
Her legs draped over his shoulders, lining her swollen pussy up with his face, her back writhing against the shower tile.
Sweet stars, surely he wasn’t going to...Goddess, he was. He clamped down on her sex, his tongue dragging through her folds.
Her spine tightened, arching her back, thrusting more of her at him.
“Oh, Blaze, Blaze,” she couldn’t help but chant. His tongue was ruthless, tasting her, demanding she receive gritty, unrivaled pleasure. He speared it into her opening, again and again. He licked her labia, he sucked her clit. He was merciless as he feasted on her swollen flesh.
The orgasm ripped through her violently, making her scream as her legs stiffened.
She was barely aware of his roar when he came, bucking his hips into his hand.
He lowered her, sliding her down his wet body so intimately. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his wings folded down to follow and she kissed him.
The taste of passion was on his lips as she stroked his tongue with hers. Regretfully, she pulled away. “Water’s going to cool,” she warned.
Though his gray eyes darkened, he reached for the soap and washed her quickly then himself.
When they were wrapped in heated towels she turned to him. “Stay the night?”
His eyes were on hers as he nodded.
They watched a couple of movies in the living area. Naked but wrapped in a blanket. Blaze pulled her onto his lap where he could hold her. Midway through the movie he asked about Covet.
“I know you can’t tell me what’s wrong with him, but I am worried. So is Reson. We were best friends before a few weeks ago and he suddenly clammed up, not sharing things we used to. Now since our episode, he’s avoiding me.”
“I know you and Reson are worried. I can’t tell you not only because of doctor/patient confidentiality but because I honestly don’t know. I’m running tests, but nothing is showing up.”
“He’s acting strange. Keeping away from everyone he used to hang out with. He borders on emotional, but it took us a while to figure out that because we can’t communicate with him telepathically anymore.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?”
“Can’t. There’s a block there.”
That was something to look into. Usually when a Xeno couldn’t project telepathically, there was a hormonal reason. Lily was flooded with growth hormones in med bay. When Tempest was flooded with pain and adrenaline in med bay. There had to be a link there even though Covet wasn’t anywhere near the pain level to be holed up nearly unconscious.
“I didn’t know that. That gives me a new symptom to focus on,” she said.
“Thank you. No matter what, Covet is my friend.”
“What about us?” she asked. “Am I your friend?”
He smiled at her. “You are my special friend.”
She grinned back before tucking her head against his chest. The warmth of his skin, the beating of his dual hearts made her feel complete happiness.
Chapter Six
A small knock on the door interrupted the studies she was comparing on Covet’s tests. Irina looked up to see Blaze in full form.
Winged. Stars, she loved that.
She’d left him alone in the apartment earlier knowing neither one of them would get to work if they showered together. So with a couple of hot kisses, she tore herself from his side. She’d gotten her morning chores done, her physical with the new cop, Sam. She’d even brought him to Supply, leaving him in Winnie’s capable hands. They’d been talking about his three year-old daughter, Olivia, when she left.
“What’s going on?” she asked Blaze, always struck by the beauty of all the different shades of white shimmering through his feathers.
“I thought if you weren’t too busy, we might take advantage of a rare warm day and have a small flight around the land.”
“Warm?” Her gaze automatically landed on the window. The sun was shining, and the people milling about weren’t in jackets.
“It’s close to seventy.”
“You’re kidding. I knew the weather forecasts said it would warm, but I didn’t expect that.”
“Enjoy it while you can. Tomorrow is supposed to drop thirty degrees.”
“What’s the flight you speak of?” she teased.
“All aboard the Blaze Express. One seat left for a gorgeous woman with long legs to wrap around my waist.”
Did she dare? She was sorely tempted. She hadn’t gotten far on Covet’s issues, but still, he would have those same issues tomorrow. When it was thirty degrees cooler.
“Come on. You’ve been working hard lately.”
“I have been,” she agreed, rising from the seat and shrugging out of her office coat. She liked it for the deep pockets. She was dressed in the unsexy scrubs. Her medical jumpsuit was more attractive.
“Maybe I can change,” she began. “It’ll only take a minute.”
“Sweetheart, I love that you’d like to change for me. But it’s not necessary. We’re flying, and we’ll probably land somewhere just to sit and rest. Save the nicer clothes for another time.”
She blushed. She did want to look nice for him. Somehow their relationship was morphing into something else—something she refused to acknowledge because she was afraid to call attention to it.
“Let’s do it,” she said.
“That’s my girl.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned. His pink lips looked so kissable, the light smattering of freckles across his cheekbones so adorable. But he was also so masculine, so utterly beautiful he took her breath away. He reached for her hand, tugging her close as they cut down the hallway and out the main hall.
“What’s the rush?” she laughed, squeezing his hand playfully.
“I have to get you outside away from people. As soon as someone sees you, they’ll suddenly want something. And I’m not willing to share.” There was heat in his eyes as he looked down at her.
They probably really should talk about where this whole relationship was going. What it was. But then he pulled her outside, and the sun felt glorious on her face. She closed her eyes, smiling as he pulled her close with an arm hooked around her neck, whispering against her temple where he kissed it.
“I’m going to take you up like this, at first. Don’t scream.”
His other arm came around her waist, melding her body against him. His powerful wings broke from the seams of his shirt and, in one masterful sweep, lifted them off the stone steps of the main hub. Her eyes were on him as they soared, her arms wrapped around his waist. She brought her head to his neck, reveling in the feeling of the air pressure all around them.
Bubbly laughter escaped from her at the giddy excitement of the instant take off.
And then he flipped, sailing backward so she was on top of him, gazing with wonderment at the trees below them. Another twirl through the clouds and she was under him again, but this time, he gently tugged her arms from their locked position around his waist. Before she knew what happened, he flipped her so her back was pressed up against his body, his groin digging into her curves of her butt.
She couldn’t help but notice their bodies fit together perfectly. His thick forearm pressed against her midsection, holding her tightly to him. The view was amazing; the streaks of color in the sky seemed more pronounced than when looking upward at the skies. The sky—even though the brilliant colors were damaged ozone—were beautiful. Textbooks and old photographs said they were once blue.
He whispered into her ear. “We’re going to descend. I’m going to wrap you facing me again so you can lock your legs around my waist.”
She nodded, figuring he wouldn’t be able to hear her. When he tugged her, she turned and wrapped her arms back around his neck. He stared into her eyes as she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his body, her core splayed against him. His beautiful golden brown eyes melted into chocolate. He tore his eyes from her long enough to look down at where their bodies were joined.
Deliberately, she arched her back, thrusting her breasts up.
With a great swoosh through the air, she barely felt it when he landed. In one continuous movement, he cradled her, bringing her down with him onto a small hill of fall leaves. They crisped as they laid down, his body covering hers.
His eyes held her gaze again, and the usual smile was missing from his face. A small tic moved on his jaw.
“Doc,” he said thickly.
Suddenly, she became aware of his hands wrapped under her ass, holding her body against him.
“I want you,” he breathed, his mouth so near hers she could feel the warmth of his breath.
“I want you, too,” she admitted. “I always have.”
“Not just for testing?” The vulnerability in his gaze tore at her heart.
“No, Blaze. I want you as a man, not as a sperm sample. Hell, I don’t even have a sperm sample,” she admitted. “It didn’t make it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to think that’s all I wanted.”
“Anything you need, you come to me, doc. I want to be able to provide for you.”
“I’ve been wanting to talk about this. About us.”
“Just as well,” he agreed, gently pulling her legs out from around him. “I can’t take you in a bed of leaves like an animal.”
He sat up, pulling her up also. The air smelled crisp like a fall day, but it was warm. A fall day they’d missed with all the recent cold lately.
She decided to begin. “You used to state a lot that you wanted more between the two of us than just a doctor/patient relationship.”
“Every day.”
She smiled. “Yes. It was every day. And then we slipped into this procreation project, and I started to help you obtain your samples.” She took a deep breath. “Well, I realized I’m fighting a losing battle. I don’t feel like a doctor and patient anymore, Blaze. At first I missed our easy friendship that we had. And then, somehow I found I missed your constant outrageous remarks about making me a mother. I love being with you, and I’m sorry I kept trying to hold you away.”
“You’ll be my girl?”