Page 7 of Healing the Leonid Doctor’s Heart (Felix Orbus Galaxy #6)

“ D ax shouldn’t have said what he said,” Marcus put down a tray between them as they sat at the small table farthest from the kitchen doorway.

The dining area was empty, except for the two of them.

“Floribunda biscuits and cinnamon cloud cake. The custard isn’t ready yet.

” Marcus pushed her plate in front of her.

“That’s fine.”

He was grateful for Abigail’s silence this time. She didn’t demand answers. She didn’t ask, “Why shouldn’t Dax have said anything? Because it wasn’t true? Or because it wasn’t his place?”

Abi just smiled and said, “He means well.”

“He does.”

“And Skyla likes him?”

“Yes, even though he’s right—she is out of his league. You can tell with Canids when they constantly wrap their tails around you or brush you with them.”

“How can you tell with Leonids? I mean, Felids?”

Curiosity was the sign of an intelligent woman, and lying was the sign of an idiot.

She probably just wanted to know. He’d want to know the unwritten rules if he lived in a new world with people who had vastly different customs than his own.

He wanted to be honest, but he also didn’t want to expose the signs that he’d been showing.

If he lied, and she asked anyone else, that would out him promptly.

Of course, now would be the right time to tell her. Maybe she’d think his interest was purely physical, part of him trying to get ready for any cub-making procedures.

But that’s not all I want, is it?

How to tell his heart to take more time when it had been waiting in a puddle of grief and loneliness for years?

“Purring. Wanting to be around you constantly. Physical contact. A Queen acting as though she’s in a heat cycle...” Marcus shrugged and cut into his cake as if the discussion was perfectly normal.

Abigail’s cheeks flushed. “We could eat and then go somewhere to talk more privately about what we... About what we should do next.”

“We’ll make everything legal, of course. You can speak to Jade and Layla, if you like, see what price points are, what wordings are beneficial.”

Abigail nodded, but her face creased in a frown. “A physical exam would be required, I’m sure.”

“Yes. Skyla can do that for you tomorrow, and you don’t have to tell her why. You can simply say it’s something you want done after your ordeal, to make sure everything is working properly.”

“I’m sure she’d be discreet. I also think—and this is me being mature, Marcus, that we should make sure there’s the possibility of this working on the most basic level.”

“Your bloodwork is perfect.”

She dunked her floribunda cookie into her tea, bit off the end, and sipped, graceful and demure—and when she looked up over the rim of the cup, he felt like all the steam heat was blown directly into his heart.

“I want to have a trial run because I’m nervous and.

.. I'm worried about the size difference.”

“Oh. That’s perfectly normal, I’m sure, but also, Wendy is smaller than you and Jade is about your size, and—”

“I’ve never—” Abigail looked around and whispered, “Can we take this to your room?”

“Of course. Or yours, wherever you’d be comfortable.” Marcus rose and grabbed the tray, holding it low because if he hadn’t, the bulge he was now sporting would be obvious.

He walked behind her, surprised when she went to her quarters instead of his, surprised at how hard he was and at the warm, seductive waves of scent she was perfuming the air with.

“What is it? I’ve probably made this messy, bringing friendship into it. But in all sincerity, Abigail, you do deserve to remain in the cub’s life, and I want you to be my friend for many years to come.”

“I’m glad this is with a friend. I couldn’t talk to a stranger about this.

” Abigail drained her tea and put it down on the high round table that was identical to the one in his own quarters.

“I’m not very experienced. Barely experienced is the right word for it, I’m sure.

I know there are injections that’ll smooth that over, but I want to make sure you would find it easy to perform and that I wouldn’t ruin things at the critical moment, by not being able to—to take you. There. Said it.”

There was something so erotic about her directness, at least to him, something that woke up the possessive, feral side of him when he imagined being the one to teach her, touch her, and fill her with pleasure that would make her crave him more and more.

“I like what I see. No trouble there. As for what you can do—yes, the injections will help. But it would be a shame if it were only tolerable because of medication. You wouldn’t find me a selfish lover.

” Marcus found the courage he wished for earlier was suddenly coming back in waves, probably at the wrong time, too.

“I’d feel better if we had a practice as well, but in stages.

Could I avail myself of your company this evening?

Purely to practice my role in making this comfortable for you.

Once I’ve reassured you that it’s a good match on that level, we can proceed to—erm—measurements and adjustments. ”

“Sure. Tonight. Maybe late, after the nursery is closed for the evening?”

“Good plan.”

ABIGAIL HAD NEVER REALLY fooled around with all the buttons in her high-tech shower, but she did now.

As she stood under plumcotta-scented mist and ran a hair-removing mitt over every inch of her legs, she panicked.

What is he coming here to do?? To talk more? That might make me comfortable. We could have wine. Crackers and cheese. I’m starving. Shouldn’t have skipped dinner.

What if I faint?

What if I had eaten, then gotten indigestion?

She pushed another button and pink “Silky Fur Lather” attacked her from above, covering her in something that felt like a cloud of bubbles and smelled like sugar.

Abigail ran the mitt over her crotch, between her legs. Smooth. Brent liked her as smooth as a shuttle’s wing.

Brent was human. Marcus will be used to fur! Oh, my God!

Well, too late now, Abigail thought as she watched little ringlets of hair slide down the drain.

The drains in these tubs are huge. They must easily deal with Leonid manes and shedding, so surely it won’t clog.

Why am I thinking about plumbing when I’m agreeing to have sex with an incredibly hot Felid doctor!?

I don’t know if I want to do this after all.

The soap and water stopped, and a warm wind began to blow, drying her like a gentle breeze.

She had wanted to help someone. This would help Marcus, and it would help her, too. That was good.

But she had wanted something more than friendship with him. Was that wrong? Was she being greedy?

At least give it a chance.

Her bare pussy throbbed suddenly, an unfamiliar wetness remaining despite the all-over dryer that must be a necessity for fur-covered Leonids and Canids.

It had been happening all afternoon and evening.

What if Marcus wanted to do more than talk? What if he wanted to see how compatible they were, and she was the weaker one in this equation?

MARCUS brUSHED HIS mane forward in one rakish curl—and then smoothed it back and let it fall free. He’d tried a dozen different looks after the evening meal—a meal without Abigail.

What if this is a mistake? What if she expects you to have a frank discussion about scientific anatomy and the way the serum works? What if you hurt her and she never wants to see you again? You could drive her away and ruin things for everyone.

You mess this up, and you’ll be the laughingstock of the medical community, a doctor who invented a cure that he botched when it came time to use it himself.

Well, then. He looked down. This erection is going to waste. Nerves roared back, and the hardness faded as he stepped up to her door, a bottle of rich red wine in the crook of his arm.

Abigail opened the door in a pretty white dress that fluttered around her knees and showed off her bare shoulders. “Hi.”

“Wow. That’s new?”

“Jade and Nessa have them, too. Layla didn’t want this one. Come in.”

“Thank you.” Sweet Bastet, are we going to make small talk and be so hopelessly formal all night?

He sighed, and then his nostrils caught the sweetest aroma, different than a Felid in heat, but still unmistakably feminine, powerful, and needy.

Does she want me like I want her?

“What if we have some wine, listen to some music, and I show you that there’s nothing to worry about?” he suggested, setting the wine down.

“That’d be nice. I... I don’t know what Leonids like.”

“I’ll show you that, too. But I know what I like. I like Abigail,” he murmured, swaying close to her as she opened the bottle.

“I like Marcus,” she whispered back, leaning into him.

He could feel her heat, and his hardness jutted out, long unused but ready to reenter the field. “Bigger than you just means I can wrap my arms around you better.” His voice was low, hopeful. “If that’s something humans like?”

“I don’t know about all humans, but I’m absolutely starved for any sort of physical affection. No family nearby, no close friends... I wasn’t one for reckless sex.”

“Imagine being cooped up in this freighter with no one but Rupex for company for a few years—you’d invent something pretty time-consuming to do, too. And you’d miss all the people who used to be with you. Starved for affection, physical or otherwise, is a good way to put it.”

“That’s what this could be. Two friends. Feeding a need. Seeing if they could make something better?”

“My world has gotten much better since you arrived. I want to make this part of the world better for you.” One paw left her waist and slid the switch on the wall down, turning the lights to a dim yellow glow.

Abigail’s hand lined up next to his much larger paw, turning the media viewer on. “Pick some music?”

“The Leopardine Songs to Aphrodite are legendary for their soothing effect.” Marcus helped her flick through until he found the right setting.