“Let me stop you there. No, I apologize, but our medical knowledge does not leave our plane. It is the law. You are welcome to the public information while you’re here, but anything that leaves has to be pre-negotiated between the Medical Supreme and your politicians.” Gerard smiled, the irritatingly easy look she’d remembered all too often while alone in her quarters.
Cecilia knew as much. Still, she’d been instructed to try.
“Is there something I can assist you with to help with the headaches?” His smile remained intact. He went to the door and pushed the scanner next to it. The unit beeped once, indicating the door was locked.
“What are you doing, Dr. Fauchet?”
Gerard laughed. He arched a brow. “Really? You have to ask?”
“I mean, of course I know what you’re doing.” Cecilia became flustered and she didn’t like that he could make her feel like an idiot with just one playful look. “What happened to remaining professional?”
“Most of the laboratories are closed for the night. Your assistant is gone. I can think of nothing more professional than a doctor trying to cure another doctor’s headache.”
The man was incorrigible, and yet she found herself unable to suppress a small laugh.
“You can’t tell me you haven’t considered fucking me again?” he persisted.
“I wanted to apologize for how I left things last time. I reacted badly.” Cecilia had to admit his confidence was sexy. “Still, what you are suggesting is not…”
“What?” He came closer. “Please don’t say prudent.”
“Logical,” Cecilia finished.
“Which is exactly why I prescribe it for you.” He came to a stop in front of her. The smell of him was familiar. A shiver worked down her spine. Her breathing deepened. Gerard lowered his tone to a seductive whisper. “The only way to cure logic is by doing something illogical.”
“They do say that doctors should never diagnose themselves.” What was she doing? This man was chaos. She was about control. Still, no one would know. No one would see. He was her one chance to give in to something wild and crazy. “No one can know about this.”
“You made your terms clear.” Gerard pressed his mouth to hers, stopping any last-second protests she might make.
Cecilia liked to think she would have made such protests, but in truth she doubted it. The second she saw him, she wanted him again. She wanted a release from work, from feeling like a complete, inept idiot who couldn’t read a basic medical book. Basic inter-dimensional communication was the same, but their advanced medical language had a nuance to it she couldn’t quite grasp.
“Now let me tell you my terms,” he whispered.
When she would have pulled away, he moved forward and deepened the kiss until all reason faded into that blissful moment. She grabbed his hair briefly before running her hands down to his lab coat. Eagerly she tugged it open, fumbling with the material to get to the flesh underneath. He finally let her escape his kiss. She gasped for breath. The intensity of his eyes pierced into her, holding her gaze captive. She couldn’t close her eyes and she couldn’t look away.
“You can keep your secret, Doctor,” he allowed, “but no more denying what is between us.”
Their breaths mingled, heavy, passionate pants of air. His hands artfully unfastened her lab coat to expose her skin underneath. She did not wear the customary undershirt beneath the coat, finding the practice of layering multiple pieces of clothing odd and uncomfortable.
Gerard ran his hands down her chest. He caressed her breasts, his fingers tweaking her nipples.
“And what is between us?” Cecilia asked with a small moan of pleasure. What was it about this man? She’d never reacted so strongly to a lover before.
“Passion, attraction…” He thrust his hips against her so she could feel the hard outline of his cock. “Sexual chemistry.”
Sexual chemistry wasn’t exactly the most romantic thing he could have said, but the way he said it caused her to shiver in anticipation. The tension eased out of her, melting away into oblivion. Even so, she refused to give over the last bit of control. She turned him so that his ass pressed against a work table.
Cecilia undressed him, freeing his cock from beneath his pants. Boldly, she stroked the length, running her hands over his shaft. His breath caught. She did it again, tightening her grip.
Gerard reached for her face, but she dodged his kiss. His lips curled up at one side in a half smile. Challenge lit in his gaze. His lab coat was open, hanging on his arms. She grabbed hold of it and pulled him with her toward a small cot in the corner of the room. When she released the material, the coat fell to the floor.
Cecilia pushed the pants from her hips, kicking them off her feet. She fell back onto the cot. Gerard followed her, naturally settling between her legs. The smooth, firm texture of his skin felt so good against her hands. She wrapped her legs around his, hooking her feet on the back of his knees to draw him forward.
“I’m going to fuck you, Cecilia,” Gerard asserted boldly, “without written permission.”
Cecilia moaned in response, thrilled by the naughtiness of it.
“You’re my bad girl, aren’t you?” Gerard kissed her.
She bit his bottom lip lightly. Her nails raked his back and he shivered, making a small noise of approval. She scratched harder while licking his lip. The hard press of his cock drew along her inner thigh. She trembled in anticipation, tensing ever so slightly while she waited for that first intimate slide of his body inside her. That first thrust did not come as hard and fast as she expected. Instead, he entered her slowly, forcing her eyes to meet his passionate gaze. “Look at me.”
Cecilia obeyed. Her toes curled and she found it hard to catch her breath. He moved against her, his hips brushing her thighs before pulling back. Each movement was measured and drawn out.
There were no words, nothing beyond that look in his eyes and the feel of his body. Every part of her concentrated on him. Planes and worlds did not exist. The laboratory did not exist. Medical science, anti-chaos laws and annoying assistants did not exist. There was only now, him, this moment of perfection.
Cecilia pushed her hips, trying to force him to quicken his pace. He didn’t, remaining in complete control. The rhythm was torment, sweet and utter torment. She wanted to shove him onto his back and take over, but he wouldn’t obey her insistent pushes along his shoulders.
The pleasure built, racking through her body in a giant explosive release. Only after she’d found her climax did Gerard join her. He tensed, frozen at the pentacle of desire for the briefest of moments before collapsing over her.
Cecilia’s bones felt as if they melted inside her body. Her legs fell limply to the sides. Gerard shielded her from his weight by bracing himself on his elbow.
“How does this keep happening?” she whispered.
He turned his face toward her neck, nuzzling her. “Simple. I’m irresistible.”
She weakly hit his arm.
He pulled back, giving her the charming smile he wore so well. “Because you are irresistible.”
“This can’t go anywhere. As soon as my assignment here is over, I have to go home.” Cecilia didn’t want to face reality, but it came crashing in around them anyway.
Gerard kissed her neck and ear. “Unless your plane has some kind of future-telling ability we don’t know about, you have no way of predicting what will happen. Stop trying to define everything. Just let it be what it is. Let it become what it will become.”
“I need us to be honest. My plane has logic. Logic tells me nothing will come of this. My heart tells me I don’t belong here and that I want to go home. I would never be able to accept a permanent post here. I have a life on my world that I will not leave behind.” Cecilia wasn’t sure why she needed to make sure he understood. Maybe she needed herself to hear the words aloud.
“We don’t offer permanent posts.”
“My point exactly. And from what I understand of the agreement, n
one of your medical technology can come back. I’m assuming that includes the doctors as well. You can’t come with me.” She reminded herself to remain in control of her emotions. Chaos brought with it a myriad of problems. When Gerard touched her she became mindless. This second encounter proved as much.
“No. Doctors do not accept permanent posts elsewhere. Normally other planes come to us. We do not go to them.” He kissed her again, sending shivers over her. “But there is no reason for you not to have some fun while you’re here.”
Beyond the way he made her feel, the only thing she knew of this man came from how those at the biosphacility spoke of him. They respected him, that much was clear, but there was little said beyond that.
“It’s late and I have a lot of reading left to do tonight.” She pushed at his shoulder.
“Are you sure? I could follow you back to your quarters.” He let her guide him up.
“Linnea is going to meet me there later to finish up our logs,” she lied. She moved to gather her clothing, glancing at the door. It was locked, but that didn’t stop her from thinking someone might come in and catch them.
“That is unfortunate. Though I suppose there are things I should attend to. There will be plenty of paperwork to sign from my absence.” He stood, pulling on his lab coat. “However, now that I’m back I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of each other. I’ll come by tomorrow evening. Try not to make plans with Linnea.”
Cecilia was much slower to move as she fastened her coat. He waited while she righted her clothing. Then, coming to her, he gently kissed her mouth and caressed her cheek.
“Dream well, Dr. Markos,” he whispered.
Cecilia watched him go, trying to look calm. Inside, her emotions erupted into chaos.
* * *
Gerard had not planned on making love to Cecilia again. Yes, he’d thought about her endlessly while away, but he hadn’t expected a repeat of their time in the transport. There was just something about her that drew him to her and silently begged for his kisses. He felt the pull as strongly as that first moment, if not more so. Even now he tasted her on his lips.
But her shame of their sexual encounters had not changed. Why was he doing this to himself? She was right. There was no future in it.
It didn’t matter. He was taken by her and he would go back to her again and again, as often as she would have him, until their story together came to an end.
“Dr. Fauchet, I heard you had returned. What news? Is it true? Has there been an outbreak?”
Gerard frowned, quickly glancing behind him to make sure no one heard Dr. Jonns’s panicked questions. He was under strict orders that no outsiders should know of their situation. Dr. Jonns only knew because he’d intercepted a message meant for Dr. Swift. Unfortunately, the man’s level of panic would only be magnified if the full truth were known. Jonns wasn’t exactly the most composed of researchers, preferring botany science and food production to human infectious diseases even though he was technically qualified to help with the problem. Should others find out before they had more facts, there would be worldwide terror. With their medical advancements came a false sense of security that they could cure anything.
“No. There is no outbreak,” Gerard assured the man.
Jonns did not look fully convinced. “Then the illness is contained? How many infected? What is it?” Looking at Gerard, he stepped back. He glanced up at the wall monitor, as if Gerard himself might be carrying a new virus.
Gerard lifted up his hands. “I’m clean. I’ve been scanned many times.”
Jonns nodded, but did not reclose the distance between them.
“Privacy Code Six has been enacted. We’re not allowed to discuss it with anyone. Since you’re privy to the information, you will be tasked as one of the members working to find out what it is we’re dealing with. Currently, there is only one infected, but we’re concerned the virus is airborne. Sanitation protocols have been enacted as well.”
“Who? Who is infected? A traveler? Are they quarantined? What about the portal? Have they suspended travel?”
Gerard heard the door behind him and gestured Jonns to hurry down the hall. They ducked into an empty laboratory. Seconds later, Cecilia walked by the door. She did not look in.
“Is it..?” Jonns motioned toward the door in horror. “Dr. Markos and Sans Nel? They’re the carriers, are they?”
“No.” That was the last rumor Gerard wanted circulating around amongst his peers. If Jonns thought the virus was inside the local facility, the man wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut about it. “I am not at liberty to discuss the patient, but he is local. You will get a copy of the report. Dr. Swift will personally deliver the information when it is ready. Until then, you are to clear your cases and prepare a private laboratory to work. Assign your current projects to another doctor. This is top priority.”
Jonns nodded in understanding. “It is one of the facility directors, isn’t it? They’re always overseeing experiments they shouldn’t be.” The man was merely guessing. “Dr. Sebastian Walter? The Medical Supreme’s son? That’s why the secrecy. Or Dr. Hattu? They found something at the underwater biosphacility. They’re always bringing up samples they should leave on the ocean floor.”
Gerard was careful not to give anything away with his expression. “I cannot say more.”
Jonns gave him a knowing look, though Gerard doubted the man knew the full extent of what they were dealing with. In truth, Jonns was not the man Gerard would have picked for this job. But it wasn’t his decision. It was Swift’s.
“You have your orders, Doctor.” Gerard reached to open the door. He glanced out, making sure the halls were empty. His eyes lingered in the direction where Cecilia disappeared. “And I have a stack of paperwork waiting for me.”
Chapter Six
Gerard had come as promised that first night, and every night since. Cecilia found herself looking forward to his visits, even going so far as to send Linnea away early. He never said much, beyond the charming nothings that seemed to come so easily for him. He asked if she needed supplies, if the food was to her liking, if she wanted to let him follow her back to her quarters to stay the night. The laboratory was well stocked, the food was bland but palatable—not that she told him as much—and the answer to his last question was always, “No. I have much work to do.”
Passion wasn’t a problem. One look, one touch, one kiss and she fell willingly into his arms. The problem came afterward, when she watched him leave, and she realized each night she fell deeper and deeper into chaos. The more she was with him, the more she thought about him when he was away. Her mind drifted from her work. Every nerve ending tingled until the damned wall monitor beeped and forced her to take shots for her levels.
“Levels,” she muttered. Half the time she didn’t understand what the unbalanced levels were that the computer was telling her to fix. If the desire stirred too fierce, a shot to the neck numbed it back to manageable levels.
Cecilia rubbed her neck. She was really tired of injections. As if on cue, the wall monitor beeped. Frustrated, she grabbed the electronic syringe, pressed it to the wall unit and stuck it in her neck. The knot in her stomach eased, but it was just a physical relief, not a mental one. The stress remained.
There was one very glaringly obvious fact about this plane—citizens were obsessed with immortality. There were numerous references to the pursuit of escaping death. Some tried to find the path to ascension, electrocuting themselves in the process, the rest of them just tried to cure everything and block out what they couldn’t.
She looked up at the ceiling. They’d been trapped inside since they arrived.
“Over half,” Linnea said. The woman hardly ever spoke to her but when she did the words were tipped with an emotion akin to indifference.
“Half of what?” Cecilia asked.
“You were mumbling out loud again,” Linnea said, not glancing up from her work. “You said we were almost halfway done. In fact, we are over half
way done. As of yesterday, we are starting month two.”
“It’s this place. With no daylight, it’s impossible to keep track of the hours.” Cecilia studied the woman, part of her wishing Linnea was someone else, part of her wishing Linnea would look up and smile at her in some kind of same-plane camaraderie.
Linnea did look up, but it wasn’t to smile. “Go up to the top level. There’s plenty of sunlight.”
“The top level?” Cecilia again looked up, as if the ceiling would part and show her something new.
“Haven’t you wandered around at all?” Linnea asked.
“No. I’ve only gone where instructed, as should you. They showed us our quarters, the dining hall and our laboratory.”
“Not surprising this,” Linnea drawled. “You’re one of those true believers in the anti-chaos, aren’t you? One of the devout.”
“No,” Cecilia denied, not liking the comparison to being a monk.
“Really? Then why all the shame about Dr. Fauchet?” Linnea chuckled.
Cecilia stiffened. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“All right then. Whatever you say, Doctor.” Linnea laughed harder. “It’s about time for you to kick me out for your…” The woman paused, giving her a meaningful look. “Your nightly serious platonic anti-chaos discussions with Dr. Fauchet.”
Cecilia felt heat rising to her cheeks at the sarcastic tone. “My professional medical conversations with Dr. Fauchet, our inter-dimensional contact, are not of your concern. You haven’t been to medical school, so I understand you have no idea the level of complicated maneuvering and paperwork involved in a mission such as ours.”
Linnea set down her electronic clipboard and moved toward the door. “A little hint, Doctor.” She ran her hand over the wall unit and smiled. It wasn’t lost on Cecilia that she’d been wishing for that very look just moments before. Now she wished it would go away. Linnea’s smiles weren’t comforting. “As you’ve pointed out on many occasions, I’m not a doctor, but in my experience, anti-chaos conversations work much better if you keep your clothes on.”
Seducing Cecilia (Divinity Healers) Page 5
