Page 17 of Hooked on the Otter Doctor
“Huh.” He grinned at me. “I’m twenty-four.”
I wasn’t sure why that seemed to tickle him since our ages meant nothing. Both of us would live for decades more thanks to the medical technology available to us. We would have a long life together.
“It makes sense to me,” he said, “that anyone who’s been involved in a war would have issues. The civilians, the soldiers, no one makes it out without something affecting them.”
I squeezed his fingers. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Of course! If there’s anything you need from me, please ask.”
I had to laugh. “Finding you has been verygoodfor my mental health.”
He scooted out from his side of the table before doing something that made it tip up. He secured it to the wall with a hook, and then came over to straddle my lap. His bright orange pants creaked as he settled on my lap, the thickness of them hidingevery detail of his body from my appreciation. He cupped the back of my head and kissed me with a gentleness that went straight to my heart.
Yes, Tobias wasverygood for my mental health.
“So what we need to sort out,” he said, “is what happens when your leave is over.”
I nodded and wrapped my arms around his hips. “Exactly.”
“Okay then, what are our options?”
I could’ve given him several, but there was one that kept running through my mind. “The one I can’t stop thinking about is that maybe I don’t go back.”
“Oh, really? Okay,” he said when I nodded. “Can they get along without you?”
“Well, in the infirmary, they would elevate another doctor to lead the team, either temporarily until my replacement could arrive from Nor or permanently. If temporarily, the timing of my departure might depend on when?—”
“The next shipment of sex workers is ready to leave,” he said with a grin and a little shimmy of his hips.
I chuckled at him. “What was that for?”
He shrugged, still grinning. “I was thinking about signing up.”
A bolt of possessiveness shot through me, making my claws come out as I gripped his ass through his trousers. “Tobias…”
He laughed like it was startled out of him. “I’m notstillthinking about it! There’s no need to growl at me, Doctor. And don’t you poke holes in these pants either.”
Embarrassment heated my skin as I retracted my claws and patted him. “Apologies.”
“No, it’s good.” He kissed me briefly, looking me in the eyes. “I want you to keep me to yourself.”
I grabbed his head and claimed his mouth, kissing him deeply until I had him moaning. Everything in me said to take him again. I honestly wanted to dive into the water and have himthere. But the temperature was far too cold for him, and we hadn’t decided anything yet.
He pulled back, gasped a breath, and laughed. “I swear, someday I’m going to pass out while kissing you.”
“I certainly won’t allow that to happen.” That was reassurance for him and a promise to myself.
Tobias kissed me gently again, his thumb caressing along my whiskers. “So what if you did leave your service as the ship’s lead doctor? What would you do here on Earth?”
“My role is two-fold. One, I am the lead doctor for the ship, as you said. Two, I’m leading the medical branch of the delegation. That means I’ve been involved with the distribution centers mostly, educating the politicians and the public, sharing the technology and usage methods.”
“It sounds like you’ve been doing two very intense jobs.” Concern filled his blue eyes and he began combing his fingers through my fur across the top of my head and down my neck. “That’s a lot of stress to deal with on top of dealing with patients.”
“It is.” I couldn’t deny that there had been days when I’d begged off one job or the other, too caught up in a single aspect of one to do both.
“Could you stop doing one of them? Just be a delegate? Just be a doctor?”
“A delegate,” I said so quickly, I surprised myself.
