Ice_Reaux - Laura Wright Page 0,30
fine. I’ll be fine.” She shook her head. “It just seemed like he…I don’t know…he understood, or something. The way he looked at me with those eyes, touched me.”
“I’m sorry, what? He touched you?”
“I was really upset, crying—”
Indy’s eyes bulged further. “You were crying? I’ve never seen you cry.”
“When he held me.” She forged onward. “I felt…”
“Safe?” Indy finished for her.
Karen gasped softly. “Yes. But is that even possible for us?”
“Angel makes me feel it.” Her cheeks went pink as she spoke of her Healer mate. “All the time.”
Karen’s eyes dropped to the desk before her. Her heart actually hurt at Indy’s words. Not because she begrudged her friend the obvious deep connection she had with her mate. But because with that first taste of such a connection, Karen had been denied.
“He made you feel that, Karen?” Indy asked her. “Safe?”
She looked up. Nodded.
A gentle smile touched Indy’s mouth. “Then you need to go to Raphael. Hell, I’ll talk with Angel. They’re both Healers. I’m sure he knows him.” She snorted with attitude. “Won’t treat you. Couples only. Whatever.”
“Are you guys talking about Reaux?”
Both women turned to the door. A very pretty female with shoulder-length blond hair and a cupid-bow mouth stood there. Her name was Gail and she was one of Jean-Baptiste’s assistants. She was also a huge gossip.
“Sorry,” she said with an impish shrug. “Couldn’t help overhearing.”
“Yeah right,” Indy muttered under her breath.
“Everyone knows Reaux.” A slow smile crossed the female’s expression. “Or they’d like to. He’s got…that thing. Can’t take your eyes off him, or your hands, kind of thing. But he’s impossible to catch, if you know what I mean.”
Karen might’ve been falling apart emotionally, but she wasn’t an idiot. Of course she knew what Gail was implying. And this little beastie inside her wondered if Gail had actually succeeded in the eyes-hands-catching department. But she didn’t ask. Instead, she made shit very clear. “I’m not interested in knowing or catching him. Just being treated by him.”
“Well, that's too bad, hon. Because he only works—”
“With couples, I know.”
“He’s not a ‘lie on the couch and tell me about your childhood’ kind of therapist. I’m assuming that’s what you want.”
“Don’t assume, Gail,” Indy put in. “Makes everyone asses.”
“I was just informing. What he is. What he’s not.”
Karen was really tired all of a sudden. Way too tired for this back-and-forth nonsense with Gail. Caleb was playing with one of the hybrid cubs. Maybe she should go get him early.
But Indy was still hungry for more. “So? What kind of Healer is he then, Gail?”
The female’s mouth broke into a wicked smile. “The sexual kind.”
The tiny office went silent. Indy looked at Karen, who in turn was staring at Gail. Who seemed thrilled to be the one sharing such a juicy piece of news. No doubt the rest of the Pantera already had this info long ago.
“Reaux has this sort of gift-slash-curse thing,” she continued. “Born with it. It’s like his cat’s pheromones also shed from his human skin.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Indy asked.
“You know how your mate—Angel, right? When he’s in his cat form he has a musk you can’t resist?”
Indy turned bright red.
“Oh, honey, every male cat produces that. Don’t be embarrassed.”
“I’m not,” she ground out. “Go on.”
“Well, Reaux has that all the time. Cat form. Male form. He’s sexually irresistible to unmated females.”
Mouth open, Karen looked over at Indy, who seemed as stunned as she was.
“That’s why he only works with couples,” Gail said, hugging her files to her chest. “The males have marked their females, and will fight to the death for them if pushed. And most of the time the mated females are not tempted by him, anyway. He brings on a boost of sexual energy and healing to the couples. It’s pretty amazing.” Gail cocked her head, her cheeks flushing. “We all try and get with him. Just for a night. I hear the musk alone can send a female over the edge, if you know what I’m saying.”
Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Karen understood what the female was saying. Not that it was easy to believe.
“I don’t care about his musk,” she said, though she’d be lying if she didn’t admit she was intrigued. “I’m not looking for a combustible night with him—”
“Sweetie, you won’t be able to stop yourself from wanting it. Not if you’re within a few feet. But good luck if you try.” And with a wink, she left the doorway and headed off down the hall.
Indy