He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his expression disbelieving.
“What did he do? Refuse you coffee or chocolate? I’ve watched enough of this mating shit, I know it had to be one or the other.”
Oh, it was far more important than chocolate or coffee. And if he was a Breed, why couldn’t he smell the hell her body was going through right now? She was so aroused she felt as though she were burning up from the inside out.
“Josiah, no one refuses me anything,” she informed him, more out of pride than simply because she rarely asked anyone for anything. “I’m a grown woman; I know how to go out and buy it, how to buy it online and call in orders. It’s all really simple, honey, I promise. Besides, I haven’t needed permission to do anything since I lived with my parents.”
And she wasn’t going to allow anyone to treat her like a child again, especially not the Breed who had decided she was his mate.
“Then what’s the problem?” Sincere concern filled Josiah’s gaze as she glanced up at him. “I can tell the mating heat is bad, but I can sense more than that.”
So much for whether or not he could smell her arousal.
Josiah was a friend, but she didn’t discuss her personal life with anyone outside Cassie. And last she checked, he wasn’t channeling Cassie.
“The problem is my business,” she told him lightly, as they turned up the hall that actually housed Ely’s examination room. “Your job was to get me here, and you’ve done that with flying colors. You can leave now, Josiah.”
Ely opened the secured double doors as they paused in front of them.
“Leave, Josiah,” she repeated Mica’s request as an order to the Breed. “And be certain to check in at the vid-comm room so Navarro can concentrate on his meeting rather than the fact that you’re with his mate.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Josiah just about jumped out of his skin when Ely snapped at him.
Turning sharply on his heel, he hurried back through the halls to carry out her orders.
“You should know better than to draw another Breed into your quarrel with Navarro, Mica.” Ely stepped back to allow her to enter. “I’ve been watching you on the cameras since you entered the elevator. I could have sworn you’d know better by now.”
“Ely, I’m not quarreling with Navarro.” Mica looked back at her, a small kernel of resentment beginning against the scientist.
Ely was harder now than Mica remembered her being. Harder and less compassionate and understanding than the last time Mica had spent any time with her.
Ely’s lips thinned, but she stepped back and allowed Mica into the examination room.
“So what kind of torture do you have in store for me today?” Mica questioned her, maintaining the sense of cheerfulness as Ely glanced back at her.
“Today will be fairly simple,” Ely stated. “A few questions, urine and blood samples. How long has it been since you and Navarro had sex?”
The doctor asked the question impatiently. She was probably wondering why her patient smelled like a walking sex hormone. “Almost twenty-four hours.” Mica glanced at the clock on the wall. “Twenty-two hours and forty-five minutes maybe?” She flashed the doctor another bright smile. “Just before we came in yesterday to be as precise as I can get.”
Ely seemed to freeze in place as Mica relayed the information.
Did the good scientist think she wasn’t aware of the fact that it wasn’t exactly normal Breed mating behavior?
“I see,” Ely finally said musingly. “Was Navarro in meetings or called away?” She picked up the electronic pad and began making notes.
“Are you asking why it’s been so long since we’ve had sex?” Mica questioned defiantly. “Why, I have no idea, Ely. Do you?”
She hadn’t meant to allow that fiery flash of pain to strike at her chest. It struck with precision though, tearing through her heart before she could rein it in and push it back into the darkened corner where she hid all her emotions.
Ely’s head jerked up as though she sensed it. Her nostrils flared and a frown creased her forehead.
“Are you feeling the symptoms of his refusal to relieve the pressure of mating heat?” Was that compassion in the good doctor’s gaze?
“Am I horny enough to hump the bedpost?” Mica asked. “Not quite yet. Should I consult with you first, Doctor?” Sarcasm lay thick and heavy in her voice.
“I believe a consult would be a very good idea.” Ely nodded with mocking solemnity as Mica lifted herself onto the gurney. “You never know what you may end up hurting if the act isn’t done properly.”
Okay, so maybe the good doctor wasn’t just a little bit colder and harder than Mica remembered. She was definitely more distant, but Mica could understand that. It hadn’t been a good year for Ely in terms of being able to trust those around her.