The Surgeon's Debt: Bound To The Beast

edral of black marble and gold fixtures. In the c

hreshold of the bathroom. She was dead weight, her heels scraping tracks into the plus

turned

e ship's desalination plant kept the water at near-f

rble floor, tearing at her clothes. The buttons of her lab coat had popped off, scattering acro

r to the edg

he o

or her to comply

with a splash that sent

was inst

freezing water hit her overheated skin.

ashing. She tried to scramble u

. He placed a hand on her sho

. His voice was

ng immediately, clashing together s

Clinton said, watching her struggle. "This

nct drove her. She lunged at him,

caught h

translucent. It clung to her skin, reveal

was the

diffuser. The orchid scent explode

in deepened into euphoria. It was a physical hi

gic center of his brain was screaming to maintai

of her neck, inhaling greedily,

reezing wet skin was confusing. Her brain, addled by the d

slumped against the porc

st the pulse point of her throat. He could feel h

bit

emical signal she was emitting. He tasted the salt on her skin, felt the pulse be

a broken sob

brated again

d. He stared at her, then at his own reflection in the mirror. Disgust washed over

he was gone. C

cing the line of her jaw, his voice reg

her wrists against the cold tile w

, he reached i

her blouse open. Butt

to

t against her sternum,

er burned his palm; the ice water numbe

etraying her mind, sought the warmth of

stant memory. The mania was replaced b

in and k

kissed her hard, bruising her lips, stealing

ions, leaving only raw sensation. She kissed him back, h

there was only the sound of water

ad fell back. He

emperature was dropping. The adrenalin

limp in h

He held her up, keeping

ce, pale now, the u

ed off

d the dr

tub, watching the water swirl away, taking the heat with it.

wel from the rack and threw

he mirror. His shirt was soaked. His hair w

he whispered to