Chapter 51

Felicia stood nude in her bathroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Her image showed her long black hair falling to the middle of her back and her expressive long rabbit ears twitching with excitement. She looked at her olive complexion and the age lines at the corners of her almond-shaped dark eyes that no skincare product could hide. She saw strands of white in her furry ears and hair. Forty-three this month, she thought.

She let her eyes scan lower. Breasts still perky for a woman her age. Double Ds. Her best feature. Flat stomach, broad hips, not so bad. Her ex-husband had made her an expert in cataloguing her flaws by comparing her to every other woman he saw. Five years since she had walked in on him getting a blowjob in their bedroom from that squirrel bitch next door. Twelve-hour workdays, the space race against the other two major superpowers of Earth, trying to make sure they were the first ones to land a beastkin on the moon.

And he’s twenty-three, she thought. I can’t believe I am that damn lucky. He could be a model if he wanted to, and he’s waiting for me in my bedroom. Whatever God or Goddess of sexiness is out there, thank you.

That was the thing she kept circling. Paul had spent a month at her elbow, checking her trajectory calculations, staying late over the propulsion models, making her laugh in the middle of the most important project of her career. They wanted to be the country to put the first beastkin on the moon. Everyone in the organization knew what was riding on it. And he had looked at her like she was the most interesting person in the room.

She knew better about work fraternization. There were rules about this, and she had read them all. But she had also had dinner with him, and a bottle of wine, and the way he had looked at her across the candlelight with those beautiful eyes had spoken to her lady parts.

I need something or someone to help me relax, she justified to her reflection. I work hard, have not been on a date in years. Damn, barely have time to masturbate before falling asleep. To wake up the next day and start this over again.

The red silk robe hung from the hook on the back of the door. She slipped it on and tied the sash. Here we go. Her ears twitched as a flush crept up her neck. She smoothed down her long hair, took one more look at her overall appearance in the mirror, and opened the bathroom door.

The dark carpeted floor was soft under her bare feet.

Her bedroom was all soft grays and creams, with a king-size bed covered with white sheets and a single dark wooden nightstand, and her bedroom had never looked so different.

Paul stood at the window with his back to her, looking out at the city lights. He was six-foot-two of lean, athletic muscle, shoulders broad under his open-collared black shirt, and his same-colored tail swayed slowly behind him. Curls dark as the night brushed his collar. When he heard her, his attractive panther ears twitched, and then he turned.

His smile was slow and perfect. His eyes shone gold from the overhead lights, and they moved over her once. Something in his face softened.

“Hello, sexy bunny,” he said.

He held two glasses of red wine, and he crossed the room smoothly toward her and offered her one.

Felicia hesitated. “Paul, I don’t know. We split a whole bottle at the restaurant.” Heat rose in her cheeks and ears. “If I have any more, I might not be able to...”

He tilted his head, looking amused. “Come on,” he said softly. “One glass. Just a toast.”

Toast to what, she nearly asked. But she knew. She took the glass, their fingers brushing, and a small shiver ran up her arm.

“To the moon,” he said.

“To the moon,” she agreed.

She set her glass on the nightstand and thought, He’s so handsome!

He set his own glass beside hers. Then he was there. She could smell him, flowery and something musky underneath. He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, and she leaned into it.

“You’re nervous,” he murmured.

“A little.”

“Me too.” His smile deepened. “Is that okay, Ms. Applegate?”