by Cathryn Fox
Dedication
To Sue-Ellen, for being such an awesome editor to work with.
Chapter One
She was touching his leg.
She was touching his goddamn leg, and if she didn’t stop soon his cock was going to burst through the velour shorts she’d put him in and let everyone in the room know he was hot for his therapist.
Why the hell hadn’t he remembered to bring his own shorts anyway? Probably because when she’d called to remind him of his early morning appointment he’d been too busy conjuring up erotic images of the two of them coming together instead of concentrating on her very specific instructions, ones that involved bringing a change of clothes for his physiotherapy session.
Fuck.
Now here he was, sprawled out on her examination table in a pair of unflattering grandma shorts while Haley Jones—the good girl from the right side of the tracks, the same girl who’d given him a three-year boner in high school—ran those soft, sensuous fingers of hers over his leg. Of course, he had to expect that she was going to touch him. After all, he was at the clinic for physical rehabilitation in an effort to strengthen his injured leg before soccer training began back up in the fall.
Haley spoke quietly to her assistants before they left the room. Once they were gone, leaving him alone with his hot health-care specialist, Haley focused solely on his damaged leg. As she gave him her full, undivided attention, his glance raced over her and he found himself fighting the incredible urge to brush his mouths over hers, to see if she tasted as sweet as she looked.
Her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Okay, now I want you tell me when it hurts.”
Oh man, it already hurts.
“What?” Cole asked as he worked to clear his lust-addled brain.
White teeth flashed in a smile, and when she shot him a sexy glance, one that could undoubtedly turn a sane man crazy, Cole got the distinct impression she was flirting with him. But good girls like Haley Jones didn’t flirt with bad boys like him, who came from the wrong side of the tracks.
Her painted lips puckered seductively, and as her fingers probed his injury, he tried not to think about how that luscious mouth would feel on his flesh, around his cock.
Damn.
She furrowed her brow and questioned, “Cole, are you paying attention?”
“Yeah.” He raked a damp hand through his hair and glanced around the sterile examination room, trying to think about something other than the beautiful woman at the foot of the table and the way that curvaceous body of hers turned an uncomplimentary pair of scrubs into a sexy, Victoria’s Secret spread. “I…uh…I was just thinking about where it hurt.”
Okay, so it wasn’t exactly a lie.
She leaned closer, until her long, blonde ponytail fell over one shoulder and sensuously brushed along his leg, taunting his erection to the point of pain. When he got a whiff of her citrus perfume, all sweet and seductive like her, his cock jumped, and he was pretty fucking certain if he didn’t soon relieve the pressure building in his groin, he was going to do some serious damage.
He shifted uncomfortably, hoping her bedroom blues didn’t stray to the bulge tenting his shorts. Christ knew girls like Haley Jones weren’t into guys like him, so the last thing he wanted was for her to see how much she aroused him.
“Okay, let’s try this again.” She pressed two fingers against his calf. “I’m going to run my fingers along the nerve, and I want you tell me when the pain intensifies.”
Concentration moved over her face as she worked her fingers down his leg to gauge the severity of his injury. Desperately needing a distraction from her touch, he took that moment to think more about the untouchable good girl who’d been gifted with every privilege life had to offer. Smart, sexy, dedicated and cultured, Haley hadn’t changed much since their teen years.
Then again, neither had his feelings for her.
There was just something about Haley that drew his attention and filled him with raw, sexual need. Despite her privileged life, she had genuine empathy for others, and had always been professionally driven, even back in high school. And while she’d never shown any sort of interest in him, sexually or otherwise, it still didn’t stop him from thinking about her, or from wanting her in his bed.
“Right there,” he said, stopping her when the pain shot up his leg.
With that she stepped away and rolled a machine to the table. Cole propped himself up on his elbows to watch her stick tape and wires to his calf. She flicked on the machine, and then adjusted the dials until he could feel a strong pulse.
“I’m going to stimulate the muscle,” she explained before gesturing with a nod to the exercise charts on the wall. “Then we’re going to talk about your therapy.”
Once she had the dials turned to high, she grabbed a pillow and placed it at the head of the table. “Why don’t you lie down and relax? You’re going to be here for a while.”
When he flattened himself on the bed, she leaned over him and fluffed up his pillow. Only problem was her full breasts were so close to his mouth, he was sure if he stuck his tongue out he’d be able to lick her gorgeous, pert nipples through those thin scrubs of hers. Her delicious scent overwhelmed him and his mouth watered, eager for a taste. Fisting his hands to stop himself from acting on his impulses, he made a noise, a half cough-half groan that seemed to garner her attention.
“Everything okay?” Bright eyes widened with worry. “The pulse isn’t too strong, is it?”
“No,” he said through clenched teeth.
She rested her hand on his thigh. “If you start to throb, let me know and I’ll play with the controls.”
Throb.
Play.
Good God!
Did she have any idea what she was doing to him?
She wet her lips, and the warmth of her hand traveled up his leg and settled deep between his legs. Her voice seemed a little soft, a little sensuous when she added, “That will help release the pressure.”
Oh fuck!
Okay, that was it. He couldn’t take it anymore. He was getting the hell out of there and asking for a new therapist before he dragged her down onto the bed with him and showed her exactly what it was going to take to relieve the pressure.
He was about to tear the tape off, but when she came closer, too close, and those big blue eyes looked at him with real concern, it stilled him. Because beneath that concern he spotted something else. Something that looked like mischief.
Jesus Christ, was she fucking playing with him?
His glance moved over her face, assessing her. Was it possible? Was good-girl Haley Jones purposely teasing him?
He took a moment, thinking how different he was from the stuffed shirts she usually dated—educated, boring businessmen who paid more attention to their iPads and iPhones than they did her. Unlike him, those men might fit into her social circle, but if they were too damn self-absorbed to realize just how special Haley was, or that a woman like her deserved their exclusive attention, then they sure as hell weren’t worthy of her affection.
Cole would never make that mistake.
As he considered that, another thought struck. He’d always considered Haley out of his league, but now that he was a professional soccer player with a respectable salary, was it possible she’d give him a chance? That she’d been intentionally fucking with his mind and teasing his libido to the point of pain because she actually wanted him?
Just then his cell rang, pulling his thoughts back before he could come to a conclusion. He twisted, looking for his pants. Haley grabbed them off the stool and handed them to him. Then she stepped back to give him privacy while she examined the exercise charts on the wall.
Cole flipped his phone open, and with half his concentration on Haley as s
he moved about the room with innocent sensuality and the other half on the person waiting for him on the other end of the line, he bit out, “Hello.”
“Cole, Drake Drummond here. Just wanted to confirm the time for our photo shoot tomorrow.”
Cole furrowed his brow in thought. “I thought that wasn’t until next weekend.”
He heard papers rustle in the background, then, “Nope, tomorrow, one o’clock at the soccer fields.”
“I must have mixed up the dates. I made plans to go to the cabin, since it’s a long weekend.” Cole frowned, knowing he’d have to cancel, despite how much he was looking forward to getting away with Sean and Carter, to kick back and drink a few beers while they soaked up the September sun. Even though both his buddies were bringing their girlfriends, and Cole was going to be the odd man out, he was still looking forward to catching up with the guys. Of course, he could always bring a girl of his own along, but the truth was, now that he’d set sights on Haley again, being with another woman held little appeal.
“Are we on?” Drake asked.
“Okay, I’ll be—”
Before he could finish the sentence, Haley took the phone from him. In her most professional voice she said, “Drake, this is Haley Jones. I believe you’re going to have to reschedule.”
Surprised by her abruptness and this unexpected turn of events, Cole listened to her side of the conversation. He started to prop himself up, but she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back down. He grinned at her forcefulness, quite enjoying this other, dominant side of her—a side he’d had no idea existed, but liked just the same.
With hot determination lighting her blue eyes, she continued to lecture Drake, although Cole doubted the photographer was going to postpone the shoot. After all, the guy had a schedule to follow, and since this campaign was to raise money for charity, Cole would do what it took to accommodate him.
“As his therapist, I insist,” she went on. “His cast was only just removed, and he’s not ready to kick a ball around or put undue pressure on his leg. Plus I’ve prepared an exercise schedule for him, and it’s imperative that he follow it for the next week.” A pause and then, “Okay, yes. I see.” She pursed her lips, and the sparkle in her eyes when they locked on Cole’s was a good indication that she wasn’t about to back down. “Fine then. I’ll take Mr. September’s pictures myself.”
She’ll take the pictures?
Haley let loose a frustrated breath, but her resolve never wavered, a trait Cole fully admired. “Are you forgetting that we were in audio visual club together, and I know a thing or two about photography?” Another pause, and then when her voice softened, Cole instantly knew she’d gotten her way.
He shook his head and couldn’t believe that she’d been able to sway Drake, a guy who was known for his inflexibility. Then again, she did come from a powerful family, and Drake probably didn’t want to ruffle any feathers.
She closed the phone, and he didn’t miss her self-satisfied grin when she handed it back to him. “He agreed to let me take a few photos, but he wants to reschedule for next Saturday so he can get some shots on the field.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because,” she said, “as your therapist I decided that you need rest, and you also need to carefully follow my instructions for the next week.”
“You do realize this frees me up to go to the cabin for the long weekend? And believe me, the last thing I plan to do is sit around with my leg up.”
She leaned forward, giving him a nice, unobstructed view of her creamy cleavage. “Which is exactly why I’m coming with you.”
Cole’s head jerked back with a start. “You’re what?”
“I’m coming with you,” she said matter-of-factly. “I need to make sure you do everything I say.” She paused and aimed a stern finger at him, a gesture that instantly brought back old memories of his detention-room teacher, a woman he’d spent a great deal of time with in his senior year. “And I mean everything.” She glanced at his unflattering shorts and wagged her finger. “So far you haven’t been doing a bang-up job of that.”
She was coming to the cabin?
“Besides,” she said, as something passed over her eyes, something that looked a lot like disappointment. “I’ve never been invited to your cottage before.”
“It’s not a cottage. It’s a cabin,” he clarified, then thought more about the oceanfront lodge he’d constructed with his father using nothing but scraps from the mill where his dad worked. “And it’s probably not what you’re used to.”
No, it wasn’t at all what she was used to, which made him wonder about that wounded look on her face. Was she disappointed because she’d never been invited to his high school parties? Surely to God she wouldn’t have wanted to run with him or his crowd. Christ knows that good girls like Haley could only end up offended by the shenanigans that went down with the sun.
She leaned forward, a challenging look on her face. “You don’t think I can rough it?” she asked, her voice holding a teasing lilt that had his cock twitching and his mind racing.
What the hell was she up to?
As he watched the way she moved with provocative sensuality, he once again got the sense that she was flirting with him. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, trying to make sense of her. Was it possible that after all these years she wanted him? That she now saw him as something more than the poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks, even though deep down he would always be that boy?
His glance moved over her face and he arched a brow. “I guess we’re going to find out then, aren’t we?”
As she adjusted the dials she said, “Then it’s settled. I’ll meet you at the cabin tomorrow afternoon and we’ll begin your…therapy.”
There was something about the way she said therapy that piqued his interest in the most delicious ways. Honestly, he had no idea what this good girl was up to, or what she really wanted from him, but God help her, because he planned to use every minute of the long weekend to find out.
Chapter Two
As Haley negotiated her car through the narrow gravel road leading to Cole’s cabin, she thought more about the weekend ahead and all the bad-girl therapy she had planned for the gorgeous high school boy who had grown into one hell of a sexy man.
Her friends, Madison and Allison, had been urging her to come along for the weekend, but she didn’t want to just show up unannounced. Fortunately for her, Drake’s phone call had given her the perfect excuse to accompany her friends to the secluded cabin in the woods and to put her sexy plan into motion. Lord knew after all the stuffed shirts her parents had set her up with, boring men they were determined to marry her off to, a summer fling with a hot guy with an even hotter reputation was just the thing she needed.
Her car hit a bump, dragging her mind back. Off in the distance, through the thinning trees, she caught a glimpse of his cabin. It was small but quaint, and just beyond the structure she glimpsed a long wooden dock leading to the majestic Atlantic Ocean. The cool water called out to her, and thoughts of jumping in after the sun went down filled her with erotic sensations. After all, it was the perfect setting for her to begin her…therapy.
Even though she’d never been invited to Cole’s cabin—back in the day athletes didn’t associate with good girls on student council—she’d heard all about the wild parties he used to throw—parties that ended up with couples naked beneath the full moon.
Or so she’d been told.
While she’d hated hearing about those wild weekends secondhand, and hated that she’d never been invited to participate in any of his gatherings, this weekend she planned to make up for lost time, and to show the soccer star what he’d missed out on. That good girl Haley Jones really was naughty beneath the nice.
Then again, back in the day, with a socialite mother and a father in politics, her folks never would have allowed her to cross the tracks and go to Cole’s cabin anyway. She did, after all, have an image to uphold.
They a
ll did.
But now—well, now she was all grown up, and she could make her own decisions. She blew out a long, slow breath and frowned. Hell, who was she kidding? Not only was she a professional physiotherapist who took her job very seriously, her father was the mayor, which meant she still had to keep her image squeaky clean for both their sakes.
Still, here at the cabin, with no one around for miles, she was hoping she could forget about reality for a while and just play by the Vegas rules.
She tapped her brakes, and as she eased her vehicle between two towering trees, she noticed the other vehicles already in the driveway. Pulling the key from the ignition, she climbed from the driver’s side, and that’s when she heard laughter coming from inside the cabin, a sign she was the last to arrive.
The fragrant scent of pine and moss filled the air, and despite the cut-off denims and the spaghetti-strap tank top she wore, warm heat washed over her and moistened her skin as she circled the car. She wiped her brow, thinking she might jump into that ocean sooner rather than later.
She popped her trunk and grabbed her overnight bag, as well as the camera equipment she promised Drake she’d bring along, and rounded the corner to the front door. But when she caught sight of Cole, heavy axe in hand as he chopped firewood, her breath caught in her throat and her legs nearly went out from beneath her.
Looking wild and rugged in a pair of old, worn jeans that hugged his body in all the right places, he swung the axe with practiced ease. When his thick muscles bunched with the movement, it had her heart doing a double beat and her womb clenching with raw need.
Good God…
Her glance raked over him with acute awareness, taking pleasure in the sight of a sexy, half-naked man conquering a wood pile. Lord knew she’d seen shirtless men before, but she’d never seen this kind of shirtless. It made her breathless, excited, nervous and uneasy all at the same time.
A loud crack split the air and echoed around her. Cole lifted the axe again, but when he noticed her standing there, he straightened to his full height and lowered the blade. Moisture glistened on his body, and the second his dark, intense eyes locked on hers, sexual tension like she’d never before experienced arced between them. Flirting with him at the office had been one thing, but seeing him here, completely in his element as he split timber, was something else entirely.