by Krista Lakes
Her lips were a magnet, pulling him closer. He couldn't stop himself. A force more powerful than his own will moved him and he began to lean in. Her eyes stayed locked with his as their lips neared. They almost touched, but right before they could, Elsie slowly pulled away.
“We shouldn't,” she said, shaking her head. “We really shouldn't.”
Oliver was a little stunned, being that no other girl in his memory had ever turned down a kiss from him. It really only made him want her more, but he didn't say anything in response. He didn't want to make things awkward between them.
God, she probably thinks I'm a total creep now, he thought. I shouldn't have tried to kiss her. That was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
In an effort to change the subject, Oliver ran his fingers through his hair. “Elsie, you didn't happen to bring the hair bleach with you, did you? I'd love to get my roots dyed, before someone discovers my darkest secret: that I'm not a blond surfer dude.”
“Yeah, actually I did.” She laughed and Ollie watched her shoulders relax. “I came prepared. Do you want me to dye it now?”
“Sure, why not?” Ollie shrugged. “I've got nothing else going on, unless you want to watch TV. I think Jeopardy is on next.”
Elsie glanced toward the flat screen on the wall across the room. “That is a huge TV.”
“It's not really that big,” he said. It wasn't anywhere near the one he had at home.
“That's what she said,” she commented, with a chuckle. “But, seriously, I think that's the biggest TV I've ever seen in a house.”
Oliver looked at the screen, realizing that it actually was pretty big. He'd just gotten so used to everyone he knew having the biggest and the best. He'd forgotten that regular people don't have eighty-five inch televisions.
“I guess it is a little big,” he admitted.
“A little big?” she said, with wide eyes. “That thing is a freaking jumbo-tron. You must be able to see every blade of grass when you watch a game on that thing.”
“To be honest, I haven't watched much on it.” He smiled at her. “Although, I did see a golf game the other day, though, and you're right. Every blade of grass was visible.”
“Golf?” she raised her eyebrows at him. “You used that TV to watch golf?”
“It was that or the news, and honestly, the male anchor needs to get a better razor,” he replied.
Elsie laughed playfully as she stood up from the couch. The mood between them had shifted and it was now more relaxed. His lips still burned, though, wishing that they'd been able to share that kiss. It was so close. So close that he could taste her. He wanted that, now more than before even though he knew he shouldn't.
“Come on,” she said, taking his hand and helping him to his feet. “Let's get your hair fixed up.”
With a grunt, Oliver got to his feet. He grimaced as soon as the weight was on his injury and Elsie took notice immediately.
“Did you take your pain medication yet?” she asked, her gaze going clinical.
“No, I've been in bed since our session today.” He shook his head. “I only got up when I knew you were coming over.”
“Oliver, you need to take that medication if you're in pain,” she said, her hand going to his shoulder. The touch made his body heat with desire. “There's no point in hurting all day if you don't have to.”
“You're probably right, Doc.” He pulled away, needing and hating to sever the connection between them. If he wanted to keep this platonic, he needed her not to touch him or his body was going to override his brain. “I'll take some. They're in the bathroom, which is probably the best place to dye my hair anyway.”
“Okay, well let's go,” she replied, as she walked next to him toward the bathroom. “You take your medicine before I dye your hair. Doctor's orders.”
Ollie chuckled at her comment. It was the first time she'd referred to herself as “doctor” and it made him laugh. He was getting to her and he liked it.
When they got to the bathroom, he took his pills and then Elsie dyed his hair. He sat in a chair in front of the sink, with his head dipped back in it. It gave him a view of the ceiling, and of Elsie, as she stood next to him, massaging the dye onto his head with her fingers. It felt like he was at the salon, only this girl was infinitely more pretty than any stylist he'd ever had.
He had to focus on not moaning in pleasure as she rinsed his hair with warm water and used her strong fingers to relax his scalp. This was far better than the pretty-boy stylist Nikki had forced him to use the first time. With Elsie doing his hair, he suddenly saw the appeal of changing his hair color more often.
“How's it looking?” he asked after a few minutes.
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “I don't know, Ollie. I think I might have screwed up. It said it was supposed to be blonde, but it looks pretty orange. Like, fluorescent orange.”
“What?” Ollie sat up quickly. “You're joking.”
“I didn't want to say anything, because I thought I could fix it if I just kept massaging,” she said, in a panic. “I'm so sorry.”
He stood up on his good leg and spun around to face himself in the mirror. His hair was not orange at all and in fact, looked like the exact color of blonde that he'd been hoping for.
“Very funny, Elsie,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You're not only a physical therapist and a hair stylist, but you're apparently also a comedian.”
Elsie started laughing so hard that she had to lean against the wall of the bathroom. Her laughter was contagious and soon, Ollie followed along. He wasn't sure what he was more happy about. The fact that he was seeing her smile, or the fact that his hair wasn't actually bright orange.
“Sorry, I had to,” she said, once the giggling had subsided. “I couldn't resist.”
“You're a cruel, cruel lady,” he said, his lips curling into a smirk. “It's a good thing I like you.”
The last sentence just seemed to spill out of his mouth without him even considering the implications. There was a moment of nervous silence, as he watched her absorb what he had just said. And then he found relief when she replied. “I like you too, Ollie.”
He stepped close to her, placing his hands onto her forearms. The entire world shrank down the size of the bathroom and for a moment, it was just the two of them. Nikki didn't exist and either did football. Even his injury had no place there. Nothing else was in Oliver's universe right then except for Elsie.
He could see the nervousness in her eyes and it matched how he felt as well. This wasn't just some club girl that he could kiss and toss away. She was the real deal and he suddenly felt deeply afraid that he could somehow screw everything up with her.
He watched as Elsie looked down at his lips, before bringing her gaze back up. She drew in a deep breath.
“God, I want to kiss you right now. I really do. But I can't. I'm sorry, Ollie.” She took a step back. “I can't cross that line. I want to, but... I don't know. Maybe I should go. I'm sorry to interrupt your night.”
With that she fled from the bathroom and practically sprinted to the living room. Ollie followed her out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping with water.
“Wait, Elsie. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“You didn't, Oliver,” she said, picking up her purse. “You didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, you made me a feel a hundred times better than I felt when I was at home. And that's actually part of the problem. I'm your medical provider.”
“I get it,” Ollie said, as he watched Elsie put her coat on. “I know you don't want to mix work and personal life. Trust me, I can understand that. But dammit, Elsie, I feel more drawn to you than any woman I've ever met. Maybe we should forget the whole working relationship thing here and focus on what actually feels real.”
“I just need to stay professional,” she said, grabbing the door handle. Her eyes were big and shone in the light. “Plus, your recovery is almost over, Ollie. You'll be leaving in a few weeks. Why
start something now that we can't pursue? That's just asking for heartache.”
She pulled the door open, sending a gust of cold air into the house. Ollie hobbled toward her, feeling deeply conflicted as well. He wanted so badly for her to stay with him that night. And not so that he could make love to her either, but just to have her there. Elsie was right, though, and he knew it. He would be leaving soon. Getting too close to her now would only end in heart break for them both.
“I'll see you tomorrow then?” he asked. “For my session.”
“Yes, of course,” Elsie replied, putting the hood of her coat on and stepping into the snow. She stopped after just a few steps and turned around. “Ollie?”
“Yeah?” he said, squinting against the blizzard outside.
“Thanks for hanging out tonight,” she said. “Seriously. It made my evening.”
“You made mine too,” he agreed with a smile. “My knee feels better and you didn't even have to do anything but eat pizza with me.”
She smiled and paused, looking Oliver in the eyes. The attraction was still there and as potent as ever. Oliver could feel it and he knew she could too. Both of them knew it wasn't a good idea to pursue it, though. Nothing more needed to be said.
“Goodnight,” she said, then turned and walked toward her car.
“Goodnight.” Ollie closed the door and hobbled back to the couch.
His emotions were in turmoil. The most amazing woman he knew was slowly stealing his heart. It was absolutely the last thing he'd expected when he moved to Iowa for his recovery. He wasn't sure how to handle it.
I want that girl, he thought. I really, really want her. But I don't want to hurt her. God, she's something special, though. I've never met anyone like her. Nobody has ever made me feel the way she does. What am I supposed to do?
Chapter 11
Elsie
Elsie had managed to get home through the blizzard, but it was scary. Her car slipped around every corner and she'd almost gotten stuck a half a dozen times. She parked and went upstairs to her apartment to slip into her pajamas and snuggle into bed. As she crawled underneath the covers, she couldn't stop thinking about how she'd almost kissed Oliver. She'd almost crossed a line that she knew she shouldn't and the idea of that scared her.
What if that had happened? She thought. I could get in so much trouble.
Still, though, she couldn't deny the fact that tasting those lips of his did sound nice. She wondered what kind of kisser he was, whether he was slow and sensual, or firm and aggressive.
No, Elsie, no, she told herself. Stop thinking about that right now.
She shook her head, trying to rid the naughty thoughts that were infiltrating it without her permission.
“I need to just go to sleep,” she whispered. “But maybe I should text him and tell him thank you for getting together.”
Elsie reached for her phone, then quickly changed her mind.
That's exactly the opposite of what I should do, she thought, setting the cell back onto her night stand. She was falling for him, hard and deep.
She pressed her head back into the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Outside, the wind continued to howl and she pulled her blanket tightly around her to help fight the cold drafts that haunted the old building. Then she closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.
But Elsie's slumber didn't last long. The sound of a rumbling engine on the street out front woke her up. When she opened her eyes, she glanced at the clock to find that she'd only been asleep for about an hour. The sound of the motor faded off, and immediately after, she heard a knocking coming from the front door of the clinic downstairs.
“Who the hell?” she whispered, throwing the blankets off and getting out of bed.
It was past midnight and nobody in that town would have been awake at that time and certainly not roaming the streets in the middle of a snow storm. Her adrenaline spiked as the knocking got louder and more frantic.
Elsie wiped the sleep from her eyes and slipped on her fuzzy blue robe. With no idea who could be at the door, she decided to play it safe and grab her baseball bat from the coat closet. Then she walked down the interior stairs that went straight to her office below.
Whoever is there better not be trying to rob the place, she thought, turning the corner with her bat in hand. I'm in good shape and I'm not afraid to use this bat.
But when she turned the corner and looked out the front glass windows of the clinic, she didn't see a stranger or a burglar. She saw Oliver, standing on the sidewalk and shivering, as snow blustered around him. He was wrapped in an orange parka with the hood pulled up over his head.
“Let me in, Elsie,” he said, knocking a few more times. “It's freezing out here.”
“Hold on a second, Oliver,” she called out, as she dug through the drawers of the front desk to find the key to the front door.
The lights were off, which made things difficult, but she finally found the key. She quickly went and unlocked the door. When she pulled it open, an icy wind followed Oliver inside.
“Ollie, what are you doing here?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”
He nodded and closed the door. “Yeah, everything is great.”
Oliver took off the parka and hung it on the coat rack. Snow slid off of it and into a pile on the floor.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Elsie asked. “It's late. I'm surprised to see you right now. How did you even get here?”
Ollie chuckled, as he rubbed his hands together to get them warm. “I asked one of the neighbors for a ride. I hope you don't mind that I showed up here without calling. But after you left my house, I couldn't stop thinking about you.”
Now that his jacket was off, Elsie got to see Oliver in a tight white t-shirt and black workout pants. He looked as hot as ever, and obviously tempting. But she couldn't let her mind go in the wrong direction. She needed to remain a professional.
“That's really sweet, Ollie,” she said. “It's nice to see you, but you should have called. I came down here with a baseball bat. You scared the bejeezus out of me, you know that?”
He smiled and took her hands in his. “I'm sorry. I just thought that you'd talk me out of coming if I called. I know that you're fighting yourself over all of this. You're afraid to cross that line between patient and provider. I get it. But look, it's midnight. Your office is closed. You know what that means?”
Elsie raised an eyebrow. “What's that?”
“It means you're not working right now,” he said, with a devilish smirk. “I'm not technically your patient.”
Without waiting for her response, Oliver leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She hesitated at first, pulling away in surprise. But he was like a powerful magnet and she only stayed distant for a millisecond. Then she leaned back in, letting the kiss resume.
A passionate spark ignited and Elsie parted her lips. Their tongues danced in each others mouths, delicately touching and then pulling away. In the back of her mind, she knew that she shouldn't be allowing something like this to happen. But the logical side of her brain had been trumped by her need for intimacy with Oliver. It was like she had spent weeks trying to build a wall between them and Ollie just showed up and knocked it down with that beautiful smile and perfect body.
Elsie placed her hands onto his face. Her fingertips tickled from his beard stubble as she pulled him close, turning the light kissing into an aggressive make-out session. The wall that she'd built between them continued to crumble and the sexual energy poured through like a flash flood.
Maybe this is wrong, but whatever, she thought, trying to justify it to herself. It's clear that we both want this. Maybe it's destined to happen no matter how badly I try to fight it.
Oliver undid the front of Elsie's robe and pulled it open, slipping his hands to her sides. She let out a soft groan as he stepped forward, pressing her back against the wall near the patient check-in desk. She broke the kiss and looked over toward the front door, where the floor to ceiling win
dows were.
“We can't do this here,” she said, in between heavy breaths. “Someone could see us. Come on, let's go to the workout room.”
“Okay,” Ollie said. “Take me there.”
Elsie took his hand and led him to the back. The room was dark, except for the beams of moonlight that shone through the three small windows near the top of the walls. It was just enough light to see where she was going and she led him over to the massage table near the back.
I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought. But who in their right mind would turn him down?
Before she could even turn around, Ollie brought his hands to her hips and spun her to face him. Then he lifted her up onto the massage table. She laid down on her back, biting her bottom lip flirtatiously.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, as he crawled onto the table with her.
His hands were above her shoulders, holding himself over her. The moonlight fell across his face, illuminating his blue irises. This was happening and any previous doubts that she'd held were quickly fading away.
“I wanted you since the minute I met you,” she said.
“You should have told me,” he replied. “I felt the same thing.”
He leaned in and resumed the kiss. Elsie's body tingled all over. Something about the randomness of the moment, and the privacy they had, and the sexual tension she'd been repressing. It all came together and turned her on more than ever. She became wet with desire and began to crave having him inside of her.
“Take me, Oliver,” she begged, as soon as he pulled away from the kiss. “Just take me.”
Ollie sat up and pulled off his shirt, revealing his muscular figure. His chest and abs flexed as he reached forward and brought his hands to the top of Elsie's thighs. His touch sent a wave of anticipation into her and her pussy throbbed desperately underneath her pajamas.
“Let's get these off,” he said, slipping his fingers into the waist strap of her pants.
Elsie lifted her butt up from the massage table as Oliver slid her pajamas down, taking her panties with them. He pulled them all the way to her ankles and she kicked them the rest of the way off. Her gaze moved down Ollie's body, noticing a thick bulge that was now protruding from the front of his athletic pants. She licked her lips when she saw it and her pussy clenched. She'd never wanted anything so badly.