And looked incredibly gorgeous.
He was sitting on one of the machines, his legs stretched out in front of him. He wore no shirt, and her eyes immediately lowered to his abs—a complete six-pack. While his body was not as toned as it could be, with a little effort he’d be back to his trim, fit celebrity self. And it was not that he was lacking anything—he redefined sexy.
She could not keep her eyes off of the hair that started at his navel and trickled below the band of his shorts.
“I’m all ready to begin,” he said. She could hear the hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“So am I,” she replied cheerfully. She walked over to where he sat.
“I’m going to establish a routine which we’ll use for each of our sessions. We’ll start off with some stretches, then some work on the machines and finally we’ll focus on the muscles of your weaker leg and hand.”
“Sounds fine to me. I’m so looking forward to this.” She heard the same sarcasm in his voice.
“Along with the exercises, we’re going to have to do some work on your attitude. A pleasant disposition is the key to positive progress.” She grimaced. She was beginning to sound like a schoolmarm.
“A lady that knows how to be witty. I like that in a woman.”
She tried to ignore him but the look on his face made her want to laugh. Instead, she held her composure.
For the next half an hour she took him through the stretches and some exercises to strengthen his leg. He did them with the enthusiasm of a bored schoolboy, and with each exercise came complaints.
When he was done, she tossed him a towel from one of the benches in the gym and told him to get undressed and wrap himself in the towel.
What he did next left her flabbergasted, flustered...and hot.
Standing in front of her, he placed a hand on the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down in one smooth, fluid movement.
She gasped.
He looked up.
She turned around, but not before she caught a glimpse of his generous manhood.
“You can turn around now,” he said. She could hear the amusement in his voice.
She turned slowly. Her face still flushed with her embarrassment.
“You could have warned me you were planning to do a striptease,” she chided.
“Sorry, I thought you with you being medical personal, that shouldn’t surprise you.”
She breathed deeply, wanting to focus on the job ahead. “Please lie on the bed over there,” she said, ignoring his comment.
He complied without hesitation, though getting on the bed did require her assistance.
* * *
Her first touch was firm. She kneaded his muscles gently, rubbing in a warm liquid.
Her hands were not as soft as he’d expected, but firm and strong. He felt the warm moistness of the liquid she’d poured on him. She then began to massage his muscles with a more firm approach.
And then things started to change for him. The hands started to feel different.
The tightened muscles, the throbbing pain that had become part of his existence slowly dissipated. All he could think of was the sensation flowing through him from her touch. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a woman’s hands on his body, but even then, he couldn’t remember it feeling this good. He closed his eyes and felt himself drifting.
* * *
When he awoke, he was alone. Damn, he’d fallen asleep, but he still felt tired from the lack of sleep. He knew it would take him a while to adjust to this new routine. He rarely slept in the darkness of the night, but found that with the light the memories faded and he was able to sleep without the nightmare that haunted him.
One of the reasons he’d given her the first few days off. He’d been trying to force himself to sleep so he could be awake early in the morning.
He rose from the bed, realizing the towel had fallen to the floor. He chuckled, noting that he had already given her a special showing of his equipment.
What the hell had possessed him to do that? She’d probably call the police and accuse him of sexual harassment.
He lowered his feet to the ground, his right foot first to take the weight of the left.
While he felt some pain, it was not the same excruciating pain that usually followed his first step. Instead, he experienced a different type of numbness that was more bearable.
Even his body felt better. Maybe Charles was right. She seemed to know what she was doing and, in fact, this was the best he’d felt since returning home.
Her touch was magical. In more ways than one. As she’d kneaded his sore muscles, he’d found his body responding and had tried to control it by thinking of something else. Fortunately it had worked.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was time for lunch.
Should he eat lunch with Aaliyah or in his room?
It was probably better if he went back to his room. He was sure she wouldn’t be too happy to face him after their session.
Several minutes later, Mrs. Clarke informed him that Aaliyah was not feeling well and would remain in her room for the rest of the day.
What had he done?
Chapter 6
The next morning before sunrise, Dominic walked along the cliff’s face. As memories of running along these cliffs during his childhood tried to surface, he pushed them into the back of his mind, where he kept them buried. There were few memories from that period of life that he found pleasant.
It was not that he didn’t love his mother, but he’d hated being poor. He remembered the nights he went to bed hungry and the hours it had taken for him to fall asleep.
He did not want to go back there. As he looked out to sea, he felt the same emotions now. This had been a place of refuge for him. It was here where he’d forgotten about his life and fantasized about a better life.
In the distance, he could see the rooftops of the houses of the village where he had grown up. Since he’d arrived on the island, he’d refused to go back there. He wondered if anyone there would remember him. He wondered if his childhood best friend, Adrian Johnson, still lived there. He had left the island at fourteen to live with a father he hadn’t even known. He’d cried when his mother had passed away, but there had been a kind of relief in those tears. Living in New York had forever changed his life...for the better.
His father was gone now, too, but even before his father’s death, he’d had big plans and ideas. His father had been a dreamer, but he’d taken his own dreams and made them come true.
He shook his head, not wanting to go back to that time just a few years ago when life had been perfect. He had been perfect. He’d been the envy of most models. He’d strutted on the runway with confidence, and the fashion world had embraced him with a reverence he didn’t quite understand.
He heard a bark in the distance. Nugget had found a crab. The pup loved crabs and could spend hours sitting by a hole waiting for the creatures to emerge. He called the dog, and Nugget immediately raced in his direction, coming to an ungainly stop.
“Come, boy. Let’s head back to the house. I have a session with the beautiful Ms. Carrington this morning and I want to be on my best behavior...which means I have to be early for the session.”
Nugget looked up, his head cocked to the side, an expression of distinct comprehension on his face.
“Everything she does annoys the pants off me.” Not that he didn’t find her appealing. In fact, he found her quite attractive. And she smelled good. He wasn’t particularly fond of the strong flowery scent most women seemed to prefer. Instead, her subtle scent reminded him of the ocean breeze that even now wafted across the cliff’s face.
One minute he was thinking about her, the next he was lying flat on his stomach. Of course, Nugget thought they were playing a game and jumped on his back, barking at the top of his puppy voice.
Pain coursed through his body while the muscles in his leg started to spasm. He lay on the ground unable to move. Slowly, very slowly, the pain subsided. He raised
his head, looking around to see if anyone had seen him fall.
He searched around for his cane, finding it with little effort. He used it to rise to his feet, scowling when he jolted it and the pain stung.
He stood, his legs still feeling shaky from the fall.
And then it dawned on him. He had the opportunity to be better, work on being better, and he was being pigheaded. The only person he was hurting with his attitude was himself.
He walked slowly, his thoughts troubled by his revelation. Maybe he needed to take a look at himself. If he’d been the one to observe his behavior he would have been appalled.
When he reached the pathway leading up the back of the house, he slowed down. He hoped no one could tell he’d fallen. Hopefully, he could slip inside without telling the others.
He’d planned on coming down for breakfast, but his legs hurt and a splitting headache was coming on. Nugget whimpered and he looked down. The pup was hungry.
He had no choice but to go to the kitchen. He’d just have to deal with Mrs. Clarke. Hopefully she was the only one there.
When he entered the kitchen a few minutes later, he frowned. It was the drill sergeant. She was drinking a cup of tea and watching the television he’d placed in the kitchen for Mrs. Clarke. “Can’t miss my soaps,” she’d told him.
He’d placed a large widescreen model that she guarded as if it were some kind of precious gem. No one dared to mess with Mrs. Clarke’s television when the soaps or her special morning shows were on.
Before she could speak, Nugget rushed over to where she sat and barked softly as if he didn’t want to disturb her.
She glanced up, her gaze immediately coming to rest on him.
“Good morning,” she said, stoically. Damn, did she ever smile? Aaliyah was all business at all times and he wondered what she’d do if he were to kiss her. Immediately, he pushed the thought from his mind. He wasn’t even sure where it’d come from.
She stood with the cup in her hand, and headed to the sink.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice filled with concern. She walked closer to him and stopped.
Her hand reached for his face and she brushed something away.
“You’re covered in grass and dust.”
He almost cowered but straightened his back.
“It’s nothing,” he replied. “I’m fine.”
“I’m sure you are,” she said, her voice tinted with amusement.
He looked at her, standing before him. There was a twinkle in her eyes.
“I’m glad I can be of some amusement to someone.”
“I’m not amused. Wonder why you would be so worried about a little fall.”
“Fall? I didn’t...” He stopped. It didn’t make any sense lying. He’d fallen. Period. That was all.
“I have to feed Nugget.” He turned to the dog, ignoring her.
“I’m going back to my room. The session is at nine, remember?”
He was about to tell her he wasn’t coming but stopped himself. He’d go and show her he wasn’t a shirker.
“I’ll see you,” he stated firmly.
She smiled briefly and left, but not before he saw the hint of smile on her lips.
He growled. She had the uncanny ability to get under his skin.
He walked toward the stairway, still wondering why he’d refused to move to a bedroom downstairs.
Of course, he’d wanted to prove he could be independent. Now each time he labored upstairs, the pain in his leg reminded him how stubborn he’d been.
What seemed like hours later, he entered his room, stripped his clothes off and dressed in his outfit for the session.
He groaned. He was not looking forward to it.
While he knew the importance of the session, he didn’t feel comfortable with Aaliyah yet. He felt something stirring between them. Each time she placed her hands on him, it took all of his control not to get rock hard. His response to her still baffled him. It had crept up on him.
It was her touch. There was something exciting and titillating about her hands on him. And she was never anything other than professional.
He was the one with the overactive imagination, the one with the one-track mind. He needed sex. He had not had sex since the accident.
He glanced up at the clock. Time for his session. He sighed. Already his body was reacting in anticipation.
* * *
Aaliyah had reached the stage where the word frustration didn’t come close to explain how she was feeling. She’d balked on several occasions at calling Dr. Graham. While she understood what Dominic was going through, she really thought he was behaving like a spoiled brat.
He was twenty minutes late, which had become his daily routine. She was sure he did it deliberately. Just to get on her nerves. Just to prove he was the still the boss.
The door creaked and she turned in the direction of the noise. Dominic walked in.
“Sorry to be late,” he said.
“I’m sure you are,” she retorted.
“I mean it. I’m sorry.”
She huffed.
“Now, what does that mean?”
“You’ve never been early for any of our sessions thus far, so there really isn’t any need for you to be sorry. I work for you.”
He stared at her and nodded his head slowly. “That’s true,” he agreed. “So what are the plans for today?”
“We’ll go through our regular routine.”
He groaned.
“I do have some additional sets to add.”
He groaned again. “I know Charles sent you here to torture me.”
“Maybe he did. But I think he did because he knows I am good at what I do.”
“You like your work?”
“I do. However, we really can’t do your exercises if you keep talking. You need to get on the bench.”
He signed. She was persistent. Something he liked about her. The other two nurses had given up on him. Aaliyah wasn’t too happy about having free days. She’d made it clear that the only days they would be resting were Saturdays and Sundays.
He’d agreed reluctantly. There had been one day when his sessions had not been too hectic. However, that didn’t mean that his body hadn’t ached when he went to bed at night.
He looked at her and she returned the stare. He could see her irritation and moved quickly to start the first routine. It was going to be a long morning.
* * *
The lunch bell chimed. She didn’t think she would ever get accustomed to the bell ringing for meals. It reminded her of high school. She put the folders she was reading aside and walked downstairs to the dining room.
While breakfast could be eaten in the kitchen, Mrs. Clarke insisted they ate lunch and dinner in the dining room.
She didn’t particularly mind, since the room opened onto a large patio, which provided a picturesque view of the ocean in the distance. When she stepped into the room she was more than a bit surprised to see Dominic there.
He’d changed out of his gym clothes and wore a white T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. She’d seen pictures of him on television and he looked more like that person now.
He’d shaved and shaped up his hairline. He was standing on the patio, his gaze focused on the ocean.
Next to him, Nugget sat, his tail playfully thumping the floor. At her footsteps he stopped, looked up and immediately raced to her, the speed of his tail increasing with each step.
Dominic turned.
Their eyes met, his gaze lingered and she looked away. Her eyes fell to look at the puppy sitting at her feet. She reached down, tickled his ear and watched as he shivered with excitement.
“He likes you.” Dominic’s voice startled her. She’d not seen him walk over to her but she could now smell the woodsy fragrance of his cologne.
“Mrs. Clarke told me I could start lunch as soon as you arrived.”
“You didn’t have to wait.”
“That would have been rude. You’re a guest in my hom
e.”
“Well, thanks for waiting. I don’t much like eating by myself.”
“I have been pretty antisocial, haven’t I?” he stated. “I promise I will be a lot more accommodating in future.”
“It’s fine. I’m really not a guest. I’m working for you, remember? I don’t expect to be treated like a guest.”
“Then that’s how we differ. Anyone who’s here at my request is a guest. And since I’m the boss,” he chuckled, “I get to determine what I want you to be.”
“I can’t argue with that,” she agreed reluctantly.
“So you’re ready to eat? I am starving after the torture you put me through.”
“I am hungry. The island air seems to have affected my appetite.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“I’m not sure. I may just have to start using the gym while I’m here.”
“Feel free to use it whenever you want. You only work for me in the mornings. Your evenings are yours to do whatever you want.”
“I was thinking about that. I’d like us to do a bit of walking during the afternoon a few times a week. I’m sure it will help to make your leg stronger.”
“Well, you are the professional. Charles told me I have to do everything you say. It doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice.”
“But you do. This is all about choices. It shouldn’t be about what Charles says. You’re the one with the medical problem, not Charles.”
“That’s true. Then I’ll rephrase what I said. I’d be delighted for us to take a walk some afternoons. As long as I can bring Nugget along.”
“Of course,” she replied. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Good, but now we really have to eat. My stomach is growling.”
He led her to the table and waited for her to sit before he did.
His gesture surprised her, but she realized she was being unfair. She was casting assumptions on his character and she didn’t really know him yet.
* * *
Aaliyah could not sleep. Strange, since she’d slept so well from the time she’d arrived on the island. She glanced at the clock. Just after midnight. She needed to get a good night’s sleep since she had to be up early in the morning.
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