Road to Recovery

by Ann, Natalie

  She helped him unload and store their food away in the stainless steel refrigerator and dark cherry cabinets.

  “Let’s finish this up quick, and we can get you situated. I’d say I’d give you a tour, but you are pretty much seeing it all. Well, on this level at least. Four bedrooms upstairs, two baths, finished basement—more of a guest suite, actually, down there,” he informed her, then stored the last empty grocery bag away.

  He was right. She could see the rest of the downstairs from just about anywhere once they came out of the hallway. It was a huge open space, almost giving the illusion of living outdoors.

  There was a small informal eating area in front of the kitchen. To the right was a big living room, with simple but plush and comfortable-looking black leather furniture, half the pieces facing a stone fireplace, the other pieces facing the view of the lake. Of course, a large flat screen TV dominated one wall.

  Stepping further into the living room, she noticed a staircase tucked into the far corner, leading above to a landing that overlooked the view beyond, along with the living area below. Following him up the stairs, with her suitcase in his hand once again, she noticed the hardwood floors continued to this level too. At the end of the hallway was a set of double doors, which were wide open, also with a view of the lake beyond.

  The simple but huge king sized bed was positioned in the middle of one wall, so you could lie on your back and stare at the sky and water in front of you, or through the skylight above you. To the side of the bed was a hallway she assumed led to a bathroom and closet.

  Setting her suitcase on the bed, he turned and smiled while he watched her continue to look out the windows at the lake. “There should be a few empty drawers in that dresser closest to you. You can put your clothes in there if you want. The bathroom is at the end of the hall behind you. You can put the rest of your things in there when you’re ready.”

  Closing the now-filled drawers, she grabbed her toiletries and headed for the bathroom. Which, like everything else in the house, was also oversized.

  She thought her spa tub and tiled shower were big, but they didn’t even compare. Marble gray tiles on the floor, walls and ceiling made up the shower that could easily fit three people. Secretly she hoped it never had. There were three showerheads, one on opposite ends and a rainfall head in the center. All closed in by two glass doors that slid open on either side.

  Next to the shower was a corner tub. She had a hard time imagining Lucas sitting in that jetted tub, though she could easily imagine herself lounging in there for hours on end.

  In the far corner was a double vanity with gray marble counters. Walking up to the empty counter space, she carefully lined up her lotion, hair products, then toothbrush and toothpaste.

  When she was done, she turned to look at him. He was leaning casually against the doorframe with his feet crossed in front of him, his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. He had taken off his jacket and tie before they made the drive home. And he was smirking at her. “You all set now? Have everything organized just right?” he asked with a trace of humor in his voice.

  She shrugged. “Sorry. I like things a certain way.”

  “No problem. It’s kind of cute.” He ignored her snort. “Are you hungry? Or do you want to try for that run? It’s actually pretty nice out now. But it’s up to you.”

  “A run sounds good.” She hedged. “But don’t feel like we have to go together.”

  Frowning at her now, he asked, “Why wouldn’t we go together?”

  “This is my first time out in a year. I don’t want to hold you up. I’m only saying you can go at your normal pace. Don’t worry about slowing down for me,” she explained.

  He waved his hand. “No, we can go together. You set the pace and I’ll follow your lead. Besides, it lets me get close to you in your tight little athletic shorts for once.” A smile split across his face. “I’ve only been able to admire them from a distance. So now is my chance, up close and personal. I’ll try to keep my hands to myself.”

  Rolling her eyes, she walked back to his bedroom and changed into her workout gear, while he stepped into his closet to change his own clothes.

  A few minutes later, they were walking down his long driveway back to the main road. “I normally run down the road, then turn around when I’m halfway through. Nothing exciting, but it gets the job done. It’s still better than the treadmill during the week.”

  Putting her ear buds in place and tucking her iPod into the little zippered pocket inside of her shorts, she started off at his pace. She knew he was going slowly for her benefit. She had watched him enough in the gym to know his actual pace.

  She enjoyed watching him. He always ran so effortlessly. She knew she had a graceful run, but that was before her accident. Right now she only wanted to get through without stopping.

  She was so lost in the music she didn’t realize how far they had gone until she felt his hand on her arm. Pulling out one of her ear buds, she realized he had been trying to talk to her. “Sorry. What?”

  “I said we’ve gone about fifteen minutes. Let’s turn around and head back. I don’t think you want to push it much more than that, right?”

  “No. That is probably my limit.”

  Turning around and heading back in the other direction, he stopped her hand from putting her ear bud back in. “How are you doing? OK?”

  “Yes. I know you are taking it easy on me. Let’s increase the pace a bit. I want to at least get my heart rate up. My leg is fine. Trust me.” She stared him down when she saw him start to protest.

  They finished the second half of the distance faster than the first, then slowed down and walked the rest of the way to the house. He pulled out his own ear buds and shut off his music. “Feel good?” he questioned.

  She couldn’t help smiling back at him. In the past she would have gotten annoyed over the question, but she was feeling too good right now, too proud of herself. Not only was she able to run the whole distance, but also her leg felt great. So did her back. Of course she still had endorphins running through her. But she was glad to have reached that milestone with him. “Great, actually. Thanks for indulging me.”

  “My pleasure. And it was. I was right, those shorts look even better up close.”

  Giggling, she tried to sidestep his hand that reached for her shorts. She felt carefree in that moment, for the first time in a long time. She didn’t know if it was the surroundings or the company, but either way, she was feeling like nothing she had ever felt before. And she didn’t want to question it right now. Go with the flow—sticking with her new motto.

  “Do you mind if I take a quick shower before dinner?” she asked, toeing her shoes off in the mudroom.

  “No, because I planned on it too. And we can conserve time and water by taking one together.” Then he grabbed her hand playfully and pulled her through the house.

  ***

  “I have a surprise for you,” he said picking up the plate of marinated chicken.

  “Really? I thought you gave me one upstairs,” she retorted, sending him a bright smile.

  “Nah, that was a warm up.” He slid open one of the glass doors to the deck. “The surprise is out here. Come have a look.”

  “That’s a really nice grill. But I was kind of hoping that you would cook tonight,” she said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

  “Thanks, for the grill comment. You know men and their grills, so hands off. It’s mine.” He loved listening to her laugh. “Look around toward the side of the house there a bit.” He pointed in the direction.

  “Oh, wow.” She eyed the hot tub on a smaller deck with a roof over it, looking more like a gazebo.

  “I thought you would enjoy it. I know how much you like your hot baths. And it might help ease any soreness from the run earlier.” Seeing the pleasure on her face warmed him. “Later tonight, when it cools down a bit, we can come out here and relax. But right now, let’s get the dinner going, because I’m starved.”

>   Two hours later he found himself laughing at her when she said, “I didn’t bring a bathing suit.” He poured a glass of wine for her and grabbed himself a beer in preparation for the hot tub.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t wear one either. There, does that make you feel better?” he asked.

  Ignoring him, she pressed on. “What if someone sees us?”

  “Brooke, look around. No one is going to see us. Trees surround us. Short of someone coming through the woods, or up the dock, we’re safe.” He stopped her before she could protest anymore. “And no, neither of those things is going to happen. We are pretty secluded here.”

  He could see her hesitation. The internal battle she always waged with herself. And then the moment where she finally let go. “You’re right. Let’s go,” she conceded.

  Not waiting around for her to change her mind, he grabbed her wine and his beer, headed for the deck and didn’t look back to see if she followed.

  He was getting into the tub when she started to lift her shirt over her head. He didn’t want her to feel embarrassed, but he wasn’t about to look away either. Reclining back, he took a sip of his beer. “What? Just enjoying the show,” he commented when she hesitated with her clothing.

  The pink hue rose from her neck to her face. It didn’t matter how many times they had been together, he still could make her blush with a look, or a word, and definitely with both at the same time. He thought it was hilarious.

  She stripped the rest of her clothes off as fast as she could and climbed in the steaming water opposite him. He raised his eyebrow at her, wondering why she settled so far away, but handed her the wine glass.

  Taking a sip, she reclined back, closed her eyes, and laid her head on the padded ledge behind her. “This is so much better than my tub at home.” She let out a blissful sigh.

  “It’s meant to be. Much hotter too, so you really can’t relax in here too long.”

  Brooke jerked about ten minutes later when his hand touched her foot. “Jump much?” He laughed at her. He saw her body start to relax, her eyes clouding over.

  “Sorry, I actually felt myself drifting off. I could fall asleep right now, between the wine and the heat,” she confessed.

  “Close your eyes again. Let me help you relax some more. Not ticklish, are you?” he asked, then he started to massage the arch of her foot. Her low groan was encouragement enough.

  “No. And, wow, that feels so good.” She turned and set the now empty wine glass down before it could slip out of her hand.

  His hand continued to knead her arch, moved back to her heel, then her arch, finally moving to her toes. Pushing them forward and back, stretching her foot with one hand as he continued to push his thumb deep into the center of her arch. He lowered it back into the water minutes later. “Lift your other foot for me,” he stated, then started the same ministrations again.

  “You have beautiful feet, so long and slim. Just like your legs, an extension of your legs. I love everything about your body. Soft and feminine and strong. You make strong look sexy.”

  He saw her body slide down further into the water, her arms go limp, and her head fall back against the cushion as she sighed deeply. He moved closer while he ran his hands up her leg, slowly caressing her calf. Then he ran his fingertips over her knee, massaging more as he went. His fingers gently tracing the curves of her knee, then behind, back down her calf and up again, teasing her endlessly.

  When she moaned low in her throat and involuntarily arched her back, his hand started to slide higher up her inner thigh, then retreated back, and up again. He wanted her to burn. Burn for him.

  Lifting her and shifting her in front of him, between his thighs, he rested his chin on her shoulder. “Does that feel good? You like that don’t you?” he asked as his one hand slid higher up her thigh, between her legs, resting it at her junction.

  He had pulled her up a little straighter so that her breasts were barely covered by the bubbling water rising around her nipples. Making them harden before he even touched them.

  Looking down he saw them pebbled, begging for his touch. He moved one hand up her waist, under her breast and then over, cupped her, covering her completely. Massaging her there as well. “I think you like when I touch you here, don’t you?”

  The arching of her back into his hand caused her shoulders to push into his chest, exposing her neck to his mouth. Delicately, he traced her collarbone with his tongue, and then gently nipped her with his teeth, finally settling on a spot with his lips to suck.

  She was writhing in his arms. “Tell me what you want. Tell me what you want me to do to you,” he whispered.

  She stammered, “Inside. Inside me.”

  “Like this,” he boasted as he slid two fingers inside her. Like he knew she loved.

  “Yes, like that. Just like that. Don’t stop,” she moaned, her hands gripping his thighs.

  Moving his other hand away from her breast and down between her legs, he started to rub her while he deepened his fingers inside her more. Curved them just enough, found the spot she was craving.

  Suddenly she exploded over him. Shudders raked her body, her hips lifted as she ground her pelvis into his hand.

  He held her there, until the last spasm left her body. She lay limply in his arms, breathing heavily, as the water continued to lap around her breasts, making her shiver. As much as he would have loved to hold her like that all night, he had held onto his control as much as he could.

  Standing up, cradling her in his arms, he set her on the deck, reached for one of the towels he brought out earlier, and wrapped it around her. She continued to look dazed and confused and blissfully relaxed. “Come on, baby, let’s finish this inside.” He wrapped the other towel around his hips and led her to his bedroom.

  Reaching

  As always, the sun shining through the windows woke Lucas. He refused to get blinds to cover the view, didn’t mind the early wake-up call. Stretching over blindly to the other side of bed, he reached for Brooke where she always slept huddled away. And found emptiness.

  Reluctantly he opened his eyes, squinted against the bright rays of sunshine, and noticed that she was nowhere to be found in the room. He listened for a minute but didn’t hear anything coming from the bathroom either. Grabbing shorts from the side of the bed, he slipped them on and made his way out the open double doors.

  He saw her the minute he stepped on the landing overlooking the family room below. There she was, in knee length yoga pants and a fitted crop top, standing in front of the wall of glass, balancing on one leg. Bent forward at the waist, both hands reaching in front of her, head up, while her other leg was level with her arms. Looking like Superman pretending to fly through the air.

  As he quietly continued to watch her, she slowly arched her back, grabbed the leg that was already lifted and pulled it higher, body forming a bow as she continued to reach forward with the other hand. Focused effortlessly. Gracefully moving from one position to the next, oblivious to her audience.

  How long he stood there and watched, he didn’t know. All he knew was that at that moment he was lost. Right there in front of him was everything he had ever been looking for and never knew.

  This big empty house, that he always loved but never felt right, suddenly did. It felt exactly right. It felt like a home. A home he wanted with Brooke. A life he wanted with Brooke.

  He heard her yelp in surprise when she became aware of his presence. Trying to mentally shake off his thoughts, not wanting to frighten her and say something stupid like what he was actually thinking, he continued to stare at her, racking his brain for something to break the silence.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said, lifting her arms over her head, clasping them together and stretching upward.

  Relieved he at least had something to say, he smiled. “You didn’t. The sun did. When I looked over you were gone. I was going to look for you when I saw you down there.” Grinning ruefully now, he added, “I was enjoying the
show. You can keep going if you want. I never realized how flexible you were.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  She ducked her head bashfully. “I’m done. I really wanted to stretch a bit. I can’t do much without a mat on these floors anyway.”

  Frowning with concern, he started to walk down the stairs toward her, then he asked in response to her comment about wanting to stretch, “Are you sore? From running?”

  “No. Not at all. I like to stretch in the mornings,” she assured him. “And I really couldn’t resist this spot. It’s so calm and peaceful to stand here and look at the water when the rest of the world is still asleep. I could never grow tired of this.”

  He stopped in front of her, ran his hand across her cheek and looked at her. His gaze moving from her eyes, to her mouth, as he lowered his lips to hers and murmured, “And I could never grow tired of this.”

  She stood still as his lips moved over hers. Her arms stiff, body rigid, he could almost hear the thudding of her heart. Too soon, he reminded himself, too soon. He didn’t want to scare her any more than she seemed to be.

  His lips moved over hers again and again, softly kissing her, not deepening it, continuing until she relaxed. Relaxed enough that she reached up and put her arms around his neck. He broke the kiss and continued to stand there, with her letting him hold her.

  He knew she was fighting for something deep within. He just didn’t know what. And frankly he was afraid to ask. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know right now. Not when he realized this was what he wanted. She held him for a minute more, something she never did. Ever. He was going to take that victory, however small it was, and go with it for now.

  Pulling away from him and putting a smile on her face, she asked, “Hungry? I was going to make you breakfast when I was done. Try to surprise you, but you ruined it.”

  Returning her tentative smile he asked boyishly, “Really? Pancakes?”