by C. C. Coburn
She moved up to his shins, working in long strokes from knee to ankle and back again. That wasn’t comfortable, either. He flinched and she eased off a little on the pressure, then gradually deepened it.
“It would help if you’d relax,” she said. “Try taking slow, deep breaths. Like the ones you were taking when I was finishing up with your back. You were relaxed then.”
Adam wasn’t aware that his breathing had revealed so much. It bothered him that she’d probably noticed a whole lot of other things about him, too.
“So when did you manage to fit in studying to become a massage therapist?” he asked.
“My husband and I married young and planned on having three children. So after Maddy, our third baby, was born I learned massage to bring in a little extra income. My home-based business was building, then I got pregnant with Charlie. I kept it up for as long as I could, but I got too fat to reach across the table.”
Adam couldn’t help grinning at the image of Carly heavy with child, trying to bend over a client.
Then the image of Carly heavy with his child filled Adam’s mind. Where did that thought come from? he asked himself, and worked to push it from his mind.
“I went back to work when Charlie was one.”
“How did you end up in Spruce Lake?”
“Long story. How about if you concentrate on relaxing and enjoying this experience instead of interrogating me?”
So, she had secrets, too, Adam surmised, judging by the way she’d cut him off. And, like him, she had a right to her privacy. He dropped the subject and did as he was told.
OH, LORDY! NOW SHE WAS stroking his thighs and it was causing him to respond to her touch in a very male way. It was far too stimulating and Adam felt in danger of embarrassing himself. Maybe he needed a male masseur? He was sure he wouldn’t be reacting like this if Carly were a guy.
“Breathe,” she said, and deepened the pressure of the strokes.
Adam needed to say something. To apologize for his reaction. But before he’d opened his mouth, she said, “Shh, it’s okay. It happens. Just breathe.”
Which only made him even more tense, wondering how many other men she’d massaged had gotten erections. He didn’t like to think of other men responding to Carly.
He especially didn’t like the thought that some of them might have tried to take advantage of her, and experienced a sudden violent need to punch out any guy who’d reacted to her like this. Bad enough that he was, but he knew it wouldn’t go anywhere. Knew he was too much of a gentleman to take it further.
“Adam!”
Her sharp command had him opening his eyes and looking into hers.
Bad move. The room was too dimly lit. He wished the harsh kitchen light had been left on, but then the kid—Charlie—might have woken up.
She was standing over him. So close, her hips were brushing the side of his waist. Her fair hair was backlit, making her look almost ethereal. He started to sit up but she pushed him down, the warmth of her hands going straight through his shoulders.
“I need…to get out of here,” he said, finding he was too weak to fight her. Man, she was strong. Had she cast some sort of spell on him, draining him of strength?
“Adam, it’s okay. Don’t be embarrassed.”
“But I am and I want to get out of here.”
“I haven’t done your chest or your arms yet.”
“And you’re not going to.” He tried to sit up again. This time she released him.
But when he sat up, he felt light-headed. He raised his knees and rested his elbows on them, his head bowed.
She touched his back and he flinched.
“I don’t bite,” she murmured.
He glanced at her and forced a smile. “No, you do far worse than that.”
“Oh, come on! You don’t mean that.”
“I’m dyin’ here.”
“Only of embarrassment. Nothing terminal. At least nothing that your feet want to tell me about.”
He stared at her.
She said, “That was a joke.”
She fetched him a glass of water. He gulped it down, wanted more, but was afraid to ask. Strange how this woman scared him, had this temporary power over him.
“Like I said, I’ve got to go.” He swung his legs over the side of the table, preparing to get off.
“Go where?” she challenged him. “Dinner won’t be ready for at least an hour. Lie down on your stomach and let me do some more work on your back and arms. You’ll thank me for it later.”
He had to admit he’d liked her working on his back. Those long strokes were mighty soothing. Reluctantly, he rolled over.
He could hear her squirting oil onto her hands, rubbing them together, warming it. At her first touch, he flinched, hating himself for responding to her yet again.
“Is the oil too cold?” she asked.
“It’s fine,” he grunted, and concentrated on his breathing.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, Carly placed a towel she’d warmed by the fire on Adam’s back and slowly rubbed him through the fabric, soaking up some of the oil and signaling the end of the massage.
Only Adam was snoring!
She smiled. When a session finished with the client sleeping like a baby, she knew she’d gotten that person to a point of deep relaxation.
Usually Carly had to gently wake him or her. But in this case, she didn’t.
She went into the bathroom and washed the oil from her hands, looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see the bags under her eyes. She hadn’t slept well the night before, constantly waking up to check on her kids. She could do with some meditation before they had to go to dinner.
Back in the living room, she lay down on the sofa bed beside Charlie, closed her eyes and placed her hands on her solar plexus shakra, breathing deeply and slowly. Within moments, she was asleep.
Chapter Four
Adam woke feeling incredibly refreshed.
He was a little sore, but it was a good kind of sore. His stomach growled and he wondered how he’d missed dinner last night.
He rolled over and nearly toppled off the bed. It took him a moment to realize he was back in his apartment, but he wasn’t on his king-size bed in the bedroom; he was on Carly’s narrow massage table. And it wasn’t morning; it was still nighttime. He could see stars twinkling through the window over the kitchen sink.
He sat up and took a moment to get his bearings. Carly was lying on the sofa bed, Charlie curled up at her side.
The last thing he remembered was Carly working on his back in those wonderful, soothing strokes. They’d felt so good, so relaxing… He must’ve fallen asleep. That was nearly as embarrassing as what had happened earlier when he reacted to her physically.
Nothing came close to being as embarrassing as that. Carly had said, “It happens,” and she didn’t seem perturbed. Hopefully, she thought he was reacting to being relaxed, rather than the erotic effect her massage was having on him. He didn’t want this woman with too many kids and the most beguiling hands he’d ever encountered thinking he was attracted to her. Because he wasn’t.
So why couldn’t he take his eyes off her?
She moaned and stirred in her sleep and Adam wanted to lie back down on the table and pretend he was still asleep rather than get caught staring at her.
But it was too late. She opened her eyes, blinked and then fixed him with her clear, blue gaze.
She stretched and yawned, then rolled onto her side to face him, her hand coming to rest protectively on Charlie’s bottom.
“Did you just wake up?” she asked.
He eased off the bed. Big mistake, because he was reacting to her again. He drew the towel around him and headed to the bathroom, saying,
“I’ll get changed and out of your hair.”
Once the door was safely closed, he resisted the urge to beat his head against it and mutter, “Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!”
He wanted to take a shower. A cold one. Although this was his apartment she was staying in, he didn’t feel he had the right. Instead, he dressed quickly, threw cold water on his face, dried off and emerged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.
Carly was in the kitchen and turned to him when she heard him enter the room. “Would you like some herbal tea? I picked it up in Denver today. It’s wonderful after a massage and helps eliminate toxins.”
All Adam wanted to do was go take a cold shower back at the house. But he needed to thank her for the massage before running out. “Um, okay.”
She placed two steaming mugs on the kitchen table, then sat down, one leg tucked beneath her.
Adam pulled out a chair and sat, too. “Uh, I’m sorry I fell asleep. I didn’t expect that to happen.”
She smiled. It seemed to light up the room and warm something in his heart, something he didn’t want to examine too closely.
“I’m glad you did,” she said. “For a while there, you were wound up so tight I thought I might have to hit you over the head with a blunt object to get you to calm down.”
“I prefer your hands working their magic on me, rather than any blunt objects,” he said, and wished he could take back the words. He swallowed. “Ah, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s okay. Next time, I’ll concentrate more on your back and shoulders. Since you’re uncomfortable lying on your back, we’ll leave that for later sessions.”
Adam had no intention of there being any “later” sessions. Especially ones that involved him lying on his back!
His stomach growled again and he apologized. He glanced at the kitchen clock—9:00 p.m.! That certainly explained why he was hungry. Dinner had ended more than an hour ago.
“I wonder where the kids are,” she said. “I’m surprised they didn’t come and wake me.”
Adam picked up the intercom phone to the house. His sister-in-law Megan answered. “Hey, sleepyhead, so you’re finally awake. Is Carly up yet?”
“How did you know we were asleep?”
“Because I sent Sash over to get you for dinner and she said you were both dead to the world. I must say, you’re a fast worker.”
“Very funny. We were asleep in different beds.”
“So she said, so I’ll let you off the hook this time. Next time you’re late for dinner, I’m coming over to check myself!”
He ignored her teasing. “Anything left for us?” he asked, then noticed Carly shaking her head.
“Of course. I kept a plate aside for each of you. Would you like me to bring them over?”
“Why don’t we come to the house?”
“Because Charlie is down for the night,” Megan said, “and you can’t leave him there alone.”
She was making it sound as if he was somehow required to stay and take care of Charlie. He needed to get out of there. Get back to the house. Put space between him and Carly. Between him…and Carly’s magic hands. Him and Carly’s lips, he thought, watching her sip the tea.
“I’ll figure something out,” he told Megan. “Just don’t let Luke eat my share.” He hung up and looked at Carly. “Megan’s kept dinner aside for us. I…could go over and collect yours and bring it back for you.” He indicated Charlie fast asleep on the sofa bed.
“That’s kind of you,” she said, “but I’m not that hungry. I have some crackers, and there’s cheese in the fridge. If you wouldn’t mind sending my kids back here for bed, I’d appreciate it.”
“Done.” Adam gulped down the rest of the tea. It tasted bad enough to eliminate toxins, but he didn’t tell her that. He stood and said, “Thanks for the massage. It wasn’t quite what I expected.”
“I hope you enjoyed it enough to want more. I owe you a lot for the table.”
“We’ll see,” he said, eager to get away from her. She looked far too sexy standing there in the lamplight.
She followed him to the door. “Good night, Adam. And thank you.”
He turned to her. “What are you thanking me for? You gave me the massage.”
“Thank you for giving me the chance to start my life over again. Thank you for saving my son…Molly—for everything. Good night, Adam.”
She closed the door, leaving him standing on the stairs. Alone. The way he liked it.
Or at least that was how he used to like it. But now he wasn’t so sure.
ADAM DIDN’T FEEL LIKE facing anyone back at the house. Since he’d already slept for an hour after Carly’s massage, he also didn’t feel like going to bed when everyone else did. It was a good time to take a long walk in the moonlight.
Memories of that mesmerizing woman’s hands and what they did to him kept intruding on his thoughts. He heard a whimper and looked down to see Molly following him.
He hunkered down, holding out his hand. “Here, girl,” he said, encouraging her to approach.
She came up to him and rubbed her head against him. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
He felt her feet to check if they were cold, but she’d probably only come outside for a few minutes to do her business. “Go back to the house, girl,” he said.
He shoved his hands deep into his pockets to keep them warm and walked toward the paddocks.
A moment later he looked back. Molly was sitting where he’d left her. If it was possible, she seemed even sadder than before. She stared at Adam and then at the house, then back at him.
“You know your way,” he said. “Scratch at the door and someone will let you in.”
Still she didn’t move.
Adam pulled his hands from his pockets and went over to her. “You’re not seriously trying to tell me you’re too tired to walk back to the house, are you?”
Molly let out a mournful howl.
“Shh! You’ll have every wolf within hearing distance coming to see what’s up.”
She howled again.
So much for a quiet, contemplative walk. On his own. Adam knelt down, gathered Molly in his arms and carried her back to the house. She licked his face with gratitude.
“You keep this up and you’ll be wearing booties like Louella Farquar,” he chided her gently.
Molly settled deeper in his arms, her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes.
FROM HER KITCHEN WINDOW, Carly observed the exchange between man and dog.
She’d smiled as Adam hoisted Molly into his arms and carried her to the house.
Adam might pretend that nothing touched his heart, but Carly knew better.
Chapter Five
When Carly woke the next morning, the countryside was carpeted in a layer of fresh snow. The snow seemed somehow symbolic, as if everything in her life had been swept clean. She and her children had a future in Spruce Lake. Carly was certain of it.
Usually her children were reluctant to leave their warm beds, but this morning they all threw back their covers and leaped out, pulling on warm clothes and boots, eager to go outside and play in the snow.
Carly dressed Charlie and by the time she’d finished, her other three children were already clattering down the stairs and heading to the ranch house to find Luke’s girls.
“Slow down!” she called. “They might not be up yet!”
Carly followed them downstairs and into the stables, reached for the door and pushed it open. Her children squealed.
“Snow!”
Although it had snowed on and off since they’d arrived in Spruce Lake, the snowfalls had been meager by comparison with last Thursday’s—and today’s. At least two feet of fresh powder covered the ground.
They all rushed outside and grabbed at the snow, trying to form snowballs that, due to the dryness of the air, crumbled in their hands.
She saw Adam making his way across the expanse of snow between the house and the stables, carrying a snow shovel.
“Morning,” he said, and started to shovel snow away from the doorway and create a path to the house.
Carly was grateful. Although Megan had lent her a pair of riding boots to wear outside, they were no match for the depth of the snow.
“It’s so beautiful,” she breathed. “And quiet. So incredibly quiet,” she said, referring to the complete silence of the early morning.
She looked up into the sky, which sparkled like diamonds.
“That’s snow crystals,” Adam explained at her smile of delight. “The air is so dry, it does that when it snows.”
Shrieking, the children kicked the featherlight snow into the air. Maddy flopped on the ground and made a snow angel. So of course Alex and Jake followed suit. “Can we go sledding today, Adam?” they asked.
“Sure,” he said, pulling open the back door that led into the kitchen.
Warmth gushed out, enveloping them.
“There you are!” Sarah exclaimed. “Good morning, everyone.”
Molly waddled into the kitchen and greeted each of the children, sniffing their feet and wagging her tail.
Carly’s kids greeted Sarah, and then the boys returned outside to play.
Molly curled up on her blanket, obviously grateful to be back on a familiar bed. Carly noticed Adam grinding his teeth as he went back out, presumably to shovel more snow.
Carly placed Charlie in the high chair. “Why does Adam pretend he doesn’t care about anything?” she asked. Apart from that blanket, she almost added.
Sarah turned from the stove and leaned against the counter. “He used to be such a happy outgoing child, a lot like Will. But when he reached his teens, he changed.” She turned back to the stove. “I take comfort from the knowledge that he’s in a caring profession. I think the danger, the adrenaline rush, takes so much out of him that he can’t allow himself to show he cares.”