Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 157672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 788(@200wpm)___ 631(@250wpm)___ 526(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 788(@200wpm)___ 631(@250wpm)___ 526(@300wpm)
“Why do I feel like I’m on the outside of a private joke?”
“Nothing private about it.” I slap him on the shoulder. “How about introducing me to my new PT?”
“She’s a fill-in. We’re all in clinicals.”
“We’ll see.”
He shakes his head. “Pity the man. She’ll let you down easy because that’s her style.”
“Made it through a few wars. Think I can handle the princess.”
“Good God, man! Don’t let her hear you call her that.”
I chuckle, watching as she slowly comes our way.
My cock stirs at the way her hips sway with each step of her approach. She’s veiled her shock with indifference. “Is this some kind of prank?”
“More like a hell of a coincidence. It’s my lucky day.”
“Lucas, is this my patient?” She addresses him, avoiding direct eye contact.
“This is Talon Simms.” He hands over my folder. She glances through it, ruffling the pages with slightly shaky fingers. “Shoulder injury?”
“Something like that,” I answer.
“Reoccurring?”
“Two separate incidences. One occupational, one sports related.”
“Occupational?” She spares me a quick glance. “Dr. Koch released you three weeks ago.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty pissed.”
“I doubt that. The man is even-keeled.”
“You didn’t hear him when I called.”
“Maybe you should have taken your rehabilitation with him more seriously,” she snipes. “You’re fortunate he chose to work with you again.”
My cock comes fully alive. Who knew fire and ice would be my kryptonite?
“Wills,” her friend rumbles, kicking her foot.
This seems to snap her back into place and she straightens her shoulders, shutting the folder. “That was uncalled for. I’m Willow Richards. I’ll be working with you today.”
“Sounds good. Should I call you Doc?”
“Not until after I complete the DPT program. For now, you can call me Willow.”
“Maybe we should let them get started.” The woman pulls on Lucas to leave, snatching my file. When she’s behind Willow, she flashes me a thumbs up and mouths ‘good luck’.
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Willow pinches the bridge of her nose.
“I thought the same thing when I spotted you. What are the chances? You ghost me and here you are?”
“I didn’t ghost you! It was time to leave.”
“You could have at least answered my question.”
“What was the question?”
“When I asked your name.”
“There was no need. Everything was so… weird.”
“Tell yourself that.”
“Let’s get this out of the way so we can have a session without the awkwardness.”
“It’s not awkward to me. I consider it opportune.”
Her cheeks flush, a splotch creeping down her neck. “I’ve never made out with a stranger in public before in my life. That night was very out of character for me.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate? Do you make it a habit of kissing strangers in bars?”
“Never did it before, but also hadn’t been propositioned by a gorgeous woman in need.”
“I wasn’t in need. And I didn’t proposition you. My friend lost her mind.”
“A thank you will suffice.”
“Thank you? For what?”
“For saving your ass.”
“I can handle my ass just fine!” she whisper-hisses.
I bend to the side and take in the view. “Yes, looks like you handle it fine.”
Her eyes flame, transforming into a deadly glare.
“I am teasing. It was a kiss. Nothing needs to be awkward.”
“You’re infuriating.”
“All part of my charm.”
Her face goes to the ceiling as she huffs out a breath. “Let’s get to work before I do something that blows the last seven years of schooling up and I lose my job.”
There’s a hitch in her voice that kills all my playfulness. “Hey, seriously, I’m kidding around.”
“Can we keep this professional?”
“Scout’s honor.” I give the triple-finger solute.
“Were you a scout?”
“Better. I’m a Marine.”
“Good God, this keeps getting better and better. Police and military. A real thrill chaser.”
“Thrill is my middle name.”
This gets me a sliver of a smile. She steps in, reaching up to my shoulder. “Let’s get a feel for what I’m working with.”
Even on her tiptoes, she’s considerably shorter. I sink into the chair to give her a better position.
“I’m not that short.”
“I was tired of standing.”
She knows I’m full of shit and moves beside me. Her mouth cinches in concentration, her fingers pressing and prodding the area.
“Tell me what happened?”
“I knocked a home run out of the park and tweaked it on the home plate.”
“That’s how you hurt it? When you slid?”
“You saw it?”
“Bits and pieces. I was at the game with friends.”
“So, you know I won the game.”
“I know you hit a home run that clinched the win. Why you still slid into the home base is beyond me.”
“It’s all about the big finish.”
“You mean it’s all about grandstanding.”
“Not grandstanding if you can back it up.”
“Men are so silly.” She catches the joint at the wrong angle and I withdraw.
Her pressure eases off, and her hand goes to my neckline. “I need to feel the nerve reaction. Do you mind?”
I refrain from telling her she can feel any part of me she wants and just nod. The instant her fingers dip into the socket area, I hiss at the zing of pain that radiates through my shoulder.