AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her outfit was especially form-fitting today. I swear her shirts shrank an inch with each visit. For the first time, I could make out a sliver of toned skin between the hem of her shirt and the top of her leggings. I hung up the mat, took a breath to calm my body, and joined her in the center of the room.
“Good, relax your shoulders.”
She followed direction well and never complained when I added repetitions or made the exercises more difficult. It shouldn’t have been erotic. With anyone else, I’d just be pleased to work with someone focused on their recovery. The fact Rowan followed my directions without question inevitably took my mind to all the things I wished I could direct her to do if she weren’t my patient.
“So, Theo and Poppy,” I said, hoping for a distraction from Rowan’s tempting curves. “Are they together or not?”
“No idea,” Rowan said, arching her back before dropping into cow pose. Staring at her ass was too much of a temptation, so I walked around to watch her from the front.
“Tighten your abs more when you’re in cat,” I said, even though her abs were tight.
“It’s hard to do while I’m talking. Maybe you shouldn’t ask me questions.”
I smiled. “Why do you think I was asking?”
“Because you’re an ass,” she said, working through the exercise again.
“Take a quick child’s pose.”
“If talking while I do this will help me, ask me something else,” she said, sitting onto her heels. “Poppy hasn’t even told me they’re friends. And that pisses me off.”
Talking would not help her back heal faster, but it might cut the tension between us. “Good,” I said. “Use that.”
“I don’t need to be angry at my sister. I’m usually pissed enough at you.”
I laughed. “Ready for the resistance bands?”
She nodded. We crossed the room to the band station and moved into the first exercise in the series I’d developed for her.
“I see you’re still carrying that overweight bag,” I said. “Do you remote into work?”
“No,” she said. “I quit my job. I’m looking for something else.”
I put my hands on her hips to correct her position. She sucked in a breath, and I involuntarily gripped her. She froze. I dropped my hands and stepped back. “You can start standing row now.”
She began the exercise, and I leaned against the wall to watch her. “What kind of work do you do?”
“I was an analyst for a capitol advisory group in DC.”
I scratched my chin. “Must not be many of those positions around here.”
“I’m not staying in Peace Falls,” she said. “As soon as I find a job somewhere, I’m gone.”
A flicker of pain crossed her face, and I wasn’t sure if it was the exercise or the conversation. “Let’s move to the treadmill,” I said. “Have you been walking between our sessions?”
“Almost every day with Skye.”
I stopped halfway through programming the treadmill and stared at her. “You’ve been walking my dog?”
“Whenever Chris does,” she said, stepping onto the belt. She gave me a confused look, and I remembered I still needed to finish programming the machine.
“Do you hold the leash?” I asked, hitting the start button.
“Why?” she said, flashing a smile that made her eyes dance with mischief. “Is someone protective of his dog?”
“Yes,” I said. “Skye can be hyper. She also runs after anything that moves.”
“I noticed,” Rowan said and chuckled. “Don’t worry. Chris has leash duty. And poop duty. I’m just there for the exercise and post-walk snuggles. We stay on the porch until she’s ready to go inside. I wouldn’t invade your space without asking.”
