Page 37 of Pure Temptation

“You’re great at doing exercises on your own, stretching, and you should definitely keep that up. Otherwise, I think you’re fine to resume your normal training. It’s the best way to tell whether or not that calf will give you problems when you’re in the middle of a climb.” She took a deep breath, searching for the right way to say this last part, to express her worries while keeping it impersonal. “But I’d still feel better if you waited a little longer. And if it does give you trouble, I think it goes without saying that I’d advise postponing the climb.”

Had she kept the ache out of her voice? God, she hoped so.

Daxon had that intense look, like he was reading every single nuance in what she had said and what she hadn’t said. He nodded his head slowly.

“I’m willing to consider that.” He swallowed. “Would you consider a traveling physical therapist job?”

Kendall’s heart leaped in her chest. She shook her head before she could be tempted to give any other answer.

“Not even for a special case?”

Absolutely not. She wasn’t going to follow Daxon around, playing nurse while he took more risks. She didn’t want this to end, but nothing good could come from that road. Even seeing him again would be so hard. She had already misjudged the consequences of this week, misjudged how much she loved being around him after just a few days. What would it be like if they spent more time together?

So she schooled her expression into a casual smile and shook her head again. “Not even for a superhot adrenaline junkie.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure.”

His words weren’t a surprise, but something in his voice gave her pause. It sounded a lot like determination. She drew in a shaky breath. When Daxon Miles made up his mind, he was relentless. What was he making up his mind about now?

This man had an enormous capacity to harness his attention and focus on it to get what he wanted. She had experienced the power of this during the week. Hell, she had enjoyed it. This week, she had been a very willing participant. But what if he used his powers to get something she was no longer sure she could handle? Something that part of her wanted badly but the other part knew she shouldn’t have? It would gut her—that’s what would happen.

But this was physical therapy, the time she had promised herself she would not get personal...or more personal than it already was.

So she ignored his determined stare and put her thoughts aside. When she looked up, Daxon was smiling at her.

“You ready for some healing?” she said with a wink.

He laughed. “With you? Always.”

He climbed onto the physical therapy table and lounged back onto his elbows. Some clients were quiet, and some were talkers—Kendall could go either way—but today, she needed a distraction.

“Explain to me how the next week will go, leading up to the climb,” she said, trying not to think too hard about the hard muscles under her fingers, muscles she had intimate knowledge of. She bit her lip and tuned them out.

“Nothing like a week at this resort, that’s for sure,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll be living out of my trailer at the base of the mountain while Calvin and a few other crew members and I work out all the specifics.”

“I thought the days living out of your truck were over,” she said, moving her hands higher. “You have more than enough money to upgrade your accommodations.”

From the tension in his jaw, she wondered if he was having trouble focusing, too.

“Money isn’t the issue. It’s proximity. I need to be close, and Zion hasn’t built luxury accommodations next to Moonlight Buttress. Yet. I can’t imagine why.”

She laughed. “I see. So you get there and then what? Climb it a few times off-camera first?”

“Most of the preparation is long over. At this point, I spend a lot of time visualizing each move, each hold. I’ll film a couple live promo trailers, and the crowds will start coming a few days before, which means we need to have our area well staked out beforehand.”

“What do you think about the crowds?”

He hesitated, then shrugged. “I’m used to it. I just tune it out. And when I start climbing, there’s nothing else. Just me and the mountain.”

The sound of the waves floated through the windows as she finished with his leg, lost in thought. She could feel Daxon’s gaze on her, and finally, she met it.

“You’ve been a perfect PT client this week, doing exactly what I told you to.”

Daxon smirked. “And then some.”

She gave him an amused snort. “Just keep doing these exercises. I’d say take it easy, but we both know that’s a stretch.”

“Plus, my favorite relaxation method will be gone.”