AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sit down,” he orders. Firm, commanding. His low voice rumbles in my chest, knocks the air out of my lungs.
I do as I’m told, only because my legs are killing me. I’m a dancer through and through. Pain and I are old friends at this point. Old friends that are passive-aggressive with one another and secretly hate each other’s guts. I’ve been putting on a brave face for the majority of the morning, but the pain is starting to eat away at my patience. A-Ma put together an ice bath for me to soak my feet and legs last night, which helped a bit.
But only a bit.
I sit on the edge of the exam table only to have Nate lift both my ankles up and turn me so that I have no choice but to lie down. He moves me with ease, handles me with more care than I expect.
“What are you doing?”
“Answer my question,” he says, placing a hand gingerly on my knee.
The last time he touched me like this, I was sixteen and stupid.
“What question?”
“On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your pain?”
I sigh and shake my head. “Four? Maybe five? It’s nothing to be concerned about. I’ll just pop an Advil.”
“That’s for me to decide.”
“I swear, I’m getting better. It’s just uncomfortable.”
“When was the last time you went for an X-ray?”
“A couple of months ago.”
“Go again. Bring me the copies. That’s the only way for me to determine if you’re fit to go back to classes.”
I say nothing and clench my teeth to stop myself from giving more than I need to. Nate doesn’t need to know that money’s tight. I’m fairly certain a guy like him wouldn’t understand. I can tell by looking at the gold Rolex wrapped around his wrist that “money troubles” isn’t a concept he’d ever comprehend.
“Fine,” I mumble.
Nate places his other hand on the base of my foot, applying a bit of pressure to get my knee to bend. The joint throbs dully, the surrounding muscle aching more than I’d care to admit.
“Are you stretching properly?” he asks. “Before and after exercising?”
“Of course.”
“Do you use heat compresses? Ice packs?”
I nod. “Every morning before I start, and every night before I go to bed.”
“Start doing it on your breaks too.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” I mutter dryly. He chuckles, which surprises me, and I look to him and frown. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” His hand slips to the back of my thigh as he lifts my leg up to stretch. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, totally routine. My usual rehabilitation specialist, Nate’s father, helps me stretch all the time when I’m feeling particularly sore.
The only difference is that it’s Nate touching me. Sexy, strong Nate who’s got hands I’d let wander. Him standing over me like this, as I’m lying on my back and at his mercy—it’s almost too much for me to handle. Curiosity wants to know what his weight would feel like against me, wants to know how full he’d make me feel.
“Awful nice of you to cover for Dr. Winthrop,” I say, swallowing uncomfortably.
“I certainly thought so.”
“Long drive?”
Nate’s hand slides up to my hip and lingers there for a little longer than necessary. I do my best to stifle the gasp bubbling up into my throat. His palms are so warm, a lovely contrast to the cool air against my skin. A shiver snakes its way down my spine when his fingers move down an inch toward my ass. He doesn’t go any farther than that. I can’t tell if he’s struggling to decide whether to tease me or remain professional.
“It’s a two-hour flight from New York,” he answers. “No big deal.”
“New York?”
He nods, catching my gaze. “I work at New York General Hospital as an orthopedist.”
Nate finally releases me. I sit up and grip the edge of the table. He’s so hypnotizingly close, standing not even three inches away. His cologne is deep and rich, a sandalwood and earthy spice mixture. The hard line of his sharp jaw has me entranced. My fingers itch to reach out and trace it out of pure curiosity.
“And what about you?”
“What about me?” I ask.
Nate chuckles again. The sound is simultaneously infuriating and mesmerizing. “What have you been up to in the last ten years?”
“Do you really want to know?” I challenge.
He leans forward, the smuggest of grins upon his lips.
God, he’s so close.
Maybe a little too close.
He eyes my lips with an intense focus. “Why not? Can’t old friends catch up?”
A blanket of silence covers us, leaves us with nothing but the sound of our breath and the whir of the ventilation system. I don’t want to be the first to say anything. God knows I’ll say something stupid and make a complete ass of myself. I have to wonder if Nate’s thinking the same thing, because he’s as quiet as a statue.
