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Still feeling the imprint of her hand on his skin, Nate nodded. He didn’t know what to expect from this awkward, strained relationship that still stirred something inside of him.
But maybe tomorrow, he’d be that much closer to finding out.
Chapter Five
“Don’t stop.”
Ty Lambert panted the command over a wave of feel-good endorphins as a therapist sank her fingernails into his inner thigh. He wanted to thank her, but he couldn’t remember her name right now when his body throbbed under her touch.
“Mr. Lambert,” she said sharply. “Are you resisting?”
The woman was all business when he wanted to revel in the moment.
“I can’t resist another minute.” Opening his eyes, he grinned at her and sat up on the metal table. “You’re a goddess.”
She straightened from where she’d been working on his groin muscles. The irritation in her expression couldn’t be mistaken and he knew a moment’s regret for goading her. It wasn’t her fault team management had demanded the extra sessions to prevent another injury this year. He guessed these sessions were as much for babysitting purposes as they were for his muscles. If he was in the clubhouse training facility every day, he couldn’t be out having fun.
He couldn’t wait to get out of town, away from the prying eyes of the media and management alike. Nate Ramsey’s idea for a baseball camp in the middle of Hill Country, Texas, seemed like a godsend right about now.
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “If you think you can send me running because of a few sorry lines I’ve heard plenty of times, you’re sadly mistaken. Now roll over, champ, and let’s finish up.”
She moved to the sink nearby and washed her hands with brisk, efficient movements, pausing midway to change the radio station from hard rock to country. She cranked the volume as if she could tune him out totally, then pumped out some massage oil from a dispenser bottle she kept strapped to her waist.
Ty studied her, surprised how fast she’d seen through him. She couldn’t be more than twenty-five, but she had a level of composure beyond her years. Even with no makeup and her hair wrenched back in an unforgiving ponytail, she was seriously attractive. The hair swinging against her back was dark blond, her figure trim and athletic under an outfit that looked like a lab coat belted over scrubs.
“Well?” She’d turned on him while he checked her out, blue eyes glittering with icy challenge. “Are you going to turn over, Mr. Lambert, or shall I retrieve the cattle prod?”
“Could you at least call me by my first name if you’re going to insult me?” He lay prone as she’d requested, hating the self-indulgent hour spent on his body every day.
Ty had run off his last therapist by being all around annoying, earning himself a week’s vacation from the sessions. But his manager had moved quickly to find someone new.
Enter the prickly blonde. He found himself wanting to know more about her, but this would be his last session with her before he took off for Last Stand.
The front office had given their blessing since Ty’s image could only benefit from time spent on community works until he was traveling with the team again.
“I won’t use your first name when you can’t be bothered to evenremembermine after our third session together.” She went to work on his hamstring and he willed away the natural pleasure that touch brought.
He’d had female trainers and physical therapists before, so he knew the drill to keep his thoughts platonic. But something about this woman—the façade that said she wasn’t backing down—awakened an interest he hadn’t let himself feel in a long time. At least, not with a woman like her. Smart. Educated. Professional. The type that had a way of making him aware of how much he’d missed out in school. But she had an edge to her, and he liked that.
“If you tell me one more time, I won’t forget again.”
No sense alienating her totally.
“Alexis.” Her dispassionate tone reminded him she wasn’t feeling him the way he was feeling her.
“Right. Alexis.” He filed that away in his memory banks and knew he wouldn’t forget again. “You won’t have to put up with me much longer anyhow. I’m leaving town tomorrow.”
“Is that so?” She swapped to his other leg and he lifted his head up off the table to catch a view of her in his peripheral vision. “Am I going to have to write you up as a no-show tomorrow?”
He had to force himself to focus on her words as she bent forward over the utilitarian bed to reach the far side of his body, the movement highlighting taut thighs and hips in her sleek black yoga pants.
“Not a chance.” His voice hit a raspy note as he rested his head on the bed again and tried to chase away the visual. “I should be cleared to leave since I’m pulling community service hours for a friend’s baseball camp.”
Above him, she went still, her hands pausing for a moment.
“Nate Ramsey’s?” she asked, resuming her movements.
“Yes.” Surprised she knew about the project that Nate had only recently dreamed up, he levered up on his elbow so he could see her again. “Did the team tap you to go?”
