AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And then he was gone. I breathed out, pressing a hand to my chest to steady my heart and calm my nerves. As much as Josh’s personality and obvious flirtation bothered me, it was nothing compared to the confidence and charm he naturally exuded. My lack of experience with real men made it so I had no idea what to do in this situation.
Obviously, I had to keep him as a client because the idea of my long-awaited vacation was too tantalizing, but how could I remain professional with someone like him who was also married? And what if I was misreading his signals and Josh was just messing around and trying to rile me up? And would he sue us if I made even the slightest mistake either way?
There were so many variables to remember that I collapsed in my seat and rested my head on my desk. With all my other patients, it was like there was a layer of glass between us and I never had to worry about anything other than their recovery.
But now my client was a rich, married guy with a supposedly bad temper who might or might not be flirting with me. For the time being, it seemed best to navigate the situation the way I had been—I figured if I didn’t change my behavior, I might have the chance to understand him sooner.
It was utterly exhausting and I hoped, deep in my soul, that Josh would be different the next time he came. Unfortunately, I would continue to have no such luck.
Joshua
Tossing and turning in my makeshift bed, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about Amelia. She’d been so assertive today, yet strangely sweet when she was touching me and briefly cheering me on. In my heart, I knew that I’d been the one to pick the fight, even though she had clearly been ready to argue. I pictured her there, perched in her seat like a boxer in the corner of a ring, ivy-green eyes glinting with something forbidden and dangerous.
And then, oh, the way her body had responded to me, the slight contraction of muscles that I’d seen in the dimmed lamps of bars and strobing lights at clubs.
I reminded myself to be careful, though, because I didn’t want to turn our banter into anything more than it was meant to be. And my grumpy nature sometimes got out of hand, causing me to lose my temper at inopportune moments.
I almost wished Laila was here so I could tell her all of this and get her reaction. Anthony would be interested of course, but he’d want to warn me against pursuing Amelia until the divorce had been finalized and I didn’t want to be told to wait. Not when I was starting to feel like a man again after so many years of being Laila’s checkbook.
Forcing my mind to return to more pleasant things, I shifted onto my side and clutched my pillow, squeezing my eyes shut as Amelia came back into focus. I hadn’t missed the way her eyes roved over my cleaned-up appearance and the goosebumps that covered her arms when I complimented her.
What I had meant to say when I quipped about her not being like everyone else is that she was an enigma—equal parts fire and water. As ravenous and full of sparks as a flame but also smooth and receptive like a spring rain. I would be forever at Amelia’s mercy if it meant I got to one day solve the puzzle that was her, but for now, our weekly sessions would have to do.
That night, I dreamed of laying Amelia on crisp, white sheets and mapping the expanse of her pale skin with my lips. Groaning at the sight of her red hair fanned out like strawberries in cream, I marked the insides of her thighs with pink scratches from my stubble as I devoured her core until she was softly crying out my name. Breathlessly begging for more, she took hold of my hair in an act of dominance and tugged until I hovered over her, ready to fill her at the slightest whimper.
Amelia
Despite my anguish, I dreamed of Josh spearing into me from behind, his strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my back flush to his chest which was dusted with dark hair. He whispered things in my ear, things I would never admit aloud—“Feels better than those boys you were with, huh? Always so quick to correct me, yet here you are crying for my cock. What dogirls like youreally want, Amelia?” I answered in a flurry of staccato syllables, barely able to keep myself from gasping his name and giving in, though the temptation was there.
Chapter Six
Joshua
Overthenextthreesessions I had with Amelia, I did my best to keep my temper from getting the best of me, often settling for simpler replies to her questions so that we wouldn’t start arguing—
“You never told me what kinds of books you like to read last time.”
“I love mysteries—they make me feel like a detective if they’re done right. When I was younger, I wanted to be a private eye…I guess you could say I’ve sort of fulfilled that dream by figuring out what’s wrong with people’s bodies.”
“Mmhmm. Do you have a favorite author? I might be able to send you a copy of their latest manuscript if they have a contract with us.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Mr. Adams.”
“You’re welcome, Red.”
And, as we traipsed along the tightrope of our relationship, I would observe Amelia’s lingering glances and the openness of her body language with subtle amusement. I didn’t flirt as overtly with her as I had during our second meeting, but I made sure the invitation was always there.
I’d sit semi-stoically while she explained a new exercise for me to try and then offer her a suggestive smirk when her shamrock-green eyes met my brown ones as she asked if I’d like to practice it with her. Amelia had even taken to massaging my knee at the start of our session if I promised to be quiet, giving me ample opportunity to let my eyes roam over her bent form without commenting on how much I liked seeing her work.
It just so happened during my sixth appointment that I let those feelings slip. “I wish I could have you around to do this for me all the time, Red—it feels great.”
She looked up, a whisp of her strawberry-colored hair in her face, and gave me what sounded like a practiced excuse. “Mr. Adams, you know I’m only a physical therapist within the walls of this building. If I made house calls, I’d have to take that door with my name on it everywhere I went and thenI’dneed physical therapy.”
Though it was rehearsed, Amelia grinned when she said it like she was letting me down easy, so I ignored that and pressed, “You wouldn’t have to make a house call every week if you came and lived with me while my knee healed.”
It was a brash request, but I remained composed as Amelia stared at me questioningly. “You don’t need constant care, Mr. Adams. If anything, I’d just be getting in the way of you and your wife for most of the time.”
I realized then that I hadn’t told her about the divorce yet but eschewed that topic, casually replying, “You wouldn’t be in the way. What I’m offering is to pay you for full-time, at-home care and in exchange, you would live with us so that if I need help with anything related to my knee, you’ll be right there.” Amelia continued to look at me with a furrowed brow and I added, “You could also leave whenever you want, of course. And you’d have your own room, amenities, et cetera.”
