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Skimming the ridge of her spine, his hands stroked downward, pivoting over each swell and furrow, squeezing and smoothing, applying more pressure as they widened along the length of her back and splayed over the curves of her buttock.
Concentrating on his hands and the deep feelings they provoked, she loosened up and daydreamed of lying on the golden sand in Steve’s arms.
***
Attuned to her reactions, the unwinding of her muscles, the softening of her breathing, even the slackening of her head on the pillow, Steve noticed she’d drifted off and decreased the pressure of his hands on her back, then slowly removed them.
He’d achieved his goal. She was relaxed and he was the one in need of a strong massage, or a cold shower, in lieu of … He snorted at his own predicament. He could smell her sweet floral scent, feel the softness of her skin against his fingertips, hear the blood thrumming in his veins.
Later, man.
He would wait until she was awake and eager to melt into his arms. In the meantime, he would collect a tip for his efforts. He leaned over her and touched the small of her back with his lips and trailed feather-like kisses all the way to her neck.
Straightening, he considered her thoughtfully. He couldn’t let her sleep on the sofa, her back nude. On the other hand if he moved her, she might awaken and have trouble falling asleep again. He tiptoed to her bedroom, fetched the quilt from her bed, and placed it over her.
“Sleep well, sweetheart.”
After switching off the lights in the family room, he left the overnight lamps on in the hallway and the bathroom. He exited through the garage.
***
Her head still buried in a pillow, Lillian slowly emerged from her deep slumber, quite disoriented. Turning around, she blinked. The light filtering through the family room’s curtains jolted her awake. The family room?
She bounced up, last night’s memories flooding her. The ride to the airport with Steve, the headache splitting her skull, and Steve’s unforgettable massage. He’d probably covered her and let her sleep on the sofa.
How embarrassing! To be half naked, with his hands gliding up and down her back, only to fall asleep...alone on the sofa. With a sigh, she reached for her phone on the cocktail table. Six-fifteen a.m. which meant she’d slept eleven straight hours. No wonder she felt so relaxed. Dr. Winston could qualify for masseur of the year.
She padded to the shower quite mystified as to why he’d wasted his precious time helping her unwind and left without collecting…hmm…anything in return. Did that mean he wasn’t attracted to her? Or that he wasmorethan physically attracted?
No answer came to mind during the shower or while she ate breakfast. After donning her uniform—white pants and matching tunic—she pulled her hair into a bun at the back of her head, and slipped on her comfy, white shoes. To complete the look, she adjusted her black-rimmed glasses atop her nose, and with her face free of makeup, left for work the way she’d done these last fifteen years. Except that today while driving, she hummed along to an oldie from her teenage years.
In the nurses’ break room, Heidi welcomed her with a once over.
“Well, here’s someone who’s had a great weekend. Tell me about it. You haven’t looked this happy in months.”
“Definitely a great weekend, Heidi.” She grinned. “My son was here. He spent the whole weekend with me. It was fabulous. We didn’t even leave the house.”
“Your son?” Heidi’s lips curled down in obvious disappointment. “Why was he in Cincinnati?”
“He’s got a new project to complete in England and stopped to see me on his way there.”
The discussion about her son’s presence allowed Lillian to avoid mentioning Steve’s visit and betray his trust. He’d specifically asked her not to gossip about his move to St. John.
“Ah… Bummer, a wasted weekend as far as our plans are concerned. When’s your next dinner with the boss?” Heidi was determined to use her to keep Steve in town.
“I don’t know. I plan to talk to him when he arrives.”
“He’s already here. Door closed with aDon’t disturbsign.”
“Why on earth?”
“No idea. Dr. Shiran left a message she needed to see him. He hasn’t responded yet.”
“Strange.”
What was going on? Had something happened? Did it have anything to do with last night?
Lillian didn’t have time to worry about it since Dr. Randall scheduled her for two long surgeries with him. By the time she returned from the OR, she badly needed a cup of coffee… Certainly not Heidi’s complaints.
