Dangerous Therapy: O'Connor Brothers (Volume 1) (10 page)

“No more slacking off.” Her voice sounded shaky. She walked back to the IPod and tapped the screen. When ‘Man in Motion’ started playing, he chuckled. “Get to work.”

“Yes, ma’am.” John saluted her.

By the end of the hour John realized all those little exercises he thought were so stupid, were pretty hard. The stretching was a little painful, but Stephanie helped. It wasn’t helping his libido, but what was a man to do when a beautiful, sexy woman had her hands on him? He was at the brink of insanity. The poor girl didn’t have a clue what was going through his mind. She was gentle and encouraging with him. It would have been sweet if his hormones would stay in check.

“That’s enough for today. I’m going to have to ice your shoulder and leg. Your muscles did a lot today, and I don’t want you getting too sore.” Then she pointed to the massage table.

John held his breath.

“Tomorrow, massage and then the next day the same as today.”

The thought of her massaging him left him speechless. He was about to get up off the floor, but she stopped him. Then she left the room. He was pretty sure she had said she was finished. A few minutes later she returned with Aaron and Nick.

“What are you two still doing here?” John almost forgot they had dropped by.

“We were just finishing up, and Steph asked us to help get you up on the table.” Nick walked up next to John while Aaron flirted with Stephanie. John clenched his fists.

“Didn’t you come in here to help me?” John glared at Aaron as they helped him to his feet.

“Will this therapy help with his grumpy mood?” Aaron teased. John was really going to beat that smile off his face.

“I wasn’t grumpy until you got here.” Of course, most of the reason he was pissed was because Stephanie didn’t seem to mind Aaron’s flirting.

Nick held John’s arm until he was settled back on the table. Stephanie placed an ice pack across his leg, and under his neck and shoulder. The way his muscles were burning, the cold felt amazing. Aaron sidled up to Stephanie while she tidied up. It was really pissing him off. He turned away and realized Nick had followed John’s gaze.

“Feeling a little jealous there, bro?” Nick nudged him with his elbow.

“No!” John didn’t do jealous.

“You know A.J., he can’t help flirting with beautiful women.” Nick could be just as bad but for some reason he seemed to be keeping it in check with Stephanie.

“Yeah, well he needs to control it with my therapist.” John pressed his eyes together.

“If you ask me, I don’t think you’ve got to worry. I’ve seen how she looks at you when she thinks nobody’s looking.” John’s eyes snapped open. Nick was walking away. Nick grabbed Aaron’s arm and dragged him out of the room. Was Nick crazy or did he see something John missed? When he looked in her direction, she was staring at him.

“How do you feel?” She walked up beside him.

“A little sore, but okay,” John said.

She removed the ice packs and she helped him sit up. When her eyes met his, everything around him disappeared. Including the pain. He felt one thing and that was the urge to pull her against him.

He grasped her arm when the doorbell rang.
Son of a bitch!
When could a guy catch a break?

She helped him back into the chair, stumbling as she backed away and hurried out of the room.

This was going to be hell.

Stephanie’s heart was racing as she hurried to answer the door. The doorbell kept her from making a colossal mistake. She’d almost kissed him. There was something about the way he gazed at her. As if he was willing her to kiss him. What was wrong with her?
Get a grip
. He was her patient. It wasn’t professional to get involved with him. Even if he was the sexiest man she ever met. The doorbell rang again and she quickly pulled the door open.

“Who the hell are you?” A blonde woman snapped.

“Stephanie.” What else was she supposed to say?

“So you must be the new girlfriend he dumped me for.” The woman growled.

“If you’re referring to John, I’m not his girlfriend. I’m his physical therapist.” Why was she explaining this to a complete stranger?

“Kim, what the fuck are you doing here?” Stephanie turned and the glare he was giving this woman made her shiver.
Whoa!

“They wouldn’t let me visit you in the hospital, so I came to see how you were doing. I miss you.” The woman pushed by Stephanie as if she was no more than a fly on the wall. When she knelt down in front of John, Stephanie wanted to scream.

“Jesus Christ, Kim, how often do I have to tell you it’s over?” John pushed back from her. His eyes narrowed and his face was hard with anger. Maybe they needed privacy.

“I’m just going to leave you two alone.” Stephanie turned to go into her apartment.

“No! Kim is leaving and not coming back.” John’s voice was tight and it sounded more like a growl.

“You’re really ending things,” Kim whined. When John didn’t say anything more, she spun on her heel and tossed her hair over her shoulders. “Fine but you’ll live to regret this, John O’Connor.” She yanked the door’s handle and slammed it behind her. Well, that was awkward.

Stephanie clasped her hands in front of her and passed John’s wheelchair. John grasped her arm and stopped her.

“I’m sorry about that.” His face softened.

“It’s none of my business.” She pulled her arm free and went to the kitchen. She poured a glass of juice and leaned against the counter. The anger on his face made it clear John didn’t want to be with that woman. Part of her was relieved he didn’t while another part of her wondered if he’d treat her the same way, the way her ex had in the end. A few seconds later John appeared. What was she supposed to say?  Then she saw the sadness in his eyes. It was heartbreaking.

“I just want to explain what happened out there.” He rubbed his hands against his thighs.

“You don’t have to. Like I said, it’s none of my business.” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.

“I know, but I just feel I have to explain. She cheated on me.” John blurted. That type of betrayal she understood.

“I’m sorry, I know what that feels like.” The pain when she’d discovered Brad’s cheating had ached deep inside for weeks. She’d skipped meals and lost more sleep that she cared to admit.

“She just doesn’t get it.” John blew out a breath. “No matter how many times I tell her it’s over, she just doesn’t get it.”

“It’s hard when a relationship ends.” It took a lot of tears to figure that out.

“I guess, but it’s not like we were dating very long.” John closed his eyes.

“Maybe you should get some rest.” She didn’t want to hear about his short relationship with the scorned blonde.

Stephanie pushed him into his bedroom and positioned the chair next to his bed. After applying the brake, she finally looked at his face. His eyes showed his intense pain, but it wasn’t physical. That woman really hurt him. Her stomach retched just thinking about him with Kim. She met his eyes and they glistened with unshed tears. Without thinking, she cupped his cheek.

“You’re an angel.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and he covered her hand with his

“I already told you. I’m no angel.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it tightly.

“I know an angel when I see one.” He took his time lowering himself to the mattress. “Thank you.”

Stephanie left the room when he closed his eyes.

Three weeks of intensive physical therapy passed. John worked hard and got to the point where he no longer needed his wheelchair. He only used a cane when he left the house, he was progressing much better than she originally thought. That was the problem. The stronger he got, the less he needed her and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

His family were great and she was getting to know all his brothers really well. There wasn’t a day that one of them didn’t drop by. Most nights she and John would spend time in the garden talking with Sandy. It was easy and natural talking to John. The only thing hard was John’s massage therapy. Rubbing down his strong body was driving her insane. After every session, her body would be on fire with desire.

Today was another massage day. Her neck and shoulder muscles were tight with tension. She had debated with herself over the past few weeks to ask Cora to hire another massage therapist for John, but then her stomach would turn just thinking about someone else touching him. So that idea went out the window.

“You really need to get a boyfriend.” Stephanie groaned to herself and covered her face with her hands.

“No, you don’t.” She jumped at the sound of his deep velvety voice. “Sorry, I knocked but you didn’t answer.” He leaned against the door jamb with his lips quirked up in that sexy grin.
I’m totally screwed
.

“I…. I didn’t hear you.” Stephanie stood and pulled her shirt down over her hips.

“I noticed.” He crossed his arms over his chest. It should be illegal for a man to look that good.
God, he’s gorgeous
. “Why do you need a boyfriend?” John smirked.

“I.... I don’t really need one.” She avoided his gaze. “So you ready for your massage?”

“If you are.” There was something strange in his voice.

“You get set up on the table. I’m just going to put this cup in the dishwasher.” She held up the cup that didn’t really need to go in the dishwasher, but it gave her a minute to get her hormones in check. John nodded and disappeared from the doorway.

He was face down on the massage table when she entered the room. The soft music she used for relaxing was playing low in the room. The thin sheet lay across his firm ass. What she wouldn’t give to just grab his ass while he was…. W
hoa!
Those thoughts had to stop, but the man was so freaking sexy. She sighed. John lifted his head from the table. A smile forming on his full lips.
Those damn dimples!

“Something wrong?” He propped his chin up with his fist. Now she had a view of his well-developed muscled chest.
He’s your patient
.

“No!” Why did her voice sound so breathy? She could feel his eyes on her as she turned to get the oil.

“Maybe you need a massage.” The comment made her almost drop the bottle.

“What?” Her voice squeaked as she turned around.

“You just seem really tense.” He chuckled.

“Oh,” She said. “No, I guess I’m just a little tired. I haven’t been sleeping very well.”
All because I keep thinking about having my hands all over you, and you having your hands all over me.

“I see.” John’s voice was seductive. Great! Now she was imagining things. She motioned for him to turn over mostly because she didn’t want him to see any signs of what she was thinking. “Maybe you need to go out for a night,” He suggested.

“Maybe.” She began to work the muscles of his upper back. She did need to get out and put some distance between her and John. All the time she spent with him was playing havoc with her brain and her libido. At the moment, all she wanted to do was lick every inch of his hard hot body.

“I don’t think you’ve been out since you started working with me.” The vibration of his voice rumbled through her.

“I go to my parents on my days off, but since Marina went away, I haven’t really gone out anywhere.” Her hands slid down the center of his back using the heels of her hands to work deep into the muscles.

A small moan from him made her squeeze her legs together. “We could probably go to a movie or something tonight.”

Stephanie’s hands froze.

“Me and you?”

“Yeah. I haven’t been out either, and I’m starting to get cabin fever.” He said. “I mean, I do consider you a friend, and what’s wrong with two friends catching a movie.”

“Nothing I guess.” Friends?

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I think it would be fun.” John twisted around and glanced over his shoulder at her hands. They were just laid against his back. “Are you finished?” He smirked.

“I think a movie would be great.” Stephanie smiled and pushed him down onto his stomach. It was just a movie. “And no, I’m not finished.” She tried to force herself to concentrate on what she was doing. Wait! Did she just agree to go out to a movie with John?

She was pacing the floor in her apartment and debating with herself. Should she go, or tell him she had to cancel? He was her patient. He said they were only going out as friends. So it would be okay. How pathetic was it that her first real date in months was going to be with her patient?

You could drive around the town of Hopedale in about fifteen minutes. The town was surrounded on three sides by the ocean and a total of twelve streets was the entire community. Besides a couple of convenience stores, every other business was on Harbour Street. On one side of the street was a dozen or so different businesses, and the other side was Hopedale Harbour. Stephanie loved it.

Hopedale Cinemas was one of the businesses on Harbour Street. It contained a total of two theaters and played mostly outdated movies. Stephanie didn’t mind. Why would she? She was getting to spend an evening with John.

“How about this one?” He pointed to Theater A. She’d seen the action movie before and liked it. It was safer than the love story in Theater B.

“Looks good to me.” Stephanie reached for her wallet to pay for her ticket when John handed her a ticket. “Hey, I was paying for that.”

“Too late you snooze you lose, Cupcake.” John chuckled.

Cupcake? Did he realize he just called her cupcake? It was a stupid, but using the endearment gave her a warm feeling through her chest. She narrowed her eyes. What the hell was she thinking? They were friends going to a movie.

John sauntered toward the food court whistling. Seeing him without his cane, and not limping brought a smile to her face.

John turned around and raised one perfectly sexy brow. “What are you smiling at?”

Tears filled her eyes and she swallowed against the lump in her throat. She was actually getting emotional. “You’re walking without your cane.”

“Yeah, and my leg seems to be fine.”

She felt like a parent who just watching a child take their first steps. She was so amazed that she almost missed how he’d gotten into the line to get popcorn.
Oh no, you don’t
. He scanned the menu and she used the distraction to jump in the lineup ahead of him.

“Hey, you skipped me.” John slid in behind her.

“You snooze you lose, Cupcake.” There take that.

He chuckled as she turned back to the young girl behind the counter and paid for their popcorn.

Inside the theater, they decided it would be better to take a seat at the back to prevent John from straining his neck. She really didn’t mind. Although, wasn’t the back row of the theater where people went to make out? The thought made her shiver with desire. Her cheeks felt so hot.
Shit!

Halfway through the movie, John started shifting in the chair. He seemed uncomfortable. It had to be hard for him to sit in the same position for too long. The old theater seats weren’t exactly the most comfortable. He had to be feeling stiff, or worse he could be in pain.

“Are you ok?” She leaned over and whispered into his ear. He made a sound that was between a groan and a growl. “Are you in pain?”

“No!” His voice said he was in pain.

“Are you sure because you look really uncomfortable.” If he was in pain, they were leaving.

“I’m fine.” He leaned back and placed the popcorn bucket between his legs. Something was bothering him. He was shifting around like a cat on a hot rock. His stubborn nature had come out a few times over the past few weeks. During therapy, he’d push himself until Stephanie could see the strain on his face. His face seemed strained now, but it was different. She glanced back at him and he smiled. That smile made her stomach flutter every time he turned it on her. She was hopelessly infatuated.