Page 14 of Mother Pucker

She’s wound up as tight as a steel wire, and damn if I don’t want to see her fray just a little. Or maybe I’d like to see her unravel completely.

A crease forms between her brow, about as adorable as the tiny little mole on the top of her cheek. “My initials? But I didn’t see . . .”

She doesn’t finish her thought, but the way her eyes widen in shock–knowing she’s been caught, knowing my assumption about her taking the little toy in her hand on a joy ride was correct–has my smile resembling the Cheshire Cat’s.

“You didn’t see it there?” I lean back down toward her, practically touching her large hoop earring with my lips and relishing in the way her chest rises and falls beneath me. “Is thatwhat you were going to say, Doc? That you didn’t see it there when you held it in your hand? When you skimmed it up your thigh, feeling the metal warm against your skin? When you felt it buzzing between your wet–”

“Rowan.” She takes in a hurried breath.

I grin, pulling my lip in between my teeth. “It seems we’re finally on the same page. I like my name on your lips.”

She clears her throat, seeming to regain her composure. “Shall we get started, then?”

I swing my arm out in a welcome gesture. “I’ll lead the way, if you want to follow me to my home gym.”

Shay tucks her purse tighter under her arm before following me in quick, short steps.

Once she’s sufficiently looked around at the equipment inside my workout room, she picks out an area next to my bench, placing both the small and large medicine balls and some resistance bands near it.

Putting her purse down nearby, she lays with her back on the bench.

“So, the first exercise I want you to do is called a supine groin stretch. I’ll show it to you now, and I’d like you to do it for thirty seconds on each leg.”

My eyes roam the length of her body lying on the bench. “You sure you don’t want to start with a massage? I could really use agroin-ularmassage.”

Shayla glares at me, and I can’t help the grin that spreads over my face. At this point, my smile seems to have become a permanent fixture around her. “Positive.”

“You sure?” I urge again, hoping to really irritate her. “I feel like that’ll help increase blood flow to the area.” I point in the general direction of my groin, though it’s possible it was a little closer to my dick.

Shay sucks in her cheeks, and I get the feeling she’s trying to suppress a smile. “Pretty sure you don’t need any moreblood flowto that area than you’ve already got.”

She proceeds to pull her knee into her chest, and I ogle her ass like a starving animal. Jesus Christ, it’s so fucking round and firm, my dick begs for a peek. I shift, hoping the loose material of my shorts hides my erection.

“I’ll walk you through all the exercises for this week, and then I’ll create a plan for the following weeks. In general, I’ll only need to see you once a week.”

“Once a week?”Oh no, no, no. That will not work.“I thought we were meeting more than once a week until I’m fully healed.”

Shayla sits up. “Once I create your weekly plan, there should be no need for us to meet more than that, other than to see what sort of progress you’re making in your healing.”

I wrap my arms around my chest. “Well, I’d like to see you more than once a week, especially when I’m playing home games.”

She gives me that authoritative look I’ve seen from her a couple of times. The one I find so fucking cute, but the same one I’d like to wipe off her face if I ever get her under me. “Let me reiterate that playing hockey in your current condition could exacerbate the issue and potentially cause additional problems.”

“Noted,” I say, leaning back on my heels. “And letmereiterate that not playing when the season is about to begin, and my team’s entire focus is on getting to the playoffs, is not an option, either.”

She sighs. “Well, then I insist you stay off the ice this week as well. You’ll need to do your exercises every day from here on out, but you won’t need me here more than once a week after this week.”

“That’s non-negotiable. I’d like to see you three to five times every week until I’m fully healed.”And I’m not above pretendingto be injured for longer, even if I’m completely healed.“And I’d like you to travel with me for away games.”

That same voice in my head that was asking me earlier what I was doing is now blaring and screaming.

What the fuck are you even doing, Parker?

It’s fine though. I’ve ignored it multiple times before and haven’t had to pay for any consequences. I respect it for being there as a cautionary voice of reason, but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to it.

Shay comes to stand in front of me with her hands on her hips, her head tilted up. “That’s not going to happen Mr. Parker. I have responsibilities, along with other patients. So, I’m afraid you’ll have to find another therapist.”

She starts to pick up her purse–damn this woman and her ultimatums!–and I rush after her, grabbing her wrist again. “Okay, fine. What about the next set of away games?” She starts to object, but I bulldoze past her. “We’re flying out to California at the end of next week, from Saturday to Tuesday. Three games in four days. I’ll take your advice and rest another week, but I’m really hoping you could be there in case I re-injure myself.”

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