Page 19 of Love is Fake

“Hallway to your left, third door on the right.” Lennox throws the comment over his shoulder without breaking his stride. “And stop calling me Mr. Gray if you expect me to fucking answer!”

The double-heighted entry-way echoes with the sound of his annoyance and this time, I don’t take any pleasure in knowing I’ve gotten under his skin, because I can already feel him deep underneath mine.

Chapter

Five

By the time Lennox gets to the gym I’ve had time to find the massage room and get myself set up. Part of me wonders if he was giving me extra time to get myself together because he noticed what a basket-case I’ve been. If that’s the case, I don’t know whether to be grateful or even more embarrassed than I already am.

Fake it ‘til you make it, I remind myself.

I’m determined to claw back some level of professionalism even it kills me and the best way to go about that is to pretend like what took place outside never even happened.

Denial and distraction are my two new best friends right now.

“If you want to hop up on the bed, I’d like to do a quick consultation if you don’t mind?” I ask the question in my best ‘this is how it’s going to work’ voice. I’m surprised not to encounter any resistance from Lennox who does exactly as I ask.

He leans back on his elbows, stretching his long legs out in front of him and I definitely only look at the corded muscles of his legs from a purely specialist point of view.

“This is a great set-up.” I gesture around to the fully fitted out-treatment rooms that would put most five-star spas to shame. “Was it like this when you bought the place?”

Smalltalk, I hate it, but it’s a trick of the trade I’ve learned to employ over the years. Especially when either I or the client are nervous.

“No.” Lennox’s monosyllabic response is punctuated by an intake of breath as I touch a sensitive spot around his knee.

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Did that hurt?”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but from the way his jaw is clenching he’s in a not inconsiderate amount of pain.

“If you’d been using your crutches instead of putting all your weight on your knee this morning, it wouldn’t be as sore as it is now,” I point out, but Lennox just stares daggers at me.

So someone doesn’t like to be told they’re not invincible, I think to myself. Damn alpha male athletes.

“I had some stuff to do,” Lennox shrugs. “The crutches just get in the way. They slow me down.”

“Because they’resupposedto slow you down,” I rebuke gently. “Your knee has gone through a massive trauma, not just once with your surgery, but again during that last game.” The game I haven’t yet watched. I’ve been so busy pouring over Lennox’s medical charts I didn’t have time, but he doesn’t need to know that. “You need to give it some time to heal.”

“You can save the lecture, Isabella. I’ve had it already from the damn surgeon,” Lennox grumbles.

“And apparently it didn’t work whenhegave it to you, so that’s why I’m reminding you.”

If Lennox wants to turn this into a battle of wills, I’m happy to show him just how stubborn I can be when it comes to my patients.

“There’s a set of crutches over there-” I nod towards the corner of the room. “You’re going to use them for the rest of our little trial period.”

I cross my arms, looking at him expectantly.

Lennox’s expression goes from mulish to amused in a matter of seconds. “I don’t think I heard a question there, Isabella.”

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head at him. “You didn’t. Out on the ice, you’re the boss. In here,” I make a circle with my index finger including the treatment room and the gym, “in here, I’m the boss.”

Lennox looks a little surprised and rightly so because right now I’m light years away from the timid woman I was outside. But this is different, this here is my world.

The surprise in his eyes gives way to something looking like grudging respect and I tell myself I don’t need his approval.

“I’ll give the crutches a try,” he accepts begrudgingly. “But I’m not makin’ any promises.”

I duck my head to hide my victorious smile, knowing Lennox is the type of person who would renege on his acceptance purely to prove a point. His Alabama drawl which is normally barely noticeable is coming through strong. It makes me wonder if it’s because he’s subconsciously picking up my accent or because he’s in pain. Neither of the two options is ideal.

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