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His eyes were a deep shade of blue, she realized for the first time, so dark they could be black, but with a hint of navy—or was it indigo?—giving them depth and interest.
She searched for a response that wouldn’t leave her humiliated, and found none. She certainly couldn’t tell him the truth. If he was a mind reader, she might as well jump off the roof of this very high, luxury building.
When she remained silent, he groaned and dropped his hand. “Okay, let’s back up and try this again. I didn’t know Rina was expecting company. Hell, I didn’t know you and Rina even knew each other.”
Without his touch, she was able to focus a little more. “We met last week. And Rina’s not expecting me exactly, her brother is.”
He raised an eyebrow in definite surprise. “He is?”
“I assume so. Rina said she’d let him know I’d be coming. I’m Brianne Nelson.” Good manners dictated she extend her hand for a greeting. Self-preservation demanded she never touch him again. Considering he still stood in a towel and nothing more, Brianne figured she’d be forgiven for her lapse in social graces.
“Brianne,” he murmured. Her name seemed to roll off his tongue. “Beautiful. It suits you.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “So tell me, why do you think Rina’s brother is expecting you?”
Brianne narrowed her eyes. Wouldn’t Rina have mentioned she’d hired someone as her brother’s physical therapist? Or was their relationship so shallow, they didn’t discuss anything of emotional importance? Somehow, she didn’t think so. Brianne had sensed a depth to Rina, an innate sense of decency and caring. Much as Brianne would have enjoyed disliking the other woman, she just couldn’t, which suddenly made this conversation even stranger than it already was.
She opted for minimal explanation. “I’m a physical therapist.” She didn’t like the speculative gleam that came into his eye.
“I thought you were a waitress.”
Belatedly, she realized she knew no more about him than when she’d walked in, and she disliked being at a disadvantage. “You know, this has become a very lopsided conversation. You know my name and occupations, but I know nothing about you.”
“You know how I look fresh out of a shower,” he said with a grin. “And that’s an awful lot more than I know about you.” He seared her with his deep eyes and a meaningful glance.
“That isn’t what I meant.”
He shook his head and laughed. “Sorry. Let’s start over.”
“We tried that already.” She folded her arms across her chest—to cover her body’s reaction to his heated stare and to ease the slow-building ache in her breasts.
“Then, let’s do it till we get it right.” He extended his hand.
In his eyes, she saw a definite challenge, as if he knew how much his touch affected her and dared her to grasp his hand, anyway. She had grown up with a younger brother and had learned to never back down from a dare. She steeled herself and placed her hand inside his.
“Jake Lowell,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Brianne.” He curled his large fingers around her smaller hand. Although she thought she’d been prepared, the connection between them was strong and sure—heated in a distinctly physical way and warm in a purely seductive one.
Without warning, his words registered; Rina had mentioned her brother’s name. Brianne took a shocked step back. “Jake Lowell? You mean to tell me you’re the one who needs therapy?” He grinned, and the air left her lungs in a rush. “You’re Rina’s brother?” she managed to ask.
“I’m Rina’s brother, in the flesh.” His grin grew wider.
Her gaze fell from his smile to the towel tucked in so that it looked about to fall open at the slightest provocation. She had no doubt that what lay beneath that towel was as incredible as the rest of him. She swallowed hard.
He wasn’t Rina’s boyfriend. He was Brianne’s fantasy man. And she was his very own physical therapist, for as long as it took to both convince him to accept her help and bring him to full recovery. Fainting sounded good about now.
“And you’re the surprise gift Rina said she’d leave for me while she was gone.”
“Gone?” He’d mentioned something about a limo earlier, and Brianne’s mouth grew dry.
“To Europe for the summer.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
He shook his head, looking more amused than she’d have liked. More of his earlier words came back to her. “You said she’s gone and I’m the surprise gift?”
“Apparently so.”
“What the hell do you mean I’m a gift?” Anger and betrayal oozed inside her, and seemed destined to grow. “Physical therapy isn’t a gift; it’s a necessity.” And Rina had seemed to understand that.
She’d cared about her injured brother and wanted to speed his recovery despite his reticence, something Brianne could relate to. Her brother Marc had been a frail child, prone to illness and broken bones. Their parents hadn’t appreciated having their extreme fun curtailed, and often had to hire a private physical therapist to rush his recovery.
Brianne had been fascinated by the seemingly magical healing powers the therapists had possessed, prompting her to follow in their footsteps. And though Marc had eventually outgrown his childhood weaknesses, Brianne had never forgotten. Hence her desire to work with kids at the Special Kid Ranch, a place where she could heal children while they remained with their families.
Family. The word brought her back to Rina’s ploy. Fury settled inside Brianne, and she felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. She curled one arm around her waist for support. “Why in the world would she play this kind of game?” Brianne asked aloud, anger simmering.
“Oh, I can venture a guess.”
He gestured back and forth between the two of them, and Brianne slapped her hand against her thigh and whirled around, starting for the door. Then she turned back again, not one to leave without letting her feelings be known. “Let me tell you something. I resent being taken advantage of. I take my job and my skills seriously. I’m not interested in some sort of matchmaking scheme.” At least, that’s what her mind insisted. Her rapidly beating heart begged to differ.
“Knowing Rina, it could very well be a scheme.”
He stepped closer again, so close she felt his body heat.
“I wish you would stop doing that.”
“How else can I prove you wrong?” His hand touched the pulse point in her throat, and she knew he felt it beating rapidly.
“Wrong about what?” she asked.
“You are interested.” His voice dropped a seductive note.
“I’m about as interested as you are in need of therapy.” She wondered briefly if he was involved in his sister’s game, but his shock at seeing her here seemed so real, she dismissed the notion. She might not be able to blame him, but she was furious just the same.
“Then, I guess we have something in common.” He reached for the corner of the towel hanging over his neck.
“What are you doing?”
“Making a point. See this?” Before she could argue or stop him, he lifted the towel high enough to reveal fading bruises across his powerful chest. “It was injured and my mobility’s limited…” he lifted his arm, squinting as he moved, stopping obviously because of pain and an inability to go farther, “which means I am in need of physical therapy. So by your own admission, that means you, Brianne, are most definitely interested. In me.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again, her thoughts reeling, her heart pounding. He’d been injured, and she couldn’t believe how knowing that affected her. She wanted to comfort him. To heal him. To make him all better.
She didn’t want to pull her gaze from the faint bruising on his chest and shoulder, but dropped her eyes only to find herself focused on the towel barely covering his waist. Obviously he was serious, and Brianne forced her mind to the task at hand. She needed the money his sister had offered too much to walk away.
If she saw this job through to the end, she could afford to move west, even if she didn’t get offered a job at the Ranch just yet. Working with Jake posed a challenge, but she’d never been a quitter, not even at the roughest, most exhausting points in her life. So what if she’d been manipulated into this job?
She pushed aside the hurt and anger and even managed to swallow some pride. He hadn’t set her up; his sister had. But the benefits would be all hers in the long run, and that’s all that mattered. She’d continue as planned, take this job, move into this apartment and rehabilitate this man’s shoulder.
Oh Lord, what had she gotten herself into?
JAKE MET HER GAZE. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted. The desire to taste those lips had never been stronger. He didn’t know what shocked him more—his sister’s meddling or the woman she’d handpicked as her parting gift. Amazing that she turned out to be a physical therapist.
No matter what Brianne’s occupation, Jake had no doubt Rina would have found a way to get them together. It just so happened that Brianne was the perfect woman to meet his current needs. And if she kept staring at the towel around his waist with blatant curiosity in her eyes, some of those needs were going to assert themselves, and soon.
He’d already gotten close enough to smell the lingering fragrance of strawberry in her hair. The scent was fresh and clean in a wholesome way, and yet it aroused a need so strong and intense, he’d been blindsided. For a man with a bad marriage and nasty divorce behind him, who stuck to low-maintenance, no-strings, unemotional relationships, his interest in this woman was too much.
He sure as hell hadn’t expected to walk out and find her here. His only consolation was that she was obviously just as surprised and a whole lot shaken up. Jake understood. There was no denying the chemistry between them. But attraction was easy; what sizzled between them was not. Something more was at work here than lust. In her heavy-lidded gaze, Jake saw a depth of emotion that made the pull between them much more than just physical.
He had a hunch she sensed it, too, because in those eyes he’d also seen wariness. He’d thought Brianne—God, how he loved that name—would bolt given the chance. And he ought to let her, Jake thought. Having her here was a distraction he couldn’t afford.
He needed his mind clear for the job at hand. Capturing Ramirez had to take precedence. He owed it to Frank and, more importantly, he owed it to Frank’s family. Jake could barely face his buddy’s wife and kids. Every time he answered to Uncle Jake, he felt like a goddamn fraud. He couldn’t bring their father back, but he could make sure no one else lost someone they loved to a lowlife named Louis Ramirez. And he would do it himself, leaving no chance for someone else to screw up the bust again.
“Ready to discuss your rehabilitation, or do you intend to give me as hard a time as you’ve been giving your sister?” Brianne asked.
Her voice startled him back to reality. She seemed to shore up her defenses and her resolve. His sister had hired her to do a job, and from her squared shoulders and her determined expression it looked as if that’s what she planned to do.
But rehabilitation was the last thing Jake wanted right now. Rina had obviously told Brianne that he’d been resisting rehab, and that was the impression he wanted the outside world to have. Brianne included. Everyone’s safety—Frank’s family’s, Rina’s, hell, even Jake’s, hinged on taking Ramirez by surprise. Until Jake brought Ramirez in, he needed everyone to think he was being an obstinate SOB. And he could be, given the right motive, he thought wryly.
With Ramirez out of the picture, Jake could then decide whether or not he wanted to return to the force. He couldn’t allow Brianne Nelson, physical therapist and the object of his desire, to threaten his “extended recovery.” He couldn’t have her reporting back to Rina with stories of his amazing improvement.
“You know what?” She cleared her throat. “Before we discuss anything more, would you mind putting on some clothes?”
A smile worked at his mouth. “If you insist.” He’d been too floored seeing her here to give a thought to what he was, or wasn’t, wearing.
“I have to insist.”
He met her gaze and discovered that her eyes were a gorgeous shade of green that sparkled beneath the overhead, high-hat lighting.
“It would help establish the therapist-client relationship,” she explained.
So she wanted to keep things professional. Or maybe she just wanted him to believe she did. It didn’t matter either way. He knew as well as she did that nothing between them could ever be purely professional. Around her, his heart beat harder, his adrenaline flowed faster, and he was more interested in her than he’d been in anything other than Ramirez since the shooting. He needed the distance she was attempting to place between them too badly to allow their sizzling attraction to screw up his head or his case—something he figured could happen very easily. As long as she wanted to hide behind the illusion of safety, Jake would let her.
Norton had settled himself on the floor at her feet. Obviously the dog was smarter than Jake had given him credit for. “I’ll take him with me. Come on, boy.”
Norton lifted his head, then placed it back down between his front paws. Jake groaned. He’d spent the better part of the morning trying to coax the dog out of the moping depression he’d fallen into when Rina had left, suitcases in hand. All he’d gotten for his effort was the doggie bath on his legs when he’d gotten out of the shower. Other than that, the mutt sat crying by Rina’s bedroom door. He glanced from the dog lying happily at Brianne’s feet, to her beautiful face.
He had to admit Norton had taste. And at least that pathetic whining had stopped. “Do you mind if he stays with you?” he asked, wishing he could do the same thing but knowing he needed some time alone to figure out the best way to avoid rehabilitation with his newly hired therapist.
She knelt and patted the dog’s head. “Of course, I don’t mind. We’ve become friends, haven’t we, boy.” With a prolonged sigh, Norton rolled onto his back, giving her access to his stomach and other body parts Jake would prefer not to see.
He rolled his eyes. “Kiss-ass,” he muttered, then turned to Brianne. “Make yourself at home.” He gestured to the living room and hoped she didn’t mind the velvet couches or the marble statues. They weren’t him, but they were here, and there was nothing much he could do about it except get through the summer.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
Jake turned and headed for the master bedroom Rina had insisted he take as his own. His body burned and sizzled, and he knew without turning back that Brianne’s gaze followed his retreat. He changed into clothes, still having no idea how best to avoid her rehab.
Then the telephone rang. He grabbed the receiver. “Hello?”
“Jake?”
It was Rina. If she hadn’t already sounded out of breath, Jake would have liked to strangle the breath out of her.
“Listen, I have some seating problems and I need to rush, but I wanted to check. Did—?”
“Brianne’s here,” he muttered. “And you should have butted out, Rina.”
“You and I spent enough time at the café for me to know better. Fate doesn’t send many gifts, and when one arrives, you can’t turn it away. The time Robert and I shared was too short. I want more for you. All I did was give you that chance. You can’t be mad at me for pumping her boss for a little information. She was heaven sent, Jake. You need her.”
In frustration, he ran a hand through his hair. If he wondered why he’d kept his rehab from Rina, she’d just reminded him. Any time she decided she knew what was best, there was no stopping her. Thank God she was headed for Europe. He couldn’t risk her messing with his career next.
He shook his head. “Isn’t it up to me to decide who and what I need?”
“Oh, did you hear that? They’re paging me. Maybe they found someone to switch seats. You know I can’t stand the window. I get claustrophobic, not to mention that I can’t get up and pee as often as I like on such a long flight.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Oh, and Jake? Before I go, did I mention Brianne will be moving into the spare room off the back hall? She was able to break her lease, and it’s so much more convenient for your workouts. Besides, I know she needs…” The rest of his sister’s sentence was cut off by a loud voice over a sound system. “I’m sorry, Jake. I really have to run. I’ll call from Italy. I love you.” And then she was gone, leaving Jake dizzy from her rushed admission.
And he damn well was concerned by her information. He lowered himself onto the bed, trying to absorb his sister’s news. His solitary existence was about to be royally screwed up. He’d no sooner gotten Rina safely out of the country than he had another female on his hands. At least this one wasn’t a relative. She had no overt ties to Jake, which made her safe from any retaliation by Ramirez. The thought brought him marginal comfort.
He couldn’t completely relax because he still had Brianne and their sizzling attraction to deal with. She was right in thinking they’d been set up. And he was right in thinking the physical therapy angle had made Rina’s matchmaking easier. But Rina would have found a way to move her in here even if Brianne had been a taxi driver.
Brianne had broken her lease and given up her apartment. She’d obviously accepted this job in good faith and was here to stay. There wasn’t a thing Jake could do about it. He couldn’t fire her or throw her out on the street. But no matter how much he desired her—and even now his body throbbed with yearning—she definitely didn’t fit into his summer plans. Her presence would put his ability to come and go as he pleased at risk, compromising his freedom and private agenda to nab Ramirez.
Once she moved in here, with him…The realization sunk in, slamming into his gut with startling clarity. The woman he’d desired for months was about to become his roommate. Not even a cold shower could douse the heat that thought inspired. He’d spent too many nights, after leaving the café, tossing and turning in his bed, thinking of her, yearning for the touch of a woman who existed only in his fantasies. Yet those fantasies were real enough for his sheets to rasp against his naked, aroused body. Real enough for his hands to become her hands, and for him to be spent, but not satisfied, thereafter.
But things were different now. Because, this time, she was more than a face, more than a fantasy. She had a name and a personality. Like it or not, she was his very own physical therapist who was moving in with him for the duration of the summer.
And she was waiting for him in the other room.
CHAPTER THREE
BRIANNE WALKED to the array of windows that offered a perfect view of the East River. Norton followed, his dog tags jingling behind her.
The sun’s rays were strong through the thick glass, heating her skin as well as the room. Not that she needed any more body heat. There wasn’t a part of her that wasn’t already on fire, thanks to Jake. A sexy name for a sexy man. A sexy, single and unattached man, she thought, again taking in the marble floors, sculpted works of art and modern paintings adorning the walls in the apartment he shared with his sister. From the mundane to the more in-depth aspects of his personality, there was a lot she didn’t know about Jake Lowell. She wondered what he did for a living, even what he liked to eat for breakfast.
Basically, she questioned everything about him, but she decided here and now, she wouldn’t ask. She couldn’t afford to find out. Jake excited her, but she’d have to keep their relationship professional. It wouldn’t be easy. This man, this apartment, this chemistry between them—all were the stuff from which fantasies were made. But fantasies didn’t come true; she knew that firsthand.
She’d wanted loving, concerned parents, and she’d gotten world travelers, more interested in their dangerous adventures than their children. She’d wanted security and the opportunity to live a normal life. To go out when her friends did, to date and to have fun. Instead she’d gotten the responsibility of a brother she loved more than life itself and the emotional and financial burden of seeing to it that he was raised right. More than most people, Brianne understood fantasies were necessary to ease life’s burdens, but they never came true.
Her aching desire for the man in the other room would remain in the realm of impossible dreams. It had no place in her real life. The less she learned about Jake Lowell, the safer she would be. As it was, taking this job would be hazardous to her mind, her heart and, most definitely, her body. How she would live here with him and survive the summer, she had no idea.
Physical therapy itself was extremely hands-on. Her palms would cover his upper back and shoulders, and ease around to the front of his chest. Her fingers would massage his strong muscles. She’d be getting up-close and personal with a man who sent her senses soaring and who’d unexpectedly touched her emotions as well. Brianne saw scars and injuries every day of her life, yet when she’d looked at Jake’s, an aching tenderness had risen to her throat. She didn’t know why he affected her so, but she knew it didn’t bode well for her vow to remain detached, to be the professional she was being paid to be.
But she would if it killed her.
“I’m ready.” His deep voice sent tremors of awareness racing through her.
