Page 27 of The Spark Between Us

Over the next fifteen minutes, I let the strange combination of sensations work their magic on my tweaked muscles while Braden made noises in the kitchen. It sounded like he was washing dishes, opening and closing cupboards, opening the fridge. Then I heard his feet walking away and water running in the bathroom upstairs.

My body absorbed the jumbled mess of sensations—hot, cold, tingly—and my brain tried to process an additional feeling—lust.

It made no sense. He’d barely touched me, but that was enough to have every nerve along the surface of my skin firing and a flood of heat building in my core. The second he left the room, my body craved his touch, probably because my body was confusing medical attention with foreplay. Yes, it had been months—fine, years—since any man had touched me in the intimate way Braden just had, even if just for therapeutic purposes. Apparently, he’d awakened some dormant female urges.

And let’s face it, the man was a hot rescue fantasy come to life, and I was caving to his charms like an expert spelunker.

That didn’t take long. I’d barely been in town a day, and I already found myself abandoning my “like attracts like” theory and signing on for brawny handsome firefighter. With great enthusiasm.

You’re in trouble, lady friend.

No. It would be fine. The fantasy would stay in my head where it belonged. Noticing his physical beauty and inner kindness didn’t need to make our roommate situation awkward. It was like appreciating a stunning work of art. I’d be crazy to ignore its beauty, even if I couldn’t afford to own it.

I just needed to get off this table and ferry myself to work where I’d concentrate on the reason for moving here in the first place—science. If anything turned me on as much as Braden’s hands on me, it was the possibility of a scientific breakthrough.

Okay, I may have exaggerated the excitement produced by things in a lab just a bit, but it was all I had.

A few minutes later, Braden’s footsteps returned, followed by the clicking of Bella’s paws on the hardwood floor. His deep voice was close to my ear when he spoke, causing a chill down my spine. “You still with me?”

“Yeah. Only I’m pretty sure I’ve become one with this table.”

He let out a low laugh. “I’ll help you up.” He turned me onto my back then held out his hand, which felt large and strong as I gripped it. Then he supported my neck with his other hand and pulled me up to sitting.

As soon as I let go of his hand and relaxed my shoulders, a crazy thing happened. I could suddenly move my neck. I didn’t have a full range of motion, but I could turn it in both directions without pain. My back felt looser too. I wiggled around and felt so much better than I had just a half hour earlier.

“This is...wow. I can actually move,” I practically sang. It hadn’t seemed possible.

“That was the goal.” He crossed his arms in his Michelin Man pose, a satisfied grin on his face.

“Goal achieved! I’m healed.”

“Well, you’re not healed, but it’s a start. Now don’t do anything crazy at work today like lifting lasers or whatever.”

“Aye aye, Captain. Seriously, thank you. I think you’ve earned yourself another dinner. If you’re around later, name the dish and I’ll make it happen.”

He took a step back and his jaw clenched. “I, um, have plans.” He didn’t look happy about it.

“Ah, like, plans to go over your tax bill with your accountant?” It was the only reason I could think of that would make a person look so miserable.

“No, like a date.”

“Oh. Okay, well, cool. Good for you.”

Of course he’d have an active dating life. From the attention he’d gotten around town last night, I could imagine he had women lining up every night of the week.

“I could cancel...I mean, if you still can’t move around, you might need some help with things...” He rubbed a hand over his chin and looked at the ceiling, maybe considering what would be involved in canceling his plans.

I waved my hands at him in protest. “No, no! Absolutely not. I don’t want to keep you from your life. Go on all the dates. We’ll do it another time. Or not. All good.”

“Are you sure? Because then I’m back on a twenty-four-hour shift, so I won’t be around for a while...”

“Absolutely. Now lemme get some real clothes on so I make a decent impression on my first day at work. Can’t greet the physics community in my teddy bear pj’s.” Now that I could move my neck, I could see the bears clearly.

I pushed past him and made my way up the stairs. Feeling so much better than I had thirty minutes earlier, I moved in and out of the shower, gathered my hair into a knot on top of my head, slapped on some mascara and cherry red lipstick, and pulled on a navy-blue wrap dress and a tall pair of pumps.

The full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door convinced me I looked good enough to pass muster on my first day. I didn’t have much time to consider alternate outfits or better makeup application, so I grabbed my laptop case and my purse and headed back down the stairs.

Braden was waiting for me, kneeling down and having a quiet conversation with Bella. “You’re gonna be a good girl, right? No digging...or I’ll have to take away your yard privileges.” Bella sat obediently in front of him, taking in every word he said, as though she knew what he expected her to do.

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