Page 89 of Extended Bridge

Bennett runs his hand through his sexy hair.

Without waiting for him to respond, I rush forward. “Darren always had wonderful things to say about you. He told me about your early days with the band and how you struggled. He used to play pranks on you to get you out of your head. He helped you study for the GED because he knew how important finishing your education was to your self-worth.”

Bennett blinks several times.

“He loved you like a brother. I don’t know if he ever told you—or if you were able to hear him if he did. I figured, if he loved you so much, there had to be something more to you than a cocky lead singer. Quinn’s movie showed me glimpses into the man you are underneath.” My hand now moves up his chest to cover his heart.

Although he doesn’t respond, his heartbeat increases. Faster. Faster. Faster still. “Do you know what thisjobhas done for me? Itreminded me how much joy I get in working with patients and seeing their progress. So thank you for that.”

He grabs my wrist and drops it onto the bed. At least he’s still here with me. I have to take my wins where I can.

“Can you see a difference between merely doing a job and enjoying interactions with the people on the job who give it meaning?”

He swallows. “Like doing all the promo shit, but feeling pride when Luke says we did a good job?”

Not a perfect example, but I’ll take it. “Exactly. Like how you bonded with Luke over it.”

“I wouldn’t say we bonded.”

“Fine. But you accomplished something that you received praise for from him. Tell me, what would happen if you did a poor job at one of the promo events?”

He jerks his head backward. “Luke would hand me my ass.”

My gaze drifts behind him for a second. I want to tap his amazing butt, but refrain. “So you do a good job in order not to disappoint Luke.”

He ponders what I said for a moment. “In a way.”

“Great. So you see, you can be contracted to do a job, like a promo appearance, but your behavior is guided by how you want to please your manager because he means more to you than the single appearance.”

“I guess.”

I push forward. “You see how the one informs the other? You must do your job because you’re a professional. You do it well not to disappoint your”—I almost say “friend” but search for a more appropriate descriptor, in his world—“manager. The fact you met Luke because of UC doesn’t play into the fact that he’s your frien-acquaintance.”

Bennett settles on his back. “If he disappeared from UC tomorrow, I guess I would miss him,” he allows.

Score! “You’d miss his not being around and razzing you?”

His cheeks inflate. “Yeah. He’s annoying as hell, but a good guy. I think we’d all be adrift without him steering the ship.”

Finally! We’re making progress. It’s time to press my luck. “So, you can understand why even if I quit doing your physical therapy, I would stay with you.” I turn onto my side and stroke his hair. On a whisper, I say, “Because I love you.”

Given the rigid set to his jaw and how tight his limbs are, I take the fact he hasn’t moved from the bed as a positive. A small one, but still.

“We met—again—because I agreed to be your therapist. I’m here right now, in your bed, because I want to be.”Please let him agree.

“You’re not with me because of the money?”

“No.”

“Your contract isn’t forcing you to stay?”

I contemplate my response. “Well, the contract makes me want to finish your therapy and see you back to one hundred percent. It’ll end when you’re healed. Professional ethics say I’m not supposed to enter into a relationship with any current client—I made Darren wait until our therapy was over.” My face relaxes. “You, however, blew my mind from the beginning.”

He turns again onto his side, facing me. “Please tell me you’re not saying all this stuff because of the contract.”

What his mother and bitch of a high school girlfriend did to this amazing man! “I’m your physical therapist because Luke twisted both of our arms. I’m a very satisfied woman because you took my arm”—I hold it out straight—“pulled me against your very sexy body and said you wanted to do all types of naughty things to me. You fulfilled each and every promise more than I expected was possible.” I screw up my courage and kiss his lips. “Because I love you.”

His eyes squeeze shut. I allow his internal battle to go on as long as he needs, praying he’ll realize his assumption about me is unfounded. As is his crazy notion that UC are a bunch of colleagues who play music together.

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