Page 2 of Climb Me Maybe
He nods, still not moving."Good.That’s…good."
That voice does things to me.Filthythings.
What is happening right now?
"Well," I say, finally taking a step toward the office."I should probably..."
"Yeah.Yeah, me too."He turns to go, but I catch him glancing back over his shoulder.Once.Twice.
And then he stumbles on the bottom step of the boardwalk.
I bite my lip to keep from smiling as he recovers quickly, pretending nothing happened, and disappears around the corner of the building.
Interesting.
As I walk into the office, the woman behind the desk looks up with a warm smile.She's pretty in that outdoorsy, no-makeup-needed way that I simultaneously admire and resent.
"You must be Imogen!I'm Teagan Leigh, co-founder.We're so excited to have you here."She shakes my hand enthusiastically."The crew is practically fighting over massage appointments."
"Nice," I glance toward the door where Mr.Tall-Dark-and-Adorably-Awkward disappeared.Ireallyhope he’s part of the crew.
Teagan's smile turns slightly conspiratorial."Most of them, anyway.One of our guys is a little...resistant to the idea of therapeutic touch."
“Oh?”
“Our high-rigger, aka tree climber.Incredible body, but he's got some...issues with strangers touching him."
"I find that resistance usually comes from unfamiliarity," I say."A lot of people think massage is just spa fluff, but therapeutic work is actually pretty intense.Deep tissue, trigger point release, myofascial work—it's more like physical therapy than a spa treatment at times.”
"Exactly," Teagan agrees.
"I specialize in working with athletic populations," I add."Climbers, especially, tend to develop very specific muscle tension patterns.I'd be happy to do a consultation for him—no pressure, just education about what therapeutic work involves."
"That sounds perfect," Teagan says warmly."He mentioned some back tension after yesterday's demonstration, but getting him to actually do something about it..."She shakes her head with fond exasperation.
"Ah, the classic 'I’ll walk it off" type,” I say with a knowing smile."I see that a lot.They'll push through pain that would have most people flat on their backs."
"I could see him favoring his left side yesterday, walking like his spine’s made of Legos.But he's too stubborn to admit he needs help."
I perk up at the challenge."I'll keep that in mind," I say, accepting the cabin key Teagan hands me."If he—or any of the guys—wants to reach out, just have them text me.Sometimes it's easier for them to ask for help when they don't have to do it face-to-face."
“Smart,” she says.
"Thanks, Teagan.I'm looking forward to working with your team."
“Our pleasure…literally!”
She waves as I head toward my cabin with a head full of questions about midnight blue eyes, sexy hair, and massive pecs.
The way my pulse kicked up when those firm hands steadied me suggests I might be in trouble.
But this gig with Serenity Springs is my golden ticket—full-time position, health benefits, and someplace stable to call home.No more freelance hustle.
The spa manager wants testimonials from the guys here before my interview.And yet the thought of touching every inch of the lean, muscled body on that sexy lumbersnack is driving me a little crazy.
Professional boundaries,I remind myself firmly as I unlock my cabin door.
Right.Those.
