Page 85 of Men or Paws
Rocco laughed. “Great, the pressure is on now. You’re not much of a swimmer?”
“Actually, I am, but I’ve been in the pool for almost an hour already. I like to get out before my skin turns all pruney.”
“Do you swim regularly?”
“As much as I can,” I said. “My apartment complex is walking distance to Harbor Beach.”
“All year round?” Rocco asked.
“I prefer the heated pool at the YMCA in the winter, although I typically just do the water aerobics classes, not laps. They’re pretty simple, low-impact exercises like aqua jogging, knee lifts like these.” I demonstrated the move.
Like he really wanted to learn it.
I stopped when I felt a cramp coming on in my left foot.
“Are you okay?” Rocco said, obviously noticing the discomfort on my face.
I forced a smile. “I’ve got a cramp. I just need to work it out really quick.” I lifted my foot closer to massage away the cramp.
“Here, let me help you. I’m pretty good at getting rid of cramps,” Rocco said, grabbing my left leg and pulling it out of the water, resting the heel of my foot against his ten-pack abs.
Why couldn’t I have had a cramp in my hand instead?
“Thank you,” I said, as the muscles in my foot contracted even more.
Rocco put his hand on the top of my foot and slid it down my shin, stopping just below my knee. Next, he brought his other hand around and underneath, starting at the heel and sliding it along my skin past my achilles, then cupping my calf.
“How’s this?’ he asked, massaging my calf gently with one hand while he moved the other hand to rest on my kneecap.
I turned to mush in two seconds flat.
I swallowed hard, torn between letting him continue massaging the wrong spot since I was as close to heaven as I have ever been, or letting him treat the real problem which was located underneath my foot and causing lots of pain. How did I get so needy? The decision was made for me when the cramp tightened even more, causing me to gasp.
“Underneath my foot,” I said between my grinding teeth as I stood there on one leg in the water.
“I’m on it,” Rocco said, removing both hands from my leg and wrapping all ten fingers around my foot. He pressed both thumbs into the ball of the foot, applying pressure in a circular motion, then working his way slowly toward the arch. “Wow, this is tight right here.”
“Yes, there, there, there. Oh, wow. Keep doing that.” I closed my eyes and took some deep breaths in while Rocco worked his magic with his thumbs. “That’s it. A little harder.”
He continued to massage my foot and applied more pressure. “How does that feel?”
“That’s the spot.” I smiled, my eyes still closed, happy that the cramp was fading away. “My goodness. Don’t stop. A little more.”
My eyes popped open when I realized I sounded like an adult film actress.
Rocco must have thought the same because he appeared on the verge of panting. He was still holding my foot against his abs, but the massage with his thumbs came to a screeching halt.
“I really need to choose my words more wisely,” I said. “Can you pretend you didn’t hear any of that?”
Rocco grinned. “I memorized it to keep it for future use when you’re not around.”
I smirked. “Behave or you’ll end up in the doghouse with Houdini.”
At the sound of his name, the dog leaped from the side of the pool into the water behind Rocco, making a huge splash. The force of the water pushed Rocco toward me.
As I fell back, my right foot slid higher up Rocco’s abs past his chest to the top of his shoulder, while my other leg found its way around his waist, clinging on like a clamp, pulling him toward me as I tried to keep my head above water.
Wait, it gets worse. Or do I mean better?
