Page 8 of Caught Up In You (The Monroes 2)

“The one who thinks he’s too masculine to get a massage or admit he needs pampering. I’ve had your type before, but they always come back for more.” Cora cringed when she realized how that sounded. “I meant—”

“I know what you meant,” he laughed. “Is that awkward for you? You know, to massage men?”

“Not for me.” Cora patted Heidi’s face before settling her hands back in her lap. “All of my clients become my friends. It’s an intimate bond, which sounds strange, but when it’s just you and one other person in a room for an hour, you get to know them pretty well. Pretty much all of my clients were regulars. I had the occasional client who walked in or wanted a spur-of-the-moment massage.”

They drove for a bit in silence before Braxton spoke. “What other types of massages are there?”

Pleased that he wanted to know more about her work, Cora went through the most popular: the Swedish massage, aromatherapy, deep tissue, reflexology, and the pregnancy massage. Then she proceeded to explain the differences, why some of her clients choose one type over another, and how she decided what would work best for each person.

“Wow, I had no idea,” Braxton muttered as he steered the car around another curve. “I know you’re licensed and everything, but I guess I didn’t realize how extensive it was.”

“The schooling was a bit tougher for me since I had to do everything through a voice recognition program and the training was definitely all hands-on, but I love my job. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it, actually.”

Much more than the office, the potential husband, and the plump salary with the 401K waiting for her. The last thing she ever wanted to be was the co-owner of Buchanan Chocolates—a subsidiary of Buchanan Enterprises—with Eric Cutler as her husband and business partner. Her parents had been all too ready to hand over that section of their company to her.

The thought sent her into a crippling fear because, while that lifestyle might sound ideal to someone else, to her it sounded like a prison sentence. Unfortunately, it took a life-altering accident and diagnosis to wake her up and force her to see that she didn’t have to fit into this perfect mold.

Cora knew she blew her parents’ carefully laid plans all to hell when she proclaimed she was not getting married now . . . or ever. She wanted to be on her own, have her own freedom. She couldn’t do that if she was with a man who kept treating her as if she were helpless and couldn’t take care of herself.

Besides, she’d grown up beneath two of the most loveless people ever. They lived and breathed work. Cora had never once heard them say they loved each other, never once did they utter those precious words to her, either. And Eric? Yeah, he might as well be their son, as detached from emotions as he was. Cora had made the mistake of sleeping with him, wondering if maybe he’d be warmer in the bedroom. Nope. Still just as boring and lackluster as always. Why would she want to be married to a business and a man she didn’t love? He was all career, all the time.

And since she’d lost her sight, they’d all acted so differently. Sometimes smothering her so much she couldn’t breathe, other times treating her as if she had the plague. That accident changed everything, but Cora was determined to get her life back on track on her own, thank you very much.

“Hey. You okay?”

Cora smoothed her hair behind her ear and nodded. “Yeah. Just drifted off in thought for a second.”

When he made a slow turn and cautiously moved forward, Cora’s heartbeat increased. “Are we here?”

“We are. Zach is in town with Sophie today. Their dogs had vet appointments.”

“How many do they have?” she asked.

“Eight.” Braxton laughed. “If you knew my brother, you’d know how laughable it is that he has eight dogs, seven of them still puppies, a fiancée, and a child he’s now legal guardian over. He’s what you’d call . . . a moody loner.”

Cora unfastened her belt when the vehicle came to a stop. “Doesn’t sound like a loner at all.”

“Yeah, his world got turned upside down about six months ago. But that’s a story for another time.”

She knew all about worlds turning upside down. She was still hanging there waiting on her world to right itself.

Braxton hopped out of the car as Cora was feeling for her door handle. Suddenly her door opened and Braxton gripped her hand. “I got you.”

“I can do it,” she replied. “Why don’t you open the back door and let Heidi out.”

“Let me help you first.”

Cora squeezed his hand to get his attention and looked in the general direction of the tone of his voice. This needed to stop now because she wasn’t going to start her new life in a new town and get into the same pattern as her old life.

“Don’t coddle me. That is the last thing I need. I appreciate your help, but I’m fine.”

“You’re not used to people helping you, are you?” he asked, still holding on to her, only now he’d stepped closer.

She pulled her hand from his, ignoring his question. She wasn’t getting into what she’d been used to, what she came from or who she was. This was the new Cora and the old one . . . well, she didn’t exist

anymore.

Heidi nudged her from the back and Cora’s body shifted forward . . . straight against a hard wall of muscle. Why did he have to be so charming and helpful? And why did his body have to feel so amazing against hers?

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