The Renegade Returns

Just like that, his mouth watered, hunger rising out of nowhere to overwhelm him. It was totally out of character for him, this physical need to be close to someone. If it had been anyone else, he’d have let the hunger lead him, but he couldn’t. Not with Avery. Indulging in something physical with her wouldn’t be fair, knowing he would never make his home here.

But now curiosity had joined the mix of anticipation and arousal, so he leaned a little heavier on his cane to gain speed. What could be better than the usual after-workout routine? At least it eased the soreness long enough for him to get home. By tomorrow morning, he’d be stiff again. Even the massive whirlpool tub Aiden had installed in his suite didn’t help for long. His body resisted what he wanted.

He’d been told he pushed too hard before, but each moment without definitive recovery ramped up a panic inside. Getting back on the track was a need that called to him day and night. He couldn’t rest for the jitters beneath his skin.

An itch to escape.

It only subsided when he was with Avery. With her, he felt a constant, low-level hum that drew his gaze, his attention—hell, his body—in her direction. An illusion that, if he could just get close enough, all the fears and doubts and nerves would stop. Dangerous territory. Which gave him one more reason to keep his hands to himself.

When Avery opened the door to one of the smaller rooms around the perimeter and Luke glimpsed a thickly padded massage table, he wanted to groan. Have mercy. Now he had an itch for something completely different.

“Take off your shoes. I just want to work some of the tension out of your legs and back,” she said.

He wanted to joke, to throw something stupid out there to break the tension building under his skin. But nothing came to him. “Is massage an extra perk?” he tried, his voice sounding strained.

A slight choke had him glancing at her with a tight grin, but she’d turned away.

“Um, no,” she finally said, though her voice was muffled. It took him a minute to realize she was off balance, uncertain. Did she not normally do this?

That settled him down, and he was able to tease her again. “So am I simply special?”

Her obvious embarrassment was so cute he wanted to kiss it away. Her flushed cheeks and shaky hands made him warm, awoke a need to hug her and share a grin. Not the reaction he was used to, but definitely safer. Shucking his shoes and socks, Luke approached the table with a breathless anticipation that was exponentially higher than the situation warranted.

To his surprise, she launched a comeback. “It’s not actually on the fee schedule, but I do need to put my massage therapy license to use now and then.”

With those words, every muscle in his body went taut. For someone who already had mobility issues, it was not the best state of affairs. But how could he relax knowing Avery had even more skills in her arsenal that could slay him in an instant? He lay facedown as best he could and breathed through the pain of getting his legs prone. That took his mind off the ache forming in his groin pretty quick.

“Moving a little more slowly would make changing positions easier,” Avery chided.

“Can’t hide anything from you, huh?”

Her voiced softened as she drew closer. “Oh, I’m a bit more observant than most.”

What did she see in him? He was used to projecting the fun-loving, hard-playing athletic image. This wasn’t his finest hour. Could she spot the desperation, the bone-deep need to get back behind the wheel? The fear that lingered beneath his determination? His thoughts opened up a dark cave he’d rather not explore.

The sound of a cabinet door broke the silence, then familiar heat blanketed his upper back in a thick weight. His whole body automatically melted into the cloth-covered table beneath him. Then Avery’s hands found the small of his back and thinking ceased—he could only feel.

Definitely not like a dude. He’d never before had a therapeutic massage where he had to bite his lip to keep from begging his masseuse for more. Hell, her technique was flawless. Now his body wanted to take this far away from the office to a much more private setting.

Yep, he was in a heap of trouble here.

Those slender fingers traced and kneaded every inch of every muscle on his legs and lower back. Every one except the one he wanted her to touch with an ache that was inherently male. Trapped beneath him, that essential part of his body throbbed in an attempt to gain attention. Luke was grateful for the safeguard, even while he reveled in the return of his body’s most basic demands. So much better than his struggle with fear and loathing.

He’d enjoyed a steady stream of sexual encounters until the accident. But why did this feel like the perfect unique blend of innocence and sensuality to spur his body into hyperdrive?

Oh, yeah, she was definitely trying to torture him.

Her fingers traced over muscles, hills, and into valleys. Smoothing out the tension, working out the knots, drawing out the moans. This girl had some hidden talents.

“You have magic fingers,” he moaned.

She dug particularly deep into his thigh.

“Ouch, woman.”

“Behave.” The prim schoolteacher voice was back. Not the direction he was looking for.

“It was a compliment. I swear.”

He lifted a little to glance over his shoulder, only to find her cheeks flushed, eyes a little heavy-lidded. But all of it disappeared when her gaze met his. Then one brow lifted and her lips pressed together.

Even as he settled back in place, the image of that aroused look on her refined features wouldn’t disappear from his mind. That expression like she’d enjoyed touching him as much as he’d enjoyed being touched. It was a temptation he didn’t need. Then the slide of her hands transformed from a baker kneading dough to the skilled glide of a woman savoring the skin beneath her fingers.

The very air around him grew heavy. His breath sped up to match his heartbeat. Could this torture continue forever? But certain parts of him demanded it end quickly, in a very satisfying way. Time to change the tempo.

“You never did say why I haven’t seen you around...”

He left the sentence hanging, hoping to introduce some sane conversation before he went out of his ever-lovin’ mind. She paused midstroke, his thigh muscle twitching before she continued again.

“I didn’t really socialize much until my mother died,” she said, her voice low. “There wasn’t really time—or rather, when there was, I was too exhausted to care. I stuck close to home mostly. And establishing a practice takes a lot of work, even with the ready-made clientele here.”

Which was no doubt true, even if he still sensed a cover-up. His heartbeat slowed as he focused on her. “I’m sure she was very grateful for all you did for her.”

“I know she was. She told me every day.”

Luke thought of his own mother, Lily, who had been comatose since a stroke. She’d already sustained injuries from a car accident that had left her unable to walk. There’d been more than once that Luke had wished his mother could tell them something, anything to let them know she was okay—even if it was goodbye. But she couldn’t.

“You’re lucky,” he mumbled, then realized how callous that might sound and glanced over his shoulder.

Avery met his look, understanding in her gentle eyes. “I know.”

She pressed her palms flat against his skin, sending that tingle through him once more. A confusing mix of arousal and comfort.

Some people didn’t know, could never understand what it was like to lose a parent...but not really lose them. To wish so badly that you could speak to them, but realize it would never happen again. But Avery understood. Her observant ways had probably told her far more about the situation than anyone else knew.

Then she threw him into the fire. “What about you? Did you ever think you’d be moving back here, even for a temporary hiatus?”

Luke was glad his face didn’t show. Being home was still a touchy subject for him—more than he wanted anyone to know. “Nope.”

“But it’s better now, right?”

His body stilled even more. “How did you know?”

“Everyone knows James Blackstone was a difficult man—”

“Try demon...”

“—but the way he treated you boys was unconscionable.”