Tectonic (Double Blind Study Book 3)

by Heidi Hutchinson

  Greta saw so much when she looked at him. All the things he thought he could hide, and usually did, from the world. All the turmoil and guilt, the distrust, the weariness. His figure was large and foreboding to most, but Greta wanted to climb up that sturdy frame, look into those honeytinted eyes, and tell him he was worth it. That he had so much more to offer than he thought.

  Her inner sadness faded to the background as she became more engrossed in Shane's face. Even going to so far as to pick up her sketchbook, move across the patio, and sit on the small table across from him.

  Her lips moved absently to the words of “Lonesome Day” as Greta focused on the paper in front of her. She could see this one getting redone in acrylics and it excited her. He truly was magnificent. She wondered if this was what Michelangelo would feel when one of his paintings started to take on a life of its own.

  It was in that moment, when she was looking into those amber irises filled with loneliness and regret, that she saw something she'd never seen in Shane before. The color darkened and a shadow moved across his gaze, gold swirls around the pupils intensified, and Greta caught her breath. The song took on a whole new meaning as The Boss rasped in her ears and she stared at the embodiment of his words.

  Shane noticed.

  He leaned forward quickly, a hand slipping under her hair, cupping the back of her head. “What do you see?” he whispered earnestly.

  “Everything,” she whispered back.

  He let her go, his fingers dragging through her hair slightly as he sagged back into the chair.

  “This is hard,” he admitted with a contrite smile.

  “I know,” she agreed. “It's hard for me too. You're my Everest.”

  “You don't want to give up on me?” he asked hesitantly, looking up at her under his eyebrows.

  “Not on your life, pal.” She smiled when his expression relaxed. She set the pad and left-over charcoal down on the table behind her.

  “I'll try to be a better human being to you,” he said, sensing what she was going to say to him next.

  “That would be nice.” She smirked at him slightly. “Don't abandon me ever again. It was by sheer luck and lunacy that Brady was heading in that direction.” Her smile faltered when his eyes cut to hers and they went hard.

  “Do you spend a lot of time with Brady?”

  Greta shrugged. “Some. Not a lot. No more than the other guys.”

  Shane held her gaze and then looked over her shoulder into the house. A muscle in his jaw twitched and then his face relaxed again as his eyes swung back to hers.

  “Do you work tomorrow?” he asked casually. Friendly, even.

  “Yeah.” Greta looked down at her phone. Great, it was two in the morning. “I have to be there in four hours.”

  “Shit,” Shane mumbled, then stood up. “You better get some sleep. I'll be around tomorrow.”

  Greta stood, gathered her things and followed him back to the glass patio door. “You don't have to do that.”

  He stopped, looked down and smiled an actual smile. “Crazy girl.” As if that explained everything.

  She shook her head and led him through the house that was now dark again. The guys must have gone to bed.

  Shane opened the front door and turned back to face her.

  His amber eyes slid over her lazily and he gave her a half-smile. “Since we agreed to be honest with each other during this whole thing, I feel like I should tell you something.”

  “Okay.” Greta moved towards him and waited for him to continue. He took advantage of her closer proximity and stepped into her space. His hand pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and he leaned in closer, his eyes never leaving hers.

  “I know your policy on not getting involved with your 'projects,' and I respect that. But you should know that when this whole thing is over, and you deem me healed, I have every intention of kissing the hell out of you.”

  Greta's mouth fell open and Shane chuckled.

  “Goodnight, Greta.” He gave her a sly wink and turned around, walking out the open door, without so much as a backwards glance.

  Greta watched him go, unable to move.

  Two men in the same night had made similar statements to her and she had been left slack-jawed and silent. What was going on with the world? She finally shut the door, locked it and then leaned back against it heavily.

  “Balls.”

  Chapter 6

  Echo

  “Hey, boss, you want these upstairs? Boss?”

  Shane shook his head and looked up to see one of his new hires, Kevin, standing in front of him with a stack of boxes that must have just been dropped off.

  “Yeah, put them in the green storage room,” he answered distractedly.

  And boy, was he ever distracted. All he could think about was Greta. More specifically, all he could think about was the way her mouth had fallen open when he'd told her he was planning on kissing her. He'd finally rendered her speechless.

  It was a good thing the new hires were doing such a good job because Shane kept checking the clock, counting down the hours until he could duck out for the day and drive over to her house. He couldn't wait to see her again.

  “New faces,” Steve said, giving Lia a sly wink. He held the large glass door open as a group of teenagers shuffled out the door with their recent purchases. Then he fixed his attention on Shane, who was leaning back against the wall behind the counter, arms crossed. “It's warm today, how about a drop in?”

  Shane thought about it. He hadn't been out on the water in a while. Maybe a blast of icy ocean water to his face would get his head out of the clouds.

  “Did you bring a wettie?” he asked.

  “Who do you take me for?” Steve gave his cocky reply.

  Shane nodded at Lia. “Do you think you can handle this for a bit? I'll just be right out front.”

  “I have no doubts,” Lia answered confidently as she rang up another set of teenagers.

  Neither did Shane.

  ***

  Greta looked down at her phone on the kitchen counter as it buzzed. She picked it up, swiping her thumb across the screen with a frown.

  “Is everything okay?” Shane asked from his place at the island.

  Shane had come over after work. Uninvited. Greta hadn't planned on seeing him for a couple days after his declaration of intent to kiss her upon completion of their respective 'projects.' She thought maybe he was trying to mess with her head, so some distance would help with perspective. Apparently, he didn't agree.

  Interesting tidbit: she wasn't actually that upset to see him. In fact, when she'd opened the door to find him there, she'd smiled. Not a small, lighthearted “I'm happy to see you” smile. No, this one she'd felt to her toes. It was more of a “Yay! My cool new friend is here to see me!” kind of smile. And she was pretty sure that Shane understood its meaning because he chuckled in his always-amused-at-anything-Greta-does way, and stepped in to give her a hug.

  And what a hug it was. Greta decided she liked hugging Shane. He was good at it. His strong arms made her feel tiny, and he added to that by picking her up off the floor just a little bit and then setting her back down. If she had to rank her top huggers in the world, Shane would definitely be in the top three, with Harrison as number two and her dad at the top.

  Her dad gave the best hugs. The kind of hugs that let her know that no matter what she had done, he was going to love her anyway. He said more with his arms than he could ever say with his words. That's how it felt when Shane hugged her. Like he was genuinely happy to see her.

  What a great feeling.

  “I guess Clarke won't be home for dinner. She's going to San Francisco with Mike.” Greta tapped out a reply and hit send.

  “Like a date?” Shane chomped on a salsa-dipped chip.

  He'd also brought his own snacks, which said a lot to Greta. Namely, that he was planning on hanging out for a bit.

  “I don't think so. I mean, they get along really well, but I don't think anythin
g is happening there. Yet.” She gave a sly smile and then leaned across the counter, stealing a chip from his pile. He narrowed his eyes at her action.

  “I'm glad she's getting away for a while.” Shane pulled his pile closer to his chest. Probably to avoid any further thievery on her part. “You were right, she needed a break.”

  “I'm always right,” she replied, matter-of-fact.

  “We'll see.” His amber eyes glinted playfully and she cleared her throat.

  “I guess that means my night is wide open.” She came around the side of the island and hopped up on the counter. “What did you need from me?”

  Maybe they could get to the reason why he'd come over in the first place. She had hinted that she might have plans with Clarke, so he'd been vague with his answers, not wanting to disrupt her plans. She appreciated that.

  “I went out this morning with Steve, and I guess I'm out of practice 'cause I'm ridiculously sore.”

  “Okay.” Greta knew where this was going and had already started nodding in agreement. “I suppose you want me to fix it?”

  “You said you were a physical therapist, and Steve said you specialized in massage.”

  “I was a physical therapist assistant, and I didn't specialize in anything, but I am very good,” she corrected, stealing another chip from in front of him. “What hurts?”

  “My feelings. Why do you keep stealing my chips?” he asked sorrowfully, and she grinned while rolling her eyes. But then he answered, “My lats and my quads.”

  “Your lats and your quads? That's a weird combination.” She looked at him skeptically.

  “I'm a weird guy.” He shrugged, completely nonchalant.

  “Have you been skipping leg day?” She raised an eyebrow and used her best disappointed tone.

  “Maybe.” He looked embarrassed and she laughed.

  “Shane, you have a fantastic body! You have got to take care of it!”

  “But you promised to fix me. You didn't specify what parts,” he said earnestly.

  “Oh geez.” Greta hopped off the counter and went to the cupboard to get the coconut oil. She was ill prepared for this, and had run out of her official supplies. But coconut oil would work in a pinch. “Fine. But we have to do this in my room. I don't want the Stooges to come home and see this. I will never hear the end of it.”

  He got up and followed her up the stairs to her doorway. She paused before opening it, rethinking this whole scenario. She'd given plenty of deep tissue massages and never thought twice about it. In fact, Steve, Bo and Brady had all received one on multiple occasions. And every one of her guys that she helped along the way got one. So why did it feel different with Shane? Damn it, he was in her head. She couldn't let him know that.

  “All right, take off your shirt.” She said it like it was the worst thing in the world, when in reality her pulse responded accordingly. She eyed his shorts, they should be wide enough for her to maneuver around them without him having to strip to his skivvies.

  “You want me on the bed, or...?” He arched an eyebrow impishly, and she had the urge to kick him in the shin.

  She kept her face flat. “Yeah, face down. I don't have a proper table here so this might seem a little unconventional.”

  “I trust you,” he said as his enormous muscled body took up most of her bed.

  Shane's body was the thing of dreams. At least, her kind of dreams. She loved athletes and the way they were shaped. The way their activities formed and changed their muscle groups. Shane's was definitely in her top ten of all-time greatest figures.

  He surfed regularly, so he had that long, swimmer's build with wide shoulders and narrow waist. He also spent a good deal of time in the gym, making sure he was developed proportionally. And on top of all that, he maintained a diet that supported the muscle he had. So instead of being huge and bulky, he was tight, lean and nicely chiseled.

  Just like a sculpture.

  Greta set the jar of coconut oil down on the nightstand and unscrewed the lid. She put her hair in a high, messy bun so it wouldn't stick to him as she went. Then she dipped her fingers in the oil.

  His face was turned away from her and she was thankful for that. She warmed the oil in her hands and then carefully found his latissimus dorsi on his left side. It was, indeed, way too tight and she had to push into it with a lot more effort than was usually required. His muscles were so perfectly developed that she immediately got caught up in the construction and shape of them.

  She worked over the left lat until it was soft again and then she straddled him, sinking her hands in the right side latissimus dorsi.

  She had missed this. Her fingers digging deep into tissue, feeling the work that the athletes put into themselves. Knowing how hard it was to build that kind of muscle and maintain it. She pushed deeper, loving the texture and roll under her fingers.

  Shane groaned and it startled her. “Am I hurting you?” She stilled her movements, realizing that she had been distracted by her task.

  “Yes, but it's actually helping. Please, keep going.” His voice was strained and she noticed his eyes were closed tightly.

  “Okay, but if you need a break, let me know.”

  He nodded and she continued.

  The right side was even tighter than the left and she found a hard knot in it. She focused her hands and slowly but surely, the knot dissolved and the muscle smoothed out again. She ran her hands over the rest of his back, unable to help herself. Pushing and digging into his trapezius and rear deltoids. She couldn't believe the size and shape of them. They were honestly the most remarkable set of muscle groups she'd ever had the pleasure of working on. When every drop of tension had been expelled, she found herself a little sad that she was done.

  She took a deep breath and climbed off of him. “Okay, roll over and I'll take a look at your quads.”

  “What if I'm too relaxed to move?” Shane's face was serene and Greta suspected he could fall asleep at any minute. She really was the best.

  “You can nap when I'm done.” She smacked his butt to get him moving.

  He chuckled as he slowly turned over. “I may never leave at this point. You have a gift.”

  Greta smiled and pushed his shorts up so she could look at his quads. She pressed down lightly and he grunted. They were way tight. “This is probably going to hurt,” she said with sympathy.

  “It's okay. I'm a man, I can take it.”

  Greta smiled at his bravery, but she knew this was going to suck. She tried to be delicate even though there really was no way around it. She had to dig into the muscle to work the knots out. She grimaced for him as he tried to stay tough and not yell out.

  “How come you haven't been surfing in awhile? I thought you loved it,” she asked, hoping to distract him from the discomfort. Besides, this was a good a time as any to get into his head.

  “I did love it—I do. I don't know. It's harder now.”

  “Why?”

  “All I think about is that week I spent with Lucy and how amazing it was,” he said softly.

  Oh yes, the week with Lucy. Greta had heard all about it from various sources. Brady's account was probably closest to reality. He had said that Shane was like a totally new person with Lucy. They seemed really into each other and everyone was shocked when it ended.

  Which made sense. Lucy was kick-ass. Greta had only met her a couple weeks ago at Miranda and Carl's wedding. But the chick was awesome. They had a lot in common, and Greta had liked her right away.

  “Tell me about her,” Greta requested gently, pushing deep into the sore tissue.

  “She was... sweet and fun. Crazy talented. She sings, you know.” He sighed forlornly. “And she was mine. For like a minute.”

  She was quiet for a few minutes. “Who ended it?” she asked, as she moved over to the other leg.

  “I did,” Shane's voice went dark.

  “But you didn't want to?” Greta guessed gently.

  “No, I didn't. But she was never really mine after al
l. I couldn't hold on to her knowing she belonged with someone else.”

  That was the truth. Greta had known Blake a good portion of her life and she'd never seen him look at someone the way he looked at Lucy. And Lucy returned it. They were more than meant for each other. It was like they were made for each other. If Shane had really been in love with Lucy, that must have hurt like hell to see.

  Greta continued her tender ministrations on his tight, complicated quadriceps femoris without replying, simply letting him speak openly.

  “Seeing her with Blake was like... it's hard to explain. But I knew that I wanted it. I want that for me. I want someone to look at me and I'd know, they were mine as much as I was theirs.” He ran a hand over his face. “So I broke her heart. I became the jerk that comes so easily to me. And, as far as I know, it all worked out well. For them.”

  “But not for you,” Greta completed the thought.

  “Not so much.”

  She felt the muscle smooth out under her hands and raised her eyes to his. The sadness he usually kept hidden was on full display and her heart ached for him. She climbed up onto the bed next to him and propped herself up on one elbow.

  “You did the right thing,” she tried to console him, but could see his disbelief and self-doubt at the forefront of his gaze.

  “I still miss her,” he confessed and she rested a hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding strongly.

  “I know.” She looked into his beautiful, sad face and wished she could take this part away for him. Help him with the final step of letting go. “You are worthy of great love too, Shane. I have faith that, in time, you're going to find the woman that can't compare to others. And all of this will be a distant memory.”

  In response, Shane stretched one of his strong arms out and pulled her into his side. His other arm came around and rested against her hand that was still on his chest. She didn't resist and snuggled close to his warm body.

  “Can I just hold you like this for a little while?” he asked, his voice rough, uncertain.

  “Take as long as you need.”

  ***

  “What was your last relationship?” Shane asked into the silence that followed.