Bracing herself for the usual tangle of electricity that would ultimately tell her the condition of his ankle, she took his foot in her hand. When she did, she felt the first crackles of power in her fingers, but unlike with other people, those feeling intensified, shooting through her like a bolt of lightning.
Sebastian must have felt something as well, because he drew in a deep breath, almost as if he’d been shocked, then looked from her to his foot. She quickly set to work, hoping he wouldn’t mention what he’d felt. Never before in all her years of healing had a patient been aware of her talent, if you could call it that.
For as long as she could remember, her hands had been able to heal, nothing dramatic like curing cancer, but a gentle healing of tissue, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. She’d never tried anything deeper than that, had never had the need. It was a closely kept secret, which only her parents knew about, but her mother had reassured her that there were many gifted healers in her family and it wasn’t surprising that she’d inherited the gift.
Sebastian remained silent the entire time she was working on him, too stunned by the feeling of her hands on his foot to speak. He was sure that there was a gentle pulse of electricity flowing though his foot, it wasn’t painful, instead it felt good. It was like a gentle massage, warming his foot and ankle, eliminating the pain he felt.
When she was finished, she sat back on the stool, relieved to be finished. “All done, make sure you ice it at least three more times today and stay off it for 24 hours.” She said, putting her supplies away.
“Feels like new.” Sebastian said, his words not far from the truth. As he walked around the room, he realized that there wasn’t any pain in the ankle at all. Whatever Leslie had done, that strange electricity, had healed his foot.
He turned to her, wanting to say something about his foot, but the look on her face stopped him. She looked so vulnerable standing there looking at him he didn’t have the heart to question her. If she wanted people to know about her ability she’d tell people, and maybe he’d just imagined the entire thing.
He couldn’t deny that he was seriously attracted to her, even knowing nothing about her, he still wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her long and hard. Rarely had he ever felt this kind of attraction, it was magnetic, pulling him to her all on its own.
If she felt it too she was keeping it well hidden. Without even thinking, he crossed the room, took her face in his hands and bent down and kissed her. She resisted at first, but as the electricity spread between them, her resistance melted and she raised up on her toes, so he could kiss her deeper.
They were lost in that kiss, each experiencing something they never had before, a connection that only seemed to grow with each passing second. When Sebastian’s hands left her face to pull her closer, Leslie realized what was happening and pulled away.
“I don’t think that is a good idea.” She said, breathing hard.
“I think it was an excellent idea.” Sebastian said, breathing just as hard.
The conversation came to a screeching halt when the rest of the players came pouring into the room, interrupting them before Leslie could reply. None of the players seemed to notice what they’d interrupted as they dropped their equipment and headed for the showers.
Sebastian, as shocked as Leslie was at the power of that kiss, simply nodded his head to her and followed the rest of the players into the locker room. She stood stunned in the center of the room, shocked that he’d kissed her and as equally shocked that she’d kissed him back. There was no way she could become involved with anyone right now, especially a football player who was frequently seen on the news.
Promising herself that she wouldn’t let anything like that happen again, she closed up the training room for the night and headed for her car before Sebastian could find her again. Desire still rushing through her, another episode like the last one might just result in her doing something she would later regret.
*****
Sebastian had followed her, but decided not to peruse her any farther. She was obviously upset by their encounter and needed some space. He watched her get into her car, then rest her head against the back of the seat, her mouth moving as she talked to herself. That he’d unnerved her was clear, why he had, wasn’t quite so clear.
Most women would have been falling all over themselves at the thought that Sebastian Terrell had just kissed them, but Leslie had run away. Admittedly, the kiss had come out of nowhere and they didn’t really know each other, but there had been power in that kiss and he was pretty sure that was what had bothered her so much.
He watched as she started her car and drove out of the lot, there was a lot about Leslie he didn’t know, but that was going to be part of the fun. He was curious about the strange feelings he’d felt when she touched his ankle, not only that, but his ankle was almost as good as new. Even he knew that it should still be sore, he’d seen the bruise too.
Turning to go back into the training facility, he found that he was suddenly looking forward to training camp more than ever before.
Chapter 4
Leslie spent the next week trying to avoid Sebastian, it wasn’t all that hard to do. His ankle had been better the next day, so other than a quick taping job, which another trainer took care of, they had no reason to come into contact with each other. But she was conscious of him watching her, she’d look up and find his eyes focused on what she was doing.
She was sure that he was thinking about what had happened when she’d touched his ankle, that he’d felt something had been clear by the look on his face, but what he’d felt she wasn’t sure. Never in the past had anyone felt her helping their body heal, it was one of the reasons she’d been able to hide her talent so easily.
The worst part was that she knew without a doubt that at some point he was going to ask her about it and she had no idea how she would answer. Honesty might be the best way to handle it, he had felt something so he might actually believe her, if not she’d be gone before the season was over. If he thought she was a little crazy, it wouldn’t matter in the long run.
Leslie was struggling with another aspect of her talent as well, in the past she’d never needed to control it. She’d always worked with one patient at a time, getting to know them, allowing her to focus her attention without tiring herself out. But now, she felt like her talent was constantly in use, it was exhausting.
Added to that, most of the players had some slight injury all the time, her instinct was to heal these injuries, but it was draining her strength. She felt better by the end of the week, having been able to learn how to control the healing, using it only sparingly. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t want to heal them, but someone might begin to notice that the team was in amazingly good shape.
Sebastian had kept his distance that week, wanting to see if there was any other evidence of the strange healing that he’d experienced. He watched her, treating the players, who always seemed to respond well to her ministrations. She’d gained a following, players wanting her to tape them up or give them a massage, they sought her out as if they knew she had some secret gift. He was firmly convinced that she did, the lack of aches and pains in the team was proof of that.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure how he felt about it, he’d always had an open mind, but faced with something like this, up close and in person, was different than just hearing stories. That he’d felt her power was a little discerning, no one else seemed to notice it. He decided that for the next week, he would experiment with that electricity that seems to flow between them.
Leslie was unaware of Sebastian’s plan, but she was aware that he seemed to bump into her more often than was normal. Every time she turned around he was there, bumping into her so he had to put his hands on her to keep from knocking her over. Considering their height difference it wasn’t that hard for him to knock her off balance.
What he discovered was that each time they touched, that electricity flared up, resulting in a
mixture of desire and a sense of well being. It was a strange sensation, but one that he was quickly becoming addicted to. By the end of the week, Sebastian had decided that whatever power Leslie possessed, he wanted to get closer to her.
Leslie too had become aware of the strange connection she had with Sebastian, but instead of making her feel good like it did him, she was scared. She knew that he felt the electricity between them, and had maybe even figured out that she had some kind of power, but he hadn’t even spoken to her all week.
She should be relieved, but she found herself constantly on egg shells waiting for him to question her about it. She’d almost decided to bring the subject up herself, but was still hesitating, if she was wrong, he would definitely think she was crazy. He might not be feeling what she was, it could all be in her imagination, but each time he’d bumped into her, she’d felt that charge.
The first game of the season was only a few days away and the team was pumped up, she wasn’t much of a football fan, but from everything she’d heard, this team was the best it had been in years. All signs pointed to a Super Bowl appearance for the Tigers, something that hadn’t happened in a very long time.
The excitement was infectious, she’d become friends with many of the players, who had gotten past the fact that she was a woman quickly. She now knew more about football than she’d ever dreamed of knowing, but it was hard not to become involved, she spent every day with the players, it was only natural.
She was putting her supplies away in the training room at the stadium when Sebastian found her, he was all suited up, looking even bigger than he usually did. “Are you coming out with us?” He asked, sitting down to retie he shoes.
“Uh, no. I’ll stay back here in case someone needs me to help them.” She stammered, shocked that he was actually talking to her after two weeks of silence.
“You should come out. There’s nothing like a game from the sidelines. The boys would probably like to see you out there.”
“That’s okay, I’ll wait back here. I’m really more suited to helping after an injury not when it happens.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun.” Sebastian said, standing up to head out to the field.
“I...” Leslie was beginning to panic, she’d never thought that she’d have to find an excuse for not going out on the sidelines. Finally, she the only excuse that came to her mind. “I don’t like crowds, I’ll watch from back here.”
Sebastian didn’t believe her for one minute, her answer just didn’t ring true. Everything about her being here seemed a little off, but until now he hadn’t been sure. The pieces just didn’t fit together he thought, the fact that she hadn’t known anything about football the biggest clue. But, he had a game to play, so he picked up his helmet and turned to head out to the field.
On his way out the door, he called over his shoulder, “I’ll see you after the game. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.” She called, her heart beating in her chest. She was sure that Sebastian had figured out that something was off about her. Between the healing and the fact that she wouldn’t go out on the field, he was becoming suspicious. She’d have to call Michael and see if he had any advice after the game, she had a contact number, but hadn’t had to use it yet. This might be a good time to do so.
The Tigers were winning as they left the locker room after halftime. Sebastian had scored two touch downs and the team was pumped up. It had been a quiet game for the training staff, no injuries to deal with, so Leslie had been doing some reading, only half listening to the game. She heard Sebastian’s name announced and assumed that he’d scored again, but when she looked up on the screen, he was being taken off on a stretcher.
She sprang to her feet and waited by the door, she’d turned her radio off while she was reading, but now understood that Sebastian might have sustained a knee injury and they were being cautious, not wanting him to aggravate the injury by walking. Relieved that it wasn’t a head injury, she met them as they came in the door.
His eyes met hers, and he gave a little shrug. “Cheap shot, feels like my knee is in two pieces.” He said, as the stretcher came to a stop, the doctor firing off instructions to the staff.
“I’m sorry. That’s terrible.” She said, not daring to touch him, realizing that just being this close to him had stirred up that electricity.
He looked at her for a long few seconds, the pain clear in his eyes. “Can you tell how bad it is?” He finally asked.
Leslie knew exactly what he meant and couldn’t resist the pleading in his eyes. She put her hand gently on his leg, focusing on the joint. She immediately felt that spark of electricity connect them, but she also could sense the tear in his tendon. It wasn’t something she could explain with words, but she sensed, not only the heat from the injury, but the body’s response. Sebastian was already beginning to heal.
“It’s your tendon, it’s torn but not completely. It’s already healing. You won’t need surgery, but there will be lots of rehabilitation.” She said, quietly.
“Thank you.” He said, breathing a sigh of relief, not only because the injury wasn’t going to require surgery but because the pain had disappeared when she touched him.
“The pain is gone. How did you do that?” He asked.
Leslie hesitated, if she was going to tell him the truth now was the time. But before she could answer, the doctor was back, instructing the training staff to wheel Sebastian into the back room for an MRI on his knee. She was so relieved that she didn’t have to answer his question that she almost dropped to the floor right where she was.
The MRI only confirmed what Leslie had told Sebastian, but lucky for her, they didn’t have any time alone for him to question her further. She wouldn’t be able to avoid his question forever, but for now she had a reprieve. That reprieve wouldn’t last long however, when she got to work the next Monday, she found Sebastian’s was the only name on her list of players for the day.
The treatments themselves would not be difficult, but she knew that there would be no way to avoid the topic of her talent. She could lie, she’d had to several times in the past, but then she’d been able to distance herself from the issue. Here she wouldn’t be able to do that. What she didn’t understand was why Sebastian could feel her, when no one else had been able to.
She was still thinking about it when he finally walked into the training room after attending the team meeting before practice. Resigned to the fact that they would be spending the next week together, she took a deep breath and crossed the room to meet him.
“Well, Ms. Morgan, looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together this week.”
“You have a lot of work to do if you want to get back on the field in a month. That tear wasn’t that bad, it should heal in a couple of weeks, but in the mean time we’ve got to do all we can to help it heal.” She regretted those words the minute they were out of her mouth, but Sebastian ignored the opening.
“So what’s first? This is the first time I’ve had an injury.” He said.
“That knee needs to be iced for at least a half an hour every two hours, so go put on your swimming trunks.” She teased, knowing how much the players hated the ice baths.
“Easy for you to say.” He said, heading for the locker room to change.
They spent the day dancing around the one topic they both had at the forefront of their minds. Finally, late in the afternoon, when everyone had gone home for the day, Sebastian brought the subject up.
“So call me crazy, but it seemed to me that my ankle healed really fast last week. You knew that my tendon was torn before the MRI, and I know I feel something when you touch me. It’s like electricity but better.”
Leslie hesitated, looking at him, trying to decide whether or not she could trust him with her secret. “I’ve never told anyone about that. People don’t react well to that sort of thing. It freaks them out.” She said, rushing the words in her haste to make him understand what he was asking of he
r.
“You can trust me. Leslie, there are lots of things in the Universe that can’t be explained, that doesn’t mean that they’re not special and wonderful. Trust me.”
She looked at him, weighing her options, she could just refuse to tell him and bully her way through the rest of the season, but something inside her was telling her that he would understand. The fact that he could feel her talent meant something.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up a towel and handed it to him. “Get out of there and go change, this isn’t easy to explain, it might take a while.”
Once Sebastian had changed, they settled in one of the lounging rooms at the practice field. They were seated across the room from one another, face to face, but with enough distance between them to allow Leslie to feel comfortable. Lately, she’d been thinking more and more about that kiss.
Baring her soul to this man was going to be one of the most difficult and intimate things she’d ever done in her life. Taking a deep breath, she told him about her talent, starting from the time she was a kid, until she’d realized that Sebastian could feel her healing him.
“No one has ever been able to feel what I can do.” She’d finished.
Sebastian was quiet for a long time, Leslie was having a hard time sitting still, not knowing how he was going to react to what she’d just told him. Finally he said. “If I hadn’t felt it myself I might think that you’re imagining it. Not only that but I’ve seen you make other players better. They all say that your hands are magic.”
They sat in silence for a while, then Sebastian asked. “Has anyone else ever guessed?”
“When I was a kid and didn’t understand, we had to move twice after I healed a couple of skinned knees without even realizing what I’d done. It was pretty awful. People can be really mean when confronted with something they don’t understand.” She said, old wounds opening up once again.
Be Mine Forever (Brothers From Money #2) Page 4
