Physical Touch

by Hill, Sierra

  For some reason, her combative reactions to his moves turned him on like no one’s business. Of course he wanted to sleep with her. Why wouldn’t he? She was smart, beautiful and had the most perfect ass he’d ever seen. But there was more to it with her. She held his interest in a way no one else had before. Maybe it was the chase. She didn’t throw herself at him like most of the women he was with or dated. Nah, she was a challenge to his ego with a Capital C. And his hopes were to get the time to really know her while they were in Miami together.

  The Coral Gables home he had rented for the Miami trip belonged to his Yale-friend-turned-investment banker, and was a four bedroom, four-and-a-half bath waterfront Mediterranean Villa, complete with a sixty-five foot double-decker luxury yacht anchored off the private dock overlooking Biscayne Bay. With the yacht at his disposal, Mitch had already planned a day of sailing and snorkeling out to Key Biscayne. He enjoyed nothing more than being outdoors in the great wide-open. When he yearned for relaxation, all he needed was the earth, the sky and the water to find his nirvana. Although he would be forced to forego the jet skiing due to the condition of his knee, he figured the snorkeling would be a pleasurable way to enjoy the warm waters of the Bay during his visit.

  He was uncertain of Rylie’s interest in the water, or boats for that matter, but he was betting that the romantic dinner he had planned on board the yacht would get her interested in something else.

  Hopefully him.

  CHAPTER ten

  The black Towne Car had pulled up and was waiting outside Rylie’s apartment at exactly nine a.m. Tuesday morning. Rylie came out of her apartment door and a well-suited chauffer gladly accepted the two Louis Vuitton bags from her, and placed them in the opened trunk.

  “Good morning, Miss Hemmons. I’m Lenny your driver,” he cheerfully introduced himself. She half expected him to break into the Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah song for as big as the smile he was giving her. God she despised happy people this early in the morning, especially before she had coffee. “Is this everything for you?”

  Lenny appeared to be in his late fifties, a tad on the short side and a little paunch in the middle, but gave Rylie a warm and eager smile as he loaded her bags and opened the door for her. Settling in on the black leather seat, a wave of disappointment hit her as she found the car to be empty. She had thought, maybe even slightly hoped, that she might find Mitch waiting for her, but then came to the conclusion he may have already headed to Miami. After all, this was a business trip for him and he may have pressing matters to attend to before she arrived.

  Leaning her head back on the car seat, she let out a breath that she’d been holding in before she got in the car. At least now she could close her eyes and relax before her trip. She’d never really enjoyed the thought of flying. It wasn’t a fear so much as a severe form of paranoia and dread. The feeling stalked her any time she had to get on a plane, which was only twice before. She’d worry over whether the pilot had too much to drink the night before, or if they had gotten enough sleep, or whether the mechanics thoroughly checked all the nuts and bolts. And don’t even get her on the topic of weather disturbances. The first sign of turbulence, she began praying the Our Father and gripped the seat rests so tightly her fingers would go numb.

  Thankfully, Sasha came to the rescue once again on this trip. Not only had she supplied all of the luggage and most of the clothing for the entire three-day trip, but she also prescribed some Valium for Rylie to take right before take-off. Just one little teeny, tiny pill would help soothe her nerves and calm her potential anxiety. There was no way in hell she was going to have a nervous breakdown in from of Mitch Camden!

  “Miss Hemmons, we’ll be arriving at the airport in less than twenty minutes,” Lenny said from behind the wheel, as he shot a glance over his shoulder at Rylie. “We just have one stop on our way.”

  “Oh, all right. That works for me. Thanks for letting me know.”

  Rylie continued to look out the car window at the passing cars and people on the streets, not really paying much attention to where Lenny was taking her. A few minutes later, the car pulled up alongside a tall historic brick building in what appeared to be near the Boston Common area. Rylie glanced out the window, noticing a coffee shop sign above the entryway into the building. Confused over the stop, she rolled down the back window a crack to get a better look up and down the street, watching Lenny get out of the car. Her eyes followed him in the rearview window until he stood next to a man out on the sidewalk. There, standing outside the door, holding two cups of coffee in each hand and his bags at his side, was Mitch.

  The sight of him, dressed casually in form-fitting jeans that hugged him in all the right places and a long-sleeved T-shirt, had her catching her breath. This is exactly what she secretly hoped for, but really hadn’t wanted. A warm sensation erupted throughout her body, creating a tight knot in her stomach, which was both tense and exhilarating. She looked down at her hands, which were fisted on her legs, clammy and shaking ever-so slightly.

  Get ahold of yourself, you wuss.

  Rylie had spent the last week psyching herself up, planning out exactly how she would keep her distance and remaining firmly within the professional lines she’d drawn when it came to the purpose of this trip. She could not think about Mitch in any other manner than as her client. Her patient. Her livelihood. She would avoid staring at him and ogling his firm, muscular legs, or his chiseled abs. Or his beautiful, panty-dropping smile. No, she would need to think of him only a job.

  Rylie nervously adjusted herself against the back of the seat, silently reassuring herself that she could handle this, and then checked herself in the rearview mirror. Her hair was hanging loosely past her shoulders, her eyes seemed bright, although she could see the dark circles of wariness underneath. She turned to look out the window, as Lenny spoke animatedly to Mitch out on the sidewalk, their laughter erupting over something Mitch said. She smiled slightly at the sound of his laugh. As Lenny picked up the bags and opened the back door, Mitch caught her eye as he walked toward the car to join her in the backseat.

  Immediately the car was filled with his clean, brisk scent, a slight hint of the spicy aftershave he must have used that morning. She breathed in and sighed longingly, but caught herself before Mitch had a chance to notice. He smelled delicious and utterly edible. She quickly worked to push that thought, and any of all thoughts of her eating him, out of her head. Gah.

  Mitch sat back into the seat and handed her a to-go cup of steaming hot coffee. “Careful, it’s hot.” He smiled at her as he turned to place his seatbelt around his hips low and tight. She wondered if he meant it as a dimly veiled innuendo. Why did she even have to go there? He turned again to catch Rylie staring at his lap, a slightly bemused look on his face. Her eyes met his and she felt her face warm.

  “You blush as bright as the sun,” he remarked. “I like that. And I hope I got your coffee how you like it, too. Two sugar cubes and a dash a cream, right?”

  Stunned into an awkward silence, she turned her head to take a sip of the coffee, then remembered her manners. “Mmm…thank you for the coffee. It’s just how I take it.” She considered for a moment how in the world he’d know that bit of information. Her head swung back around to find his eyes on her. “Wait, how would you possibly know that? That freaks me out.”

  “I have my ways. There are a number of things I know about you, IQ. I’m an inquisitive mind and I need to know these little insights about the people I work with. It’s a way of building trust.”

  “Trust, huh? How exactly do you build trust like this? You could’ve just asked me instead of being so creepy.”

  Mitch nodded his head. “Fair point. I can see how you’d think it was a bit intrusive of me. But that’s just my method and how I work. And it’s not like I had to do any stalking because your receptionist Claire was extremely helpful in answering my questions,” he chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. “Yes, she’s very helpful in that department.”

  Rylie gr
unted over hearing the name of the clinic receptionist. She’d never been a big fan of Claire and found her to be ditzy and a little too flirty with the male clients. In fact, Sasha had mentioned a recent example of Claire’s impropriety when she asked one of their married clients if he was a swinger. Yeah, not the sharpest tool in the shed. Luckily the client had played along and was a good sport, but Sasha had to put her on notice.

  She let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head in disgust. “Geez, it’s so nice to know my privacy is in such good hands. I’ll have to chat with my motor-mouthed assistant when I get back. But that’s beside the point. Mitch, if you’re so interested in me…or rather, if you’re interested in building my trust, why don’t you just come right out and ask me directly?”

  She internally reprimanded herself for even asking that question. She shouldn’t even care why. This was supposed to be strictly business and she didn’t want him to get to know her any more than he already did. All she should care about was building the trust and rapport that comes with being his physical therapist. His recovery was partially in her hands and he had to trust her to know what she was doing and have his best interests in mind as she devised her therapy plans. That’s all. Nothing more should be required. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

  “Well, I would have if you hadn’t chosen to run and hide from me. I think you made it pretty clear after calling me an asshole, which I take exception to, that you weren’t interested in building any kind of relationship with me, either personal or professional. So I had no other choice, really. Am I wrong?” He tilted his head toward her, his hair swaying over his forehead. She had the sudden urge to run her fingertips through it.

  How he was able to turn the blame on her after he was in the wrong, was beyond comprehension, but Rylie felt the guilt boiling up to the surface, ready to gush like a geyser.

  Before she could respond, Mitch turned to face her, his knee bent up on the seat, brushing up against her leg. A burst of heat sparked up Rylie’s leg, as if someone had struck a match using her body to light the fuse.

  His hand came down to gently rest on her knee. “Listen, Ry. It should be fairly apparent that I’m more than a little attracted to you. I think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Every time you’ve touched me, I get turned on. I can’t help it and I’m not ashamed to admit it. But I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I get it – you need to keep boundaries in your line of work and I’m making that difficult,” he reached over to grab Rylie’s hand and place it in his, leaving them resting above her knee. She looked at his lips as they curved up into his trademark smile and the dimple in his chin that beckoned her to inch closer. Instead, she shifted further away from him, as if he were a threat. In a way, he was.

  “So here’s my plan. I’m going to dazzle you over the next three days. I want to prove to you that I’m not the asshole you think I am. After our trip, when we return to Boston, I will play nice and continue my therapy with Carmen, instead of you – but if all goes well, you’ll find out you want me as much as I want you and we’ll see where it goes from there. What do you think?”

  Bringing her hand up to his mouth, he turned it over, palm up, and kissed the center. Rylie, surprised with Mitch’s gesture, jerked her arm back and twisted her fingers together in her lap.

  She felt trapped in the small, confining space in the backseat with Mitch far too close for comfort. And he was being utterly open and honest about his intentions. That wasn’t what Rylie had expected and it was throwing her off her game, creating cracks in the walls she was trying to erect. It definitely had her wondering more about his ethics and whether he really wasn’t as much of a player as Mark had led her to believe. But then again, maybe he was really just a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

  His plan did have her seriously considering the possibility of letting her guard down just a little to see what would happen over the next three days. Why couldn’t she have some fun and stop being such a worrywart over her code of ethics and career? Her brain was telling her to resist – don’t give in, never give up! Don’t let him close and you won’t get hurt, physically or emotionally. But her heart, and her body, ached for him. She wanted him to make a move and take her right now in the backseat and make her forget all about her moral standards. Forget about the fears that wrapped her tight in a cocoon of self-loathing and despair.

  Nope. Not going to happen. Those fences she had built were meant to protect her from feeling these things. To keep her safe. Her body stiffened and she sat up ramrod straight.

  “I think you’re full of yourself and have a pretty damn big ego. I guess I should be flattered, because I’m sure most women would jump at the chance to be wined and dined and swept off to paradise for a three-day affair. But I’m not most women, Mitch. I’m me. And I’ve worked hard to establish my career and I’m not willing to tarnish my reputation with a fling with a gorgeous client. Maybe that means nothing to you, but it does to me.”

  The car slowed and came to a stop curbside at the American Airlines departures terminal. Lenny had exited the car and came around to open both doors for Rylie and Mitch. Grabbing her handbag and carry-on, she walked over to stand next to Mitch who was directing Lenny where to put the bags. Turning to Rylie, he gave her one of his lazy, melt-your-heart smiles.

  “So, you think I’m gorgeous, huh?”

  Rylie snorted and stifled a laugh. “That’s all you heard from what I just said? Really, your ego is insufferable.”

  He chuckled and gestured her forward, placing his hand on the small of her back to lead her in to the concourse. “At least that’s a start. I can work with maybe. And Rylie…”

  She stopped and turned to look at him over her shoulder. Mitch was inches from her and she could feel the heat from his body. His lips twisted in his disarming smile. “I know you’re not like most women. That’s what I like about you. You’re not only incredibly beautiful, but you’re genuinely intriguing. You’re a challenge to my ego. And I’m going to have a helluva great time finding a way to overcome that challenge.”

  His arm came up and around her shoulders to escort her through security. “Miss Hemmons, are you ready for this?”

  Rylie swallowed hard, trying to absorb what he had just said and wondered if he was asking if she was ready for the flight and trip or for him and his fool’s plan.

  “I honestly have no idea.”

  CHAPTER eleven

  The flight from Boston to Miami was a three hour and twenty minute flight. Just enough time for Mitch to work on some projects that required his attention, respond to the emails that were marked High Priority by Georgina, and to watch Rylie as she slept in the seat next to him.

  It almost pained him to sit in such close proximity to Rylie and be unable to reach out and caress her soft, sun-kissed skin and her long, silky amber tresses. During their therapy appointments, she had worn her hair pulled back and out of the way, but today she wore it down, allowing the locks to cascade down her back. He could smell the lavender and honeysuckle scent from her shampoo and it was all he could do to restrain himself from running his fingers through her hair, inhaling her sweet fragrance.

  Rylie had fallen asleep almost instantaneously once they had boarded the plane, which he found amusing. Traveling as often as he did, Mitch could never fully relax on a flight and frequently had materials to review or presentations to prepare for, so sleeping wasn’t an option. As he watched Rylie breathing quietly, her chest rising and falling in a soft rhythmic pattern, he reflected on what she mentioned prior to their flight about the nervousness she experienced when flying.

  They had just boarded and found their seats in the second row of First Class when Rylie pulled out a small vial of pills and a bottle of water. Mitch eyed her dubiously.

  Rylie shrugged and swallowed a small white tablet. “What? I have a fear of flying and one Valium helps calm my nerves so I don’t freak out and make a fool of myself.”

  “Fear of flying? I guess it surprises m
e to know you fear anything.”

  “Yeah, I’m one tough bitch,” she snickered, swallowing the pill and replacing the lid on the water bottle. “Let’s just say I’ve conquered most all my other fears, but flying in a big-ass tin can is not one of them. Too many what-ifs and unknowns. And let’s face it, the law of averages is bound to catch up with you one day.”

  Mitch scratched his head and looked at her nonplussed. “And I certainly didn’t figure you to be a Debbie Downer. I suppose you’ll tell me next that I might very well get infected with some mutating disease if I use the head on the airplane, too?”

  Rylie laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “Roll the dice and take your chances…but don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

  Her sedative kicked in about twenty minutes later, prior to even taking off. Mitch had secretly hoped they’d have time for conversation during the flight, but found that watching her sleep proved to be much more entertaining and arousing.

  Her side profile was model perfect, with her heart-shaped face off-set by high cheekbones that narrowed down to a classic chin. The gentle slope of her nose culminated in a graceful button tip and her mouth, her full, sensuous lips that were a perpetual glossy pink and were at the moment slightly parted as her head leaned against the window.

  Yes, she was beautiful and sexy. Mitch had had beautiful and sexy women before but they never held his interest for long, not that it really mattered, since he was not interested in getting into any form of a relationship. Rylie captivated him. He liked the steel she projected and her spine, never taking shit from anyone. And she was funny, with a biting humor and sharp tongue. She bickered, gave him lip and could be down-right crass with him, but never to the point of crossing the line. In fact, it surprised him that she was so uptight about her professional boundaries. He understood her logic, but it was frustrating that she was denying the attraction between them. She almost seemed to be scared of getting close. It seemed illogical, knowing her tough exterior.