Flirting with Destiny

by Christyne Butler

  “Tanya?”

  She blinked, realizing he’d gotten out of the pool and was standing in front of her. Oh, great therapist she was! Not even aware of him climbing the ladder!

  Or the fact that he’d peeled off his T-shirt, taken the towel from her hands and was busy drying off the hard planes of his chest and abdomen.

  Yummy.

  “Are you ready to get dressed?” he asked, a slight smile on his lips. “It’s a bit cold now that I’m out of the water.”

  “Oh, right. Of course, let’s get you changed.” She turned away to gather her stuff, silently bemoaning her choice of words. “Um, I mean, let’s both of us get changed.”

  Dev turned and started for the doorway that led to the private locker rooms, his movements slow and measured. She fell into step next to him, reaching to open the glass door before he could.

  He paused and looked at her, his mouth pressed into a hard line. She didn’t know if that was from his sore ego or sore muscles, but she ignored him and stepped aside, waiting for him to go ahead of her.

  It was quieter here in the hallway—just the sound of their footsteps and Dev’s uneven breathing as he walked in front of her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. “I know you got a good workout in the pool—”

  “I’m fine.”

  She rolled her eyes. They were back to “fine.” They were also almost to the entrance to the men’s locker room. “You know, you’re going to have to share a few more details than just ‘fine’ if we’re going to work— Oh!”

  Dev stumbled and fell into the door.

  She dropped everything in her hands and reached for him, slipping underneath his arm to wrap herself around him. He braced his right arm against the wall and pulled her close with his left as his still-considerable bulk sank into her.

  His body molded to hers and that sizzle they’d shared when she’d touched his arm earlier ran the length of both of them.

  A powerful mix of pleasure and need, two things she’d been sure she’d never wanted or expected to feel again for a long time, exploded deep inside her.

  “Dev...” His name came out in a sigh against his skin, her lips brushing the edge of his collarbone.

  His hand moved low on her back, gathering the soft material of her sweat jacket in a tight grip until it inched up over her backside.

  “Give me...give me a second.”

  She counted to ten, but then she had to see him. Tilting her head back caused her to bump into the wall.

  Dev swore beneath his breath and then released his hold on the wall, his fingers tangling with her ponytail as he cupped her scalp.

  His lips, warm and wet, brushed across her forehead and she gasped.

  He swore again and a moment later crushed his mouth to hers.

  Chapter Six

  Oh, this man could still kiss.

  She’d been young but far from innocent when she’d been kissed by Devlin Murphy the first time a decade ago.

  Thanks to her wild and turbulent teenage years, Tanya had done her fair share of kissing long before her twenty-first birthday, which she’d celebrated a few months before that night with Dev.

  Still, that night had been an anniversary of sorts for her.

  After a yearlong, self-imposed abstinence from the male species, especially those she came in contact with as a showgirl at the Desert Kings Casino in Reno, Tanya had practically melted the moment the sexy cowboy gambler had backed her into the glass wall of the casino’s elevator and took her mouth.

  And here she was...melting again.

  A soft moan escaped from her lips when he broke free for air. Seconds later he was back, and she was kissing him in return, as he pressed her against the wall with the length of his body.

  The damp heat of his skin seemed to burn beneath her hands as she clung to his wide shoulders. Droplets of pool water fell from his hair to land on her closed eyelids and cheeks as he cradled her head in the palm of his hand.

  He released her mouth to trail kisses along her jaw until he reached that spot just below her earlobe. She tilted her head to one side, giving his tongue access to her pulsing heartbeat at the same moment he released his hold on the back of her sweat jacket.

  “I need...” His whispered words filled her ear while his fingers slid between their bodies, the back of his hand brushing across her breasts until he latched on to the zipper. “Need to know what you look like underneath this... Ah, dammit!”

  Tanya’s eyes flew open the moment he let go of her, his palms slamming into the wall on either side of her head.

  She looked up and read the agony causing his handsome features to twist and contort into something ugly and pain filled.

  “Where?” she demanded, her hands sliding down his arms to his elbows and then continuing toward his wrists. The muscles were tight and firm, but smooth. “Where is it?”

  “Leg.” The word came out with a low hiss as he clenched his jaw, the veins in his neck thick and pronounced as he arched his face toward the ceiling. “Right...leg.”

  Keeping her back to the wall, Tanya dropped to the floor, balancing on the balls of her feet for a moment before she knelt in front of him. Trailing her fingers over his leg, she searched for the source of his pain, starting up high beneath the bottom hem of his shorts.

  Her fingertips caught on the scars, the long incision that ran along his gluteus maximus to the back of his knee and the smaller individual ones from the metal screws that had held the bones together while they’d healed.

  She worked her way downward until she reached his upper calf. Geez, the gastrocnemius muscle was twisted six ways to Sunday.

  “Put your weight on your good leg.”

  “I am.” Dev punched out the words, but he shifted anyway. “Yeah, you’re close...ah, shhh-oot...you found it.”

  She had. The cramp was a massive one and she immediately went to work, pushing deep into the muscle. After a few minutes it started to give way, but not enough yet to relieve the pain, as was evident from the string of colorful phrases Dev whispered between short breaths.

  “Slow your breathing,” she commanded.

  “I can’t.”

  “Purse your lips.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Purse your lips,” she repeated, not taking her eyes off his leg. “You know, pucker up like you’re going to blow a...kiss.”

  “Yeah, that’s not—that’s not how I kiss. You should know that by now.”

  Yes, she did, many times over. “Do it anyway. Before you pass out on me.”

  “Ah, Tanya... Just let me sit down. You’re not helping.”

  “Yes, I am, you just can’t feel it yet.” Moving her hands away from the muscle, she positioned the fingertips of one hand behind his knee, between the two ligaments located there, and then placed her other hand on the back of his ankle and applied even pressure.

  A pain-filled groan rent the air around them. “You have to—have to stop whatever it is you’re doing.”

  “I’m applying acupressure points to get rid of the leg cramp.” Tanya tested the strained muscle again. She could already feel the slackening in the fibers around his calf. “See? It’s working. The pressure is releasing.”

  “No,” his voice dropped to a husky level, “it’s not.”

  “What are you talking about?” She looked up and found Dev, arms still braced against the wall, staring down at her.

  Only the raw pain that had been in his eyes earlier had transformed into something even more dangerous.

  Unrestrained desire.

  He directed his gaze down to a certain part of his body and she followed his line of sight, finally noticing the tight stretch of his board shorts across the most intimate part of him.

  “Oh.”

  �
��Yeah. Oh.”

  “Are you serious?” She looked back up at his face. “You’ve just experienced a leg cramp that would have most professional athletes curled up in a ball crying like a baby and you’re thinking about sex?”

  “Hey, the leg cramps happen all the time.” He offered a smile that came off more like a grimace. “It’s been almost a year since I’ve had sex.”

  A year? Really?

  “Yes, really.” He easily read the questions running through her head. “So, if you could—hell, I can’t believe I’m actually saying this—if you could get up off your knees, I’d appreciate it.”

  She took a moment to test the muscle again, ignoring his muttered protest as she pressed, happy to find the area more relaxed now.

  Rising, she braced one hand behind her, the other immediately going to Dev’s waist when he tried to put weight on his injured leg and take a step back.

  “Wait! What are you doing?”

  “Trying to get away from you.”

  Ouch, that smarted a bit. She wrapped her arm around his waist anyway. “Let me help you.”

  One arm came down to rest across her shoulders. “Is that an offer?”

  “Into the locker room.” Tanya opened the door and kicked the items they’d both dropped inside and out of the way. Then they shuffled inside after she announced a female was entering and only silence greeted them. “Nice. This is set up just like the ladies’ side. Which changing room is yours?”

  Dev pointed to the closed door and they hobbled into the tiny space, Tanya staying right by him until Dev sank onto the bench.

  He leaned his head back against the wall with a soft thud and closed his eyes. “Damn, it feels good to sit.”

  Tanya stood in front of him, studying his face. Tension still creased his forehead. “Let me take another look at your leg.”

  Dev’s only movement was to fold his hands together and lay them in his lap. “Is that really necessary?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yeah, I thought you’d say that. Maybe this will work better if I keep my eyes closed.”

  She shook her head, unable to decide if it was in response to his adolescent sexual innuendos or the fact she now had erotic scenarios dancing around inside her head. “Whatever rocks your world.”

  “Okay, saying things like that are definitely not helping.” He grinned, but his eyes remained shut.

  Tanya smiled, but then reminded herself she was working with him in a professional capacity and took a step back, not easy to do in the confined space.

  Concentrating on the task at hand, she knelt again and examined his lower leg for several minutes, massaging the area with gentle pressure this time.

  “The area is still warm to the touch, but the swelling has gone down.”

  “That’s what you think.”

  He muttered the words beneath his breath, but she heard him anyway.

  She sat back on her heels and sighed. “Dev...”

  “I know, I’m sorry.” He pulled in a deep breath, and then slowly released it. Placing his hands on the flat surface of the bench, he pushed back with his good leg, straightening his posture while keeping his injured leg outstretched.

  He opened his eyes and looked at her. “Thank you...for the magic fingers. That cramp hurt like a son of a— Well, it hurt, and you got rid of that sucker faster than anyone else who’s tried.”

  The sincerity in his words and gaze surprised her.

  She got to her feet, automatically tugging the sweat jacket down over her hips. “You’re welcome. You know, the cramping was probably caused by your muscles tensing—”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “After being in the warm pool water for so long and then exposed to the cool air.” She ignored his wisecrack and waved at the nearby glass-enclosed shower. “You should take a long, warm shower. It’ll help you relax.”

  “I was thinking the same thing, but with the water temperature set a bit lower. Like arctic level. Now, about that kiss—”

  “Don’t worry about that.” Tanya cut him off before he went any further. “It won’t happen again.”

  His blue eyes flashed. “Like hell it won’t.”

  “Dev, we’re working together on your recovery and I’ve made it a policy not to get involved with my—” her tongue tripped up over her own lie “—with people I work with.”

  He stayed silent for a moment, and then crossed his arms over his chest, wincing at the movement. “Why?”

  Tanya pulled her gaze from the play of muscles bunching in those magnificent arms and shoulders. “Why, what?”

  “Why the policy? Most people don’t have dating rules without a reason. Me? I’ve got two.” He held up one hand, extending his fingers. “The first? No dating a girl who used to be with one of my brothers. Too messy. And two, no fix ups from my folks. That’s a sure-fire recipe for disaster.”

  Tanya smiled, remembering how her mom would start many phone calls with how she’d found the “perfect” guy for her. “Your mother?”

  “You’d think so, but no, it was my dad.” Dev grinned and shook his head. “Don’t ask. Just take my word for it that the night ended badly for many reasons, starting with the fact the young lady had a fondness for handcuffs and a leather-studded whip. How about you?”

  Tanya pulled in a deep breath, shoving her hands into the jacket’s pockets. Other than a few close friends and her mother, she hadn’t talked about her recent romantic disaster with anyone.

  Did it matter if she shared it with Dev? It’s not like anything was going to change between them.

  “I was involved with someone at the clinic where I used to work in Colorado Springs. We had been together for a few years, but when I—” she paused, pressing her lips together hard for a moment “—when I left my job back around Christmas, he ended the relationship, as well.”

  “Because you stopped working together?”

  Oh, if it were only that simple. There was so much more to what happened between her and Ross, but she wasn’t going to go into that now. “Because he was my boss.”

  “Oh. Yeah, well, I can see why that would make you a bit gun-shy.”

  Gun-shy, yes, but where were the familiar pangs of regret she usually had when talking about this? One would think it’d take longer than a few months to get over a four-year relationship, not to mention the hit her career and her pocketbook had taken when she left the clinic.

  “Thank you for understanding.”

  “But there is an easy fix.” Dev pushed to his feet. “You’re fired.”

  Tanya concentrated on his movements, ready to step forward if needed, but he was steady even as he favored his one leg.

  Then she realized what he’d just said.

  Looking up at him, she studied his face, trying to gauge if he was joking. “You don’t really want to fire me.”

  “No.”

  Releasing the breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding, Tanya realized how much she did want to help Dev get over his injuries. If he’d only commit to his physical therapy and allow her to help in every way she could—

  “But I really do want to kiss you again.”

  His simple words cut into her thoughts and reignited the heat between them.

  If she was going to be honest, which had become her new policy since her life had gone topsy-turvy four months ago, she’d admit, if only to herself, kissing him again was what she wanted, too.

  But wanting and having were two totally different things.

  “That would not be a good idea. Especially for us.”

  Dev took a step forward. “I don’t agree.”

  Her desire shifted into mild panic, and she took a step back but found herself up against a shelving unit filled with towels and bathing amenities. “Look, I’ll
admit that moment out in the hall was unavoidable. The two of us spending so much time together... It was inevitable we’d end up here, and that’s my fault. I should’ve known better, considering our history, but once was more than enough—”

  “Wait a minute, back up.” Dev cut her off with a quick jerk of his hand. “Considering our history? What history?”

  Oh, no.

  Tanya bit down on her bottom lip. Had she really said that aloud?

  Okay, she’d known that night in Reno was going to come to light eventually. Either the man would remember her—she’d hoped!—or she’d end up telling him.

  Preferably as a “ha-ha, you won’t believe this but...” kind of story over a shared coffee or a steaming cup of green tea, her preferred choice of morning beverage.

  But not like this.

  Not after an unexpected, powerful kiss that had brought back memories of a night when a sexy cowboy had corralled her into picking a number on the roulette wheel and had placed an impossibly large stack of chips on it.

  She’s still been in costume, having just finished a dance number and, as was custom, she and her fellow dancers strolled through the casino, chatting with guests and enticing them to stick around and part with their hard-earned money.

  Tanya had hated that part of the job, mostly because she ended up fighting off the roving hands of too many drunks, but Devlin had been a perfect gentleman.

  Waiting outside the dressing room as she changed, taking her to an expensive dinner, insisting she join him and his entourage as his lucky charm after he’d won big on her choice of lucky thirteen.

  It wasn’t until hours later when they were alone in the elevator and on their way to his suite that he’d kissed her for the first time. Then he’d kissed her again and again as he’d laid her on the satin sheets of the king-size bed right before he—

  “Tanya?” Dev’s voice pulled her away from the memories. “What history? What are you talking about?”