The bathroom was full of steam when we got there. The tub was filled, and I could smell eucalyptus and lavender mixing in the air.
“I added some of my bath soak,” she said. “It’s got magnesium and essential oils. Good for muscle recovery.”
She started helping me out of my shirt, then my shorts. When I was down to my compression shorts, she paused.
“I’ll uhm, let you do that.”
I grinned and removed everything. My dick swung, and her eyes grew wide.
“Up here, baby girl.” I shook my head. “Is it ready?”
She nodded before coming to help me into the water. I lowered myself into the water, and the heat hit me immediately. It hurt for a second, then itstarted to ease some of the tension. I let out a breath and let my head fall back against the tub.
“I appreciate you for this, for real.”
“I miss this. Having someone to take care of. No questions asked. Just love.”
“You got that now,” I said. “With me. I know we’re new, but I’m here. However, you need me whenever you need me.”
She looked up at me, and her eyes were a little wet. “I know. That’s why I came over tonight. Because you needed me, even if you didn’t want to say it. I guess we aren’t that much different.”
We stayed like that for a while. She was massaging my shoulders, and I was soaking in water that smelled like her healing remedies. It wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t sexy. It was the most intimate thing I’d ever experienced.
“You really retiring after this season?” she asked eventually.
“Yeah. The doctor said I could push for another two, maybe three years. But he also said if I want to walk normally at fifty, if I want to play with my kids one day, I should stop now.”
“Kids, huh?”
“Hypothetical kids,” I said quickly. “Not trying to scare you off.”
“I’m not scared.” She smiled a little. “Just noting that you’re thinking about a future that includes more than basketball.”
“I am. And if I’m honest, that future includes you. If you’ll have me.”
She leaned over and kissed me, soft and sweet. “We’ll see how you do at that game next week. I got standards.”
I laughed, and this time it didn’t hurt as much. “Yes, ma’am.”
Twenty minutes later, she helped me out of the tub and dried me off. Then she grabbed the darkest balm from her basket—the heavy hitter—and went to work.
“This is gonna feel warm at first, then it’ll start to penetrate deep,” she warned. “Just breathe through it.”
She rubbed it into my knee first, and she wasn’t lying. The warmth spread through the joint, almost hot, then settled into this deep, soothing heat that made the ache back off. Her thumbs dug into the muscle surrounding the joint, working in small circles that hurt in the best way. I could feel the tension releasing, muscle fibers loosening under her touch. She moved to my lower back, my shoulder, working the balm in with steady pressure.
“Damn, Angel,” I breathed. “What’s in this?”
“Arnica, cayenne, ginger, menthol, and a few other things.” She kept working. “I’ve been perfecting the formula for three years. You’re getting the good stuff.”
“I can tell. You could make a fortune on this shit. My whole team would be beating down your door.”
“Mhhm, I told you you’d be singing my praises.”
By the time she finished, I felt like a different person. The pain wasn’t gone completely, but it was manageable. Bearable. She led me to bed, tucked me in. I loved this shit right here. I watched her head back into the bathroom, and after she handled her nightly stuff, she was back in a
Polka dot pajama set and matching bonnet, climbing into bed with me.
I was grinning so hard you would’ve thought she was the first woman I’d ever been with.
