“Got it.” I walked out of her office no less pissed than I had been before.
Chapter 2
Rita
I sat in the car taking deep breaths, waiting for my side to stop throbbing. As much as I appreciated Nate, I also couldn’t stand his ass. I knew I’d feel better tomorrow, but I never left his office without feeling like I was in more pain than when I first arrived.
I also hated that I was back to seeing him. I thought for sure I was done with this shit, but here I was again. If I didn’t have an appointment today, I’d have blown this whole day off. Called in sick and spent the afternoon drowning in salted caramel ice cream and watching sports documentaries.
I shook my head and took another breath. This one didn’t hurt as much, so I turned off the car and decided to get the rest of my day going.
Aspen had her door open when I walked into the building, which was unusual.
“Hey, expecting a new patient?” I leaned against the doorjamb.
“No. They painted this weekend, and the fumes are getting to me.” She waved her hand in front of her face.
I inhaled. I could smell some lingering scents, but nothing too overwhelming. “I think I’m good.” I was also glad that it didn’t hurt at all. Maybe I was getting better at physical therapy, or Nate hadn’t gone as hard on me as I thought.
“Drinks later?” Aspen asked. Her pale green eyes a little watery.
“Maybe.” I nodded. “I do have a new patient today, so it depends on how my session goes.”
“Gotcha.” She smiled. “Have a good one.”
“You too.” I continued down to my office.
I loved my space. It wasn’t what most people think of when they think of a therapist’s office. I had a large Storming Cobras football team poster on the wall behind my desk. Having lived in Louisiana, it was important to support the home team.
On one side of the other wall, I had a stack of board games, a basketball, and race cars I built with my dad when I was younger. I also had not just a Doctor Who mini-Tardis, but also three little figurines of the Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor, and River Song. I was a huge sci-fi fan, and Doctor Who was my favorite.
The first thing I did when I took over here a month ago was get rid of the standard chairs and replace them with overstuffed beanbag chairs that were almost as tall as regular chairs. I wanted my patients to be comfortable, and these fit the bill. Often I would get down in the chairs with them so they didn’t feel like I was lording over them. I liked trying to make it feel as if they were talking more with a friend than a licensed professional. I knew where the line was, and I never crossed it. But the more comfortable I could make people, the easier it was for them to open up. That was why I did most of my sessions outside of the office when I could tell the person wasn’t able to relax. I had a feeling the new guy was going to be one of those cases, and I was a little excited for what I had planned.
I switched on my speaker and synced it to my phone. I liked to keep lo-fi music playing in the background, and I had framed albums on one wall along with my credentials. I figured the images of Cayley Cox, Atlas Edge, Ronan Zane, and Deaf Wolves were a great way to keep from intimidating anyone.
The knock on my door surprised me. I wasn’t expecting my appointment for another half hour. I hadn’t even gotten settled for the day yet. I knew military people tended to be early, but not quite this early.
I dropped my bag behind the desk and took my seat. “Come in.” The smile on my face was a little forced, but it was better than nothing.
The door opened, and I blinked a couple times to get my bearings. The man who walked in was breathtakingly handsome. Like someone went into a gallery and sculpted him out of hotness and sex appeal. How was that possible? He was just shy of reaching the top of the doorframe. His blue eyes were dark enough you could drown in them and they paired perfectly with his dark hair that had just enough blonde highlights to make you wonder if he’d dyed them, if they came from the sun, or if they were simply the product of good genetics. I’d been attracted to white guys before, but this felt different. Wrong and yet natural at the same time. Was that even possible?
“Are you Ms. Fontaine?” His voice was as soft as a marshmallow, but with a jagged edge that let you know he was used to giving orders and having them followed to the letter.
He could give me a few orders.
What the hell? I had no idea where that came from, but I squashed the thought as quickly as possible.
“Rita.” I breathed out my name.
A corner of his mouth raised up, and damn it, he had a dimple in his right cheek. Fuck me, if that didn’t make him sexier in a mischievously boyish way.
Stop that.I scolded. I’d just finished thinking about how I never crossed any lines with my clients and already my mind was headed in a very dangerous place. I questioned if seeing this guy was the best idea. I could easily refer him to Aspen. She would be willing to take him if I asked nicely, and I was positiveshe wouldn’t be questioning what he might look like without his shirt seconds after he walked through the door.
“Nice to meet you.” He seemed to relax for a moment before stiffening back up and standing at attention. Some folks could take off the uniform, but it didn’t matter. They were military through and through. “I’m Major Stewart Harris.”
“Nice to meet you too.” I held out my hand toward the seats.
Stewart looked to his right and then back at me with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ll fit.” His smile spread until it covered his face. “Besides, I won’t be here long enough to sit.”
