She was different than most women I’d worked with. Stubborn but soft. Not just in shape, though the curve of her hips and the line of her waist had been hard to ignore every time I lifted her in my arms. There was a give to her body, a heat that stayed with me, dangerous in its persistence. Even the brush of her breasts against my chest when I’d set her down had been a reminder that she wasn’t built for the kind of trouble she was looking for.
Her suitcase sat at one end of the sofa. I grabbed the handle, then hooked the strap of her bag over my shoulder.
Ellie stepped out of the kitchen, a fresh ice pack in her hand. “Tell her to keep that foot elevated. Fifteen on, fifteen off, and tell her not to fall asleep with it on.”
“Got it.” I took it from her, the cold biting through the plastic.
She smirked. “She’s not gonna like it.”
“She’ll live,” I said, though I knew she was right. She didn’t strike me as someone who enjoyed being told to sit still. This was going to be fun.
Back upstairs, I took a deep breath, letting my mind wander back to the rule I’d set for myself years ago. Never get involved with clients. Not ever. Not since… No. That was a place I didn’t need to go.
I knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open. She was on her feet. Most of her weight was on one leg, the other bent slightly to keep her ankle off the floor. One hand rested on the polished dresser like she was using it for balance.
“You’re not supposed to be on that ankle,” I said, setting her bags down.
She glanced behind her toward the bathroom door. “Yeah. Had to go to the bathroom.”
I crossed to her, slipping an arm around her waist before she could move on her own. “You should have waited.”
Her arm came up around my shoulders as I guided her the rest of the way toward the bed. The short walk was slow, her good foot shuffling forward in small steps. “Feels a little better,” she said. “I think I can manage from here.”
“Not a chance.” I tightened my arm around her before she could argue, and eased her down onto the mattress within reach of her belongings.
She looked up at me and held my gaze. The air shifted in a way I felt in my chest. Her knees were close enough that my thigh brushed them when I moved. She didn’t look away.
The green in her eyes deepened under the warm light, and the faint part in her lips pulled at every bit of control I had. I wanted to taste her lips again, taste her skin, her—
"I apologize for what happened a few minutes ago. I was thoughtless, focused on—" I shook my head. "No excuses. I crossed a line. I should have stopped when you said the word. It won't happen again."
Her hand closed around my forearm, deliberate enough to undo me. She leaned forward, pulling me just enough to make the rest feel inevitable.
I bent toward her, and her chin lifted in answer. The first press of her mouth was warm, soft, but it didn’t stay gentle for long. She met me with an urgency that rivaled the heat in my belly. Her hand came to rest against my breast. I couldfeel the quick rhythm of her breathing, the faint catch in it when I deepened the kiss. Her lips moved with mine, the heat between us building fast.
It would have been too easy to keep going. Too easy to let the feel of her take over the part of my brain that knew better. I forced myself to pull back, my hand sliding away from her face.
“No,” I said, more to myself than to her. My body screamed to pin her down, but I forced the space between us. “You were right, before. We shouldn’t. This situation is too dangerous to mix business with pleasure.”
She held my eyes for a long second, and I caught the flicker of disappointment there. She didn’t argue, though. Just gave a small nod, her lips pressing together like she was keeping her own thoughts behind them.
The space between us felt colder already, but I stayed where I was for a moment longer, making sure she knew I meant what I’d said, even if I wished I didn’t have to.
I nodded toward the ice pack beside her. “Ellie says fifteen minutes on, fifteen off. Keep it elevated, and don’t fall asleep with it on.”
She glanced at it, then back at me. “Got it.”
“Goodnight, Sabine,” I said, meaning to turn away, but she drew her lower lip between her teeth and let the tip of her tongue trace it as she released it.
Knowing I shouldn’t, I leaned in and caught her mouth again. This kiss was slower, lighter, but it still sent a flame through me that I felt all the way down. She responded in kind, her breath warm against mine.
I pulled back before it could deepen, my hands falling to my sides. “No more. Not tonight.”
Her faint smile didn’t fool me. She wanted more. Hell, so did I.
“Do you need anything else?” I asked.
“No,” she said.
