Just One Night Together (Flatiron Five Fitness #3) - Deborah Cooke Page 0,74

stalker or something.

As if he was believing in more than she did.

Damon glanced up at her silhouette and saw that she’d tugged on her dress again. She’d also pulled her hair back into a ponytail, which seemed official to him. He liked her hair loose. He wondered if she’d gotten dressed because she was hiding from him or if she was cold. He didn’t ask because he didn’t want to hear the answer.

Haley would have asked him, no matter what she thought the answer might be.

The realization stole another increment of his energy. He closed his eyes, wanting only to sleep.

“That was a joke,” she said, then he felt the mattress dip as she knelt on the side of the bed. “You really should move to the floor. All the books say it’s better than giving a massage to someone on a bed.”

“I’m not moving anywhere.” Damon yawned. “This feels too good.”

“How are you going to assess my technique if you fall asleep?”

“Maybe I won’t be able to.” He yawned again. “I’m feeling like it’s a miracle I’ve been awake this long.”

Her fingertips slid down his back, then swept up again with a little more pressure. She smoothed lotion over his skin, her hands spread flat, and he knew she’d warmed it in her hands first. Although her hands were small, her touch was firm and it felt good. She moved to straddle him and put her weight into each stroke. Damon almost purred with satisfaction. “Tell me about meridians,” he murmured.

“They’re how qi moves through your body,” she said, her voice soft and as hypnotic as her touch. “The medial line runs from the perineum up to here.” She ran her fingertips up his back and Damon closed his eyes again. He breathed deeply as she continued, not really listening as he succumbed to the magic of her touch.

And the temptation of sleep.

Damon wasn’t listening to her.

Haley knew that but she kept talking, repeating what she’d learned in the class and read since then. She gave him a general massage, working out the kinks when she found them, easing the tension from his muscles. He’d clearly been under a lot of stress. He was toned from his work-outs, but where there should have been some give, the strain of his mother’s illness had his body taut. She heard his breathing slow and felt his pulse drop and figured he was past due for a good sleep.

If he could do that because she was with him, that was fine by her.

She kept talking because she didn’t want to inadvertently wake him with a change. By the time she was finished with the massage, she knew he was sleeping deeply. She carefully got up from the bed and pulled a blanket over him, watching him sleep for a moment. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could see him in the shadows. His hair was tousled and he looked younger, less stern. She was tempted to touch his cheek, but again, thought she might wake him up.

Was this the end of their moment? Haley had no idea. This night had been the best yet and she couldn’t imagine that there was more.

Haley watched Damon for a while, acknowledging that she was conflicted. She wanted more, but she was afraid of having more.

She was afraid of becoming vulnerable.

She wanted to walk away now, while things were perfect between them, but she didn’t want to miss any goodness.

She already knew she’d never forget Damon.

Finally, she left the room. She pulled the door to the bedroom behind herself. She didn’t shut it completely, because she thought the latch might click.

No doubt he’d hear any small sound and jump to attention.

He’d have been trained for that and the PTSD would have made it worse.

Haley made sure she was completely silent. She didn’t want to leave just yet, in case Damon woke up and wanted to talk. She felt good in his house, welcome and safe. Haley was going to go down to the kitchen and see if there was any tea in the cupboard, but she couldn’t resist the urge to investigate just a little.

There were two bedrooms that faced the back of the house, one being Damon’s. The other had a couch and a television in it, a pair of bookcases. A lot of the titles were in a different language that looked like Russian. Haley assumed these were his mom’s books. There was a basket of crochet on one side of