feeling pulsed through her that he’d taken her advice. Though it had been a little thing for her to make the suggestion, she had been glad to do it.
“Yeah. He about hugged me to death.” A frown briefly crossed Taylor’s brow, and he looked away.
“Hugs bother you?” she asked, watching him closely. Many men weren’t comfortable with affection. They wanted sex, sure, but real affection was another thing. Intimacy? Forget about that, too. She’d found that out with her doctor ex-boyfriend. Sex equated intimacy, then you rolled over and went to sleep. Right. While your partner stared at the ceiling for a few hours.
“Not usually. Just not used to them.” He placed a foot up on the rock beside her and stretched out his leg, then switched to the other side. “I’m not very demonstrative by nature.”
“There’s a theory out there that we need four therapeutic hugs a day for survival, eight a day for maintenance and twelve for growth,” she said. “I read that somewhere. Stimulates the immune system and fosters well-being.”
“That’s a lot of hugs in a day.” He trained piercing eyes on her and raised his brows.
“I kind of like it. And there are documented benefits of therapeutic touch.”
“There’s a lot of that stuff going on in Santa Fe, but not much in the traditional settings. More in the outpatient setting, though I think there could be benefits for inpatients, as well.”
Piper nodded. “I took a few courses on healing touch and have used it successfully for pain control when nothing else works.” The touch was a form of meditation and self-healing that some people responded to.
“Really? There is a school for healing touch here, and I think it’s mostly for nurse-type people if you’re interested.”
“I’ll think about that, but as I’m only going to be here a few weeks, I probably won’t have the time.” She’d witnessed too many incidents of success with the technique to doubt it. “Works for me when I need it.” Boy had she needed the human touch over the years. Raising her sister, losing her parents at a young age. That had been a brutal loss to her and her sister. That single event had changed her life. She’d been forced to grow up overnight.
The loving hands of her aunt Ida had sustained her when she’d needed it. Those loving touches were a thing she missed now. Unfortunately, the current ache in her life couldn’t be filled by the simple touch of family. She was beginning to suspect that she craved a satisfying relationship, that she just hadn’t found and wasn’t willing to stick her neck out for. Maybe loneliness was something she’d just have to get used to, like an ache that would never go away. By now, it was certainly her constant companion. Sure, she had friends and people to do things with, but she always went home alone. That hollow ache could be dulled, but never seemed to go away completely. Looking at Taylor, she knew he’d never be able to fill that void. She wasn’t what someone like him craved.
He took a step closer, but then stopped, recalling his conversation with Alex about personal hygiene. “I’m hot and sweaty now, but I’d be willing to give the hug thing a try another time.” His gaze dropped to her mouth and lower and the breath that had returned to him after his run was somehow stuck in his throat.
Hugs, huh? He’d have never thought that hugs were beneficial, just some sort of activity that made people think they felt better. Denial was powerful, especially during emotional situations, which was why he tried to avoid them. But standing here looking at Piper and how attractive she was, the hint of a flush on her face and neck, he’d be willing to consider testing her theory at some point. Her full lips curving up at the corners nearly made him reconsider. It had been way too long since he’d been in a relationship, considered having another one. Not that he’d do that with Piper. She was a coworker and a temporary staff member. As he glanced over her figure again, he reflected she was a fine-looking staff member.
“So, I know you’re a traveler, but what brings you to Santa Fe? Family, boyfriend?” This wasn’t like him, he thought, and frowned at that. He wasn’t this interested in people and generally didn’t make polite conversation. Something about Piper made him want to know more.
Before answering, she tucked her hair behind one