One Summer in Santa Fe - By Molly Evans Page 0,26

Piper cringed and pulled away. “I’m sorry, Taylor. Massage normally feels good, but seems I’m too tender right now.”

Stepping away from her, he opened the door for her. “Let’s go to my house, and I’ll do a manipulation on your back. I think you might have something out of place in your spine that won’t resolve on its own.”

“Manipulation?”

“Yes. An adjustment to your spine. I’m also a trained D.O., Doctor of Osteopathy, and we do manipulations, or adjustments, to bring the body back into normal alignment.” He shrugged. “Treating a condition that can be managed by a simple manipulation before resorting to medications is a good first step. It’s a great supplement to the standard medical practice.”

When they returned to Taylor’s house, he led her to the living room. “There’s more room here to maneuver.” Positioning himself behind her, Taylor gave her instructions. “No matter what I do, just relax. If you tense up, I could hurt you, and the point of this is to take that away.”

“Okay. I’m ready.” Piper’s heart raced when Taylor pulled her back to rest against him, his entire body fitting her length. He pressed her head back against his left shoulder and swayed her back and forth a few times, settling her into position. A shiver of desire tried to overwhelm her, but she resisted. Taylor said to relax, not get tense, but the intimacy of him holding her led her mind to think of other things.

“Now, place your arms across your chest, hands on your shoulders.”

Piper complied, but jumped when Taylor’s arms went around her. Desire sparked between them. “Are you sure this isn’t just a ploy to get me into your arms?” she asked, her breath wispy, not at all opposed to the therapy, seeing its side benefits, as well.

“No.” His chuckle rumbled through his chest, and Piper felt it in her back. “It’s legit. Now, relax against me again, breathe in and then out all the way, fast. I’m going to lift you up by your arms.”

Needing the deep breath, Piper pulled in as much as she could, then exhaled hard. The instant her breath was out, Taylor encased her arms with his, hugged her tight against him and bent her backward with a small shake. Her back snapped and the crunch reverberated through her. “Ugh,” she said when her feet were back on the floor.

“How does that feel?”

Piper moved a bit to the left, then the right, testing her back. Remarkably, there was little discomfort now. A tweak in her back muscles, but nothing like before, and her surprised gaze flew to Taylor’s face. “Wow. I’m amazed. You have the magic touch, Doctor. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. The other thing you ought to consider is hydrotherapy.” He pushed her hair to the side with one hand and rested a hand on her hip.

“Like a bath or shower?” she asked as her brain immediately recalled in graphic detail her image of him in the shower. Unable to muster the motivation to move away from him, she stayed where she was, leaning against him, liking the stirring of her senses as he held her, the stroke of his hand on her hip, wondering how far she should let this exploration of the senses go. Too much time had passed since she’d allowed a man to hold her. Oh, being around Taylor was going to be so bad for her. One touch and she wanted to toss caution to the wind and reach out for what he offered, even if it was for just one moment in time.

“Like a soak in my jacuzzi.”

His voice had turned to a husky whisper and the heat of it in her ear created shivers that crawled along her skin. Even his voice was magic, entwining its way into her mind. The thought of the two of them in his tub made her mouth go dry and she dragged in a ragged breath. A decision was on the line. One that could take her to heaven or to the depths of pain.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I don’t have a swimsuit.” Like that was going to stop her from such an experience.

“That’s not a problem for me. I don’t usually wear one,” he said, his hands roaming from her thighs to her hips and holding her against him. His breathing had changed, and so had hers.

“Will you be in the tub with me?”

His lips moved across the outer curve of her ear. “Do you want me in the tub with you?”

Oh, God, did she