Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Quickly, I backed away from the screen so he wouldn’t see me.
Surgeon? Goose bumps spread over my skin. Why did Dallas have to see a surgeon? Was it the headaches? And why in Boston? Was it a friend or colleague of his brother’s?
I was even more worried now. But I couldn’t ask him about it, because that would mean admitting I’d overheard him through the window. He clearly didn’t want me to know about it or else he’d have mentioned it already.
After drying off, I hung up my towel and went into my bedroom to get dressed. While I tugged on denim shorts and slipped an embroidered blouse over my head, I wondered what had set off the argument between Dallas and his brother. I wished I could ask him about it, but if he knew that I’d heard him confess how he felt about growing up in Finn’s shadow, he’d be devastated. He’d always been so proud. But on the other hand, I wanted him to know he could confide in me. Trust me with his feelings. It must be terrible to hold all that hurt inside. What could I do to help him?
I continued to think about it while I blow-dried my hair. When it was mostly dry, I put in a couple braids near the front and pinned them at the back, leaving the rest down. The only makeup I added was some mascara and lip balm, and rather than perfume, I rubbed a few drops of jasmine oil on my wrists and neck. It was while I was putting the cap back on the bottle that I had an idea about what I could do to help Dallas with both his physical and his emotional pain.
I found him in my living room, sitting on the couch wearing a broody expression. “Hey,” I said, sitting down next to him.
When he saw me, his face relaxed. “Hey. You smell good.” He reached for me, pulling me toward him so I was lying across his lap.
I looped arms around his head and laughed as he buried his face in my neck. “Thanks. Hey, I have an idea.”
“Mmm. Me too.” He pressed his lips to my throat and slid one hand up my rib cage, beneath my blouse. “I hope it’s the same one.”
I giggled. “It’s not.”
“Then I vote we do mine first.” He covered one breast with his hand and nibbled my earlobe. “You’ll like it, I promise. It starts by making you come with my tongue and moves on from there.”
Between my legs, I felt a pleasant flutter, and nearly gave in to it. “That does sound nice, but first we’re going to do something for you.”
“What?”
“Clear your chakras.”
“I like my idea better.”
“I know you do, and I promise we will get there, but first I want to do this for you.” I put my hand on his shoulders and pushed back gently, forcing him to look at me. “Please?”
“Why? I’m not having any nightmares, unless I’m in one right now and you’re going to make me walk around with this hard-on all day.”
“It’s not just for nightmares. It’s for other things too, and I think it could help you with your headaches.” And your family issues, I wanted to add. “We have a class on it at the studio, and everyone always says they feel better afterward.”
“I already know what will make me feel better.”
“Come on, you’ll like this. It involves massage.” I slid my palms down his chest and spoke seductively. “I’ll have my hands all over you. I’ll even sit on your lap.”
“That’s only going to make me want my idea more. I can’t promise I’ll be able to control myself.”
I smiled. “Just try. For me.”
He sighed heavily. “I suppose I can’t say no to you since I showed up out of the blue and basically kidnapped you for the weekend.”
“That’s right. You can’t.” I managed to sit up. “It’s going to feel good, I promise.”
He stayed where he was while I got everything ready—closing the curtains to block out the light, pouring some rosewood oil into my diffuser dish, lighting the flame beneath it. “What’s a sound you like?” I asked him, scrolling through the choices on my Meditation Playlist.
“You screaming my name.”
I ignored that. “Waves? Thunderstorm? Ocean breeze? Rainforest? Birds chirping? Babbling brook?”
Another heavy sigh. “Let’s go with thunderstorm. They always make me think of you.”
A shiver moved through me, and our eyes met in the dim light. “Same.”
I selected the track, put it on repeat, and set my phone aside. Then I went over to him and held out my hand. “Phone, please. I can’t have any interruptions.”
He handed it over, and I made sure the ringer was off before setting it on the mantel. Then I straddled his legs, my knees on either side of his thighs. Since this was going to be a sort of cross between a spiritual and a sensual exercise, I was taking some huge liberties with the practice, but I didn’t really care. The idea was to get him to relax, feel good, let go of negative energy, and build trust.