touch my heart (7 page)

He groaned. He was not looking forward to it.

While he knew the importance of the session, he didn’t feel comfortable with Aaliyah yet. He felt something stirring between them. Each time she placed her hands on him, it took all of his control not to get rock hard. His response to her still baffled him. It had crept up on him.

It was her touch. There was something exciting and titillating about her hands on him. And she was never anything other than professional.

He was the one with the overactive imagination, the one with the one-track mind. He needed sex. He had not had sex since the accident.

He glanced up at the clock. Time for his session. He sighed. Already his body was reacting in anticipation.

* * *

Aaliyah had reached the stage where the word
frustration
didn’t come close to explain how she was feeling. She’d balked on several occasions at calling Dr. Graham. While she understood what Dominic was going through, she really thought he was behaving like a spoiled brat.

He was twenty minutes late, which had become his daily routine. She was sure he did it deliberately. Just to get on her nerves. Just to prove he was the still the boss.

The door creaked and she turned in the direction of the noise. Dominic walked in.

“Sorry to be late,” he said.

“I’m sure you are,” she retorted.

“I mean it. I’m sorry.”

She huffed.

“Now, what does that mean?”

“You’ve never been early for any of our sessions thus far, so there really isn’t any need for you to be sorry. I work for you.”

He stared at her and nodded his head slowly. “That’s true,” he agreed. “So what are the plans for today?”

“We’ll go through our regular routine.”

He groaned.

“I do have some additional sets to add.”

He groaned again. “I know Charles sent you here to torture me.”

“Maybe he did. But I think he did because he knows I am good at what I do.”

“You like your work?”

“I do. However, we really can’t do your exercises if you keep talking. You need to get on the bench.”

He signed. She was persistent. Something he liked about her. The other two nurses had given up on him. Aaliyah wasn’t too happy about having free days. She’d made it clear that the only days they would be resting were Saturdays and Sundays.

He’d agreed reluctantly. There had been one day when his sessions had not been too hectic. However, that didn’t mean that his body hadn’t ached when he went to bed at night.

He looked at her and she returned the stare. He could see her irritation and moved quickly to start the first routine. It was going to be a long morning.

* * *

The lunch bell chimed. She didn’t think she would ever get accustomed to the bell ringing for meals. It reminded her of high school. She put the folders she was reading aside and walked downstairs to the dining room.

While breakfast could be eaten in the kitchen, Mrs. Clarke insisted they ate lunch and dinner in the dining room.

She didn’t particularly mind, since the room opened onto a large patio, which provided a picturesque view of the ocean in the distance. When she stepped into the room she was more than a bit surprised to see Dominic there.

He’d changed out of his gym clothes and wore a white T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. She’d seen pictures of him on television and he looked more like that person now.

He’d shaved and shaped up his hairline. He was standing on the patio, his gaze focused on the ocean.

Next to him, Nugget sat, his tail playfully thumping the floor. At her footsteps he stopped, looked up and immediately raced to her, the speed of his tail increasing with each step.

Dominic turned.

Their eyes met, his gaze lingered and she looked away. Her eyes fell to look at the puppy sitting at her feet. She reached down, tickled his ear and watched as he shivered with excitement.

“He likes you.” Dominic’s voice startled her. She’d not seen him walk over to her but she could now smell the woodsy fragrance of his cologne.

“Mrs. Clarke told me I could start lunch as soon as you arrived.”

“You didn’t have to wait.”

“That would have been rude. You’re a guest in my home.”

“Well, thanks for waiting. I don’t much like eating by myself.”

“I have been pretty antisocial, haven’t I?” he stated. “I promise I will be a lot more accommodating in future.”

“It’s fine. I’m really not a guest. I’m working for you, remember? I don’t expect to be treated like a guest.”

“Then that’s how we differ. Anyone who’s here at my request is a guest. And since I’m the boss,” he chuckled, “I get to determine what I want you to be.”

“I can’t argue with that,” she agreed reluctantly.

“So you’re ready to eat? I am starving after the torture you put me through.”

“I am hungry. The island air seems to have affected my appetite.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“I’m not sure. I may just have to start using the gym while I’m here.”

“Feel free to use it whenever you want. You only work for me in the mornings. Your evenings are yours to do whatever you want.”

“I was thinking about that. I’d like us to do a bit of walking during the afternoon a few times a week. I’m sure it will help to make your leg stronger.”

“Well, you are the professional. Charles told me I have to do everything you say. It doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice.”

“But you do. This is all about choices. It shouldn’t be about what Charles says. You’re the one with the medical problem, not Charles.”

“That’s true. Then I’ll rephrase what I said. I’d be delighted for us to take a walk some afternoons. As long as I can bring Nugget along.”

“Of course,” she replied. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good, but now we really have to eat. My stomach is growling.”

He led her to the table and waited for her to sit before he did.

His gesture surprised her, but she realized she was being unfair. She was casting assumptions on his character and she didn’t really know him yet.

* * *

Aaliyah could not sleep. Strange, since she’d slept so well from the time she’d arrived on the island. She glanced at the clock. Just after midnight. She needed to get a good night’s sleep since she had to be up early in the morning.

The sessions with Dominic had been going well, though she sensed a bit of reluctance and resistance each time. She’d had three sessions with him already and each day, she felt exhausted at his lack of interest, especially when the massage portion began. Since that first day, he’d not allowed her to complete the session. She wondered if he was in more pain than he admitted.

She sighed, turning restlessly on the bed. She pulled the sheet around her. The central air was at a perfect temperature. But it wasn’t hot; she just felt miserable.

She’d been feeling like that a lot lately around Dominic. He left her feeling hot and bothered after each one of their sessions. The image of him naked still flashed in her mind’s eye and she almost wished he would drop his clothes again.

She was attracted to him. There was no doubt about it. If she’d known this would happen, she would have returned to New York after their initial session on the next available flight. Maybe that was the only choice she had now.

She sighed. She didn’t want to think of this now. She’d go downstairs and get something to drink. Maybe a glass of milk would make her feel better.

She rose from the bed, reaching for her robe on the chair.

She walked along the hallway and when she passed Dominic’s room, she heard a noise. It sounded like an animal’s cry.

She paused, listening in the silence, and then she heard it again.

A whimper. Maybe it was Nugget, but she’d thought Nugget slept outdoors in the kennels.

The cry increased. She knocked on the door.

When she stepped inside, the flickering light of a single candle welcomed her. In the center, a big-canopied bed appeared to be lost in the spacious room.

Within the folds of the bed, Dominic lay naked, the sheet barely covering his lower body. As she looked down at him, he groaned again and whimpered something.

Then his body crashed and tossed.

She reached out to touch him, shaking him. He jumped awake suddenly, whipping his hands around and striking her on the shoulder.

She winced in pain.

His eyes searched frantically around the room and landed on her.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” he growled.

“I’m sorry. I heard a noise. You were having a nightmare.”

“And you had to intrude on my privacy?”

“I’ll leave. I thought something was wrong. I apologize.”

She turned to walk away.

“I’m sorry.”

She turned around, a skeptical smile on her face. “I’m sure you’re not usually like this. I look forward to seeing the other you.”

He laughed. “I deserved that.”

“Yes, you do. I know you don’t want me here. But I’m here and I’m going to make sure I do everything in my power to make sure you get better, whether you believe you will or not.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

She headed to the kitchen. She probably needed something stronger that milk to get her to sleep. Hopefully she’d find something a lot more calming. She needed to unwind. She’d been feeling tense for the past few days.

And Dominic Wolfe had a lot to do with her feelings. She could not deny her attraction to him.

Each day she found it more and more difficult to work with him, though only a few days had passed since they’d started.

She walked along the corridor, her footsteps barely heard in the silence.

When she entered the kitchen, she looked around, noticing the cupboard. She headed for the refrigerator, immediately finding the half bottle of wine they’d had at dinner.

She searched for a glass, filled it and sat at the marble-covered island.

She placed the glass to her lips, sipping slowly. Immediately, her body warmed. There was nothing a glass of wine couldn’t cure.

Her thoughts strayed to her boss.

Her visit to his room had affected her more than she’d expected. She knew that she would be more tolerant of him. She could still hear his cries of anguish in her head.

He was definitely haunted by something. She wondered if it was the accident. She’d heard about it.

She put the glass down and headed back to her room. When she got there she reached for her iPad, turned it on and opened Google.

She typed in his name and was not surprised when a series of articles popped up. She narrowed the search, inputting
fire.
She clicked on the first link and it took her to a CNN article. His face looked back at her.

She lay on the bed, taking the iPad with her. For the next thirty minutes, she read all she could about him. By the time she closed her eyes, she was satisfied with what she had learned.

During the night, she dreamed about him, wanton and sweaty dreams of lovemaking that left her crying out with pleasure.

In each dream, he’d come to her wrapped in a pure white towel, and then he would let the towel slide to the ground with a sly smile on his face.

Chapter 7

F
or what seemed like the hundredth time, Aaliyah sighed and put the book back down on the nightstand. She was tired of reading and watching television. She’d even offered to help in the kitchen, but Mrs. Clarke had run her out of the room, making it clear she was a guest.

Picking up the book once more just to fling it back down with vehemence, she then stood. She was tired of Dominic’s diva complex. She knew he was haunted by something from his past, but that was no excuse for taking time off from therapy. It was as if he didn’t understand the importance of what she was doing. Based on her assessment, the progress he’d made in the short time since they’d started was positive. But if he chose not to continue, he would spend the rest of his life limping around the place with a hand that was barely functional. She’d met stubborn patients before, but Dominic Wolfe totally took the cake.

She had every intention of finding him and giving him a piece of her mind. She didn’t care if he was her boss. She’d kept quiet for too long.

She put on her slippers and headed to the kitchen. Maybe Mrs. Clarke would know where he was.

The kitchen was empty. She groaned in frustration. Maybe he was in his room. She should have stopped there on her way down to the kitchen.

She ran back up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. When she reached his suite, she knocked but there was no response. Not allowing herself to be deterred, she pushed the door, watching as it swung open. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. It was empty. She walked forward, wondering if he was in the bathroom, but she could not hear a sound.

He wasn’t there.

She turned to leave when she heard a loud sound. She glanced in the direction of the noise and noticed a door to the left of the room. She walked slowly toward it, wondering what she’d find behind it.

For a moment, her hand hovered over the doorknob, but then she slowly turned it.

Her entrance was greeted with another noise. Dominic sat by a worktable, one for sculpting. Several misshaped lumps of clay lay on the bench while miscellaneous bits of clay lay scattered across the surface. She gasped. She’d interrupted his tirade.

He turned around.

“Are you ever going to stop intruding on my life?” he barked. She could see his embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. I needed to speak to you.”

“For what reason?”

She couldn’t believe he’d asked that question.

“I’m seriously beginning to wonder why I’m here.”

“I hired you. I pay you,” he snapped. “That’s why you’re here.”

“But you’re not letting me do my job. Every day there is another issue.”

“I still can’t see what the problem is. Even if I don’t get therapy, you’ll still get paid.”

“Well, I’m not sure about the people you’re accustomed to dealing with, but where I come from, we give an honest day’s work. I can’t continue to take your money if I don’t work.”