Just One Night Together by Deborah Cooke

Two

Haley halfway expectedDamon to change his mind and leave, to think better of his impulsive offer and go home rather than hang around a hospital at night waiting for her. She wasn’t the kind of woman who attracted gorgeous men, or at least attracted them for very long. She thought of Garrett for the first time in years as she finished her shift, but pushed him out of her thoughts. He had his life and she had hers—without Garrett.

She had her work and that was plenty.

Still, when she was done for the night, Haley hurried to change into her street clothes, running to the elevator as if two minutes could make all the difference in the world.

“Hot date?” Daphne teased from the nurses’ station.

“I wish!” Haley said and laughed because it was expected. She ducked through the closing elevator doors before Daphne could ask anything more. Haley clutched her backpack as the elevator descended, glad she was riding alone. Would Damon be there? She felt a mix of anticipation and uncertainty that had become rare in her life.

It felt kind of good. Tingly. Vital.

She definitely should take chances more often.

The doors opened and her heart sank that the lobby was empty. The streetlights shone through the automatic doors opposite her to illuminate the vacant space. The volunteers’ desk was unmanned. The gift shop was closed. There was no one sitting on any of the chairs arranged in clusters in the lobby and the coffee shop was dark.

She left the elevator and looked around, almost overwhelmed with disappointment. So, Damon had done the practical thing, maybe even the predictable thing. Haley had a whole week to decide whether she should go back to his mom’s room and talk to him again.

Then she heard a rattle. It was exactly the sound a vending machine made when someone gave it a shake. She took a few steps forward and peeked into the nook where the machines stood in a long row. Damon had put on his jacket since she’d seen him last. He was glaring at one of the machines and gave it another shake as she watched.

Haley smiled. “That one eats your money if you don’t know the trick,” she said and went to his side.

“It’s outrageous enough that they want two bucks for a bottle of water,” he replied. “They could make sure you actually get the water.”

Haley hit the machine with her fist on the left side, hard, at a spot just below her waist. The machine wobbled, thunked, then the bottle of water was dislodged. It dropped into the delivery chute and rolled into the bin at the bottom.

Damon cast Haley a smile that turned her inside out. She flushed and dropped her gaze, thinking that a smile like that should be classed as a lethal weapon and come with warning labels. “Thanks.”

She blinked as she tried to slow her pulse. “It’s easy when you know how.”

“That’s true of pretty much anything, isn’t it?” He didn’t seem to expect an answer but bent and retrieved the bottle. Haley treated herself to a quick look at his butt, then felt like she shouldn’t have. A peek just made her want to touch. Maybe fondle. Caress.

It had definitely been too long.

She remembered the F5F billboard and stole another peek. Had the image been touched up? She was thinking not.

Damon opened the bottle and drank, his gaze fixing upon her. “I thought you’d change your mind.”

“I was sure you had.”

He glanced over the quiet hospital lobby. “Look, I was teasing about going to your place or mine. Is there a classroom or something we could use here? That way, you don’t have to worry about letting a stranger into your home.”

Haley wasn’t worried about that. Not only did she have far too much defense training, but she doubted a man with such healing power in his hands could have any inclination to violence. She believed that Damon would never hurt her, or any other woman.

Her mom always said that the way a man treated his mom revealed the truth of his character.

“I’d just have to worry about being naked with a man where my coworkers could find me,” Haley replied.

Damon looked surprised.

She lifted the keys from her bag and spun them on her finger. “I think I know enough about you to feel safe.”

If he was skeptical, he hid it well. He lifted her coat out of her grip and held it for her, a gesture that both pleased and surprised her. “Let me guess. You’ve got a black belt.”

“And more,” she agreed because it was true. She met his gaze, letting him see that she wasn’t afraid of him.

“You seem to be the kind of person who takes care of herself,” he said mildly.

Haley shrugged. “No one else is going to do it.” She eyed him again. “I don’t mean that to sound bitter. It’s just true and I don’t mind.”

“It sounds practical,” he said, almost smiling. “But then, I understand that Haley Slater is a very practical nurse.”

Haley froze. “I didn’t tell you my name.”

“I had some time. I asked the nurses at the station about you.” He fastened his coat. “You’re not the only one who likes to know what they’re getting into.”

It was a little strange to find that she had anything in common with him. Haley wondered how much the other nurses had told him. She ducked her head to fasten the zipper of her coat, which she thought would hide her thoughts.

She was wrong.

“They don’t know much about you,” Damon continued. “Or they’re not inclined to share it. All I learned was that you’re completely reliable and that you offer to take other people’s holiday shifts.” He shrugged. “I expect I’ll be doing the same at work next year. Also, they weren’t surprised you came to see my mom, since you’re usually in oncology and are interested in complementary care, like massage.”

She sounded almost boring by this summary.

Haley supposed that she was boring.

She had a vehement urge to show Damon that she could be interesting.

“Should we go?” he asked and she realized she hadn’t moved.

“Do you have a car? It’s only about four blocks.”

He shook his head. “Sounds like we need a cab.” They headed for the door and he gave her a look that reminded her of her older brother. “You don’t walk that distance alone at this hour, do you?”

“No, but I do in the daytime. It’s just across the park. That’s why I took that apartment in the first place, so I could walk to work.” Once again, Haley felt like she was rattling on, so she deliberately shut up.

The fact was that she was a bit nervous to be taking Damon back to her place. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she didn’t routinely take men home. It had been a while. She told herself to lighten up.

It was just a massage lesson.

She’d had more than one chance to back out or have it elsewhere. She wanted to prove Damon’s expectations of her wrong, didn’t she?

As taking chances went, this was a pretty low risk.

There were three cabs lined up outside the door and Haley saw that the driver in the first one was Joe. He was reading a newspaper, but folded it away when he saw her, then gave her a wave and started the engine.

There were four cabbies who regularly waited for fares at the hospital and Joe was one of them. He was older, a teacher who had started driving a cab after his retirement. When Haley asked why, he said it was better than driving school buses. She knew that wasn’t the full story, but respected his privacy.

“New friend?” Joe asked when they got in and Haley saw him surveying Damon in the rearview mirror.

“Yes,” Haley said simply, seeing no reason to lie and less to elaborate. She jingled her keys. “You know the way, Joe.”

“You need anything, Haley?” the older man asked.

“No. Everything’s just fine.” She smiled. “Thanks for asking.”

Haley could see that Joe’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied but he didn’t ask any more questions. It only took a few minutes to get to her building—it actually was further to drive, as they had to go around the park instead of across it—and he stopped in front of her building. Damon paid the fare before she could, then got out and opened her door for her. Joe nodded approval of that, then he was gone, heading back to the taxi line at the hospital.

Haley was keenly aware of Damon’s presence behind her as she unlocked the security door. The elevator felt very small with him in that space with her and she couldn’t think of one casual comment to make. On her floor, she was sure all of her neighbors were taking a look out their peepholes. She could just guess what conclusions they’d be making. It was easy to remember college, when people had talked about her and Garrett. Of course, she had routinely snuck him into her room, although it had hardly been a secret. Everyone in her dorm had known. Haley felt herself begin to blush that she had ever been notorious and walked a little faster.

It was a relief to step inside her apartment and lock the door behind them. Haley flicked on a light and moved to draw the shade over the one big window. She hung up her coat and Damon did the same, and she felt him surveying her home.

What did it look like to him?

Practical? Austere? It was pretty plain and functional, but Haley had never seen a lot of reason to accumulate stuff. What if the next course she took was only offered on the other side of the country? She liked the freedom of being able to just go. In this particular moment, though, she wished she had at least a colorful throw cushion or two.

Her apartment made her look boring, too. Predictable. Bland. She took a deep breath, wishing she could be other than she was, and slanted a glance at Damon. He seemed enormous in her apartment, larger than life, dominating the space.

Male, all male.

Not any less impressive than on the billboard ad.

Of course, he wasn’t going to make a move on her. Why would he?

Should she make a move on him instead?

The idea caught fire in Haley’s thoughts, challenging her to be the kind of woman she wanted to be. Just because she didn’t want love, marriage, and family didn’t mean that she couldn’t have sex.

Wild sex with no strings attached.

With a gorgeous man.

One night.

Could Haley ask for what she wanted?

Did she dare?

* * *

Damon had seenbarracks furnished with more flair than Haley’s apartment. It was clean and tidy to the point of severity, furnished in basic beige. The hardwood floor was clean. The kitchen counter was clean. There wasn’t one thing out of place. He wondered if the supplies in the kitchen cupboards were arranged alphabetically. The bookshelf was tidy. Even the basket of knitting wool, the only spot of color, was neatly organized.

He was aware that Haley was uncomfortable with his presence in her sanctuary and felt the need to reassure her. It was just a lesson. He wasn’t averse to one-nighters and he wouldn’t have refused one with Haley, but he understood that wasn’t her style.

She’d made an exception. She’d let him in. She’d chosen to trust him.

And Damon, as a man who understood the rare gift of trust, wasn’t going to betray it.

He respected vulnerability, especially when it was unusual for the person in question. She’d taken a chance, because she wanted to learn. Damon wasn’t going to poison that.

He admired it too much.

Damon was putting the empty water bottle on the counter—because he knew she’d recycle—when he saw the picture on the fridge. It was straight and perfectly centered, the only item on the fridge door.

The photograph featured a group of smiling people against a vivid blue sky. The bright sunlight and the silhouette of the hills behind them was all too familiar. They were in fatigues, young and healthy, perched on and around an armed personnel carrier that could only be in one place. Damon’s heart clenched tightly and he could almost taste the endless dust. They weren’t yet tanned or beaten down by the constant danger. There were red crosses on all of their gear.

Would he find Haley in the shot if he looked closer?

Or was it a friend in the photo? A lover?

Alive or dead?

It took a lot to avert his gaze when his curiosity was so strong.

He reminded himself that he had no right to be curious.

“No place like home,” she said, as if she felt the silence had stretched too long. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, thanks.” He glanced her way and saw that she was taut with uncertainty. He could put her at ease. He’d known nurses like her in Afghanistan. They survived on facts. “What do you know about massage?”

“That it’s been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, particularly for patients who’ve had cardiac surgery, and that it can decrease pain in a high percentage of patients with chronic or degenerative illnesses.” She might have been reciting a passage from a textbook or reading a research paper aloud.

“No academic citations?” he teased.

Haley straightened. “I can give them to you, if you like. The Mayo Clinic has done some studies and published results.” She turned to her bookshelf. “I have several references here...”

Damon stopped her with a fingertip on her shoulder. “I was teasing. You’re so serious.”

“Healing is serious.” She looked at him, then glanced away quickly. “Pain is serious.”

“Massage isn’t supposed to be work, though. If it’s going to be a job for you, then we don’t need to do this.”

“But I want to know. I want to help.” She took a deep breath. “That’s why I do what I do. It’s why I’m a nurse. I want to make a difference in patient care.”

Damon couldn’t help thinking about that picture on the fridge. Had she been unable to help once? Was that what drove her? “There are lots of patients other than my mom.”

“But she really responds to your massage. It’s amazing. I want to understand that so I can use the technique with other patients. It seems most sensible to start with an example that’s already working.” She swallowed. “That’s why I want to learn from you. You clearly know what you’re doing.”

She raised her gaze to his, her eyes wide. He wanted to gather her close and reassure her, but knew that move would have the opposite effect. Haley was used to fending for herself.

Damon really wanted to know why.

“You want to learn from someone who knows more than you?” he asked.

“Learn from the best,” she countered. “I’ve never seen results like your mom’s, and I’ve been looking.” She pursed her lips, thinking. “It’s possible that there’s an emotional component, because you’re her son, and that it might not be possible for anyone else to replicate the effect.”

Damon nodded. “I think you’re right in a way. I’m using more than the physical motions of massage.”

“Really?” Her eyes were bright with curiosity.

“Let’s start with what you do know.” Damon turned his back on her. He crossed his arms in front of himself and tugged his T-shirt over his head. He felt her looking and heard her sharp inhalation, but reminded himself that this wasn’t sexual. He didn’t have a sister, but he tried to think of Haley as one.

It didn’t work. He thought of her hair and wanted to see how it looked when it was free of that ponytail. He wanted to feel it would twine around his fingers. He thought of how curvy she was and how those breasts would feel pressed against him. He could guess how soft her skin was, and he wanted to know just what her lips tasted like.

Epic fail.

He thought of his partner, Ty, and how Ty treated his four sisters. Protective. Reliable. Patient. Damon could do that, even with Haley.

He had to, if he wanted to give her this lesson.

And he really did.

Damon turned and surveyed the apartment again, putting his shirt on the back of a chair and avoiding Haley’s gaze. “Probably the floor is best, if you’re okay kneeling,” he said, keeping his tone practical. “Show me what you know first, then we’ll go from there.”

Together they moved her coffee table so it was against the wall and she got a couple of towels out of the bathroom. The rug was clean, but it wasn’t that thick. Damon spread them on the floor, folding a couple to go under knees and chests, while she got a pump bottle of body lotion.

“Can we turn down the lights a bit?” he asked. “It’s a bit bright in here, and that won’t help with relaxation.”

Haley turned out the overhead light and turned on a lamp instead. “I don’t have incense or candles,” she admitted.

“You must be the only woman in New York who doesn’t,” Damon said, then continued before she could apologize. “It’s refreshing. In practice, you might want some soothing music, too, but let’s concentrate on the nuts and bolts.” He spoke with smooth confidence, slipping easily into the manner he used when teaching at F5F. He stretched out on the floor on his belly, lifted his arms to cushion his head on his arms and waited.

It took a moment, then, he felt Haley kneel beside him at his waist. “Do you have any allergies?” she asked.

“None.”

“Any injuries that I should be aware of?”

“None.” He couldn’t help being amused. She might have been following a punch list of instructions.

“What’s so funny?”

“I wonder if you ever do anything impulsive.”

“You’re here,” she noted and he nodded.

“I guess that counts. Do you always have a checklist?”

“Yes. It’s like triage. It makes me feel ready for anything.”

“Isn’t triage for emergencies?”

“Sure, but it’s useful to prioritize even when the stakes aren’t life or death.” She exhaled. “I call it triage as a lifestyle.”

Damon bit back a smile. “That’s not all bad.”

“It’s how I think.”

The truth was that Damon often thought like that, too. He knew, though, that in his case, it was training. Assess. Prioritize. Act. Repeat.

He heard the pump and Haley rubbing lotion between her hands. It didn’t have a floral scent, which was also welcome. She placed her hands flat on his back between his shoulder blades and he was relieved that they were warm. He didn’t want to jump and spook her. She moved her hands together in a sweeping motion, driving the heels of her hands into his back and leaning into the gesture.

“Do you read books?” Damon asked after a few moments. He knew she did, because there was a Kindle on the end table.

“Yes. Why?”

“Because what you’re doing here is like jumping right into the middle of a book, instead of starting at the beginning and easing your way into the story.”

Her hands lifted away from his skin. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, first you need a plan. What’s yours?” He turned to look at her, bracing himself on one elbow.

Her gaze lingered on the tribal tattoo on his upper arm and she looked worried. “I guess to massage your shoulders and neck.”

“That’s a good general plan. Most people carry tension there. It feels like a knot when you’re massaging, but working it out of the muscle can be painful. So, you need to start slowly, warm the skin and relax the patient, then search for the tension spot and work it out.”

“Beginning, middle and end. That is like a book.”

“Also, gentle, firmer, then harder. Then you back it out to gentle again.”

“Okay. Let me try again.”

“Let’s start with effleurage.”

“Stroking,” she translated and he knew she had been studying.

“Yes. Your movements should be fluid and continuous.” He laid down again. “Start very lightly.”

She slid her fingertips across his back, just slipping them over his skin, and he nodded. It was like a caress, one that sent his mind straight to the gutter. He could imagine her touching him like this in a much more intimate location and knew it would drive him crazy. He was glad to be lying on his stomach.

Maybe Haley wouldn’t notice her effect upon him.

Damon kept talking, so he wouldn’t forget himself and just enjoy. “Now use the flats of your hands, still stroking.”

She did as he suggested, and he almost purred at the smooth feel of her hands on his skin.

“It’s spreading the lotion out really well.”

“Start at my waist, and sweep in to my spine, then up. Make those circles.”

“Should I let my fingertips touch you?”

“Let them curl around me. Your hands should shape to my body. Create as much contact as possible.”

Haley did as he suggested and he closed his eyes with pleasure.

“Make each circle about three times, and gradually work up to my shoulders.” She found the knot behind his shoulders and Damon exhaled with satisfaction as she pressed gently on it.

But he was supposed to be teaching, not enjoying. “What’s your posture like?” He turned to steal a glance at Haley. She was kneeling beside him, waiting for suggestions. “When you press harder, the weight should come from your body, not from the strength in your hands. Try it on one knee, lean into it and keep your arms fairly straight.”

“So I’ll repeat with more force?”

“Twice more, harder each time.” He smiled at her. “I’ll try not to melt away.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t think you can.”

“No. Probably not.” She frowned a little, surveying him. “How much do you work out?”

“A lot.”

“Because you pose for ads for a fitness club?”

“Because I’m one of the partners who own Flatiron Five Fitness.”

“Really?” She must have been startled because she stopped for a moment before resuming her massage.

“Really.” He could feel more confidence in her hands when she continued and a growing ease between them. Massage was doing what it always did, relaxing both participants and building trust. Haley leaned into her strokes more and found her rhythm so well that Damon had a hard time keeping his thoughts on the lesson.

He wanted to feel her hands all over him.

He wanted to put his hands on her.

He forced himself to remember why he was there.

He was already wondering whether there was any chance of him coming back.

“I have a kink in my right shoulder. Can you find it? Keep the circles going as you search. Don’t hurry. The idea is to make it feel as if you have all the time in the world.”

Haley leaned over Damon as she put more weight upon him and eased her way up to his shoulder. She went over the knot, then returned to it again. “It feels like a walnut under your skin.”

“You’ve got it,” he murmured. “Lean on it. Rub those circles into it. Come at it again and again, always sweeping outward. Don’t rush.”

“Like that?”

“Exactly like that. Now put your energy into it.”

Her hands froze on his back, the sudden stop as disruptive as every manual said it would be. “What?”

Damon braced himself on his elbow and looked back at her. “Your energy.”

She shook her head so that her ponytail bounced. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“There’s a psychic connection between healer and patient. You’re going to have more success in giving relief if you give some of your own energy, if you put your own energy into the equation. That’s what makes the difference with my mom. That’s what my dad taught me to do.”

Haley sat back, looking so defeated that Damon wanted to gather her up in his arms. “I don’t know how to do that. Maybe I don’t even have energy to share.”

“Everyone does. We pass it around all the time. Think of when you talk to someone who’s down in the dumps. You let them vent. Afterward, they feel better and you feel worse. They’ve passed their negative energy on to you and taken some of your positive, which helps them.”

Haley frowned. “I don’t know how to do that on purpose.”

“I think you do and you don’t realize it.” He sat up. “You’re a natural at this, so let’s take it to the next step. Come here.”

“What?”

“Your turn. You’ve shown me what you know, and now I’ll teach you more.” He saw alarm flash in her eyes so spoke soothingly. “It’ll be easier if you take off your shirt, but if don’t want to, that’s fine. We’ll work with it.” He moved out of the way and patted the towels on the floor, acting as if he wasn’t aroused at all.

* * *

Damon thoughtHaley would be afraid to take off her shirt.

He’d taken off his as if it was no big deal and she’d been glad his back had been turned to her. It gave her a moment to close her mouth and keep herself from salivating. No doubt about it: the photograph of him hadn’t been touched up for the billboard.

He really was that muscular.

That perfect.

He could have been a sculpture of Ultimate Man.

And the big tattoo was real, not added in a graphics program.

Touching him had awakened her, made her want, made her burn for him. It was uncharacteristic for Haley to feel such lust. She hadn’t felt it since Garrett.

But this was just desire. Biology. There was no emotional component to it at all. Her body was doing what it had been built to do in the presence of an attractive member of the opposite sex.

Haley turned away from Damon, blushing furiously despite her rationalization, and tugged off her top. She kept her back to him as she unfastened her bra, then laid down on the towels without him having any chance to see her breasts. She felt exposed and shy and silly for being so modest at her age.

It wasn’t as if she’d never been touched.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t see naked bodies all the time.

But very, very few of them were as perfect as Damon’s.

That made her aware of what she considered to be her own imperfections. She wasn’t tall and sleek, that was for sure. He might think she was fat. She wasn’t, but she wasn’t fighting trim, either. And she was curvy.

She closed her eyes, sure he’d be amused by the way she was blushing.

But he didn’t laugh or even chuckle. He put a towel over her back and she felt immediately better. “We’ve both seen a lot of naked bodies, I’m sure,” he said lightly, echoing her own thoughts. “Relax. I’m not going to try anything.”

Was it foolish to believe him?

Or more foolish to wish he would try something?

He clearly wasn’t going to.

Seduction must have been the last thought in his mind.

That was depressing.

“We’ll start at the beginning again, because I want to teach you some more high pressure moves.”

“You could just direct me,” Haley said, even as his fingers slid across her back. She sighed without meaning to and heard him chuckle.

“I think you’ll be too gentle.”

His hands spread across her back, so warm and large that Haley felt delicate. His fingers curved around her body, cradling her, and the motion of his hands was rhythmic. She felt the contrast and understood that she’d been too tentative. The motion soothed her and she heard her breathing slow.

“It’s almost meditative,” she whispered.

“It’s supposed to be,” he replied in a low murmur. His hands were moving up her back for the second time, pushing the tension out of her body and warming her skin. She was tingling—and it wasn’t just her back that was heating up. She felt her lips part as she imagined what it would be like...

When his hands reached her neck, Haley exhaled with contentment, liking the feel of his fingers upon her. So strong and yet so gentle. He unfastened the clip in her hair and pushed her hair aside, the warmth of his fingers brushing across her nape and sending new tingles over her flesh. Her mouth went dry. His fingers speared into her hair, kneading her scalp lightly, making her feel treasured.

“And once more,” he whispered, his hands sweeping down to the small of her back again. This time, there was more pressure and Haley felt the healing power of his touch. His power was flowing into her, not just awakening her but making her feel stronger. How did he do that? She hoped he wouldn’t stop. “Let’s talk about chakras.”

Haley nodded.

“The chakras are usually shown on the front of the body, but they’re inside, so we can review them this way, too.” Damon’s tone was matter-of-fact, as if she was attending a lecture. “Chakras are power points in the body, linked to specific areas of wellness. Depending who you ask, there are three, five, seven or nine of them, but we’ll talk about nine.”

Haley nodded. She’d read some of this, but hadn’t given it much credit.

“When they’re blocked, massage can help.” Damon’s palm landed on the base of her spine. He began to trace circles there, and Haley could feel the heat of his hand even though her clothes. “The first chakra is the root chakra, below the pubic bone. It’s about survival and basic needs.”

His hand swirled upward a little. “The sacral chakra is next, just below the belly button. It governs relationships with others, of all levels of intimacy, as well as sexual desire.”

Haley’s spine was tight there, as it always was, and she closed her eyes when Damon applied more pressure. The warmth of his touch spread through her, helping that area to relax.

It felt divine.

In fact, Haley was pretty sure her panties were wet.

“A little knot there,” he murmured. “We’ll come back to it.” His left hand moved up her spine, the right staying put. “The solar plexus chakra is under the diaphragm. It governs our notion of self-worth and how we conduct ourselves in the world.” His palms awakened a heat under her skin as he moved higher. “The heart chakra is right where you’d expect it to be.”

“I’ll guess it governs feelings,” Haley said.

“Empathy, too.” Damon’s hands moved higher, circling and soothing, mesmerizing. “The thymus chakra is at the larynx, governing our notions of responsibility and our convictions. It doesn’t always make the list of chakras, but it’s an important one.”

His hands slid over the back of Haley’s neck again, bracketing it this time, the intimacy of his touch awakened a need so raw it made her shiver. “The throat chakra is about communication and expression.” His fingers pushed into her hair again and Haley’s body sent her a clear message about arousal and desire. His touch felt possessive and sexy. She blushed but hoped Damon wouldn’t notice. “The nose chakra is another one that’s often ignored. It’s in the very tip of the nose and is about intuition. The brow chakra is also called the third eye.”

“The pineal gland,” Haley provided.

“Exactly. It’s about imagination, second sight, and following our course.” His hands cupped the top of her head, his fingers moving steadily, tracing circles that made Haley feel on fire. “And finally, there’s the crown chakra, at the top of the head, which is about dreams and inspiration.”

He ran his hands over her again, making circles with his fingertips. Haley wanted to shiver in delight. “All these places are focal points for growth and learning and the pursuit of balance. When there is creation and growth, the chakras turn clockwise.” His fingertips turned in that direction. “When there is destruction, the chakras turn the other way. In Sanskrit, chakra means wheel, and the chakras should always be in motion.”

“But shouldn’t they always be turning clockwise?”

“No one can always be improving or building. Sometimes things have to be taken apart or re-examined to allow for growth.”

Haley smiled. “Like knitting.”

“How so?”

“I tear back my knitting to start it again when there’s something wrong. I might have cast on the wrong size, or not have my tension right or have messed up the pattern stitch.”

“So, you start over to do it right. That’s exactly what I mean. It’s a good metaphor.”

His praise made Haley feel like a good student. “But what about sharing your energy?”

“When you find a knot—” Damon’s hands unerringly returned to the tightness at the base of her spine. “—it might mean that the chakra is stuck or moving very slowly. You want to help the patient move beyond that challenge and you can nudge the chakra with your own energy to do that.”

“I thought I read that practitioners were supposed to open the patient to the energy of the earth but protect their own.”

“That’s one school of thought. This is mine.” His hands bracketed her waist, his thumbs working circles against her skin. She felt him leaning over her, putting more weight into his movement. Haley closed her eyes as the heat of his touch flowed through her.

The effect, though, seemed to be on the lower chakra. She hadn’t been so aroused in years.

“Where did you learn it?”

“From my dad. The Marco Perez school of massage therapy.”

Haley smiled. “Where did he learn?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he invented it.”

“Did he really have a school?”

Damon laughed. “No. My mom was a ballet dancer. She always had aches and pains. He was a carpenter. He liked fixing things.”

Haley closed her eyes, liking the explanation and what it told her about his parents’ relationship. He didn’t say more and she didn’t ask, just enjoyed.

“This is called kneading,” Damon said as his hands lifted, squeezed and rolled one side of her waist in steady circles.

“That feels awesome.”

“It loosens the muscle at a deeper level, making it more flexible and supple.”

Haley felt about as supple as a wet burlap bag. She couldn’t remember that area not aching, but it felt a thousand times better. He eventually moved to the other side, lavishing attention upon her.

That was all new. Haley had never felt so pampered.

She really hoped Damon didn’t stop anytime soon.

One of his hands kept making circles and applying pressure, while the fingertips of his other hand pressed hard against the spot to one side of her spine. She felt them vibrate, buzzing against the muscle. The resonance seemed to go right through her, shaking the tension loose. “There are several percussion strokes,” he said. “Never use any of them against the bone. This is vibration. You’re liberating the tension, then smoothing it away with your other hand.”

“Yes,” Haley said, exhaling the word.

“There’s also cupping and hacking, which have similar effects.”

“Yes.” Haley hoped he’d use them all. Slowly. Repeatedly.

“I can pour my energy into you by making a connection with you,” he said, his voice low and soft. “That was my dad’s secret to healing with touch.”

“What kind of connection?”

“An emotional one.”

Haley blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Talk to me,” he invited. “Tell me something about Nurse Haley Slater.”

She stiffened despite herself. “There’s not much to tell.”

“Bull,” Damon said. “I can feel how you’re tensing up just because I asked. So, you’re a private person.” The pressure of his hands increased, working out the tension. “Tell me about knitting, then. What do you knit?”

“Baby sets.”

“Should I know what that means?”

She smiled, liking how low his voice was, how he drawled the question, how easily she could imagine the gleam of interest in his dark eyes and the corner of his mouth almost lifting in a smile. “Caps and booties and little mittens. Matching sets.”

“You have children?”

“No. Nieces and a nephew, but they’re too big for that.”

“Why knit baby sets then?”

“I knit for the neo-natal ward, for the preemies. It’s hard to keep them warm because they’re so tiny.”

“So, you knit for strangers.”

“Babies don’t have many social connections,” she said and he chuckled.

“I guess not beyond their parents.”

“Who are usually pretty busy when they have a baby in that ward.”

“Too busy to knit.”

“Exactly.”

“That sounds like a nice thing to do.” There was approval in his tone, a warmth that Haley liked a lot.

“It’s useful. It helps. I like that.”

“Because you like to take care of people.”

She felt herself blushing again.

He bent over her, his whisper so close that his lips must have been almost against her shoulder. “It’s how you share your energy,” he murmured. “I knew you understood how.”

“But I don’t...”

“Aren’t you tired at the end of your shift?”

“Yes, but...”

“It’s not just physical. When you take care of others, you give them some of your own energy.” His voice dropped lower. “The world needs people like you, Haley Slater.”

Haley did shiver with delight then. “You take care of your mom.”

“True, but she’s the only one. It sounds like you try to take care of everyone.”

“Not exactly.”

“Who takes care of you?”

Haley opened her mouth and closed it again. “I take care of myself.”

“Of course.” His tone was soothing but she guessed he wasn’t convinced.

“Who takes care of you?” she countered and he laughed again.

“Touché. Tell me about the nieces and nephew.”

“I have two brothers,” Haley admitted. It was ridiculously easy to talk to Damon. The words just flowed, without her thinking about it at all. It was almost a relief to confide in someone, even though she wasn’t admitting anything that was a secret. “The older one’s a firefighter and the younger just finished med school. The older one’s married with three kids.”

“And the doctor?”

“Not married. He signed up for a stint doing relief work with Doctors Without Borders.”

“Is he in the picture on your fridge?”

Haley nodded, a bit startled that he’d noticed. “That’s him and his group when they arrived last month.”

“In Afghanistan.”

“Yes.” There was no question in his voice. How had he guessed that? It wasn’t written on the picture...

Haley thought then of how Damon stood. Straight and tall, maybe not just because it was good posture. No. He stood at attention without realizing he did it. A habit, and one she almost hadn’t noticed because men like him were familiar to her.

The silence invited her to continue and she did. “And I have a sister. She’s a paramedic. Not married but she lives with her boyfriend.”

“Parents?”

“My mom’s a nurse. ER.”

“Sounds like a family devoted to service.”

“Because of my dad. He used to say that giving back was his religion.” Her throat tightened and she realized just how long it had been since she’d mentioned her dad to anyone. She thought about him all the time. She felt his presence beside her often, but she didn’t talk about him.

“He’s gone?” Damon invited when she didn’t continue.

“Yes. He was a firefighter.” Haley took a breath, knowing she should stop but taking a chance all the same. “First responder.”

Damon let that linger in the air for a few minutes, his hands returned to that chakra at her lower back. When he pressed the flat of his hand against it, Haley wanted more, far more, than just this massage. “He died in the line of duty then.”

“Yes.” Haley found herself nodding. “You might remember the day,” she added, wondering at her impulse. She was never confided this much in anyone but something about Damon invited her trust. Maybe his massage was at root. She swallowed. “September 11.”

“2001,” Damon said quietly and his hands paused for a moment before he resumed. His voice was husky when he spoke again. “I remember.”

The apartment seemed to fill with understanding and a kind of communion that had become unfamiliar to Haley. Her apartment felt golden and warm to her, not practical like it usually did. A haven, not just a place to sleep.

Because of Damon and his touch.

She knew then that she had to convince him to stay. He would finish the massage and, if she didn’t act, he’d just leave. Maybe forever. She knew she couldn’t bear that, not after this.

She wanted more, and she wanted it enough to ask for it.

“You were here in the city, too?” Haley asked.

“Just about a mile away, at my mom’s house.” His hands continued their seductive moves. “You must have grown up in New York, then.”

“Mostly. I was a teenager when my dad died. My mom never liked the city so she took us all back to Illinois afterward.”

“And your big brother still became a firefighter.”

Haley smiled. “Yes.”

“I guess the inspiration was stronger than the warning.”

“You could say that. Or you could say that the acorn never falls far from the tree.”

“Your dad would have?”

“Yes.”

Damon’s hands worked over her with much less pressure, back to the lightest level of stroking, and Haley knew it was now or never. When his hands were just above her waist, she abruptly rolled over to her back. Damon froze, but his right hand still ended up cupping her left breast. The nipple tightened, right on cue, and his gaze flicked to it, then back to her mouth and to her eyes.

He didn’t seem to know what to do.

She knew he would err on the side of being a gentleman.

That was the last thing Haley wanted. She reached for him, sliding her hands up his arms to his shoulders, savoring the hard strength of him.

That was apparently all the invitation he needed. He bent and captured her lips with his, even making a little groan of satisfaction when his mouth locked over hers.