I moved in deeper after each inhale, feeling where her hips dipped and the arch of her back, the muscles in her legs as she stood between mine. I wanted to shred these clothes off her and cover every spot with my tongue. That urge grew, the longer her mouth was on mine.

When she finally separated us, she stayed dangerously close, her wind still passing through me.

“I was so lost …” she whispered. “I never expected to find myself while I was here with you.”

Her admission hit me hard. Something gnawing as strongly as the torture in my spine.

I kissed the back side of her wrist and said, “I want to show you one more thing. Do you mind taking me out onto the balcony?”

“Of course.”

I leaned my head up for one more brush of her lips, and then she grabbed her drink and brought us through the living room and out the sliding glass door.

“Good Lord,” she groaned, stepping up to the banister. “I’ve been admiring this view from inside. Seeing it up close and at night definitely brings it to another level.”

I was holding the back of her thigh, my eyes only on her. “For as long as I can remember, that city out there has represented work—something that’s always come first in my life. I never even took the time to come out here. I was either at the office or traveling, moving so goddamn fast that I didn’t know how to stop.”

Her stare was searching mine.

“I let nothing get in the way, and I let no one in.”

Her hand raked through my hair. “You were just as lost as me.”

“Maybe when I get out of this chair, even if things look different, I can loosen those shackles a bit.”

Her fingers lowered to my face, thumb brushing where she had kissed. “Caleb, this moment couldn’t be more perfect.”

“There will be many more just like it. That’s something I can promise.”

Ten

“How’s my favorite patient this morning?” Whitney asked as she came into my room, wearing a pair of purple scrubs, her hair in a high ponytail, a much different look than last night.

Veronica was at the foot of my bed, supervising my last set of exercises.

“I’m doing great,” I answered.

Whitney’s smile made up for the loose-fitting outfit.

“He’s sore and a little stiffer today,” Veronica told her.

Whitney came around to my side, fixing the pillows that surrounded me. “It’s raining; that could have something to do with it. Fortunately, it’s going to clear up in a few hours.” She watched me lift my leg into the air, and then I straightened my ankle and rolled my foot in a circle before bringing it down to the bed. “How many sets have you done?”

“Three,” Veronica responded. “He did six last night after you left.”