Page 121 of The Holiday Clause

“You’re ridiculous.” She stepped behind him, trailing her hands slowly over his broad shoulders and down his spine. “Here?”

He grunted. “Yeah.”

“That’s your QL.”

“My what?”

“Quadratus lumborum. It’s a deep stabilizer that runs from your iliac crest to your lowest ribs.” She traced her fingers along his ribs for a visual. “It’s a common strain for people who do a lot of lifting and rotating, especially if your glutes aren’t firing properly.” She pressed two fingers gently above his hip and he flinched. “Exactly as I suspected.”

He stepped away as if to maintain professional boundaries, but this wasn’t sexual. This time, his reluctance centered more on masculine pride. When he straightened his shoulders despite the obvious pain, his jaw set in stubborn determination.

She rolled her eyes. “You know, I can fix it for you.”

He cleared his throat. “A hot shower should do the trick.”

“It won’t, but if you want to try that and suffer for the next few days in pain, go for it. Just know that when the inflammation gets worse and you start overusing your thoracolumbar fascia, the opposite side’s going to tighten and the pain will likely spiral because you’re overcompensating with other muscles.”

He just stared at her. “How do you know all that?”

She laughed. “I’m more than a pretty face, Grey.” She nudged him toward the building. “Come inside and lie down so I can work it out for you. You’ve been fixing my stuff all day—let me fix this for you.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“You’ve got hypertonicity in the QL and a little compensatory tension in the multifidus.”

“Right.”

“We can try to fix it in one session, but it depends on how long you’ve had the injury. My guess is you’ve been trying to treat it for a while without much long-term relief.”

“Pretty much.”

She clicked her tongue. “Greyson, why wouldn’t you come to me?”

“I don’t know. Massages aren’t my thing.”

“Fifty percent of our clients are men.”

His expression hardened. “You mean River’s clients?”

“Relax.” She laughed. “I’m very professional with all the men who get naked on my table.”

He growled as she took the drill out of his hand and pulled him gently toward the spa. “Come on, big, strong man. I promise I’ll be gentle.”

CHAPTER 18

“Incriminatin’ Claus Marks on Her Back”

“Where is everyone?”Greyson eyed the dim blue halls of The Haven, not used to seeing them so quiet or empty.

“It’s Sunday, so most of our guests check out by eleven, and the new round of residents don’t typically check in until mid-week. Aside from spa appointments, yoga, and morning tea, we don’t have a lot going on at this time.”

For years, he kept his visits public, only allowing himself to see her in broad daylight to keep himself in check. “I guess I’m usually gone by now.”

She looked back at him and smiled. She’d been doing that a lot. And when she wasn’t near him, she was on his mind. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her all day.

One crack in the dam had brought all of his barriers crumbling down. The carefully constructed walls he’d built over the years lay in ruins around his feet, and he found himself both terrified and exhilarated by the exposure.

His gaze drifted back to the doors. “You should lock up if no one else is expected for the day.”