Page 8 of The VIP Doubles Down

“So it isn’t my animal magnetism that’s been holding your attention.”

She ignored his provocation and kept moving until she was behind his chair. “I’m going to touch your neck now, just to see where the worst tightness is. Is that all right?”

“Go ahead.” Not being able to see her made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.

He heard her rub her hands together and then felt a gentle pressure of warm fingertips walking along the knotted muscles down the back of his neck. Her touch sent a tingle dancing over his skin, and he nearly groaned out loud. It had been too long since he’d been touched with kindness. When she slid her fingers under the neckline of his cashmere sweater to follow the muscle along his shoulder, the sensation flowed straight down to his groin. It was an inappropriate response on his part, he knew, but he didn’t want her to stop.

He swallowed a protest when she withdrew her fingers and smoothed his sweater into place.

“Have you ever had electrical stim before?” she asked.

He could hear the case being snapped open and then the crinkling of paper. “I’ve never had physical therapy of any kind.”

There was a ripping sound before she walked around to stand in front of him. Her cheeks were tinged with pink again, and her ponytail had fallen forward over her shoulder. He had an almost ungovernable impulse to pick up the skein of glistening red waves to see if they felt as smoldering and silky as they appeared.

Allie held up a small, square white pad with a wire dangling from it. “I’m going to place four of these pads on your neck and attach them to this portable electro stim machine.” She showed him a gray box that looked much like a clunky, old-fashioned cell phone. “I’ll start the current very low and ease it up gradually. The moment you feel any discomfort, please tell me. It’s completely safe.”

He nodded without any thought of the stim. He just wanted to feel her fingers on his skin again.

Allie fixed her gaze on her patient and waited. Most people had concerns about what it would feel like. “Do you have any questions about the treatment?”

“No.” He gave her a glinting look from under half-closed eyelids. There was an unsettling flame in his eyes. “You asked me to trust you.”

“And you couldn’t commit to it.” She was sparring with him to delay touching him again. When she’d brushed aside the thick brown hair that curled low on his neck, she’d felt a shock of awareness. The shoulders under the luxuriously soft black sweater were broad and sculpted with muscle. The skin on his nape was satiny, and she wanted to stroke it in ways that had nothing to do with deciding where to position the electrode pads.

What was wrong with her? She’d never reacted to a patient this way before.

He angled his head down so his neck was exposed. “I’m putting my head on the proverbial chopping block. Work your magic before I change my mind.”

She whisked behind the chair and placed the pad on one of the knots she’d felt. As she draped the wire down his neck, she could swear a shudder ran through him. “Are you comfortable?”

“Perfectly. Proceed.” His voice was tight.

She positioned the other three pads and connected them to the stim unit. Checking the settings, she turned it on and watched him for any sign of distress. He sat utterly still, with his head tilted forward.

“Shall I increase the stimulation?” she asked.

“Push it. I can barely feel anything.”

She dialed the current up to a moderate level.

“There’s a slight sense of buzzing,” he said. “Keep going.”

She increased the current.

“More.”

The setting was already in the high range, but she gave it a tiny bit more juice.

“Should it feel like there’s a frenzied herd of ants stampeding around on my neck?”

She chuckled. “That’s about the best description I’ve ever heard of what electrical stim feels like.”

“Iama writer.” His tone was dry. “How long will the stampede last?”

“Fifteen minutes.” She figured that was as long as he would tolerate sitting still, but it was enough time to have some effect on his tight muscles. “You can lean back and relax. The pads will stay in place.”

He lifted his head and slid back in the chair. “Must you hover behind me?”