Running Game(46)

“Bye, Maise,” I hung up the phone quickly before I ended the conversation in privacy with three little words I knew she wasn’t ready to hear.

Soon, though. I was making progress. I’d broken through her shell, got her back into my bed, and in return, she’d managed to climb her way into my heart at the same time.

I’d never felt like such a fucking soft-hearted mushy freak before, and damn, it felt good to care about someone again.

I smiled as I went back to my exercises, allowing my mind to drift back to last night and the sound of my name on her moaning lips. If my knee was hurting, I sure as shit wasn’t feeling it. This high was better than anything I’d find in a painkiller…

Tomorrow would be a good day.





30





MAISEY





“Wow, look at you!” I said, after Jesse opened the door to his penthouse. “You’re barely limping.”

“Well, I’d like to take all the credit myself, but I can’t. I have this amazing physical therapist who’s a total hard-ass and she’s been giving me the best goddamned workout of my life,” he winked.

“Well, apparently that’s exactly what you needed,” I quipped. He looked great, I had to admit it. His limp was noticeably improved and he wasn’t wincing in pain with every step he took. I didn’t mind taking credit for it at all, but if he hadn’t been working to get better, he wouldn’t have.

“I’m thinking maybe we should move up to two or three treatment sessions a day,” Jesse replied, giving me a sideways smile.

“You sure you can handle that kind of hard work?” I said, laughing. “Seriously though Jesse, we’re not out of the woods yet. This is fun, but we still need to get you back in top shape. You’ll need to get back to the clinic soon.”

“Or maybe I can get them to bring the clinic to me.”

“Do you always get your way?” I asked, teasingly.

“Yes, in fact, I do,” he said, jutting his chin out proudly.

“Lucky you,” I replied, dryly.

“Don’t you?” he asked.

“I don’t really have a lot of things I want, so not getting them doesn’t make much of an impact,” I replied.

“You wanted me, didn’t you?” he asked, pulling me into his arms and brushing his lips against mine. I kissed him back quickly.

“Yes, I did,” I whispered, my skin rippling with goosebumps at his touch. He reached up and spun one of my curls around his fingertip, then let it spring loose before he trailed the tip of his finger over my jaw. I bit my lip, looking up at him, mesmerized by his touch again.

“Do you still want me?” he asked.

“I want you more, now that I’ve had you again,” I replied, my voice thick with emotion.

He kissed me again, harder this time, electric jolts of pleasure rushing through my body. I couldn’t help but kiss back. I’d been thirsty for him since I’d left him. I’d thought about him all day yesterday, my body still buzzing from our lovemaking.

“But,” I said, breaking our kiss and pushing him slightly away from me. “I’m here to work first. If we don’t get serious about your treatment, we’ll be behind and you won’t be ready in September.”

“But I’m already doing better,” he protested, attempting to pull me back into his arms. I spun around, untangling myself from him.

“Better isn’t good enough and you know it,” I said.

“Okay, we can work, if you promise we can play later,” he winked.

“Is that all you think of?” I teased. “Sex?”

“When you’re in front of me, I gotta admit, sex is pretty much all I can think about,” he shrugged. He was so full of charm and swagger, it was hard to resist him. I had my career to think about, and so did he. I wasn’t about to let us throw everything we’d both worked so hard for away because we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other. We weren’t teenagers anymore. We were adults, even if he made me feel eighteen again when he looked at me with those hungry eyes of his.

“Business first,” I said, leaning over and kissing him quickly. “Play later.”

“You’re such a hard-ass,” he said.

“You like it,” I teased. “I’m sure you never have anyone telling you what to do, do you? Surrounded by yes-men like Grady. It’s good for you.”

“If you say so,” he relented.

“I say so. Now, lay on your back and let me torture you a little,” I winked.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he said, laughing as he laid down on the floor.



The next few hours flew by in a flurry of sexual innuendos and screeches of pain. I worked him hard. Maybe a little too hard, but I was trying to make up for time lost between his sheets. By the time we were finished, he was sweaty and weak.