Authors: Jennifer Conner
“Can I take a shower first?” he asked, scuffing a bare foot on the tile floor.
She held out a hand. “Why don’t you give me your clothes? That way, I won’t have to worry about you bolting out the door, because you’ll be naked.”
Luci was surprised when he nodded in agreement. That had gone easier than she’d expected. She’d been ready for him to put up a much bigger fight.
He tucked his fingers in the waistband of his pants and then reached for the tab on his fly. Luci’s mouth grew dry in anticipation and he continued to expose an inch at a time. She felt herself growing wet in the heart-pounding anticipation of seeing Devan naked again.
As he pushed the pants and boxers free, Luci relished the sight of his erection rising rigid and stiff against his stomach.
“Oh… my. I’ve never had a naked man in my kitchen before.” Luci sighed watching him bend, retrieve his clothes, and hand her the pants.
He took a step closer and ran his thumb in a gentle caress down her cheek. “I never thought I’d see a woman again looking at me like that,” he whispered hoarsely. “Thank you.”
“Thank you? You’re the one giving me the money shot in my kitchen. I should be the one who’s thankful,” she said, trying to keep her eyes trained on his handsome face.
He kissed her gently on the cheek. His dark brown eyes were filled with need. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to find the shampoo. Maybe you should join me? If you help me find it, I’ll show you that I’m a great latherer.”
“Smart aleck.” Luci laid the pile of clothes on the counter next to her cup, and pointed down the hall. “Shower.”
“Pity to have to waste a good morning erection.” His gaze looked at her breasts and then back up. “Maybe when we get back from your
bone cracker
, you’ll give me points for good behavior.”
She smiled. “If you call him a bone cracker, he’ll deck you. But I’m willing to cut a deal for your cooperation.”
Grabbing his cane, Devan limped naked down the hall toward the bathroom. The skin of his hips was lighter from wearing shorts out in the sun, showcasing his perfect butt cheeks.
Lordy.
All that taught skin stretched over lean muscle.
Luci had to fight her first inclination to rip off her pajamas and jump in the shower with him. But, they had an appointment. Her friend fit Devan into his busy client schedule as a favor to her.
When they got back, she just might consider giving him those points for good behavior.
Chapter Ten
Dev nervously tapped his foot on the floor and picked up a worn
Healthy
Eating
magazine off the waiting room table. He flipped through the pages and wondered why he’d ever let Luci talk him into this.
He’d been to several doctors the past six months. Why did she think seeing a chiropractor would help? They moved bones from one place to the other. He had a damn bullet wound in his leg. This was ridiculous.
Luci tipped her head and smiled in his direction. Dev wanted to kiss her again. Now that they’d made love, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. His mind flashed back to the previous night complete with color images of her straddling his waist.
Dev believed that if he had a hump on his back or wart barnacles, Luci’d still like him for who he was… and not for his body’s image. In LA, that was as rare as people walking instead of driving.
Being an ex-football jock turned playboy LA detective, much of his life had been based on his body. In the past, it was always about how he looked and how others perceived him.
When his past lover told him his body was scarred and deformed, it had deflated much more than his ego. He’d been intimidated to let
any
woman see him naked… until last night.
When Luci showed him the matching scar on her leg, he knew she understood how he felt. It also added to the desire to track down her stepfather and put his head through a wall. Dev would check the system. If he found him, he’d make a visit. He may not be able to arrest him, but he knew how to legally make someone’s life Hell. That was the least the guy deserved.
“Lighten up, detective,” Luci chided. “You look like a little kid who’s gotten in trouble and you’re waiting in the principal’s office.” She reached over and took his hand, squeezing her fingers around his.
Dev stroked a thumb over the back of her hand. His fingers twitched from the feel of her skin and he pulled in an unsteady breath. Tossing the magazine back on the table, he crossed his legs at the ankles.
The door to the exam room opened and the doctor strode out, patting the patient he followed on the shoulder. The doctor was a tall man with curly blond hair and a wide smile.
“Have Bonnie make you a follow-up appointment. I’ll see you in a week.” The doctor waited until Luci stood to give her a hug. “It’s been too long. How are your classes this quarter?”
“I’m actually working on patients. It’s very exciting. Doctor Bob, this is my friend, Devan Burke. Devan, would you like me to go in with you, or should I stay out here?”
“I’d like you to be there,” he said, uneasy. Dev waited until she stepped in front of him and followed her into the exam room.
Doctor Bob flipped open a file and took a pen from a cup on the shelf. “So Devan, tell me about yourself.”
“I’m twenty-nine, a detective with the LAPD, and I’ve never been to a chiropractor.” Dev tried not to frown. “This feels like an AA meeting.”
Smiling, the doctor jotted notes. “And you have an injury you’d like to put in your past and feel better?”
Dev shrugged. “Yeah.” Luci’s gentle gaze helped him relax. “I want to get back on active duty. I can’t until I get rid of this damn cane.”
“No one likes canes. They’re a pain in the ass, aren’t they?” The doctor’s blunt words surprised him. “Stand up and turn around.” The doctor walked behind him. “Stand as straight as you can.”
Dev pushed himself to his full height. Pain snapped down his leg, and he winced. “That’s as good as it gets.”
“Luci told me you were shot in a robbery.”
Devan flipped a steely glance at Luci and nodded.
“You were shot in the thigh. There wasn’t any bone damage, mainly muscle, but that’s healed?”
“That’s what they told me at the clinic the last time I was there.” Dev grasped his cane back in the palm of his hand.
Dr. Bob ran a hand through his hair. “Do you remember the actual shooting?”
“I remember.” A muscle tightened in the side of his jaw.
“I don’t need to know all the details; I only want to know about you. Luci said you were shot here?” The doctor pointed to Dev’s leg. “When you fell, did you fall straight back, or did you twist to the side?”
“What does that have to do with—”
Cutting off his question, Dr. Bob continued, “Come on, humor me. Tell me how you fell.”
Visions of the kid in the convenience store flashed through Dev’s memory. The crimson spray of blood across the bright packages on the counter and the roar of the gunshot echoed in his ears. The pain had been unbelievable. Devan thought his leg had been blown off by the bullet’s impact.
“When I saw the robber, I partially turned for cover. When I was hit, the shot twisted my leg around behind me and I fell in a heap.” Devan demonstrated as best he could.
The doctor motioned Dev over to the table. “If you would, please lie face down.”
Devan eyed him, but didn’t move.
Dr. Bob added, “I’m not going to adjust you. Not yet. I just want to check something.”
Dev sighed, propped his cane on the chair, and stretched out on the table.
The doctor tapped Devan’s leg. “Luci, you were right. There is major inequality in his leg length. I’ll take x-rays in a few minutes, but until I see them, I’d say his legs are off by least six millimeters. Good call. No wonder he’s having problems. Devan, you can sit up.”
Dev swiveled, grasping the edge of the table and dropped his legs on the floor.
“Luci told me she thought your hips were out of alignment. Do you have significant lower back pain, or pain in your hip, knee, and leg?”
“All of the above,” Dev said. “I thought the pain was associated with the bullet wound?”
The doctor shook his head, looking down at him. “It’s tied to some of the pain, but not all of it. Even a subtle difference in leg length can be the culprit of many of your symptoms. It will also help when you begin your acupuncture treatments.”
“What acupuncture treatments?” Dev’s brows lowered.
The doctor paused, catching the miscommunication between him and Luci. “I’ll do what
I
can, and I’ll let the two of you duke it out in the parking lot over the rest of your treatment plan. I met Luci after giving a presentation to her class. I have to warn you, Devan, once she makes her mind up about something… you’d better go along with it.”
Devan scoffed and wiggled his foot from side to side. “She got me
here,
didn’t she?”
Doctor Bob laughed. “Let’s get you adjusted, and then the two of you can enjoy the rest of the day. I’ll need for you to lie on your stomach again.”
The doctor pushed gently on his spine, checked his legs side by side, and then pressed again until there was a quiet pop in his lower back and hips.
“How long ago did the incident occur?” the doctor asked, pressing his linked hands down the length of Dev’s spine.
“Six months ago,” he replied.
The entire adjustment was over in minutes. Luci offered her hand to pull him to his feet. Dev straightened his shirt and ran a quick hand through his hair.
“I want you to start exercising.” Dr. Bob jotted notes in the folder. “Do something that works your legs, but doesn’t apply pressure. Walking. Swimming. No jogging. I’m going to write down an address for a place nearby. I want you to buy a heel lift for your shoe. While we’re working on your leg, a lift will help stabilize your pelvis.”
Devan took the slip of paper and pushed it into his pocket.
The doctor shook his hand. “I want to see you back in a few days. You’ve been in pain for six months. Let’s put an end to this as soon as possible.”
****
Luci watched as Devan adjusted the mirror and then pulled his Plymouth into traffic. The sky was clear and the temperature warmer than previously in the week.
She couldn’t see his eyes behind his dark sunglasses and she wondered what he was thinking. He hadn’t said two words since they’d left the chiropractor’s office. Devan wasn’t a big talker, and his face was usually unreadable, making it difficult to discern what he was thinking .
“Thanks for going through with this,” Luci said. “I know seeing a chiropractor was the last thing you wanted to do on your day off.” She fidgeted with the fringed tie of her belt, and rolled the window halfway down. Placing an arm along the window’s ledge, she breathed in the fresh air.
Rubbing his hand over the leather of the steering wheel, Devan flipped her a smile. “The whole thing wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d pictured in my mind. I like the doctor. He’s a nice guy.”
“The important thing is he’ll be able to work on your leg pain. Sometimes you need to look out of the box for medical answers. That’s why I became interested in Eastern medicine and acupuncture. A few years ago my brother Jon was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident. It left him with pinched nerves in his neck and shoulder. He didn’t have health coverage, but a friend treated him for free with acupuncture. It relieved the pain he’d been in for months.”
“I don’t know.” Devan looked out the side window as a car passed in the outside lane. “I don’t like needles. I haven’t since I was a kid.”
“Did the chiropractic adjustment hurt?” Luci said.
Devan shrugged and shook his head.
“Neither will acupuncture. You’ll see.” Pausing she asked, “Is there anything you have to do this afternoon?”
A wicked grin curved his lips. “Yeah, take a nap, after I’ve kissed and made love to every inch of your body.”
His heated words shot fire through her. She’d had good intentions of spending the day helping Devan seek out the help he needed for his pain. But they finished earlier than expected. Now they had the whole afternoon to kill. It would be a shame to waste such a beautiful day.
“I told Jon I’d have breakfast with him. If I can borrow your cell, I’ll call him and tell him we’ll meet tomorrow instead.” If she didn’t meet Jon for a late breakfast, that left the afternoon and evening free.
Devan rolled his eyes. “Great, the guy already hates me. Now you’re going to ditch having breakfast with him and stay with me?”
“You had a gun pointed at him. He hasn’t had a chance to get to know you. Maybe in the next few days, I can have the two of you over. He’ll like you, when he gets to know you.”
“I’ll leave my gun in the car. If you’re going to make me another home-cooked meal, I’ll be there, even if it means incurring the wrath of your brother. I know he’s a nice guy. We’re both trying to protect you.”
“Two’s always better than one,” she added.
Luci was old enough to know the difference between lust and love. And right now she was definitely in
lust
with Devan. But, lust was all it was. She couldn’t allow it to turn into more than that. If she let someone see into her heart, she’d only get hurt. She’d spent her entire life keeping her emotions in check. The only one who hid his emotions better than she did was Devan.
From things he’d said, he didn’t appear to be a long-term relationship kind of guy. Luci knew Devan wouldn’t intentionally hurt her. Anyway, she had her next few years planned out. First, she’d finish school then start her own practice. There wasn’t time in her schedule for a tall, handsome cop with emotional baggage. But with every additional moment she spent with him, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep that shield around her heart.
Devan tapped a long finger on the steering wheel. “I don’t know what you have planned for the rest of the day, but I’m watching a house for friends who are on vacation. They have a pool. You probably have lots of things you need to do, but I was wondering if you’d like to come along. We could get take-out and make an early evening of it.”
“Can we swing by my place so I can pack a bag?”
The sun was high in the clear blue sky, bumping the mercury over eighty. The heat warmed Luci’s skin as she stretched out on a chaise next to the pool.