He grinned, and the air left her lungs in a rush. “You’re Rina’s brother?” she managed to ask.
“I’m Rina’s brother, in the flesh.” His grin grew wider.
Her gaze fell from his smile to the towel tucked in so that it looked about to fall open at the slightest provocation. She had no doubt that what lay beneath that towel was as incredible as the rest of him. She swallowed hard.
He wasn’t Rina’s boyfriend. He was Brianne’s fantasy man. And she was his very own physical therapist, for as long as it took to both convince him to accept her help and bring him to full recovery. Fainting sounded good about now.
“And you’re the surprise gift Rina said she’d leave for me while she was gone.”
“Gone?” He’d mentioned something about a limo earlier, and Brianne’s mouth grew dry.
“To Europe for the summer.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
He shook his head, looking more amused than she’d have liked. More of his earlier words came back to her. “You said she’s gone and I’m the surprise gift?”
“Apparently so.”
“What the hell do you mean I’m a gift?” Anger and betrayal oozed inside her, and seemed destined to grow. “Physical therapy isn’t a gift; it’s a necessity.” And Rina had seemed to understand that.
She’d cared about her injured brother and wanted to speed his recovery despite his reticence, something Brianne could relate to. Her brother Marc had been a frail child, prone to illness and broken bones. Their parents hadn’t appreciated having their extreme fun curtailed, and often had to hire a private physical therapist to rush his recovery.
Brianne had been fascinated by the seemingly magical healing powers the therapists had possessed, prompting her to follow in their footsteps. And though Marc had eventually outgrown his childhood weaknesses, Brianne had never forgotten. Hence her desire to work with kids at the Special Kid Ranch, a place where she could heal children while they remained with their families.
Family. The word brought her back to Rina’s ploy. Fury settled inside Brianne, and she felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. She curled one arm around her waist for support. “Why in the world would she play this kind of game?” Brianne asked aloud, anger simmering.
“Oh, I can venture a guess.”
He gestured back and forth between the two of them, and Brianne slapped her hand against her thigh and whirled around, starting for the door. Then she turned back again, not one to leave without letting her feelings be known. “Let me tell you something. I resent being taken advantage of. I take my job and my skills seriously. I’m not interested in some sort of matchmaking scheme.” At least, that’s what her mind insisted. Her rapidly beating heart begged to differ.
“Knowing Rina, it could very well be a scheme.”
He stepped closer again, so close she felt his body heat.
“I wish you would stop doing that.”
“How else can I prove you wrong?” His hand touched the pulse point in her throat, and she knew he felt it beating rapidly.
“Wrong about what?” she asked.
“You are interested.” His voice dropped a seductive note.
“I’m about as interested as you are in need of therapy.” She wondered briefly if he was involved in his sister’s game, but his shock at seeing her here seemed so real, she dismissed the notion. She might not be able to blame him, but she was furious just the same.
“Then, I guess we have something in common.” He reached for the corner of the towel hanging over his neck.
“What are you doing?”
“Making a point. See this?” Before she could argue or stop him, he lifted the towel high enough to reveal fading bruises across his powerful chest. “It was injured and my mobility’s limited…” he lifted his arm, squinting as he moved, stopping obviously because of pain and an inability to go farther, “which means I am in need of physical therapy. So by your own admission, that means you, Brianne, are most definitely interested. In me.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again, her thoughts reeling, her heart pounding. He’d been injured, and she couldn’t believe how knowing that affected her. She wanted to comfort him. To heal him. To make him all better.
She didn’t want to pull her gaze from the faint bruising on his chest and shoulder, but dropped her eyes only to find herself focused on the towel barely covering his waist. Obviously he was serious, and Brianne forced her mind to the task at hand. She needed the money his sister had offered too much to walk away.
If she saw this job through to the end, she could afford to move west, even if she didn’t get offered a job at the Ranch just yet. Working with Jake posed a challenge, but she’d never been a quitter, not even at the roughest, most exhausting points in her life. So what if she’d been manipulated into this job?
She pushed aside the hurt and anger and even managed to swallow some pride. He hadn’t set her up; his sister had. But the benefits would be all hers in the long run, and that’s all that mattered. She’d continue as planned, take this job, move into this apartment and rehabilitate this man’s shoulder.
Oh Lord, what had she gotten herself into?
JAKE MET HER GAZE. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted. The desire to taste those lips had never been stronger. He didn’t know what shocked him more—his sister’s meddling or the woman she’d handpicked as her parting gift. Amazing that she turned out to be a physical therapist.
No matter what Brianne’s occupation, Jake had no doubt Rina would have found a way to get them together. It just so happened that Brianne was the perfect woman to meet his current needs. And if she kept staring at the towel around his waist with blatant curiosity in her eyes, some of those needs were going to assert themselves, and soon.
He’d already gotten close enough to smell the lingering fragrance of strawberry in her hair. The scent was fresh and clean in a wholesome way, and yet it aroused a need so strong and intense, he’d been blindsided. For a man with a bad marriage and nasty divorce behind him, who stuck to low-maintenance, no-strings, unemotional relationships, his interest in this woman was too much.
He sure as hell hadn’t expected to walk out and find her here. His only consolation was that she was obviously just as surprised and a whole lot shaken up. Jake understood. There was no denying the chemistry between them. But attraction was easy; what sizzled between them was not. Something more was at work here than lust. In her heavy-lidded gaze, Jake saw a depth of emotion that made the pull between them much more than just physical.
He had a hunch she sensed it, too, because in those eyes he’d also seen wariness. He’d thought Brianne—God, how he loved that name—would bolt given the chance. And he ought to let her, Jake thought. Having her here was a distraction he couldn’t afford.
He needed his mind clear for the job at hand. Capturing Ramirez had to take precedence. He owed it to Frank and, more importantly, he owed it to Frank’s family. Jake could barely face
