Page 39 of The Recovery Coach
It was a normal, heckling demand.She’d been joking around like that for weeks.It had never filled his stomach with angry bees before.
“You heard me,” she said.“Strip.Unless you plan to shower fully clothed.”She waggled her eyebrows and moved to the sink, tidying the countertop.
“Oh.Yeah.”Panic swelled in his chest again, but he forced himself to breathe through it.
Livy gave him her full attention, and for some reason, his anxiety didn’t make his fucking dick deflate.“Are you okay?”she asked.
He could not—could not—strip in front of her.Then she wouldknow.And she could never find out.Because he’d been very clear about considering her a sister.“I’m fine.”
When she tried to cross that boundary, he rejected her.End of discussion.Then she moved on.Rightfully so.
Her next sentence made it worse.“Why are you being weird?I’ve seen it all before.”
“No, I know,” he said, struggling to find a reason to postpone his hygiene needs.
He stared too long, and Livy sighed and turned away from him.“I won’t look, okay?”she said, exasperated.
“Fine,” he gave in and got naked.When he tried to hobble over to the shower by himself, she whirled around.
“What are you doing?You’re going to hurt yourself again,” she scolded.
He steadied himself with one hand on the side of the shower and the other covering his semi.“I think I can do it.”
“And I think you can’t!”she raised her voice.
She stared pointedly at the ceiling while she held out an arm for him to use as leverage when stepping over the shower ledge.He took the offered help and got settled before pulling the door closed behind him.In hindsight, he could have waited until he sat down to take his underwear off, like he’d done every other time she helped him.Obviously, he wasn’t thinking clearly.
The steaming water helped melt away some of his anxiety, and the distance made it easier to remember his turnoffs.His libido in check, he made quick work of scrubbing himself and shut off the water.She handed him a towel and a clean pair of underwear, avoiding glancing down.
He wished his dick would be as good at ignoring her.
Dressed and settled in bed, Livy tucked his blanket in around him and kissed him on the forehead.
“There,” she said.“If you need anything, actually call me, okay?I don’t want to wake up to you concussed on the bathroom floor again.”
Hazy grimaced and promised not to push himself so hard.
She’d barely closed his bedroom door behind her before he was gripping his cock in hard strokes.He had to get some of the sexual frustration out of the way.If he could satisfy his needs, she would go back to being family in his mind, and he’d never have to think about it again.The intent didn’t stop him from coming to the mental image of her tits in his face and her soft fingers on his jaw.
Hazy had his first post-injury meeting with his trainer a month after his accident.Livy accompanied him.They’d gotten into a routine of sorts.She took care of his surgical wounds and guided him through the bare-bones range of motion physical therapy exercises he’d been advised by the hospital staff to do.She also kept him from sinking too far into self-pity.
He’d been under strict orders to bear no weight on his leg, and he was dying to get mobile.The sooner he could get back on his feet, the sooner he could be chasing the Cup again.If all went well, he’d be walking out of the practice rink.
Robbie did a quick examination.They tested his range of motion.They took X-rays.
“Good news!”Robbie said when the team doctor finished his portion of the exam.
“Yeah?”Hazy asked, a cheesy smile spreading across his face.Giddiness bubbled in his stomach.
“You’re healing faster than we expected.”
Hope surged, and if he could bend his knee, he’d be kicking his feet with glee.“Do you think I’ll be back before the end of the season?”
Robbie sighed.The smile fell from his face.“Not that good of news, I guess.”
Livy asked, “But he’ll be able to bear some weight soon?”She rubbed Hazy’s back in comforting circles.
“Very soon,” Robbie said.He winked at Hazy.“In about two minutes.”
