Page 35 of Better Together

“No problem. I’m guessing that’s why Zeke called me. Can you swing your legs over and I’ll help you up?”

Maggie and Zeke both stayed close as she hobbled to the bathroom.

After Maggie helped her change, Alexis decided it was best to stay in bed.

When Maggie left, Zeke came into her bedroom with a tube of pain-relieving cream. “Turn over. Massage time.”

Usually when Alexis’s back was sore, she’d turn the massaging jets on high and soak in the hot tub until her muscles relaxed. She didn’t know if having Zeke’s strong hands kneading her back would be wise. “Are you sure?”

“Alexis.”

She did need to be back on her feet tomorrow, and her hot tub was out of the question. She’d had a hard enough time making it to her bedroom. “Okay.”

Zeke pulled back the covers as she painfully maneuvered onto her stomach and when she was settled, he lifted her pajama top.

He knew this was a bad idea because he couldn’t help but visualize all the places his hands could roam. “This is going to be cold.” He squirted the ointment onto her lower back and began massaging. He tried to hold it together while she made soft sighing noises. He’d had lower back issues and knew he needed to massage her gluteus medius if she had any chance of working tomorrow.

Alexis tried not to moan, but Zeke’s hands were strong and sensual. With her eyes closed, she pictured his fingers wandering lower and moving more material aside. When he lowered her pajama pants a little, she gasped and moved her hips slightly. Her mind filled with all kinds of sexual fantasies.

“Breathe, Alexis.”

Had she stopped breathing? How could he tell?

His thumbs worked their magic, and she couldn’t help but moan again. If only she could see his face; was he as affected as she was?

“Zeke?”

He stopped massaging, leaving a hand resting gently on her upper back, and bent down. “Am I hurting you?”

“I wish I had been on a date with you tonight.”

Zeke’s hands left her back and righted her pajamas. “I wish I had asked you.”

Alexis eased onto her side, trying to get comfortable. “Can you put a pillow between my knees?”

Zeke reached for a flat throw pillow and inched her knees apart. How could she be in two types of pain at the same time? she thought to herself. Her back and the pain of knowing Zeke’s hands would be soothing in other ways.

Laying a soft kiss on her cheek, Zeke ran his hand down her side and kissed her again on the head. “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight if you need anything.”

“Can you sleep next to me?”

“Are you sure?”

The only thing she wasn’t sure about was whether it was the pain meds making her bold, or his touch. “I’m sure.”

Zeke fell asleep on top of the covers because he didn’t trust himself. When he woke in the middle of the night, a blanket covered his body. He had heard Alexis get up once but didn’t let on he was awake. He watched her closely as she walked into the bathroom. Definitely straighter than hours before. There was still no way she’d be limber enough to help on the jobsite.

At five a.m. the alarm on his watch buzzed. He slid out of bed and stepped out of the house to call his mom. “Hi, Mom. Did I wake you?”

“No, I’m on my second cup of coffee already. Are you calling about Alexis? How is she?”

“Not in any shape to work, but I don’t know if she would agree.”

“What can I do?”

“I hoped you’d come over and stay with her. Keep her from working today. I’m heading to the jobsite in a little while.”

“Say no more. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”