God, his heart was already pumping hard and they hadn’t even begun therapy. Her obvious gratitude temporarily robbed him of speech.
Avery’s particular blend of bluntness and reluctant vulnerability made him want to jump off the table and kiss her. Of course, he did think her brother should be convicted, but watching Bambi—another innocent victim—struggle with the consequences of the accident made his desire for vengeance seem petty.
Suddenly, in spite of his tough talk with Trip, his need to pressure her to be his therapist took a backseat. Maybe he could find another option that wasn’t too inconvenient. “Look, I’m not trying to cause you more trouble. If you can’t legally treat me, or even if you’re too uncomfortable with the idea, I’ll figure something out.”
“You’re full of surprises.” She tilted her head and studied him for several seconds. He held his breath, wondering what she would decide, and whether he inspired any of the same animal attraction in her. “Despite the impression I’ve given so far, I can be professional. I’m assuming even if this butts against the ethics line, the hardship factor of Richard Donner’s absence can probably clear the way as long as you sign whatever waivers or such that need to be signed.”
Thank you, God! “Well okay, A-ver-ee, ’cause I need to get my knee in top shape ASAP. It’s critical I be back on the slopes by November.”
Her expression turned doubtful. “Nine months isn’t ideal. As you well know, skiing is especially demanding on the knees because of constant impact and side-to-side motion. Best practice would be to wait a full year. I’m sure it sounds like forever, but your long-term results will be greatly improved if you’re patient.”
“It’s not negotiable. I’ve got to be ski-ready by next season.” His rough tone appeared to startle her. “My business depends on it. I’ve got no Plan B if this venture fails. I need to know you’re committed to doing everything you can to get me back on the mountain as soon as possible.”
“I’ll do my best, but you need to listen to my advice and your body’s signals. Can you follow my orders?” Her perceptive eyes locked with his for a second before she stepped back. Once he nodded, she continued, “Let’s take one step at a time. First, I’ll complete an evaluation and get some baseline statistics. I’ll give you a home program to do leading up to your surgery. After your procedure, I’ll go over your surgeon’s plans and we’ll work from there.”
“Deal.” Grey followed her to the exam room next door.
She examined the swelling. Her fingers lightly feathered around his knee. “In addition to ice and elevation, you need to begin working on restoring range of motion by doing some simple exercises like heel slides, and quad sets, and such. Flex your quad for me and hold it a few seconds.” When he did, she squeezed the muscle as if testing his strength. “This feels pretty good.”
Pretty goodis right. He nodded while focusing on the slender hands massaging his knee. Holy hell. Watching her touch his body sent his thoughts straight to the gutter.
Totally inappropriate on so many levels. Not that he could control his visceral reaction to her—or even wanted to at this point.
Before he’d arrived, he’d thought having Avery Randall as his therapist would be problematic because of her brother. Now he realized another kind of trouble arose from having Bambi touching his thighs. She’d be a major distraction at a time he couldn’t afford any, yet nothing would persuade him to walk away now.
“So, one thing we can check is quad lag. Do a straight-leg raise for me so I can watch your knee and see if you can hold it without bending.”
Grey repressed a grunt and tried to keep his leg as straight as possible, without success.
She droned on about studies and neuromuscular electrical stimulators for a few minutes, but Grey had stopped listening, opting instead to openly stare at her like some kind of lovesick puppy. He’d seen and dated beautiful women throughout his adult life. He barely knew this girl, yet something about her awakened a part of his heart he’d long ago buried with Juliette.
Perhaps the fact the potential lawsuit, her brother’s criminal charges, and her loyalty to her friend Kelsey killed any chance his fantasies could ever become reality spurred his competitive nature. But really, he suspected it had more to do with her ability to go toe-to-toe without shrinking or playing coy.
She caught him gawking again. His body flushed, hot and needy, when he noticed the artery at the base of her neck throbbing. Maybe he had a chance after all.
Avery replaced his brace, then handed him a set of instructions. “Follow these at home. No more, no less. Don’t overdo it.”
“Got it, Sarge.”
She handed him his crutches, chuckling. “Well, at least that’s better than Bambi.”
“You think?” He winked as he slid off the table and onto the crutches. “I don’t know. I’m partial to Bambi.”
“No one ever taught you to quit while you’re ahead?”
“That’s no fun, A-vree.” He encroached on her personal space.
Her cheeks pinked up, making him wish they were someplace other than her office. Some place dark and private.
Of course, he couldn’t push. Hell, she was concerned about whether or not her brother would end up in jail. Meanwhile, he was preparing to sue the guy. Heck, there were a million reasons why he needed to forget all about her.
But he couldn’t escape his lust-driven urges.
She walked with him to the door. Grey saw Trip parked out front. “See you after my surgery.”
“Yes,” she said, resuming a professional demeanor. “Remember to continue with the ice and elevation.” She opened the door for him and waved good-bye before disappearing.
Trip jumped out of the van and helped Grey. “Please tell me that pretty lady is Avery Randall.”
Grey shot him a warning glance, but Trip merely laughed in his face. “Looks like something good might come out of this mess after all, my friend.”
Doubtful. But for the first time in years, Grey hoped he was wrong.
Avery returned to her office, closed the door, and dropped her head into her hands. Could she have been less professional? She’d been preoccupied all day preparing to face Grey’s anger and judgments. Yet he’d ground her preconceptions into dust with a single word: Bambi.
The silly nickname elicited a flicker of pleasure. He’d used his flirty, easy manner to segregate his connection to Andy and convince her to go along with him.
But most surprisingly, he’d thrown her with his compassion. Now not only was she skirting an ethical violation for the potential conflict of interest, but she was setting herself up for another violation due to her intense physical attraction.
He’d wrecked her nerves for forty-five minutes. Yes, clearly her willpower with men was nearly as weak as her mother’s. Could she endure such bittersweet torment a few times each week? Had she made a monumental mistake? No. She was safe. As long as he remained her patient, she absolutely could not flirt or engage in any kind of romantic relationship.
God, she was exhausted. And her parents were still camped out at her house. The last thing she wanted was to go home and spend the evening in her depressing, tense household, listening to yet another discussion about her brother’s predicament. Not to mention, her father was probably going to have an opinion about her treating Grey, too.
As if she owed her dad an explanation.
Maybe marriage required blind obedience, but Avery wasn’t his wife.
Today she’d agreed to treat Grey despite the obvious pitfalls. The threat of her dad’s worst bullying wouldn’t make her go back on her word. Nor would Grey Lowell’s banter. Avery would prove to herself she was capable of handling both men without crossing lines or crumbling.