19. Mia
Mia
The fit asshole managed to make me blush. That did not happen often.
“It’s just physical then?” I asked.
I couldn’t crane my neck up to see all of him, although I could move more now than when I first walked in.
This morning was a series of swearing and sweating, but I managed to pull on my floatiest, roomiest dress, slip my feet into a pair of sandals, and pull a bag over my shoulder. I called Lilly and asked her to cover my classes for the day, and only grunted twice as I slid into an Uber.
I was a living example of dumbass-who-hurt-herself-and-couldn’t-afford-to-do-it-again when I shuffled into Chiropractic Care and found out that Theo was the person I’d begged to see over the phone earlier that same morning.
Score one for the universe. I did not see that coming.
And an enjoyable conversation? Didn’t see that coming either.
But then Theo admitted he couldn’t control how he felt around me.
That was definitely score two for the universe.
“I… maybe. I don’t know,” he answered.
He slipped his hand along my arm and laced his fingers in mine. My heart skipped as he gently tugged, encouraging me to walk a few paces for him.
“What does that mean?” I asked, knowing I should’ve just let the conversation die.
“It means that I don’t think I’ve met anyone like you before, and I don’t know how to deal with it.”
Oh no. A thrill shot through me as my stomach fluttered. Heat pooled between my thighs. And I wasn’t wearing underwear.
“You’re… like a walking contradiction.”
“You mean because I’m good with kids but have a dirty mouth?”
He bent to meet my eyes, and his face was lit with humor. I’d never seen him like this. It was beautiful. And unnerving.
“You have this confidence, and it makes you infuriating to be around.”
I smirked at him. “I’ll bet.”
“But you’re also gorgeous, and that’s hard to ignore.”
My stomach swooped, and I pulled back from him to clamp my thighs shut. He noticed.
“Did I push you too hard? Did that hurt?”
“No. This is just a bad time to be wearing what I’m wearing.”
He stepped close and settled his hands on my shoulders. God, they were so big. The heat from his touch was almost unbearable.
“Why?”
“I’m not…” Don’t say it Mia, don’t you bloody say it, “wearing underwear right now.”
His pupils dilated, the black blowing out and taking over the blue.
“And why is that a problem?” His voice was low and husky, almost a growl, and it made my stomach leap into my chest.
I hesitated. Our appointment was over; I should pay and leave. I should put ice and heat on my injury at alternate times and book in to see another chiropractor in another office in another building.
But Theo’s hands were sliding down my shoulders, reaching my arms, and stretching the fabric of my dress in a way that made it seem like he wanted to undress me. A sharp ache pulsed between my thighs and I pushed my legs together.
Amusement rumbled in his chest, and he bent to my ear, whispering, “Is it a problem because you’re wet for me?”
If I could’ve jerked away from him and stomped out of his office, I’d like to think I would have. Instead, I stood perfectly still and mumbled a slight, “Maybe,” as he ran his hands down my arms and back up again.
“Fuck… You don’t know how badly I want to take this dress off.”
“Do you say that to all your patients?”
And in an instant, his touch was gone. I turned to watch him back away from me, his hands running through his hair as if they needed something to do.
“I can’t keep doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“This.” He waved his hands between us. “You drive me out of my mind, Mia. And I don’t know what to do about it.”
My pulse skipped, and I gave him a helpless smile. “Me neither.”
He huffed out a laugh, and I watched, transfixed, as his throat bobbed. “I shouldn’t be this fucking fascinated by you, but I am.”
“And that’s bad.”
“You’re my daughter’s teacher, so yes, that’s bad.”
“Then we should stay away from each other, shouldn’t we?”
He looked at me and thrust a hand out, gesturing around his office. “I’ve been trying, but…”
“We keep running into each other.”
His gaze burned into me. “And every time we do, I want to push you against a wall and fuck you so hard that filthy mouth of yours won’t be able to do anything except moan.”
The ache between my thighs was intense. Demanding. I squirmed where I stood and regretted it as a sharp jolt of pain speared my back.
He sighed and shook his head, apologetic. “You’ll need to come in for another treatment. When the pain is gone, you should book in to see Loretta. She works Saturdays, so you should be able to find the time.”
“I’ll find something else.”
“Mia, you only got in today because you were a patient of Gary’s. If you weren’t already in the system, Mario would’ve pushed you to the next available appointment.”
“Which would’ve been?”
“Two months from now. You think another chiropractor in South Bronx isn’t going to be as busy?”
I swore under my breath, and he held up his hands. “I won’t see you personally.”
There was no other way around it. If he made an effort to stay away from me during my appointments, then I had no reason to say no.
I needed immediate care for my back and couldn’t afford to wait another two months to see someone who didn’t know my history. I’d have to do x-rays again, explain my scoliosis and why I wasn’t working on strength and conditioning, or keeping up with my stretches.
The thought of it was exhausting.
“Well… then I guess that’s fine. As long as we don’t see each other anymore.” I let my gaze drop to his erection and swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth. “Do you need to take care of that?”
He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. “Yes. While thinking of you in that dress. With no underwear on. Lying ass-up on this table as I fuck you from behind.”