Her teeth caught her bottom lip. It was swollen and red from when she bit it last night, and I was very distracted by that lip for a good long moment.
“If you want I could, um, take a look at it for you.” Her cheeks flushed the most tantalizing pink as she stared down into her mug. “I, uh…I used to go to school for massage therapy.”
My brows shot up. “You’re a massage therapist?” I asked, both impressed and relieved she shared something about herself.
She shifted uncomfortably on her bare feet. “Oh, no. I wasn’t licensed yet, but I finished all my classes and most of my required hours.”
I cocked my head to the side. When I didn’t answer her right away, she continued talking, her words spilling out quickly like they did when she was nervous.
“I mean, it’s not that I don’t know what I’m doing or anything. I promise I won’t hurt you. But I already owe you so much and it would make me happy if I could help you feel better.”
I flattened my lips against a smile. “Okay, then,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure what she was about to do to me. “I guess I’m all yours.”
Her eyes brightened and she grinned. “Good.” A flush still dusted her cheeks as she walked to the dining area and pulled out one of the heavy oak chairs.
“Since I don’t have a table or anything, I think maybe this will be the best option. Sit on it backward and lean against the back.” She patted the chair and then marched toward the kitchen. Immediately, she started rifling through cabinets.
I watched her from the corner of my eye as I approached the chair she’d pulled out for me. Something in her demeanor had changed. She held her shoulders higher as she bounced from cabinet to cabinet.
“Ah, score!” She squealed with delight as she pulled out a jar from one of the upper cabinets. “Coconut oil!”
I scrunched my face at the jar. “That must be Ty’s,” I muttered, swinging a leg over the chair and folding my arms over the back.
Wren came returned and set the jar on the table. “It’s really good for your skin,” she said as she unscrewed the lid. She paused for a moment, and I peered over my shoulder at her. She had that bottom lip sucked between her teeth and was staring at me, brows drawn.
“Umm…” she started, clearing her throat. “This will probably work better if you take your shirt off.”
I lifted the hem of my white tee and jerked it up over my head in a swift, fluid motion. Wren mumbled something low that sounded suspiciously like a curse. “What was that?” I glanced back at her.
She ripped her eyes away from me and focused her attention on the jar of coconut oil as she dipped her fingers inside. “Nothing,” she said, sounding flustered.
I shrugged and turned back around, wincing again at the pain the movement caused.
I heard her rubbing her hands together as she stepped close, the heat from her body radiating against my back. My hands clutched onto my forearms, the muscles in my biceps straining as I tried not to think about how close her body was to mine.
“Try to relax,” she said, her mouth so close to my ear I stifled a shiver. “Now, where’s the pain?”
I gave my head a small shake, letting tension seep from my muscles. It was easier said than done. “Near my left shoulder blade.” My voice sounded rough to my own ears.
Wren placed her fingertips gently against my skin, her touch instantly sending a wave of goose bumps over my flesh.
“Here?” she asked.
Blood pounded in my ears. Damn, what was this girl doing to me? She was barely touching me, and I was almost coming undone.
“A little more toward my spine,” I rasped.
Her fingers slid over slightly. “Here?”
I nodded, trying to keep myself from clenching my muscles.
Wren pressed harder, using her whole palm to massage the muscle. An involuntary groan escaped me as both pain and relief pulsed from the spot.
“Ah.” Wren pressed down yet more firmly on the knot, making me suck in a sharp breath. “I feel it right there. How’s the pressure?”
I nodded. “It’s…good.”
“You’re sure?” She started to rub the spot again, this time with both hands. “I want you to tell me if it’s too much.”