“Cool. See you then.”
Just when I think he’ll stay seated next to me and try to flirt and make me blush like always, he walks back to his seat. I guess he did take it to heart when I told him at Carmelo’s that I need to remain professional. Although it warms my heart that he heard me, my body yearns for the man who didn’t accept the barriers I erected. Where did that guy go?
After the plane lands, we go to the hotel, check in, and thankfully I don’t have to stay on the same floor as the players.
I take the elevator down to the players’ floor and find security standing guard at the end of the hall. He nods to me, and I walk down the long hallway to the room Maksim texted me earlier.
With my laptop bag at my side and my hair still up in a semi-messy bun after the flight, I look professional, so there’s no reason anyone should think anything is going on except me counseling one of the players. Still, I’d rather none of them caught me outside Maksim’s door. I knock and no one answers, so I knock again.
Aiden answers the door with the phone at his ear. “I told you to come.”
He signals with his hand to come in, and I step into the room. There are two queen beds, an open suitcase on the chair in the corner, and the suit jacket Maksim was wearing has been thrown on the bed, his shoes at the foot of the bed.
“Paisley just got here. I’ll FaceTime you. Love you.” Aiden hangs up the phone. “Saige says hello.”
I smile. “Tell her hello next time you speak to her.”
He laughs. “That will be in literally five minutes. She used to travel with me, but she had to stay back this time. She’s not happy about it.” He sits on the edge of the bed and puts on his sneakers. “I think she might actually be a little worried.” His smile says he kind of likes the idea of her being jealous. “Hopefully she’ll get used to being with a professional hockey player and not worry all the time.”
“I’m sure she will.” I look around, unsure where to sit.
Aiden laughs. “Maybe you can teach him how to be less of a slob.” He picks up the giant suitcase and dumps it on the floor, waving his hand for me to take a seat. “He’ll be out in a second.”
As he says it, the bathroom door opens. With steam billowing out, Maksim steps out in only a towel as though it’s happening in a dream. A very erotic dream.
“See you two later.”
I blink to get out of my daydream.
Aiden is talking to Maksim, then he turns to me. “See you, Paisley.”
I wave, my vocal cords unable to function. Maksim Petrov is built as though he was carved from granite. My body sighs at the thought of him hovering over me and my fingers itch to know how the ripples of his stomach feel.
“Sorry, but I hate airplanes and I felt like I needed to shower for you.”
“Maybe I should come back.” I stand to leave. This is hardly professional.
“Don’t be silly. I meant to grab my clothes before, I just forgot them.” He comes closer to me.
My breath hitches in my throat when I see droplets of water trickle down his body. My mouth waters, begging me to stick out my tongue and swipe off a few. Just as I think he’s going to corner me in the chair, he bends down, keeping his hand secure on where the sides of the towel come together. He picks up some clothes, then I see his ass in the towel while he walks back to the bathroom.
“I’ll just be a second.” The bathroom door shuts.
My body slides down the chair from all my muscles turning to mush. How will I ever keep this guy in the client category when I’m on the cusp of begging him to make me come every time he’s around? I’m in deeper than I think.
I smile at my reflection in the mirror, dressing in a T-shirt and shorts. She wants me. I saw her dilated eyes and open mouth. But I have to take this slow because she’s not going to just jump my bones. Something tells me Paisley has the willpower of a saint.
Walking out of the bathroom, I compose myself and sit on the bed, leaning my back against the headboard and stretching my legs out in front of me. She crosses her legs and pulls out a pad of paper.
“Ready to get started?” she asks, her thumbs pressing on the screen of her phone.
“Do you need a drink? You sound parched.” How I’m saying this with a straight face, I have no fucking clue because the pink flush to her cheeks makes me want to lean over that chair and kiss the living shit out of her. Take out that messy bun and see those gorgeous curls fan over her shoulders. I cross my legs, adjusting my half chub.
“No. Thank you.” Her voice cracks, but I don’t offer again. I need to play this casual.
“What do you want to know?”
She skeptically glances at me. “Why are you so eager to get started?”
“Because the faster we get through three of these, the faster you’ll be in my bed.”
She inhales a deep breath. “Maksim.”
“Yeah?”
Just when I think she’s going to give me a talking-to, she taps her pen. “What was your childhood like?”
I guess this is therapy. “It was like any other normal life.”
“What about familial pressure? Did you ever feel like you had no option but to play hockey?”
I lick my bottom lip, trying my damnedest to concentrate. “Only pressure I felt was from myself. Sure, my parents wanted me to play, but…” I don’t finish. For some reason, I forgot the bullshit story I was going to tell her.
She jots a few things on the paper. “And no siblings. What’s that like?”
“Do you have any siblings?” I ask.
“We’re not talking about me. Answer the question.”
“I like this stern side of you. Turns me on.” I pat the bed next to me.
She acts as though she didn’t see me. “Let’s stay on task.”
“I liked not having any siblings. I had good friends.” Which is true. Armen was my best friend and a brother to me.
“How is your parents’ marriage?”
I don’t much care for these questions. “What about your parents?”
She places the pad of paper in her lap, the pen following. “I’m not sure this is going to work.”
“What?”
She waves her finger between us. “You can’t keep flirting with me.”
She uncrosses her legs and plants both feet on the floor. Fear courses through me that she’s going to leave the room.
“I’m trying not to, but I want you.”
She closes her eyes and inhales. “We’ve been over this.”
I slide down to the corner of the bed, breaking the distance between us. “Tell me you don’t feel this.”
She shakes her head. “It’s just attraction. Nothing more. We can do these sessions, I’ll sign off, and you can move on.”
“And then you’ll allow me to take you out on a date?” I reach forward, but she squeezes her pad of paper with both hands, making me retract mine.
“No. I still work for the Fury.” She shakes her head and packs up her bag. “We can be friends and that’s all.”
I watch her put the pad of paper in the bag, along with the pen. When she stands, I do too, cornering her. “You’ll never quench the thirst you have for me with someone else. I know I never will.”