One Summer in Santa Fe (7 page)

P
IPER
greeted the next morning with a groan. Every muscle in her body ached. Even her hair seemed to hurt. Glaring at the cheerful sun streaming in through her window, she pulled a spare pillow over her face and contemplated how long she could stay in bed without moving.

The phone rang and solved the problem for her. Moving as little as possible, she reached out for the noisy thing and dragged the receiver under the pillow to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Piper, it’s Taylor. How are you this morning?”

The sound of his deep voice in her ear while she was still in her bed put intimate thoughts in her mind. “I’m okay.”

“Sore?”

“Brutally.” There was no use lying about it, he’d know the truth anyway.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a problem, Taylor. Just need to get moving, loosen up my muscles, and I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and maybe some hemlock would help. Was it bad form to have wine with breakfast? The problem would be choosing red or white.

“Yes, well. Alex’s cousins invited him over for the day, so I’m by myself and…wanted to make up for yesterday.”

“Taylor, that’s very sweet of you, but there’s no—”

“I mean, we didn’t get to our picnic, so how about brunch on me?”

Now
that
idea appealed greatly. No climbing involved and she didn’t have to cook. “Don’t you want to do something else with your day since Alex is occupied? Jump off a cliff or leap out of a plane or something equally daring?” She didn’t want to intrude in that time if he needed to be by himself. “I don’t want to be a wet blanket on your day.”

He gave a quick laugh. “I had no other plans. Maybe a run in the park again tonight, but that’s all.”

“Then I’ll gladly take you up on the invitation.” She rolled over and stifled a groan.

“Be ready in an hour, and I’ll pick you up.”

After he rang off, Piper threw the covers back and tried to leap from bed, but only managed to crawl pathetically to her feet with a groan. Half a piece of toast, some ibuprofen, and a shower saw her ready to meet the day.

Taylor arrived, looking handsome and fresh in khaki pants, loafers and a navy polo shirt. With hair still damp from his shower, he smelled like the soap she remembered and her mouth watered. She swallowed, remembering her time in that same place. She really ought to stop thinking of him that way, considering he was just the type of man to put a kink in her heart.

His gaze roamed over her from her red peep-toe heels, smooth bare legs and the linen skirt that fell just below her knees. His bold gaze crawled up over her hips and breasts and she felt her nipples tingle in response. Then his eyes met hers, and he smiled, releasing her from the spell of his thorough inspection.

“Ready?” he asked, and even held out an arm for her.

With a smile, Piper took his arm and allowed him to escort her to the convertible. “Where are we going?” she asked, and buckled in, glad she had pulled her hair into a sleek ponytail.

“There’s a place by the Opera House that serves a great Sunday brunch.” He put the vehicle in gear, and they were off. “All the New Mexican food and Mimosa you can handle.”

“Opera House? I didn’t realize that Santa Fe had one.”

“One of the most unusual in the world. An open stage nestled into the hillside with acoustics like you’ve never heard. World class. You like opera?” he asked, casting her a quick glance. “I wouldn’t have thought.”

“
Some
opera. Some makes my eyes go crossed and my ears want to crawl inside my head.”

Taylor laughed. “Mine, too.”

“I guess it’s like art. I know what I like, whether it’s considered good or not.”

“I hear you. Santa Fe is a haven for artists of all kinds. Some I get, some I don’t. You’ll have to check out the Indian Market at the end of August. They have the biggest, best art exhibits from every Indian pueblo and Indian nation of the Southwest. It’s great.”

“Oh, that sounds fabulous. Elizabeth’s birthday is in September, and I can use that as an excuse to get her a present.” She rubbed her hands together. “I love it when I can rationalize like that. I also send my aunt Ida a gift from every assignment I go to. Keeps her in the loop that way.”

“Indian Market only comes once a year, so you do have to go while it’s here.” Though he’d lived here for years, he’d only managed to take in half of what the city’s culture had to offer. It was shameful not to take
advantage of it. Perhaps walking through the city would be better than flying over it sometimes.

“Good to know, thanks. By the way, here’s your shirt back.” She pulled it out from her purse and placed it on the seat beside her. “Thanks for letting me use it.”

“Anytime.”

A short time later they were seated in a one-story adobe restaurant that offered an incredible view of the surrounding valley and mountains to the north. Ceiling fans overhead stirred the air just enough, and classical Spanish guitar played quietly on a hidden speaker system around them. If Piper hadn’t seen the cars in the parking lot, she could have believed she’d opened the door to time and been thrown back to the era of the Spanish land barons. At times, atmosphere was everything.

Silence filled the air between them, and Piper’s gaze skittered away from his, the smile she offered a nervous one. Adjusting her position more comfortably in the carved wooden chair, she reached for the salsa and chips on the table.

“Don’t get shy on me,” Taylor said, and reached for her hand.

“Who me? Shy?” Her gaze fluttered away from the intensity of his. She’d been right the first time. He had eyes that saw right through a person, right into their very soul. Right now her soul was transparent.

“Yes, you.” He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Today it’s just you and me.” He lowered her hand, but didn’t release it and tugged once. “When Alex is around you relax, but with just me there’s tension between us.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean for there to be.” She sighed, knowing the tension in her came from trying to resist a raging case of sexual attraction. They were coworkers
and anything between them would be temporary at best. “You make me a little nervous sometimes. I’m sure I’m not the kind of woman you normally spend time with, am I?” Looking up at him, she swallowed. He was so handsome, so confident and masculine. He was a powerful man. She was just someone trying to get through life. He challenged it at every step. Beside him, she felt small and insignificant.

“No, you’re not. I have to admit that. But there’s no reason to limit myself, is there?”

“I guess I just don’t understand what your interest in me is. Aside from being grateful I gave you some suggestions for Alex.” Men of his caliber never noticed her, so having Taylor spend his time and attention on her was an exciting, but puzzling, experience. “I don’t want you to feel indebted to me for that.” Her hand wrapped inside his warmed her fingers, and she wanted to reach out to him, pull his face down to hers, see if his kiss was as enticing as she remembered and not just the heat of the moment.

“It’s not that, although I am very grateful for your help with Alex. There’s something going on between us, isn’t there?” he asked, his face serious, his gaze pinning her to her chair.

“What do you mean?” Playing dumb wasn’t her way, but she didn’t want to make assumptions about Taylor, either. Though she found him wildly attractive, she knew he wasn’t the kind of man who would be into the kind of long-term relationship she now realized she wanted. She’d heard the gossip at the hospital, been warned by a nurse or two to watch it around him, that he was dangerous to a woman’s heart and libido. But the vibes she was getting from him were so compelling, they were very hard to resist. She swallowed, her heart skipped a beat, she couldn’t look away from him.

Without answering, Taylor leaned forward. Cupping a hand around the back of her neck, he drew her forward and pressed his mouth to hers. Surprised, Piper tipped her face up and met his kiss. As if he had read her mind, he leisurely explored her mouth with his lips and tongue, testing, teasing a response from her, and her heart fluttered in reaction. Hot and wild. That’s what Taylor was and that was the reaction going on in her body.

He withdrew, but reached for her hand again. “
That’s
what I mean.”

“I see.” Piper reached for the glass of ice water and took a quick sip, wanting to dump the whole thing over her head to cool off. “I’d have to agree with your assessment, Doctor.”

“Just making sure I wasn’t imagining things.”

“Oh, no.” She raised her brows and blew out a quick breath, grateful when the waitress came and took their orders for brunch. Piper stood, her mouth suddenly dry. “Shall we? I’m ready for that Mimosa about now.”

“Me, too.” Taylor followed her to the brunch tables.

Wanting to make her as comfortable as possible, he drew her into conversation. Work was a safe topic, and he suggested some places of interest for her to see. They relaxed, they touched, and the electricity hummed between them. Plates empty and appetites sated for the moment, Piper leaned back in her chair and sipped her Mimosa. “So, tell me what it’s like to jump out of an airplane.”

“Exhilarating.” Pushing his plate back, Taylor reached for his coffee, seeming to settle into a memory. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced.” He looked at her, considering. “Have you ever ridden a roller-coaster that made your stomach do flips?”

Piper’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, sure. And then I threw up.”

Taylor laughed. “Well, jumping out of an airplane is like that multiplied tenfold.”

Piper pressed a hand to her stomach, not liking the image of that after such a full meal. “I think I’ll stay on the ground. Getting me into an airplane usually requires sedation.”

“For me, every second’s a thrill. One that I’ll never want to give up. I’ll be jumping out of planes when I’m eighty years old.” He shook his head and gave a self-indulgent smile, as if he were chastising himself mentally but knew he could never give it up.

“How long have you been jumping?”

“Had my first jump when I was sixteen. My uncle took me. Been hooked ever since.”

“I know I’ll sound like Alex, but is there anything you don’t do well?” Everything she’d seen so far had been on the mark.

Taylor snorted. “Lots of things, but I try to stay away from them. It interferes with my self-confidence and charm.”

Laughing, Piper stood when Taylor pulled out her chair for her. Stiffness had set in again and a quiet groan escaped her throat.

“Still sore?” he asked, and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Yes. I know it will go away in a few days but, man, it hurts when I move the wrong way sometimes.” Maybe a long soak in the hot tub at her apartment complex would help, followed by an indulgent afternoon nap, including fantasies of Taylor to entertain her.

They left the building and approached Taylor’s car. “Stand still a minute.”

Puzzled, Piper remained still as Taylor moved around behind her. His hands touched her shoulders, and he
pressed his thumbs into the tender space between her shoulder blades on either side of her spine.

Crying out, Piper cringed and pulled away. “I’m sorry, Taylor. Massage normally feels good, but seems I’m too tender right now.”

Stepping away from her, he opened the door for her. “Let’s go to my house, and I’ll do a manipulation on your back. I think you might have something out of place in your spine that won’t resolve on its own.”

“Manipulation?”

“Yes. An adjustment to your spine. I’m also a trained D.O., Doctor of Osteopathy, and we do manipulations, or adjustments, to bring the body back into normal alignment.” He shrugged. “Treating a condition that can be managed by a simple manipulation before resorting to medications is a good first step. It’s a great supplement to the standard medical practice.”

When they returned to Taylor’s house, he led her to the living room. “There’s more room here to maneuver.” Positioning himself behind her, Taylor gave her instructions. “No matter what I do, just relax. If you tense up, I could hurt you, and the point of this is to take that away.”

“Okay. I’m ready.” Piper’s heart raced when Taylor pulled her back to rest against him, his entire body fitting her length. He pressed her head back against his left shoulder and swayed her back and forth a few times, settling her into position. A shiver of desire tried to overwhelm her, but she resisted. Taylor said to relax, not get tense, but the intimacy of him holding her led her mind to think of other things.

“Now, place your arms across your chest, hands on your shoulders.”

Piper complied, but jumped when Taylor’s arms went around her. Desire sparked between them. “Are you
sure this isn’t just a ploy to get me into your arms?” she asked, her breath wispy, not at all opposed to the therapy, seeing its side benefits, as well.

“No.” His chuckle rumbled through his chest, and Piper felt it in her back. “It’s legit. Now, relax against me again, breathe in and then out all the way, fast. I’m going to lift you up by your arms.”

Needing the deep breath, Piper pulled in as much as she could, then exhaled hard. The instant her breath was out, Taylor encased her arms with his, hugged her tight against him and bent her backward with a small shake. Her back snapped and the crunch reverberated through her. “Ugh,” she said when her feet were back on the floor.

“How does that feel?”

Piper moved a bit to the left, then the right, testing her back. Remarkably, there was little discomfort now. A tweak in her back muscles, but nothing like before, and her surprised gaze flew to Taylor’s face. “Wow. I’m amazed. You have the magic touch, Doctor. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. The other thing you ought to consider is hydrotherapy.” He pushed her hair to the side with one hand and rested a hand on her hip.

“Like a bath or shower?” she asked as her brain immediately recalled in graphic detail her image of him in the shower. Unable to muster the motivation to move away from him, she stayed where she was, leaning against him, liking the stirring of her senses as he held her, the stroke of his hand on her hip, wondering how far she should let this exploration of the senses go. Too much time had passed since she’d allowed a man to hold her. Oh, being around Taylor was going to be so bad for her. One touch and she wanted to toss caution to the wind and reach out for what he offered, even if it was for just one moment in time.