I stood waiting for Callum to show up outside of Enterprise. I’m not sure what possessed me to suggest being in such close proximity to him after I nearly drooled at the very sight of him the day before.
Last night, I pulled my vibrator out of my drawer and used it until I literally passed out from the sheer amount of orgasms I’d given myself. When I’d woken up this morning, said vibrator had fallen to the floor sometime during the night. It was now charging by my bedside in case I need any more assistance trying to remember I didn’t need a man—any man—to give me orgasms.
Hopefully, Callum wouldn’t affect me today like he had yesterday. Maybe yesterday was because I hadn’t been regularly servicing myself.
Scrolling through the messages from my office on my phone, I felt him before I saw him. There was something electric in the air. A charge that had me hyperaware. And then his smell hit me. Yesterday it was light in the air, but today the heady smell of citrus and sandalwood brought my lady bits back to life after being fully exhausted last night.
Closing my eyes, I prepared myself to see him. If my body was already behaving like this from his presence and smell alone, I was in trouble.
“Hey!” he called out in a chastising tone as he grabbed my elbow and pulled me into his strong body when a man came barreling out of the rental place, spewing profanities.
The guy didn’t even look back or say excuse me as he stomped down the street.
“Are you okay, Doc?” His low, deep voice vibrated through me, making me all too aware of our proximity.
“I’m fine. Thanks for saving me.” I took a step back before I lost myself and leaned into him. “Are you ready for today?”
His blue eyes darted to the side before his head barely signaled a shake. “I never thought I’d be in this position.”
“And what position is that?”
“Scared to drive a car because of what my body might do, but I know I have to do this.” He huffed out a sharp breath and then opened the door to the rental car agency, holding it open for me. “Ladies first.”
“Thank you. I know today will be hard, more difficult than you realize, but if you want to drive again, you have to do this. But I promise you that I’ll be here every step of the way.”
“I’m counting on it, Doc.”
Thirty minutes later, we were sitting in front of Enterprise with Callum behind the wheel, and a light sheen of sweat had already coated his handsome face.
Perhaps starting at the rental place wasn’t the best location. I wanted to do some meditation exercises with him that weren’t easily done out in public. Tomorrow I’d make sure to pick a better location.
Callum was handsome—too handsome for his own good—and with my attraction to him, it made my job more than a little difficult.
“Okay, Callum, right now, I want you to take some deep breaths. I’m not going to make you drive this car if you’re uncomfortable doing so. You’re safe with me and in this car.”
He let out a shaky breath. “Right, deep breaths. I sure hope you have better skills than telling me what naturally comes to my body for the amount you’re being paid.”
It was common for patients to lash out, so I let the comment slide. I was damn good at my job, and my price reflected that.
“I can assure you, Mr. Crew, I have more up my sleeve than a few deep breathing exercises, but it’s a process, and you need to calm your mind, and the best first step is to breathe.”
“Fine,” he grumbled, but took a few deep breaths in through his mouth and out through his nose. I noticed his body started to relax a fraction.
“Good, now tell me what you’re feeling. What’s going through your mind?”
“I feel like an idiot, and I don’t think this is going to get me back to racing. Now or ever again.” His fingers tightened on the steering wheel until they were white.
“Callum,” I said in my best calming voice, “This may seem like an inconsequential step, but believe me, you’re doing better than you think. Do you know how long it takes some people to seek help? Some never do, so for you to contact my office right after—”
“Don’t make me out to be something I’m not. I didn’t call you. It was the team. They said you were the best in the city, and if I wanted any chance in racing in the next race, I had to at least attempt therapy.”
“Well, you came, and that’s all that matters,” I countered.
“No, what matters is me getting back out on the track.”
“And we’ll get you there. I’m not sure if it will be by your next race, but don’t give up hope.”
“Hope. It’s such a funny thing. One second you’re flying high, and the next, it’s snatched from you, and you’ll do almost anything to get it back.”
“How do you feel about starting the car and driving a couple of blocks?”
“Like I don’t want to freak out while I’m driving.”
“Okay, that’s normal, but do you want to try? I promise that at any second if you start to feel like you might panic, you can pull over, and I’ll take over from there.”
“God, I feel like a pussy.” He placed the keys in the ignition but didn’t start the car. “I shouldn’t need you to save me.”
I turned to face him fully. “It’s okay to need help every once in a while. There’s nothing weak about that.”
“Maybe not for you, but for me…” He stared straight ahead without finishing his sentence.
“It’s a big deal for you. I understand, and it is for a lot of people. Do you think I like asking my colleagues if they could take my clients this week while I work with you?”
His eyes cut to me before he turned the key and started the car. “I’m guessing not.”
“No, because they’re my patients, and I worry about their wellbeing. I have a few who don’t open up to anyone else but me.”
“Will you worry about me once I leave Spain?” he asked, pulling away from the curb.
I had a feeling it helped if we talked to keep his mind off what was really happening.
“I will until I see you’ve successfully raced,” I admitted.
A car swerved in front of us and then took a sharp right turn. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but I did notice more sweat on his forehead immediately after.
“Are you okay?”
“To tell you the truth, no. I know that I have better reflexes than most, and we wouldn’t have hit that car, but for a split second, I was brought back to the wreck and smoke.”
“But you’re not there, Callum. Take a deep breath and look at what’s around you. Look at the blue sky and the buildings we’re passing. You’re safe. You’re here in the car with me.”
When I saw what I was saying was working, I kept talking. He drove around for thirty minutes before he pulled over on the side of the road by a hotel and turned off the engine.
Turning in his seat, he looked to me with a stunned look on his handsome face. “How did that work?”
“Because you let it work.”
“When you started talking, I tuned into you. I took in my surroundings, and almost all of my symptoms faded away. They were still there, but manageable with your brand of distraction.”