Page 18 of March 5

"I'm trying to help you. Just go with it." She lowered his leg and shifted behind him. "Now let me lift the other leg."

He grunted. She was unable to get her hand underneath his thigh, and he couldn't lift it any higher in the water.

"Your hip flexors are tight. We need to get them loose." She moved to the side of him and pulled his leg up, applying steady pressure.

All he could do was hold on to the pool noodle and let her contort his body. What she was doing wasn't hurting him, and if it helped, then he'd put up with her touching him.

She let his leg straighten and put her hand on his lower back. "I want to try something. Can you arch your lower back and stick your butt out?"

"What?"

"Arch here and push your stomach forward." She put her hand on his lower back. "Your butt will naturally go out and up."

His whole body stiffened. "I ain't doing that."

"What if it feels good?" She put her other hand on his stomach. "Do it once for me and hold that position."

What she wanted him to do wasn't possible. He'd never stuck his ass out for anyone before. His body refused to move that way.

She rubbed his stomach and placed her other hand on the top of his butt. Damn if she wasn'tshaping him like a lump of putty.

Several seconds later, she smiled. "What's it feel like now?"

"I don't feel anything."

"I'm not a doctor, and I'm not telling you what is wrong, but if I had to bet a hundred dollars, your muscles are so tight, it's misaligning a disc in your vertebra, pinching the sciatic nerve." Her smile grew. "That's a good thing and easier to fix. If we make your muscles stronger, your disc will slide into place, and all the pain will stop."

"How long will that take?"

"A week or two if you let me help you." She let go of him. "I'll come over every morning and again at night."

"You don't need—"

"I want to." She kissed his cheek. "I'd do anything for you. You know that."

He wasn't sure if he could handle having her around that much, touching him all the time. His cock knew how close she was to him.

"Before you do anything, you have to tell your dad what you have planned," he said.

She frowned. "I haven't asked my dad for permission, for anything, since I lived at home."

"Just tell him or you can't come over."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes.

"Skye." He grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. "You're a Havlin member's daughter. I'm a Havlin member. You can't hang out with me without his approval. You know that."

"That's...crazy. I've hung around you my whole life."

"You're not a kid anymore," he reminded her.

"I'm glad you noticed." She linked her fingers in between his fingers. "Iama grown woman who doesn't ask her daddy for permission to do anything anymore."

"Skye." He glared at her.

She'd always had a wild streak. A rebel in her teenage years, she snuck out, ran away, got drunk, and probably more that nobody ever found out about. But now it was his life on the line.

"Fine." She caught her lower lip between her teeth, teasing him. "I'll send him a text tonight and be at your house in the morning."