Off Limits Read online

  I smiled back at him, well aware that he was still my potential client, so I shouldn’t be attracted to him. Besides, did I really want to get involved with someone who was a sex addict? That was a big no-no right from the start.

  “Are you usually this charming, or is this only reserved for me?” I smiled at him, flirting back.

  “It’s reserved for special women like you.”

  Yeah, he was definitely a playboy. “Right. So how many women have heard that just this week?”

  “Too many. I’d actually lost count.”

  My smile turned into a giggle. He was charming indeed. “Have you ever been stood up by someone?” I had to ask, finding it difficult to imagine anyone ever doing that to Daniel.

  He scratched his jaw. “Hm, let me see. I think that maybe happened to me in high school.”

  A huge grin broke out on my face. “In high school?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And how old are you now?”

  “Thirty-one.”

  “So the last time you were stood up was more than ten years ago? Nice. I think I should start taking notes on how not to be stood up from you.”

  He responded with his mellifluous laugher, which was just another thing on the long list of things that drew me to him, and it was becoming more difficult for me to ignore this fiery attraction. I wished we’d met under different circumstances so I could take this to a new level.

  Our conversation continued after we got our food and drinks. We clinked our glasses together.

  “To no more failed dates,” he said, and I giggled.

  “To no more failed dates.”

  “Why do you go on Tinder dates anyway?” he asked after he took a sip of his wine. “You’re very attractive. You could easily get anyone you want.”

  Putting my glass back on the table, I returned his steady gaze. I wasn’t sure how much I should reveal to him about my personal life, considering our potential professional relationship and all. Oh, screw it.

  “I don’t have much luck with guys, so finding them online was my last resort.”

  “Why don’t you have much luck with guys?”

  “They’re either cheating douchebags or plain boring.” Or they’re sex addicts, my subconscious added, but I shut down that voice. He was just really attractive, that was all. I didn’t like more than that... Hopefully. “Anyway, my friends have been asking me all the time when I was going to get married, and being single sucked.”

  His eyes never left mine, a mysterious smirk decorating his face. “So you want to get married?”

  “Not really. Right now, all I want is a normal relationship, but it feels like I’m asking for too much.” I let a chuckle out, downplaying my situation. “How about you? How is your dating life?”

  He took another sip of his wine, looking into the distance as if he was musing about something. “Well, you already know about my problem.” His gaze returned to me. “I don’t actually date. It’s all about sex and... And that need to feel something, but it doesn’t work.” He let out a long sigh, his handsome features showing tiredness. “Look, I wanted to apologize.”

  “What for?”

  “For leaving in the middle of the session a few days ago. Actually, I was uncomfortable and I didn’t like sharing my story in front of all those strangers.”

  “It’s okay, Daniel. You don’t have to apologize. That’s understandable, and sometimes things like that happen. Many of my clients reacted the same way at first, it’s normal to feel that way.”

  “But I want to work on that issue.” He glanced at his glass, seemingly deep in thought, but I had the feeling that he wanted to share something with me. I waited patiently for him to continue. “Can I tell you something? It’s confidential—as in from a client to a therapist?”

  I straightened myself up, instantly assuming my work-mode posture. “Of course. Everything you say now will remain with us only.”

  “Here’s the thing. It’s getting more difficult for me to cope with the outcome. I need sex to feel something, but as soon as I’m done, I feel empty. I feel emptier than ever actually.”

  “When did that start?”

  He didn’t respond immediately, looking at his glass again. “Several years ago.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  He wasn’t telling me something, but I didn’t want to pressure him for answers now.

  “I think it would be best for you to continue with therapy. If it’s getting more difficult, it is a sign that you should do something about it as soon as possible. That’s what I’m here for. I can work with you and help you determine the cause. Then we’ll start working on solving it.”

  “Even though I’m not that comfortable talking about my problems in front of the whole group, I’ll try it. Maybe I can come to it a couple of times and just listen to others speak.”

  “That’s a good idea. I also want you to know that there is an alternative. If the group sessions aren’t your thing, you can see me one-on-one. It may be more comfortable and everything that you say will remain confidential.”

  He smirked, clearly satisfied with my suggestion, and a shiver ran down my spine. If Daniel accepted to have one-on-one sessions with me, I would have to forget about the attraction I felt toward him. I didn’t want to complicate things.

  “I didn’t think about that before, but I’ll consider it.”

  I returned his smile, slightly flustered because of the way he looked at me. Calm down, Marissa. He was just a client, remember that. “Great.”

  “I’ll come to the next group session. It’s on Tuesday, right?”

  “Right.”

  We spent the rest of our dinner chatting, switching from one topic to another. I was surprised at how easy it was to talk with him. There was never a moment of uncomfortable silence between us. He owned several construction companies and planned to expand overseas one day. He loved his work, so he spent most of his time in his office or in meetings.

  We shared similar tastes and interests—both of us liked jazz, thrillers, working out, and cooking—and I felt I was starting to connect with him. I had to remind myself a few times not to feel anything because it would lead me to cross a line I never had before.

  When we left the restaurant together, we were both laughing like kids. I realized I didn’t want this—whatever this was—to end, and I wished we could stay together longer. I had more fun with him than I could’ve imagined, and going back to an empty apartment somehow didn’t feel nice at all.

  “Thank you for a lovely dinner, Daniel. I had a great time.”

  His gorgeous smile made my heart speed up. “Don’t mention it, Marissa. I enjoyed our dinner too. Do you have a car, or do you want me to drive you home?”

  I didn’t expect him to offer me a ride back home, and I almost wished I’d come here on foot.

  “I came here by car. Thank you for offering, though.”

  He flashed me another smile. “It’s nothing.”

  He leaned in, and I stilled, unsure if he was actually going to kiss me. His lips connected with my cheek, leaving a long soft kiss that roused me and made me want much more. He smelled so good—a mixture of his cologne and some potent scent that was all his—and it lingered on me even after he stepped back. If only all men smelled as good as he did...

  “Good night, Marissa.”

  I licked my lips, trapped under his incandescent gaze. “Good night, Daniel.”

  “See you soon.”

  “See you.”

  I turned around and walked away, more than aware of his eyes raking over my body, and I had no idea how I was going to stay professional with him. I sensed I was already in trouble.

  Chapter 3

  The rest of the weekend was uneventful, and I spent most of it watching Twilight Zone reruns while pigging out on caramel popcorn. Claire, one of my best friends from college and a stress/anger management therapist in the clinic, always joked about my inability to get fat no matter
how much I ate. I’d always been slim, which was incredible since I enjoyed a good junk food binge now and then.

  All I’d been able to think about was Daniel, and this troubled me a lot. I kept replaying our dinner in the restaurant—grateful to my Tinder date for not appearing at all—thinking about his sexy smile and penetrating eyes... Why did he have to look so good? I was impatient to see him again, constantly thinking about the next time our eyes met.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about him, which was totally unprofessional. Since he was a client of mine, I knew he couldn’t be in a faithful relationship at this time. And even if he recovered from his addiction, he may not want to be monogamous.

  I was looking for love, and anything less than that would be a waste of my time.

  I needed a real partner—I needed someone who would be loyal to me, someone who could commit. Daniel Chisolm was a playboy, and it didn’t seem likely he would change anytime soon. He was the type of man who would burn the sheets with you without even taking your number after everything was said and done. More done than said, but anyway, the point was the same.

  I really knew how to pick ‘em.

  For today’s session, I dressed better than usual, but I refused to admit to myself I did that because of a certain dark-eyed man, who seemed to be an extremely complex puzzle. I curled my long black hair and emphasized my hazel eyes with a slightly darker shade of eyeshadow, which I completed with a black suit that was professional and sexy at the same time.

  Once more, I was the first to arrive for the group session, but I was surprised when I saw Daniel enter the room only a couple of minutes after me. As if following a command, my pulse sped up, my body hyperaware of his presence.

  “Good afternoon,” he greeted me, checking me out, his eyes flashing with approval and lust.

  I swallowed hard, hot under his gaze. “Good afternoon, Daniel. You came earlier today.”

  “I like coming early. It’s a highly valuable trait in my field.”

  “I agree. I always appreciate people who are on time and determined to make things work.”

  “Just like you,” he said, complimenting me, as my stomach fluttered in response.

  “And you.”

  His smile was highly sexy, and I barely managed to tear my gaze from it. “We’re similar in so many ways, Marissa. I think we can have a really good client-therapist relationship.”

  I offered him coffee which he accepted, before we took our seats next to each other. I sipped my coffee, welcoming the warm, rich taste. “Is this your first time seeing a therapist for your issue?”

  “Yep. I was getting more stressed and easily agitated lately, and it was starting to affect my work. That’s when I realized I needed help.”

  “I’m glad that you decided to give it a shot. The first step toward recovery is admitting that you have a problem, but the second one—and more important, in my opinion—is working on solving it. You’re here now, so I think that you’re on the right path.”

  His smile matched mine, and he was about to say something, but one of the clients entered the room, breaking our bubble, and our conversation ceased.

  Soon after, everyone came, and we started a new session. I was glad to witness the improvement of a few clients. However, that couldn’t be said for Mr. R, a man in his fifties, who was my old client, but he’d quit his therapy several times so far.

  Whenever he made even the slightest progress, he would relapse, and the main problem was that he didn’t actually believe he could recover. His wife was the one who pushed him to continue his therapy, but the man himself wasn’t that responsive. He remained silent most of the time, and when I prompted him to share his recent experiences, he barely said more than a couple of words.

  Another unresponsive client was Grace, who had recently divorced her fourth husband after he found her in a threesome with his two best friends. She finally reached for help, but her improvement was rather slow. I noticed the way she looked at Daniel, non-stop ogling him, and something that could only be described as jealousy filled my insides.

  This was bad. This was unprofessional. Daniel was just a client, and he had the right to do whatever he wanted in his free time. The irony was in the fact that Grace had the freedom to have sex with him if she wanted, which couldn’t be said for me. Daniel was untouchable for me, and that very fact increased my anxiety.

  I was more than aware of his nearness next to me, my heart accelerating each time he slightly inclined toward me and I caught a whiff of his cologne. I couldn’t determine if he paid any attention to Grace, but even if he didn’t, I was sure that she would try to get a minute of his time after the session was over.

  Twenty minutes later, my suspicions were confirmed when she stood up and approached Daniel. Planning to eavesdrop on them, I went over to the filing cabinet. I took some documents and fumbled with them, pretending I wasn’t paying attention to them.

  “Hello. I’m Grace.”

  “Hello, Grace. I’m Daniel.”

  “It’s good to see you again. Honestly, I thought you’d definitely quit, but you proved me wrong.” I cringed. These words were definitely not something Daniel would appreciate. Daniel’s lack of response proved this. One of my personal rules was—never peg another client as a coward—which Grace had just broken.

  “I always love seeing new faces,” she continued, not missing a beat.

  I bet you do. I clenched my jaw, fighting against my unjustified feelings. I hadn’t realized I was holding one document so hard that I was crushing it.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to grab a coffee with me sometime?” she asked him, cutting to the chase. “I like making new friends.”

  I held my breath as I waited for his answer, having no clue what it would be.

  “Actually, I’m pretty busy these days. Sorry.”

  Oh. Did he reject her? A huge smile spread across my face, misplaced relief filling me. I shouldn’t feel this way, but I couldn’t help it. I wished I could turn around and see her reaction.

  She was silent, probably taken aback by his unexpected answer, but then she cleared her throat. “Well, then. That’s fine. Don’t overexert yourself, okay?” Her giggles sounded forced, grating on my ears. Well, that was embarrassing, but I had to give it to her. She quickly recovered from his rejection. “See you around.”

  “See you,” he said, disinterested. I let out the breath I’d been holding, forcing myself to stop grinning like crazy.

  “Bye, Marissa.”

  I looked over my shoulder and met her dejected glance. “Bye, Grace. Have a great rest of your week!” She nodded and left the room.

  Daniel and I were now completely alone, which created some unexpected tension in the air. I couldn’t move from my spot, still pretending I was reading the document in my hand carefully. I felt him approaching, which created goosebumps on my skin, and I didn’t dare move.

  “You were listening, right?” he whispered directly into my ear, and I gasped, hot all over.

  I spun around. “Daniel.” He was directly in front of me, only mere inches separating our bodies, and I was met with darkened eyes that made me forget all my rational thoughts...

  “I’m not interested in other addicts. That would only make my situation even more awkward.”

  I didn’t know why he felt the need to explain himself to me, but I had to admit I was beyond curious to know about it.

  “You don’t have to justify yourself to me, Daniel. I wouldn’t judge you if you decided to go for coffee with her.” Liar. I just hoped my face didn’t show my true feelings.

  “But you wouldn’t like it either,” he said so silently that I thought I’d heard him wrong.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, fearing we’d entered forbidden territory.

  “Excuse me?” I had to push him away. I had to stop this before I did something I would regret.

  He didn’t respond to me or move, still cornering me against the cabinet, and I never wanted to touch him more than
I wanted now. My fingers itched to slide over his chiseled jaw and soft lips, and I was seconds away from doing just that. His eyes fell on my lips. Was he going to kiss me? Somehow I knew that if he did that, I wouldn’t even stop him.

  However, he didn’t kiss me. He stepped away, to my disappointment, breaking the tension that held us together. His face was unreadable as he studied me, and I looked sideways.

  I should get a grip. I was his therapist, and we were close to breaching that invisible line that separated us. I had to resume my position and remind myself that nothing of this nature should happen again.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, but he didn’t look sorry at all. “Forget what I’ve said just now.”

  I made sure my smile was professional and unwavering. “It’s already forgotten.”

  I went to where I’d left my bag on the other side of the room in order to put some distance between us. “Thank you for coming today, Daniel. I hope that today’s session was helpful.” My voice was unusually raspy, and I was sure he noticed that as well.

  “No need to thank me. It’s good that I came. Actually, I felt better today than the previous time.”

  “That’s great. I’m sure that the next time it’ll be even better.”

  “I think so too. So I’ll keep coming. Also, I’d like to schedule our first one-on-one session. I thought about it, and it would be a good idea to try it out.”

  “Excellent. Let me look for the available spot in my schedule.” I took my agenda from my bag and checked my availability. “You’re lucky. I have one tomorrow at 4 pm.”

  “Then tomorrow at 4 pm it is.”

  I put his name on my schedule before I headed out. He fell in step with me on our way out of the room. “Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?”

  I stopped, confounded with his invitation. This was definitely something I hadn’t expected. “Didn’t you tell Grace that you were busy?” I asked jokingly, wanting nothing more than to have another dinner with him.