The Deal Maker chapter 5

 The Deal Maker

Chapter 5

For a short moment, as I met Claire's green eyes, a memory surfaced. A woman I once dated, lets call her Charlotte since her case against me is still in the court system. Tall, poised, with the same sharp gaze that held more challenge than submission. She had always teased, always pushed boundaries. And one night, she had pushed just a little too far.

It had started as a game, playful resistance turning into something else. A misstep, a push, a stumble, her ankle giving way beneath her first as she landed hard, the sharp crack of pain cutting through the night when her tibia broke in 3 places.

I remembered the way she clung to me, the weight of her in my arms as I carried her inside. The hours in the emergency room, the slow realization that she was going to be in a leg cast for months with crutches.

Three days later, she sent me a photo, her entire leg immobilized in a pristine white cast, stretching from her toes to her upper thigh. Well, you finally did it, she had written, a smirk in her voice even through text. You wanted to see me in a cast, now you get to pay for it, I know you pushed me down. My lawyer will contact you.

That damn female lawyer...

I didn't even realize it at first. My fingers, wrapped around Claire's delicate ankle, pressing, twisting. The way the bandages shifted under my grip, the slight resistance beneath my touch. Her foot bent awkwardly in my hands, the arch straining unnaturally, her toes flexing as if searching for balance that wasn't there. The soft wrap around her ankle did little to mask the way it angled just a bit too far inward, the tendons beneath my fingertips tightening in protest.

I should have let go. I should have eased my grip.

But instead, I held it there for just a moment longer, mesmerized by the vulnerability of it, the way her injured foot trembled slightly, the bandages pressing into the swelling just beneath the surface. The angle was unnatural.

I didn't register the warning until her voice cut through the haze.

"Sir... please let go of my ankle."

I blinked, snapping out of whatever trance had taken hold of me, my hands still cradling the vulnerable joint. Slowly, I released her, my palms lingering for just a second longer than they should have, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath the layers of compression. I muttered an apology, but Claire only exhaled, adjusting in her seat, rubbing at her lower leg like she was trying to erase the lingering sensation of my hands and possibly broken bones.

I lifted my gaze from her ankle to her face, concerned as I met those piercing green eyes. Claire's lips parted, her lovely chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. A quiet moan escaped her, barely audible but thick with something I couldn't quite name.

"I think..." she murmured, her voice uncertain, laced with the barest hint of pain. "I think my leg or my ankle might be broken, sir."

The words sent a slow pulse through me, heavy and electric. My grip on her ankle loosened slightly, but I could still feel the warmth of her skin through the bandages, the slight tremor of her muscles beneath my fingertips.

"You think so?" My voice came out lower than I intended, my thumb brushing along the curve of her foot, testing.

Claire winced, her breath hitching. "It feels... wrong. Like it's not supposed to be bent that way."

"Let me check it," I murmured, my voice softer now, measured. She hesitated for just a moment, then gave a slow nod, licking her lips. "You need to stay still for me," I said, my tone deeper now, controlled.

I reached for the small metal clip securing the Ace bandage in place, my fingers grazing against the stretched fabric. Claire's green eyes watched me, her lips slightly parted, her breath shallow while her left hand was between her legs.

Slowly, deliberately, I unfastened the clip, letting it slip between my fingers. The bandage wound tightly around her ankle, held onto the curve of her leg, resisting slightly as I caught the first layer between my fingertips.

I started to unravel it, guiding the fabric away from her skin with a careful touch. The soft, textured material glided over my fingers, unwinding in slow, steady loops. With each rotation, more of her leg was revealed, the delicate slope of her ankle, the gentle swell of bruising.

Her calf tensed slightly, as if she wasn't sure whether to relax into my hands or pull away.

"Easy, almost there, I won't hurt you, I promise."

As I reached the final wrap, I let the fabric fall away, exposing her completely. Her ankle lay bare in my hands, flushed, swollen, vulnerable and possibly broken. I let my fingertips hover just above the fracture for a moment, absorbing the sight of her foot resting so delicately in my grip. The natural arch, the faint tremble as she adjusted, the way her toes flexed as if testing their freedom.

I traced a slow path along the side of her ankle, feeling the slight heat radiating from the tender joint.

"Does that hurt?" I asked, pressing lightly.

"Yes... You're... really enjoying this, aren't you?" Claire's voice broke through the haze, teasing yet breathless.

I smirked, my thumb pressing gently against the tender spot just above her arch. "I wouldn't say I'm enjoying it." I let the pressure linger a moment longer before meeting her gaze again.

"So, doctor... what's the verdict?"

"Oh, sweetheart," I murmured, tightening my grip. " You need X Rays but I think you're going to need a lot more than just a few bandages."

I slid my hand beneath Claire's knee, my other arm wrapping around her waist as I helped her up from the chair. She was warm against me, her scent a mix of soft perfume and something more intoxicating, something uniquely her. She sucked in a breath as her bare, injured ankle and foot brushed the floor..

"Easy," I murmured, pulling her closer.

Her body pressed against mine for just a moment before I guided her crutches into her hands. Claire's lips parted slightly as she steadied herself, balancing on her good leg. Her pencil skirt rode just a bit higher as she shifted, the sleek fabric hugging her curves in all the right places.

I leaned in, our lips meeting in a soft, gentle kiss. I could feel the warmth of her breath against my face. She let out a soft sigh as I deepened the kiss, my tongue tracing the seam of her lovely lips. She opened for me, her tongue meeting mine, a soft moan escaping her lips when she put down her injured limb.

She backed up slightly and I slid my hand down her leg, pulling her injured ankle in my hands, feeling the swelling of her possibly broken ankle and leg against my fingers. She was soft and warm, her body fitting perfectly against mine. I could feel her heart racing, could feel her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. I lifted her injured limb even higher, I kissed her ankle, trailing my lips along her foot, ankle and lower leg, hearing her moan.

She let out a soft whimper when I lovingly and slowly twisted her foot, her head falling back. I could see the goosebumps rising on her skin.

"You're so beautiful," I murmured against her toes and foot, my hands running up and down.

"You are so goddamn beautiful broken Claire."

She let out a soft sensual moan while dropping her crutches, her hands gripping my shoulders for support. I could feel the heat between us, and could feel the tension building.

I trailed my lips back up to hers, capturing her in a deep, passionate kiss. I could feel her body melting into mine, and I could feel her desire matching my own.

I slid my hand up to her chest, my thumb brushing against the swell of her breast, against her fully erected nipples. She let out a soft gasp, her eyes wanting more but it was time to go.

She re-positioned her crutches and exhaled slowly. "Guess I really can't put any weight on it now."

I smiled, my gaze drifting down to her exposed, vulnerable foot, swollen ankle, delicate, and now free of its bandages.

"No, you can't," I said, my voice laced with something deeper. "Let's get you to the hospital."

The Deal Maker
Chapter 6 to come
K