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going to make her plan work. What did she have to lose?

Chapter 8
    Russell needed to relax. He’d had a damn hard day at work. His plans for the evening included putting on his running shoes and heading down to the lake to run the frustration out of his system. He was still trying to shake that stale and empty feeling he’d brought upon himself by sleeping with that prospective patient a few days ago. He couldn’t even remember her name, but the hollow sensation had followed him day and night.
    On the bright side, it had challenged him once again to change his life for the better. He was more than willing to do so, if it didn’t require releasing his locked-up emotions and revisiting the hidden pain and grief.
    He was just heading for the front door when the bell rang. He glanced at the clock, wondering who would be visiting him this time of day.
    When he opened the door and saw Allison standing on the other side of the door with a shy smile upon her face, it took him a moment to recover his composure. His heart racing and his groin throbbing, all he could do was to close his dropped jaw and wonder if he was hallucinating.
    She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. He’d been comparing her to his patients, and each and every woman had paled in comparison to Allison’s authentic beauty. She wasn’t self-conscious about her body at all, and he found that refreshing. He loved confidence in women, probably because he saw it so infrequently.
    Finally he was able to speak again.  “Do you want to come in?”
    She nodded with nervous laugh and then reached down and picked up a small suitcase. “Thanks.” Why would she bring her suitcase all the way up here?
    “I didn’t know you had my address,” he said, because he couldn’t think of anything more intelligent to say. Her presence held his brain cells captive.
    He led her towards his living room, unsure what to do next. Where were his manners when he needed them? He stopped and turned, bumping into her. To prevent her from falling, he reached out a hand to catch her shoulder, and the zing that rushed through his body caught him even more off guard. Whoa!
    All thoughts of taking a run to clear his mind fled. There it was again, that unwanted but undeniable thrill of attraction. He struggled against the urge to pull her against his chest and repeat that one night they’d shared together. She wasn’t there to be laid, and even if she were amenable to the suggestion, he wouldn’t do it. Allison deserved more than he’d given her the last time. A lot more. She wasn’t a one-night stand and he wouldn’t cheapen her by putting her in that position again.
    Besides, their families were entwined now and he didn’t want to complicate things for the future. Russell Barkin didn’t do relationships. They were synonymous with grief and sadness, emotions he evaded like the plague.
    A little voice inside his head reminded him that he did have relationships. With Toni. With the Armstrongs. But it almost killed you to see her suffering after your parents died. Emotions make you vulnerable.
    “So…what are you doing here?” he asked her, wincing inwardly at how harsh that had sounded. He expected her to respond but instead, her eyes jumped around the room, until she finally opened her mouth.
    “Could I get a glass of water, please?”
    Russell nodded his head and walked towards the kitchen. While he waited for the glasses to fill, he glanced back at her, puzzled by her obvious nervousness and the lack of words. That was so unlike the Allison he knew. She always wore her heart on her sleeve and it didn’t take long to know exactly what was on her mind. She told anyone, if they asked or not.
    He turned the tap off and pulled the dish of lemons from the fridge. “Lemon?” When she nodded, he dropped the slices of fresh lemon into the glasses and brought one to her.
    “Thanks.” She sipped from the glass and then looked around his apartment. “I like your