Gabe walked her to the door and opened it. "Eat inside and enjoy the view of the falling rain from a window. Have a good evening."
Stepping through the door, Gemma paused as she smiled up at Gabe. "I will. One of the things I miss about teaching is seeing people like you every semester."
She started to say something more, but Gabe interjected. "Good times, for sure.
I'll catch up with you one of these days."
"You do that, Gabe." She waved at Cassie and Becki and left.
"Well, I need to go," Becki said, reaching under the counter for her purse. "I made a hair appointment, and with the traffic being slowed by the rain, I better run."
"Oh, okay, see you tomorrow," Cassie told her, alert to Gabe's presence off to the side. She hadn't responded to his request for an appointment, yet both were conscious she was now alone.
The door jangled and a gust of cold air swept into the room as Becki exited.
Cassie shivered, but not from the cold outside. An awareness of being alone with a man she found sexually attractive flowed through her. She kept her back to him, watching Becki walk away.
"You never answered my question," he softly said from behind her. "Can you work me in for a massage?"
Oh, I would love to work you all over, her traitorous mind taunted her. Surely a man who knew Gemma Rawlings, a sweet, kindly lady, wasn't a rapist. The thought of being alone with him made her pulse race, her nipples tighten, and a moan of desire almost escaped her lips. Her decision made, Cassie locked the door. Taking a deep breath to bolster her nerves, she turned around to face Gabe.
She smiled as she replied, "Sure, I'll do you."
* * * * *
Gabe's heart began to throb, as did other parts of him. Cassie looked sexy as hell leaning against the glass door of Casa de Massage. When she offered to "do" him, he thought she only meant the massage, yet he sensed more. An undercurrent of sexual desire flowed between them.
He glanced at her from head to toe, then finally returned his attention to her face and smiled. "Good. I do appreciate you're taking the time to work me in."
"I'm sure you do." She pushed her body away from the door. "Follow me, and I'll show you where I want you."
Want you. The innuendo sent his lust skyrocketing.
Gabe trailed Cassie, watching her hips sway seductively as they walked down the darkened hallway. The heavy cloud cover outside had muted the lighting in the room.
"Here." She opened a door and ushered him into the same room they'd been in the other day. Cool air hit Gabe, and he suspected he'd probably freeze his balls off once he shucked his clothes.
He bet it wouldn't take long for Cassie to warm him up.
"I'll give you a moment while I make sure everything is secure. That'll give you time to get out of your clothes." She motioned to the towel-clad table that was the center of the room. "I hope you enjoy your massage."
The smile in her eyes contained a sensuous flame, and his groin began to burn as the throbbing increased. Suddenly he didn't know whether he wanted to be down to the thin barrier of his briefs in front of her. While he lusted after her, he had to remind himself he was on business, even if the job was an undercover assignment.
"I'll be back," she said, before turning around and exiting the room.
Gabe watched her leave, his mind swirling with mixed emotions. He wanted to prove Cassie ran a legitimate business that provided nothing more than massages. He didn't buy the accusations of impropriety. After discussing the case with their bosses, they agreed Gabe would be the one to make contact. Both Chaz and he had ruled out wiring him, as it'd be impossible to place the wires on Gabe in a secure way. Instead, he planned to play things cool and find out if she propositioned him beyond the massage services. He hadn't banked on his desire for Cassie to burn out of control once again.
Climbing onto the table, he sat for a moment, concentrating to get his cock under control. Damn, Cassie was hot, the way her gorgeous body swayed as she walked down the hallway. He'd sworn her tits had tightened as she looked at him a few minutes ago.
But what really turned him on was the way she blew hot and cold. Her behavior left him hotter than an out of control forest fire. He always liked to be the guy chasing the girl, and she certainly didn't make it easy for him.
However, if he didn't get his libido under control, he might ruin the investigation and send it up in smoke.
Gabe started to sit up, the towel over his groin, but paused as the door opened.
His gaze met hers as she stood at the entryway. The darkened hallway behind her contrasted sharply with the muted light in the room, silhouetting her body, making her appear almost ethereal and innocent.
Somehow, he didn't think Cassie was an innocent in the act of sex. .
She licked her lips, making him conscious for the first time that she appeared nervous. Up until now, she'd been very much in control of herself. Now, he wasn't sure.
The door clicked behind her. Instead of coming over to him, she turned around to face the counter. "You'll need to turn over onto your stomach." Her voice sounded hoarse in the quiet room.
Gabe stretched his long legs and eased down onto his back. "Maybe I want us to take up where we left off last time."
Her back stiffened. He'd hit a nerve. Slowly, she turned to face him. Dark eyes flared with an unfathomable emotion.
"Whatever you wish."
He'd expected anger, but instead a small smile quirked the ends of her mouth.
She'd gotten into the mood of the moment—relaxed and flirty.
Cassie picked up a tube of oil, squirted some onto her hands, and rubbed them together. All the while, her gaze never left his. The throb between his legs grew, the pain burning in intensity.
He shifted, lowering his head to the headrest and closed his eyes. Even without seeing her, he sensed her movements around the room as she circled the table he lay on.
He inhaled the sweet smell of her fragrance.
He nearly jerked off the table when she touched his legs.
"Easy does it," she murmured, her voice sounding husky.
Willing his body not to react, he tried to relax. Her hands felt good on his skin.
They were slippery, yet warm. She rubbed his legs gently at first, then harder. Her light strokes sent the nerve endings in his legs tingling as sparks shot straight up his legs.
Arousal spiked at every touch, even though all she did was harmlessly knead him.
"Have you had massages in the past?" Cassie's soft question startled him. He opened his eyes and turned his head. Her dark brown gaze met his, but she didn't stop her gentle pressure.
Gabe soaked every essence of her presence. The muted light of the room set an erotic mood, as did the touch of her hands on his skin. .
He shook his head. "No, never had one before, but I knew what it entailed." He lowered his head, letting his body relax. "You're good."
"Mmm . . . Thank you," she murmured. The tempo of the music changed, and he recognized the tune as Bolero. The choice surprised him, and he wondered if she'd deliberately programmed the music for their massage. He wasn't sure when she'd had time after they'd entered the room.
"Have you done this"—he groaned as she hit a tight spot—"long?" She seemed good at her job, and he wondered if she'd always been a massage therapist. The reports didn't say much except she'd been in business for a few years.
She shifted away, and he opened one eye to find her squeezing more oil into her hands. She moved back, picking up his arm, before replying to his question.
"I realized when I turned sixteen what I wanted to do. After I graduated from high school, I immediately signed up for the course, graduated, and then worked across town at another spa. A year or two later, I started looking around for a place of my own." She gently rubbed his arm, letting the oil soak into his skin. "I found this property for rent one day, and the owner gave me a good deal. The job took me weeks, but I fixed the place up and opened to a nice crowd."
/> He soaked in her words. Sounded like she'd thought a lot about what she wanted to do before she made the plunge into self-employment. "This isn't exactly a crime-free part of town."
She dug into his shoulder, and he nearly jerked as the pain radiated in his neck.
"You sound like my father. If he had his wishes, I'd be doing massages at a resort in Lincoln City." She shook her head. "No thank you. I love my place here. We've had few problems, but my neighbors are protective of each other. I'm willing to say I'm safer here than I would be elsewhere."
Gabe assessed her words. He couldn't see her at the beck and call of bored socialites as she worked out the kinks of too much lifting of champagne glasses while providing idle chitchat. She appeared at home in this darkened room filled with the smells of incense and scented oils. And her perfume.
Cassie's head lowered as she worked on his elbow, her dark hair falling forward to cover her face. He'd noticed earlier she didn't have her hair in a ponytail. Instead, it was in the same loose fashion he'd first seen her in. He liked the way the strands fell in a dark, silken sheen around her face. He'd wanted to feel the wisps of her hair brushing his chest.
As if she sensed him watching her, Cassie lifted her head and met his gaze. Her strokes softened, and her dark eyes grew darker. With desire.
He had to taste her. "Cassie . . . ." he murmured.
Her lashes dipped, masking the molten passion he'd glimpsed for a moment in her eyes. "I . . . uh . . . think I'll work on your other arm," she said.
He sensed the mood changing rapidly in the room. His cock pulsed back to life.
What had started out as a simple massage was turning into erotic heat rising faster than the sun coming up in the morning.
Gabe thought about getting up, weighing his options, reminding himself she needed to make the moves, not him. If she was guilty, he suspected it wouldn't be too much longer before she came on to him.
Gabe inwardly cursed. He'd let his urges get in the way of his job. He lay back down on the table. What could he report back to his bosses if it turned out he was the one who made the first advance on Cassie? Closing his eyes, he willed his body to stay calm.
The music segued into a soft melody of violins that filled and soothed his mind.
You're on the job, Banks. Albeit undercover and barely covered, he had to keep his wits and do his job.
Soft hands drifted onto his shoulder. Gabe opened his eyes—and met Cassie's startled ones. She lowered her lashes, but not before he spotted the passion in them.
Damn. This was it. He couldn't help himself. She had to be innocent, he told himself. He could no longer resist what his body told him.
He wanted her and would kiss her if it was the last thing he did.
Chapter Seven
Cassie fixed her gaze on Gabe's face as he drew closer, well aware what his intentions were. He was going to kiss her. Part of her told her to back off. But the traitorous part of her body wanted him with mind-tingling desperation.
All during the massage, she hadn't been able to keep her eyes—or hands—off him. His body was hard, smooth, and rock solid in all the places that made her glad she was a woman. When he'd looked at her, she'd fallen into a vortex of uncontrollable desire for him. A man who caused her pulse to race and the spot between her thighs to moisten.
Cassie wanted him. The tightening of her nipples told her so. She tried to tell herself to remember he was a customer. Yes, they'd kissed once before that fateful day they'd met, and he'd touched her body in the most intimate of ways, but she also knew when she finally experienced his passion, she'd likely spiral out of control.
In the back of her mind, she told herself she needed to cling to what little control she still possessed. Her body said otherwise. It wanted him with a passion.
"Cassie . . . I have to taste you."
Her lips parted, yet she couldn't say no. Instead, she licked them.
Gabe lifted his hand, curving it around her neck and pulling her head down.
Their breaths mingled as his mouth touched hers, light at first and then more firmly.
Hot desire licked at the gates to her soul. She wanted more, not just one kiss. She opened her mouth, intent on deepening their contact, but met his hot tongue as he reached out to dampen the edge of her lips.
She jerked in surprise at the erotic touch. But surprise turned to desire as need hummed between them. When he pulled her up and over onto the top of him, she didn't protest. He kicked away the towel, and it slid off his body. She caught a brief glimpse of his jockeys underneath—and the bulge tenting the front of them.
Cassie's hair fell forward, the loose strands framing Gabe's face as she gazed down at him. His hazel eyes speckled gold—with hot, heated desire. Their bodies flush against each other, she savored the hardness underneath her.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, picking up a lock of hair and fingering it gently. "The moment I saw you the other day, I craved you like an addict craves drugs. I can't get enough."
She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation of his hand stroking her hair. "I wanted you, too, even though I recognized it was wrong to kiss someone I didn't know." She opened her eyes. "I'm not in a habit of bedding my clients, Gabe." She took a deep breath, aware she had to let him go in case he didn't want to continue. "I can't promise you anything more than right now, so please, don't ask me."
"I understand." His smile reached his eyes. "Let's forget what happened the other day. We got off on the wrong foot, but trust me when I say I'd pursue you even if I'd met you anywhere else than in my backyard that day."
Her body trembled with need at his words. An urge to touch him hit her. She feathered the tip of her finger across his jaw. He watched her, not moving, yet she caught the sensual gleam in his eyes. His mouth opened, and she slipped a finger inside.
His hand slid down her back, caressing her. She arched into his touch, savoring the hard thrust of him against her skin. Her insides began to thrum, while moisture pooled in the heated flesh between her legs.
With his free hand, he captured her plundering finger, placed it between his lips, and then started suckling the digit. Desire washed over her; all the while his hot gaze never left hers.
Cassie closed her eyes as Gabe drew her finger deeper inside his mouth. A tingling sensation coursed throughout her body. She moaned, leaning her head down to his shoulder before burying her face into his neck. Her heart raced, and she sensed a twinge of excitement as her yearning rose upward.
Gabe stopped suckling her finger, and she nearly cried at the loss. He paused in his caresses. Opening her eyes, she raised her head and stared down at him. Regret tinged his face. Did he now have second thoughts?
Even as she mulled this over, her own doubts rose to the surface. This was wrong. She couldn't have sex with a customer. She pulled her finger out of his mouth and started to shift off him, but when she tried to move, she couldn't.
He held her down, eyes blazing back at her, not letting her go. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"I . . . we . . . need to stop," she told him, her voice almost sounding a whisper.
She craved his touch, the sensation of his mouth on hers. She wanted him in a way she hadn't wanted another man. Ever.
"Why? We are alone, aren't we? And . . . besides . . ." He reached up and kissed her lightly on the lips. "We are consenting adults."
Her lips responded involuntarily to his kiss, while her heart skipped a beat. Her up and down senses sharpened as the realization tore through her like a hurricane slamming land.
"I thought . . . ." She let the words trail off, unsure how he felt at the moment. Did he really want her—or only for the sex?
Whatever he'd been thinking a minute ago had faded from his expression. "I've never had sex on a massage table." His eyes danced as he said the words. "I hope we have enough room."
She grinned and kissed his jaw, the slight scratchiness thrilling her to the core.
"Me either. So. . ." S
he wiggled her hips, pleased when his erection pulsated against her thigh. "I guess we'll both get to experience our first time here."
Surprise crossed his face at the revelation she'd never had sex on her table.
"While that sounds good, I want to enjoy every moment." He glanced toward the door.
"Does anyone have a key? One of your employees wouldn't decide to come back and—"
"No one will interrupt us," she said. "And if one of them came into the office, they'd still have to get past the locked door of this room."
"You're well prepared," he replied, a satisfied expression on his face She shrugged one shoulder. "I don't normally get involved with customers."
"But I'm different?" He paused while he waited for her answer.
"Yes. Because I know it'd get too complicated when it ends, having them as patients."
"Who says it has to end between us?" he murmured, his lips claiming hers again.
As his kisses grew more urgent, Cassie could feel his hand pressing her closer to the hardness of his body. She gasped into his mouth, the white-hot essence of desire flowing through her. She tingled in anticipation, wanting more. Hot, molten lava sent a steady stream throughout her veins, threatening to melt her into a puddle onto the floor.
Her body enjoyed the sensation of his arms around her, the feathery touches as he caressed her buttocks through the material of her jeans. She pushed where they were to the back of her mind—in her patient treatment room at Casa de Massage. Nothing mattered, because she wanted him and would do anything to have him.
Suddenly restless at the lack of skin-to-skin contact, she shifted, trying to get closer. Her hands reached for the bottom of her shirt.
"Hey, babe, hold on," he gasped, stopping her movements. "I don't think we should move around too much or we might roll off the table."
Cassie's eyes flickered opened at the recognition of their surroundings. She groaned, comprehending the tight space and awkward position, despite the enticing swollen bump of his cock pressed against her abdomen. "I can't have you end up hurt."
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