Rude Awakening
Page 6
“It’s okay. Look, I know sex between Brent and I was lackluster, but I did love him. I really did. He was a good man and he loved me, really loved me. Sex is not the most important thing in a marriage, you know.”
Lucas grimaced, wishing she didn’t have to face the truth of what was to come.
Chapter Seven
Just as she predicted, the health club was packed Saturday with mostly beautiful people posing and preening for attention. Jaimee didn’t feel half as frumpy in the new sportswear. The outfit fit perfectly and although she was a little uncomfortable that her big butt wasn’t covered by her usual long T-shirt, she looked pretty good.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” the bouncy blonde at the desk sang. “I’m Deirdre. Can I page a trainer for you?”
Jaimee resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she signed in after Max. “No thanks.”
“So how do we go about scheduling a massage?” Max asked casually.
“That’s no problem, there’s a couple of openings in an hour. I’ll set it up for you,” Deirdre said.
“No, no, that’s not necessary.” Jaimee scowled at Max.
“Oh why not?” Deirdre pouted. “It does wonders for your whole outlook on life.”
Jaimee stared at Deirdre for a second then turned on Max. “I told you I wasn’t getting a massage.”
Max folded her arms over her chest and arched a brow. “Chicken.”
Jaimee frowned. “Quit trying to manipulate me.”
“Quit being a weenie,” Max said matter-of-factly.
“Um…I can assure you that the massage therapists are all professional. Oh here’s Blayne now. Blayne!” Deirdre called.
Jaimee and Max turned to see a muscular man move toward them. White jeans hugged his slim hips and the white T-shirt stretched over his massive chest stood out in stark contrast against his bronze skin. He looked as if he’d baked himself in the tanning bed. His thick chestnut mane of hair was streaked with gold and copper and black and it fell just above his shoulders. Too-full lips tilted at the corners and he had wide aquamarine eyes lined in navy eyeliner. Contacts, had to be. No one had eyes that color.
“Blayne, this is Ms. Turner and Ms. Pruitt. They’re considering a massage this afternoon but Ms. Turner is undecided,” Deirdre said sweetly.
“Oh?” His voice was warm and soothing as he lifted a perfectly plucked brow. He was about the same height as she and moved with grace and style that were at odds with his bulk. Fascinated, Jaimee tilted her head, watched him as he turned the sign-in sheet toward him with one finger. “Jaimee, may I call you Jaimee?”
She nodded, trying not to cross her arms and he moved around her, looking her over as though she were a broodmare he was considering. She almost expected him to check her teeth next.
“You’re very uptight, aren’t you, sweetie?” Blayne asked, sympathy filling his unnaturally colored eyes.
“Well, n—” Jaimee began.
“Listen to me,” he interrupted softly. “I’m a professional, dear. I have the credentials if you would like to see them. And besides that—” he grinned, showing perfectly straight, incredibly white teeth, “—I’m as queer as a football bat. Not that a sensual massage wouldn’t be heavenly, but you just don’t have the equipment I’m interested in. I can give you a list of books that you could share with your man. Oh and there’s a really nice instructional DVD,” he purred.
“I don’t have a man,” Jaimee snapped without thinking. Damn, she was doing a lot of that lately.
Blayne tilted his head with a sigh, his brows furrowed in sympathy. “Tsk. Oh, darling, no wonder you’re tense.” He took her hand between his two. They were oddly cool and soft. “Let me do this for you,” he appealed. “I promise to stop if you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable.”
She opened her mouth to speak but he lifted one short finger, placing it over her lips to silence her. “Deep muscle, twenty minutes in the sauna, followed by a cool shower and herbal spritz. You’ll feel born again.” He sighed dreamily.
Max bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. Jaimee could see the glint of mischief in her eyes. Okay so maybe it wasn’t such a big deal. But, man, it was gonna bite that Max won. She would rub it in too. Oh well.
“All right, fine,” Jaimee ceded, wincing at Max’s smirk of victory as she turned and headed for the machines.
Maxine’s commentary kept her laughing and their twenty minutes on the bikes went by quickly. Max took an aerobics class with the stipulation that Jaimee come drag her ass out if Lucas showed up. A couple of times Jaimee scanned the room for him to no avail. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved he wasn’t there or disappointed. Oh well, she shrugged it off and tried to focus on her workout. An hour later she was finishing the last of the extra ten reps of leg extensions when Max came over and popped her on the thigh with her towel.
“Time for our massage, let’s hit the showers.” Max’s dark eyes sparkled as she looked down at Jaimee. Damn it if the woman wasn’t glowing. Sweat had soaked Jaimee’s workout clothes and plastered strands of hair to her reddened face. Max on the other hand stood tall and straight, her face luminous and smooth. She was willing to bet the woman never had a zit in her life. The burgundy sports bra and matching leggings that barely made it to her hips looked amazing on her. The diamond dangling from the gold ring drew the attention of every male in the room to her navel, her flat stomach and the rest of her well-toned figure.
“Fine. I was done anyway.” Jaimee stood and took the fresh towel Max offered and wiped the sweat from her face. “Let’s go get this over with.”
After a quick shower they left the locker room and turned down the hall toward the treatment rooms. These rooms were lavishly decorated with overstuffed seating in earth tones and large, elegant stone pots overflowing with lush plants. The subtle scent of vanilla and the tinkling of a faux waterfall sitting in the corner filled the perfectly conditioned air. Jaimee’s left eye began to twitch as the pretty, petite receptionist tilted her head and said “Welcome, ladies. My name is Pam. I’m assuming you are Maxine and Jaimee?”
Without waiting for their answer Pam came around the desk and handed Max a thick white terry cloth robe then scanned Jaimee’s body. The sorry little slip of a woman tapped a long manicured nail to her collagen-plumped red lips. Jaimee put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes waiting for the remark. “We’ll have to see if we have some plus-sized robes. Wait right here, I’ll be right back.”
“Bitch,” Max said, scowling after the receptionist.
Jaimee just shook her head. “Ah, just ignore her. Poor thing’s probably hungry.”
Max chuckled. “True.”
Pam returned with a smug lift to her brow, her glossy red lips pursed. “You’re in luck, dear. We had one,” she said, handing her the bundle. “Follow me to your dressing rooms.” She turned and crooked her finger at them.
Max looked at Jaimee and mouthed “bitch” as she followed her, mocking the exaggerated swing of Pam’s bony ass. Jaimee put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
Pam stopped at the door of one opulently decorated dressing room and turned on her heel like a runway model. “Here you are, Jaimee. You can leave your underwear on if you like or you can take them off. It’s entirely up to you and your comfort level.” She gave her the once-over again, her brow lifting slightly. “When you’ve undressed, put on the robe. Blayne will come for you shortly.” Indicating a door down and across the hall from Jaimee’s, Pam lifted her chin. “And your room is right there, Maxine.”
“Okay, look.” Maxine waited until Pam walked away before laying a hand on Jaimee’s shoulder and leveled with her. “It’s gonna be a bitch to give you a decent massage around your bra straps. I guess if you just can’t stand it you can leave your panties on. Best thing to do is just get naked though.”
“Naked?” Shit. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach like crazy.
Maxine grinned as she backed away toward her room. “Come on, James. Do it.
I double dog dare ya.”
Jaimee snorted. “Completely naked?”
Nodding, Max opened her door and nodded. “Completely naked. Blayne has seen it all and then some, babe, and you might as well do this right.”
“Fine,” Jaimee groused as she entered her room. Oh well. Maxine was probably right and Blayne did seem very nice. She doubted very seriously he would make comments about her big ass or her thunder thighs. And besides, she told herself silently, the man’s gay. He wouldn’t care what shape she was in. If anything he would go on and on about how she could go about losing weight and she was very adept at enduring that by now.
Her mother put her on her first diet at seven years old and she’d been off and on one weight loss program after another ever since. About a year before Brent’s death she’d given up on diets altogether. It was insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Working out at the gym had trimmed her down a bit, but she did that because she enjoyed it. The fact that she’d gone down a couple of sizes was just incidental. Though she wasn’t entirely comfortable with her body she didn’t let the fact that she wasn’t thin and gorgeous depress her anymore. To be strong, healthy and energetic was all that mattered to her now.
The sharp knock on the door had her jumping as she sat her athletic shoes on the bench beside her pile of neatly folded clothing. Blayne stuck his head in. “You ready, babe?”
With a sigh Jaimee pulled the soft robe closer together and folded her arms over her breasts. “I suppose.”
Blayne winked at her and waved her to follow. “Come on then.”
Very conscious of the fact that she was completely naked under the robe, she padded after him to the small adjoining room, its design in greens, golds and creams obviously meant to calm and relax the soul. In the center stood the thickly padded massage table. Nearby on a counter sat assorted bottles, towels, sheets and a stereo. “Where’s Max?” Jaimee asked nervously.
“She’s in the other room with Allan.” Blayne motioned with his head toward the far wall. “Here’s what I want you to do. First, step up here and lie down on the table,” he said as he patted the table.
He sighed when she paused. “Do I take off the robe?” she asked finally, a bit snotty.
“No, not yet.” His reply was just as snotty. Then, with a sarcastic smile, he patted the table again.
“Fine.” Jaimee sighed as she stepped up and lay down on her stomach.
“Super, now,” Blayne said as he busily draped the sheet over her body. “Take off the robe and hand it to me. You’re covered now, silly woman.”
Jaimee tugged and wiggled until finally she got the robe from around her and pulled her arms out of the sleeves. With a twist of his wrist and all the elegance of a bullfighter, Blayne impatiently snatched the robe from underneath the sheet and draped it neatly over the bench. “All right, love, now. Rest your pretty face here.” He patted the oval hole at her head.
Surprised at just how comfortable she was, Jaimee settled onto the soft flannel-covered table. She arranged her breasts so that they were more evenly flattened against the thick foam padding as Blayne folded the sheet down just under her shoulders.
“Comfy?”
“Uh huh,” Jaimee replied.
“Okay, be right back, don’t move.”
“I’ll be here.” She took a deep breath then blew it out again. The experience hadn’t been bad so far and Blayne was pretty cool. Already she was feeling more relaxed. Closing her eyes, she moved her arms above her head. Yep, this was pretty nice.
She’d started to drift off when the soft click of the door closing alerted her to Blayne’s return. He moved to the counter and went through the CD selection. “Hey, Blayne, don’t play any of that New Agey instrumental crap, okay?”
It wasn’t really a laugh but she could tell he found humor in what she’d said. Thank goodness, for a moment there she was afraid he might really like New Agey instrumental crap. Instead he put on Tina Turner, the really sexy one she sang with Barry White. Odd. Oh well, she loved Tina Turner and what red-blooded woman didn’t love Barry White’s voice?
Blayne walked closer to her and folded the sheet down to right above her butt. There was clinking of bottles then he began rubbing his hands together so she closed her eyes and waited.
Warm oil-slicked hands pressed lightly at the small of Jaimee’s back on either side of her spine. Firmly they stroked upward to her shoulder blades. She surrendered to the tranquility melting her tense muscles as Blayne’s hands curved around her shoulders and smoothed back down her ribs. His fingertips grazed the rounded sides of her breasts and she sucked in a breath. She shook off the uneasy feeling as his hands moved down, circled right above her hips and moved up her back and over her shoulders.
Again his fingers brushed the sides of her breasts and Jaimee cleared her throat. Blayne paused for a moment then continued. Each pass of his hands over her breasts sent warm sensations feathering through her body. Don’t be such a prude, Jaimee, she told herself. It was just because she’d been neglecting those needs since Brent died. She hadn’t even wanted to touch herself. Well, she’d wanted to, and she had and it only served to remind her of what she didn’t have. She’d tried so hard to close off that part of herself, maybe even before she lost Brent, maybe, just a little.
Blayne hadn’t said a word since he came back. The pamphlet had said that conversation during the massage should be kept to a minimum to allow for relaxation and concentration. Jaimee took a deep breath and slowly let it out again. Concentrate. Okay she could do that. Anything to take her mind off the fact that this man…this gay man…was making her feel things she wasn’t prepared to feel. She wanted to laugh at herself. Stupid to believe that just because the man was gay didn’t mean she wouldn’t become aroused by his touch.
Liquid heat spread through her with every long firm stroke up, around and back down her body. She squeezed her eyes shut as his hands began moving over her body in a circular motion. Steadily, with firm pressure, his hands were very warm, almost hot on her body. They moved up slowly, back down over the slope of her ass, back up. He moved around the table to the other side. Though he lifted his hand from her back to lift the sheet from her legs, fold it and lay it across her butt he kept his hip pressed against hers, never breaking contact.
He poured more oil into his palm and warmed it between his hands. Starting at her ankles he moved up her calves in long firm strokes. Thank God she’d shaved. As his hands moved upward, past the back of her knees, she held her breath. Using the heel of his palm he smoothed his hand up her thigh in long strokes and she held her breath as his hand curved around, his fingers an inch away from her pussy as they smoothed over her inner thigh.
Alarm bells were going off and at the same time her body reacted heatedly, aching for more of his touch. Her nipples ached as they hardened, pressing against the table. Afraid to let Blayne know what was happening to her at his touch, Jaimee bit her lip. She focused on trying to make her body go numb, trying to block out the pleasure that spiraled through her with every stroke.
Up again, his hands were moving up her leg, this time milking her muscles. Jaimee couldn’t contain the moan that escaped her lips as strong oil-slicked hands moved over her body, working up her back over her shoulders and arms Desperately she tried to control her breathing. Strong hands kneaded her flesh, long fingers…those weren’t Blayne’s fingers. Blayne’s fingers were short. These fingers were long…
“Flip over for me, Jaimee.”
Chapter Eight
It took less than a minute for her to realize to whom the dark sexy voice belonged. She held perfectly still, mortified by the flush of heat that infused her, knowing it was Lucas who touched her.
“Get. Out,” she said through clenched teeth. Shaking with anger, her voice was strained as she moved to push herself up from the table.
Possessively, Lucas’s hands moved up her body again, gently pushing her back down.
“Relax,�
�� he demanded, his voice husky.
“Let me up. Now!” she growled. Who the hell did he think he was? Oh she knew who he thought he was. He thought she should be grateful that he put his hands on her without her permission. Hell, worse than that, he had tricked her. “You son of a bitch!” Again she tried to sit up without success.
Lucas continued to knead her muscles. “Hey, hey, hey. You don’t even know my mom.”
“I know she didn’t raise you with any manners or respect or common courtesy for others,” Jaimee snapped.
“Calm down.” The humor she detected in his voice only fueled her fury though she still nearly sighed with pleasure as he began to lightly rake his fingertips down her back
Calm down? Damn him! He had no right to do this to her, to make a fool of her in this way. She lay there with nothing but a sheet over her ass while he got his kicks making fun of her. She wanted to cry but she wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction.
Oh hell no! She reached down to grab the sheet, felt for the edges and pulled it up around her before pushing herself up with determination. He didn’t stop her this time, he just stood behind her watching; probably smirking at her while she fought to cover herself.
“Where’s Blayne?” She jumped down from the table and whirled around to glare at him.
“On a long break I guess,” he answered quietly. To her surprise there was no humor in his eyes. What she saw there she immediately chose to dismiss as her imagination. No way would she back down or look away. She lifted her chin another notch and narrowed her eyes. His warm brown eyes had gone dark and smoldering as they moved over her body. “Your massage isn’t over yet, Jaimee.”
“The hell it isn’t.” She spoke with a little less conviction than she had just moments ago.
“And see, you’ve gotten yourself all worked up and you’ve undone all the work I’d done…for the most part.” The corner of his mouth tilted in a wry smile as his eyes focused on her breasts. It was the soft rasp of the sheet that had them tightening, she struggled to convince herself, not his lazy, sultry perusal of her body, not the hot tingles still flooding her body from the skilled touch of his hands.