Bodywork

by Marie Harte

  “I need to move the sheet so I can get to your legs.” Even as she said it she hesitated, waiting for his assent, half hoping he’d insist he didn’t need any more of her time, half wishing he’d tell her to get rid of the sheet and hop on.

  “Go ahead,” he rumbled. “I’m half asleep as it is.”

  Shelby gritted her teeth and moved the sheet. Then she worked on the muscles of his legs, moving over his quadriceps and calves. They were rock hard and incredibly sexy—firm, athletic. Not sexy. Clients were never sexy. Rule number one of massage.

  “Are you a runner?” she couldn’t help but ask.

  “Mmm, hmm. Every day I can.”

  “Your legs are very toned.” She worked a rough section of his quads. Smoothing over the fascia, the connective tissue covering the muscle, she released a build-up of toxins in his body. He sighed, and she moved down toward his calves, then to his feet.

  He shifted a bit, and she stopped.

  “Does it tickle?”

  He mumbled a yes, and she grinned. Maybe she could torture him by tying him down and tickling his feet, demanding an apology for her ruined coffee. Or better yet, she could tie him up and blindfold him, then have her wicked way with him with none the wiser.

  Oh hell. Her sexual hiatus had come to a crashing halt. For some stupid reason, this jerk had jumped her libido but good. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind all day, and she’d tried. Now, after touching him… She glanced down at her nipples, horrified to see them through her shirt, standing at attention.

  She’d blame her obvious arousal on the air conditioner if she had to. She might be able to ignore that, but the tingling between her legs and her racing pulse? Not so much.

  Why did Mr. Rude have to have the best ass she’d ever not seen, the sexiest legs she’d ever felt, and the smoothest skin she’d ever touched?

  She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, calling on every ounce of professionalism and neutrality she could muster. It really wouldn’t do to have her client catch her ogling his body. She could lose her license for less.

  Shelby opened her eyes and reined in her crazy impulses, determined to give him what he paid for. But she needed him to turn over to finish. Good God, she could all too easily imagine giving him a “happy ending” and turning into the cliché from hell.

  Let it go, woman. Finish the massage, then go find a man.

  “Okay Shane. Now I need you to turn over so I can do your front.” Ignore the innuendo. Ignore the innuendo.

  He visibly tensed, and she held her breath, praying.

  Chapter Three

  Shane couldn’t believe how relaxed he felt, not to mention aroused. Denise hadn’t done one thing inappropriate or unseemly, yet the minute she’d walked back into the room he’d felt the nerve endings in his body shift to focus between his legs. His cock might well have been made of iron.

  Shit. She wanted him to turn over? He opened his eyes and stared through the open pillow at the floor. God, had he ever been in a more embarrassing position? And his mother knew these people. Christ, he really needed to end this.

  “Uh, that’s okay. I just needed some work on my back. I actually have an appointment I just remembered I need to get to. Don’t worry about the rest. This was great.” Such a lame excuse, but he couldn’t think past the pounding in his cock.

  “If you’re sure.” Denise sounded relieved. Or was that his guilty subconscious talking? “I’ll be outside while you change.”

  The door closed behind her, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. He could only imagine her shock had he turned over and showed her how much liked her work. After a moment of silence, he turned onto his back and stared at the tent over his lap. Definitely time to start dating again.

  He tried to will away his erection and dressed, concentrating on anything nonsexual. His mother, his brother. Denise? The petite brunette with the sensual hands and large blue eyes hadn’t done more than stir a smile from him upon their first meeting. She wasn’t exactly his type. Truth to tell, he ran more toward taller women, like the feisty Amazon he’d run into earlier that morning. Denise had been pleasant and professional. But toward the end, something had changed. He wondered if she’d felt any of what he had, or if he was just pent up from going so long without sex.

  How pathetic that the most action he’d had in months had been at the hands of a massage therapist who’d done nothing but her job. No doubt Mac would laugh his ass off when Shane told him what had happened. The shame of it actually helped calm him down. He felt like a dumbass, but at least he no longer worried about his cock.

  He could too easily imagine his mother sitting nearby while a therapist took care of George’s leg. Nothing sexual about that massage. Now if Mac had recommended the place, Shane might have expected a masseuse who didn’t mind rubbing him anywhere he wanted.

  He shook his head and exited the room for the front desk. There, he took out his credit card and handed it to…

  “You!” He stared in astonishment at the golden-eyed fireball who’d preyed on his mind for the latter half of the day. She stared back at him with a blank look on her face. He was probably the last person she’d expect to see.

  Knowing he’d been in the wrong, he tried to apologize. “About this morning, I—”

  “Will that be cash or charge?” Seeing the credit card, she plucked it from his hand and ran it through her machine. When she glanced up at him, she gave him a bland if pleasant smile…as if she didn’t recognize him. The incident from the morning had been a quick bump, and he now wore a different shirt. But that she might not know him bothered him more than it should have.

  “You’re not going to pay for my shirt, are you?”

  She ignored him and stared at the machine. Her jaw locked as she fiddled with his credit card. Oh yeah, she knew him all right. Apparently she had no intention of forgiving him.

  “Don’t you remember me? You spilled hot coffee all over me,” he reminded her.

  She whipped her head up. “You ran into me, buddy.” It didn’t escape his notice that even annoyed the woman was damn hot. Her voice turned sugary sweet. “But if you’d like to apologize, I’m all ears.”

  He couldn’t stop himself from looking her over when she leaned closer to hand him his card. She had full breasts and a slim waist. The desk hid her legs from view, but he remembered them being long and slender. Just long enough to wrap around his waist while he—

  She cleared her throat, and he realized he’d been staring at her breasts. And those tight, hard nipples.

  With a grin he couldn’t help, he said, “I’d say you’re more than just ears.”

  “God hates me,” she muttered.

  He laughed. She sounded so annoyed yet pitiful at the same time.

  Their gazes met, and a smile curled her lips that she hastily smothered.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  She flushed, and he continued before he alienated her once more. “I admit the accident this morning might have been my fault.”

  “No kidding.”

  “But I’m willing to let bygones be bygones.”

  She ripped the paper off the credit card machine and pushed it and a pen at him. “Fine. Let’s just forget about this morning. Now would you please sign here?”

  “Sure thing.” He signed it and handed it to her. “Where’d Denise go? I wanted to thank her.”

  “Denise had something important she had to take care of.” The woman’s gaze shifted to the paperwork in front of her, dismissing him. “She said she was sorry to have to cut out but it couldn’t wait.”

  Shane wondered what it was about this woman that appealed to him. He’d never been into looks without the whole package. So far in their short acquaintance, she’d been shrewish, though not without good reason. She seemed as if she really didn’t like him, and for some odd reason, that only added to her appeal.

  But Denise with those hands… He wasn’t a man to juggle two women at the same time. Denise had seemed to like him
well enough, so he’d start with her and see where their first date went. Just as soon as he asked her. And if it turned out he’d just imagined their chemistry, he wouldn’t be any worse off than he was now.

  He continued to stare at the woman now glaring daggers at him, bemused at how much he liked looking at her. Odd how her annoyance only made her sexier.

  “Do I even want to know what you’re thinking?” she asked slowly, as if each word in his presence pained her.

  “I doubt it. Have a great night, and maybe I’ll run into you again sometime.”

  “Goodbye.”

  He grinned and left the building. George had dropped his car off at Harmon & Sons earlier in the day, so Shane had his own transportation once more. Thank God. He loved Mac, but the man drove like he owned a Formula One car. Great when Shane was late, but Mac’s jerky steering played hell with his stomach.

  He pulled out of the parking lot and headed home, making plans to contact Denise tomorrow. Dinner, a movie maybe? Hell, it had been eight months since his last steady relationship. He frowned. Did he really want that again? Commitment? Cohabitation? Compromise? He liked his life, well, except for the lack of sex. Maybe his buddy was on to something with his fast and loose attitude. Mac could be an ass, but he didn’t lie to women. He was straight up about not wanting forever, and he seemed to have no problem finding companionship. Shane could go for that. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn’t want a relationship right now, just raw, hot sex.

  Instead of turning toward his house, he drove past Sunnyside and headed for Jameson’s Gym. He hadn’t planned on ruining the therapeutic relief from his massage, but Denise hadn’t made it all that relaxing, at least, not for the lower half of his body. He had a spare set of workout clothes in the trunk. After his rubdown that left him feeling frustrated, a run on the treadmill tonight seemed in order. Plus he’d get a chance to talk to Mac.

  Mac worked for his uncle, biding his time while his body recovered from a blown out knee. Ian Jameson had been threatening to retire ever since Shane had joined the gym two years ago, but the man had yet to step down. Shane wondered if Mac would actually make the move and assume complete control, or if his hard-headed friend would find his own niche and start fresh. With Mac, he never knew.

  Shane arrived at the gym, changed and stretched. Then he hopped on the treadmill and ran for three miles without breaking much of a sweat.

  “Twenty minutes,” a deep voice sounded to his right. A glance showed his muscle-bound buddy studying the treadmill. “Not bad for an old man.”

  “Please.” Shane slowed the machine to a fast walk. “First of all, I’m younger than you are. Second, I could kick your ass in a race even before you tore your knee. Once you heal up, just name the time and place.”

  Mac snorted. “I’m an injured man. Now if you want a real competition, let’s lift some weights.” Shane knew it hadn’t been easy, but Mac had pretty much accepted his medical retirement from the Marine Corps. The bigger man flexed his impressive muscles, and a small gaggle of women by the elliptical machines eyed him like dessert.

  Mac glanced over his shoulder, following Shane’s gaze, and grinned. He waved and received several waves back. Then he turned back to Shane. “Come on, hotshot. You’re done. Let’s hit the office.”

  They left the main gym and walked down the back hall into a tidy room, furnished sparsely and decorated with Marine Corps regalia.

  “Hey man, thanks for the ride this morning.” At Mac’s look, he held up his hands. “I know. That makes four times this month that you’ve saved my ass. Thanks.”

  Mac grunted. “I don’t know how you made it in the Corps. You’ll probably be late to your own funeral.”

  “Probably.” Shane accepted the water bottle Mac threw at him and gulped down the cool contents. “I need some advice.”

  Mac’s gaze sharpened. “It’s that woman from this morning right?”

  “No, but funny you should mention her.” He explained the situation at the massage clinic. “She’s even better looking the second time. That woman really gets to me.”

  “Sounds like Denise got to you. Call her up and see what shakes loose.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I get too involved when it comes to women.” Shane wasn’t surprised to see Mac’s nod. “You on the other hand, are Mr. Love ‘em and Leave ‘em. So what’s the best approach to take to get Denise into bed and then out of it as fast?” Just saying that made him feel like a heel, but he intended to be up front about his needs. If Denise didn’t want the same, she’d be free to say no.

  Mac leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. “Shane, my boy, you’ve come to the right place for advice. The problem with women is that you have to make them hate you to like you.”

  “What?”

  “For some stupid reason, women love a guy who’s a jerk. If you’re too nice they ignore you. Or dump you.” Mac paused to make his point, rubbing in the fact Shane’s ex had done just that, then continued, “But if you pretend you don’t care, act like a dick, they’re on you like a heat rash.”

  “That’s a great image.”

  “Thanks, I try.” Mac grinned.

  “So you’re saying I should go abuse some woman then ignore her, and she’ll be all over me?” Even Mac couldn’t be this obtuse.

  “No, no,” Mac disagreed. “Obviously roughing up women, like you did this morning, only irritates them.”

  “That was an accident.” Shane scowled. “I don’t hurt women, you idiot.”

  Mac ignored him. “What you need to do is find a girl you like. Take Denise for example. You give her a little attention to show that you’re interested, then you back off and watch her flail around trying to get to you. Once she’s hooked, you take her out, you both have fun, and you’re done. Easy.”

  Shane didn’t think Mac’s process had as much to do with getting women as his biceps did. But the man had an impressive track record. Women came at him in droves, and they never seemed unhappy when they parted ways. It was eerie and a little worrisome. Shane had never been good at fucking and flying, as Mac liked to call it. He needed to like his partner to share more.

  Mac warmed up to his topic. “For example, did you see that redhead that was staring at us downstairs? Her name’s Megan. Not long after I started working here, she started making eyes at me. She’s got a great set of tits, a tight ass and nice legs, so I figured, what the hell?”

  “Jesus, Mac. I know we’re guys, but shit. She’s got a brain.” He just didn’t think he could screw a woman based on her measurements alone.

  “As I was saying, Nancy, I complimented her body, strictly from a trainer’s point of view, mind you. I was pleasant. Then I ignored her for a few days. That woman was all over me like white on rice.”

  “This really works for you.” Amazing.

  Mac’s sly grin spoke for him. “Let’s just say that filly gave me one fine ride. My point is that if I’d been complimenting her and taking her out to coffee and dinner and movies, I’d have ended up in some stupid relationship that wouldn’t have worked anyway and messed up a perfectly good friendship. Note she was just waving at me downstairs.”

  “Do you know more than her first name?”

  “I think her last name’s Wade. Maybe Jessup? No, no, it’s Ward.”

  Shane sighed. “You need help.”

  “No, you do. That ‘r’ word women love to throw in your face is nothing but trouble. Look at you. Eight months after that witch left you, you’re still floundering. Pathetic. Seriously, dude.” Mac’s ice-blue eyes glowed with sincerity. “A relationship is the last thing you need right now.”

  “Much as it pains me to admit, I think you’re right.”

  “Of course I am.”

  “Not about all of it, just that I get too attached. I need a fling, but one that’s a little deeper than tits, ass, and an orgasm.”

  “Not sure what your problem is with the holy trin
ity, but okay.” Mac chuckled, and Shane couldn’t help laughing with him.

  “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe a good fuck will relieve some stress.”

  “They say people who have sex regularly live longer. I’ll live to a hundred and ten. At the rate you’re going, I give you maybe two more years.”

  “Ha ha.” Shane drained his water bottle and tossed the empty back to Mac. “So Denise. I’m going to call her. I mean, there was nothing there at first. Totally professional. But then something changed. I swear Mac, that woman’s hands were like honey all over me.”

  Mac sat up. “Oh, so it’s that kind of place, eh? What’s the number?”

  “No, no. For God’s sake, my mother took George there. I’m just saying Denise and I had some sort of chemistry going on. Or maybe I did since she didn’t act like she felt anything.”

  “At least you’re going after this one. Okay, but remember what I said. Sweeten her up then get the hell out of there before you find yourself joining her at some book reading. Next thing you know it’s nonfat lattes or some crap like that.”

  “I can’t wait to see the woman who knocks you on your ass. You’ll be wining and dining her with pleasure. Mocha lattes, chick flicks, and the occasional karaoke, just to please the little woman.”

  Mac groaned.

  “Remember this conversation, Major Macho. And when you need help, come to me.”

  Mac chuckled. “Yeah, right. But you know, you didn’t need to come all the way out here for advice. You should have asked your brother. He’s a great kid. Got a different girl every week and he’s smart enough not to get serious.”

  “Please. We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t get some girl pregnant before graduation. He needs to grow up. And whatever you do, don’t tell him I asked you for advice. He thinks he’s the next Casanova and he’d be hurt to think I didn’t ask for his help.”

  “Not to mention it’s a little embarrassing to have to ask for advice on women at your age, eh?”