Jace had given her everything she needed and some things she had no idea how she was ever going to live without. Like that one thing he did with his tongue…
At first, she felt a twinge of guilt for being unfaithful to Phillip. But if anything, the experience had been refreshingly freeing. What she’d mistaken for security with Phillip was, in all actuality, a state of limbo.
No regrets.
When Violet came out of the bathroom, she found Jace standing in the living room next to the fireplace in all of his lavishly endowed, naked glory. He was so beautiful that she stopped mid-step and stared. He added more wood to the fire and she watched as his muscles bunched beneath his tan skin. His jet-black hair was mussed from his pillow and dark hair sprinkled across his chest. A tan line, from spending summers on the lake, ran beneath his belly button and turned into pale white skin below.
When she looked him over, there was definitely a recurring theme to Jace McQuaid. He was proportionate. Last night things had progressed so quickly that she didn’t get a chance to give him a good once over with her eyes and take him all in. Well, technically she had taken him in. Every splendid inch of him.
Phew! He was proportionate all right. Big body, the right amount of hair in all the right places, broad shoulders, muscular arms, chest and…ahem. His proportionate penis flinched and when her eyes darted up to his face he was grinning.
“See anything you like?” he asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.
She cleared her throat. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
He grinned and scratched his bare chest. “Did you find your phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked, waving a fireplace poker in her direction.
She held back a giggle. “Yep. I have the entire morning to play snow bunny.”
“Are you sure?” he asked cautiously. On second thought, maybe her spending the morning wasn’t such a good idea after all. He gestured again with the poker. “I can call someone to come over and help dig out the driveway.”
“Thank you, but I took care of my appointments. Pats is covering for me.”
On second, er, third thought, spending the entire day with Violet didn’t sound so bad. With the way she was looking at him, maybe—as long as they stuck to their “just sex” policy—just maybe it would be okay. And she did look awfully sexy wearing just a shirt, the hem skirting dangerously high on her thighs.
“Good,” he said finally. “I was just heading in to take a shower.”
“I hope there’s room for two.” She came toward him and ran her palm over his chest.
“I think we can manage,” he said with a smirk.
* * *
It didn’t take Violet long to figure out why Jace had been sarcastic about his shower’s capacity. This was no telephone booth-sized shower. Nope. Jace’s marble shower was the size of Rhode Island, complete with bench seats and multiple shower heads.
“This needs to go,” he said, pointing at her shirt.
She pulled it over her head and tossed it onto the fireplace poker. “There. All gone.”
“That’s better.” He dropped the poker and took her hand.
When the water was the right temperature, Jace pulled her inside the shower. He dipped his head and kissed her. When he pulled back, he ran his tongue over his teeth. “Oooh, minty.”
She nudged him under the water and massaging jets shot out from all angles in a glorious waterfall of bliss.
“Wow. With all this, what do you need me for?” she asked, holding her hand under the pulsating spray. The water trickled down his body and she followed it with her hand, smoothing her palm against his thigh.
He smirked and took her hand in his. “Because, a shower can’t do this,” he said, cupping her hand over his length.
He pushed her back against the tile and rested one foot on the seat. With water massaging them from all sides and his mouth suctioned to her breast, the sensation was incredible.
Violet returned the favor and kissed her way down his chest, abs and hips. Then she looked up at him, smiled a wicked, wicked smile and then sank to her knees.
* * *
As soon as the sun touched the snow on the pavement, it melted quickly until the only evidence of snowfall trickled down the street gutters in tiny rivers. It was as if they were never snowed-in in the first place. Either way, that afternoon Violet left Jace’s cabin feeling satisfied, satiated and slightly sore.
Violet felt dizzy and a bit numb the rest of the day. Especially below the waist. They had really gone at it and she’d completely worn herself out. She avoided Patricia as much as possible. If Pats didn’t ask what happened in August Lake, then Violet didn’t have to lie about it. Win-win.
Compared to Jace’s warm and cozy cabin, the house Violet shared with Phillip was cold and stark. It didn’t evoke any of the feelings she had when she was at August Lake. Nothing welcomed her with warm coziness. Nothing about it felt like home.
It wasn’t until that evening when she got home and walked through the front door that the guilt blindsided her.
Cheating on Phillip had been a rotten thing to do. No amount of excuses could justify her actions and she knew that. But the night she’d shared with Jace was so amazing it helped dull the guilt.
Violet had never been unfaithful before. So why the sudden change? What had caused her to throw caution to the wind and give in to her primal attraction to Jace?
The reason wasn’t very hard to figure out. When she reminded herself that Phillip was away at another one of his “conventions,” it was easy to warrant her infidelities all over again.
Violet tried to imagine how sex would be with Phillip after they were finally married. He insisted they wait until after the ceremony and she wondered why. Would they even have it? And if they did, would it become just another one of the duties she was required to perform as part of their deal? Would he suddenly become interested in her physically and take the time to learn her body and what her needs and wants were? Did she even want him to?
Sex, like anything else involving Phillip would probably feel scheduled and unnatural. They would only have it on the weekends and never when the sun was up. Always missionary, no foreplay and afterwards he would roll over and promptly fall asleep and start snoring. Violet knew what the routine would involve. No spontaneity or passion. And those were the things that she so deeply craved. Was it too much to ask for spontaneity? For passion? Jace had no problems providing her with passion and he wasn’t even under any obligation or commitment to her.
With Phillip, everything was impersonal and she felt empty and hollow inside. So, after they were married for a while, when they eventually gradually stopped sleeping together entirely, it would be for the best with no great loss. Yay. Their wedding day couldn’t come fast enough, she thought wryly.
On the other hand, Jace made her feel whole and cared for and practically on fire. She could feel every sense, every sensation, every feeling. With Phillip, she was detached and robotic and even cold sometimes. And they weren’t even engaged in a physical relationship.
Then why had she stayed? she asked herself. That was the question echoing in her mind.
Because, she answered her own question, she hadn’t known it could be so different. And, as much as she hated to admit it, a small part of her had grown comfortable with things the way they were. But now she knew how passionate and alive things could be.
And it had all started with a simple massage.
The ironic part was that Violet had never even given Phillip a massage. Weren’t free massages one of the perks of dating a massage therapist? Sure they were. It was certainly the first thing people asked when they found out what she did for a living. “Ooh, ooh, can I have a massage?” they asked, their eyes glittering with the prospect of receiving something gratis. They were practically lined up around the corner. Everyone wanted to be friends with her so they could enjoy the perks of her occupation. Everyone except for Phillip. He’d never o
nce tried to cash in on her expertise. Even if it was something that could bring them closer together.
Violet could justify her actions in her head all she wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that what she did with Jace was wrong.
But, oh how it had felt so good.
* * *
The next morning, Patricia caught up with Violet in between appointments. She had a gleam in her eye and that in itself gave Violet a bad feeling. Before she could launch into one of her lectures, the phone rang, interrupting her and Patricia politely answered it. “Thank you for calling Healing Touch…” She paused while the caller said something and her eyes darted up and zeroed in on Violet. “Yes, of course,” she said pleasantly into the phone. Her eyes looked back down at the schedule. “No problem. Okay. Thank you. Buh-bye.” She hung up the phone, made a note on her schedule and tapped her pen on the desk blotter.
“Does your car have enough gas in it to get you to August Lake?” she asked without looking up at Violet.
“Yes,” Violet answered, her posture stiffening. She’d never make that mistake again and resented Pats for bringing it up. “It’s got a full tank.”
“Good. Because that was Jace McQuaid scheduling an out-call massage session. He specifically requested an appointment with you.” Patricia stood up from the desk, her expression unreadable. The look that finally settled on her face was suspicious. “You must be making quite an impression on him.”
Violet felt her face flush. She was running with scissors, but it was only dangerous if you fell, right?
“What time did you tell him?” she asked in an attempt to keep the conversation as businesslike as possible despite the fluttering sensation between her thighs.
“Four. It’s your last appointment of the day.” Patricia handed her a slip of paper. “I wrote down his phone number in case you need it to reschedule.”
“Thanks.” Violet turned to leave and Patricia put her hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t have to remind you how important this business is to us.”
“No, you don’t.”
Violet took the paper and slipped into the small bathroom across from the office for some privacy. Just thinking about calling Jace gave her butterflies and made her forget all about her mental self-bashings the night before. She was doing this for herself. Lord knew she hadn’t indulged in anything for much too long.
When Jace answered, she smiled at the familiar sound of his voice in her ear. “Four o’clock, huh?” she purred.
“Yeah,” he said and she could tell he was smiling. “I feel so good after our session yesterday that I couldn’t resist.”
She smiled at his choice of words. “That’s good to hear.”
“Are you calling to cancel?” he asked in a tone she recognized from yesterday.
He was trying to sound like he didn’t give a damn, but she knew better. “Oh, no,” she reassured him. “I just wanted to give you my cell number so you can call me directly.”
“Thanks. I’m sure it will come in handy.”
“Are you sure you’re up for another rendezvous?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Hey, since I’m coming over anyway, how about I bring us a pizza or something for dinner? You’re my last appointment of the day.”
Jace paused and she was afraid she’d said something wrong. “That’s nice of you to offer, but I’m already making something for dinner.” He paused again and the hesitant tone faded and he sounded friendly again. “Would you like to join me?”
“Sure. That would be great…unless you’ve made other plans. I don’t want to intrude.” She hardly knew Jace outside of the bedroom, but she was getting the feeling like she was crossing a line with him. Sure, this was supposed to be “just sex,” but he was guarded when it came to certain things. Violet hoped he would let her in eventually.
“No, you wouldn’t be intruding. I’d like to have dinner with you.” It was the least he could give her after everything she’d done for him in bed…and the shower…
* * *
After her appointment with Jace, Violet had the evening off. Patricia had tried to wrangle her into a Saturday appointment, but Violet had put her foot down. Now she was extra glad she had. Phillip was out of town and she was free to do whatever she wanted with her time. A few things came to mind, one of them including a bearskin rug and a fireplace.
Violet arrived at the lake house ten minutes earlier than scheduled. She had been so anxious to see Jace again that her foot was like lead on the accelerator. It also helped knowing how to navigate her way to his cabin this time. Most of the snow from the other day had melted and the roads were becoming more familiar each time she made the drive. The wildlife, specifically the chipmunks, knew to scamper out of the way when they saw her car coming down the twisty road.
The cabin looked the same as the day before and this time she could hear classic rock music coming from the living room. Jace answered the door wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt that was so soft and thin it must have been through the washing machine a few hundred times.
When Jace invited her inside, a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
“It smells wonderful in here,” Violet commented, setting her purse on a chair.
“Lasagna.”
She spun around and looked at him. “You made lasagna?” she asked in surprise. “It’s not exactly the easiest thing to make.”
He shrugged. “I’ve got plenty of spare time.”
Truth be told, Jace was on the verge of crawling up the walls. Being stuck at home while the rest of his team was on a seven game road-trip across Canada drove him absolutely nuts. He should be on the ice with the guys doing what he did best. Scoring goals, making hits, cutting through the ice. But instead he was practically under house arrest playing Julia Child. That’s what “healing” felt like for him anyway.
Always one to look on the bright side, Jace found the silver lining standing right in front of him. As long as he was home and Violet was in his living room, he was sure he could devise some activities to help pass the time until he could play hockey again. Jace always knew how to make the best out of any situation.
“Well, I can’t wait to taste it,” Violet said about the lasagna.
Jace’s eyes went to her lips, hoping there was a double meaning in that. “Dinner will be ready in about a half hour.”
“Perfect. That’ll give me enough time to give you a quick rubdown.”
“A quickie?” he smirked.
“A quick massage,” she clarified, returning the smirk.
The phone rang just as Jace opened his mouth to argue and he let the answering machine pick up. Violet loved that Jace still had the old relic on his kitchen counter. Sebby’s voice rang out from the machine and she smiled.
“Hey,” Sebby’s voice boomed. “Me and the guys were talking ‘bout how we can’t vait to take Ace’s Hole out thees summa.”
Violet threw her head back and laughed.
Jace cringed and shook his head. “It’s Ace in the Hole, Seb,” he said the name of his boat out loud to the machine.
Sebby muttered something in Russian that Jace was glad Violet couldn’t understand and then the line went dead.
“Sorry about that,” he said to her. “Sometimes Seb creates his own language barrier.”
“Come,” she said and took his hand and pulled him to the bedroom. “We can discuss language barriers while I work on that shoulder. Lie down on the bed.” There wasn’t time to set up the table. That would come later.
“Don’t you want me out of my clothes?”
She wanted to kiss that smirk right off his lips, but she didn’t want to encourage him. Not yet. “Just the shirt.”
Slowly, with a cocky look plastered on his face, Jace lifted the shirt up and over his head. Violet swallowed at the sight of his bare chest. And those abs! She wanted to run her tongue over every indentation.
First things first.
She spread a towel over the comforter. When he wa
s lying face-down on the mattress, Violet straddled his butt. Leaning forward, she poured a thin stream of coconut oil along his spine and moved her forearms up and down his back. Then she dove right in with firm, deliberate strokes, reserving the most force for his tension-locked shoulders. She vanquished the tension in his neck and shoulders with fluid strokes that alternated in speed and pressure. She used her thumbs to locate and dislodge kinks, and then switched to long, tingling strokes to gently unfurl his knots.
Then she let up with a relaxing medley of taps and pitter-patters that got his circulation humming. She finished with a blissful scalp massage that lulled him into a state of semiconsciousness.
“That felt good,” he murmured and rolled over onto his back so that she sat on his stomach. “But I know what will make it even better.”
She leaned forward and kissed him and he locked his arms around her to keep her in place.
“The food will be ready soon,” she murmured against his lips.
“But I’m ready right now.” He slid his hand up the back of her shirt and ran his fingers beneath the edge of her bra. Before he could explore further, the timer on the oven beeped.
“You promised to feed me,” she reminded him.
“After,” he grunted and unclasped her bra.
“After what?” she asked coyly.
The time beeped again and he let out a ragged sigh. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
She did as she was told and stretched out on his bed and waited. She pulled off the bra and reveled in the freeing feeling of her shirt rubbing her bare nipples.
When he came back, Jace was carrying two plates piled high with lasagna and French bread. He settled onto the bed next to her and fed her a bite of lasagna. She closed her eyes and savored the rich and decadent flavor.
Razors Ice 04 - Hot Ice Page 12