by Amelia Jade
“What is this place?” she asked, following him inside.
“This is the back room at Phuc’s,” he said. “She’s a wizard, and her staff are the best.”
“The best what?”
“Pamperers,” he pronounced, then turned to greet a short, wizened old woman of mixed Asian descent.
The two embraced, and Kelly tried not to laugh at the hilarity of this perhaps five-foot-nothing woman who had to be in her seventies at least, hugging the six foot six or more giant of a shifter. Then it was her turn, exchanging greetings and hugs with the woman, who spoke very broken English, but did so with a happy smile on her face, gesturing for the two of them to come on in.
Kelly followed suit with Gray by removing her shoes and putting them on a rack. Phuc grabbed a white robe from a cubby on one wall and shoved it at Gray. Then she eyed Kelly up and down and retrieved another robe from a different cubby. Kelly saw symbols on the cubbies, probably indicating sizes.
“This way,” Gray said, snagging her arm and guiding her down the hallway to a plain little changeroom. “Leave your underwear on and then slip into this.”
“I see now why my clothes didn’t matter,” she said, her voice gentler. Kelly still wasn’t entirely sure what she was in for, but judging by the atmosphere, she was going to get—as he’d said—“pampered.”
“Good thing you still wore them though,” he returned over his shoulder as he moved into his own little box on the other side of the hallway. “Wouldn’t want to cause a scene.” He winked and then closed the door before she could respond.
“Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean it would cause a scene,” she shot back, closing her door too.
They weren’t real doors, just little pieces of wood that started a foot off the ground, rose up five feet and then stopped, leaving open spaces on the top and bottom. She couldn’t see out of it, but Gray probably could. He definitely could hear her though.
“Not the sort of scene I was referring to,” he said wickedly.
Kelly’s cheeks pinked at the flirty tone, his way of saying he liked looking at her.
“Well, don’t get your hopes up, mister,” she said as her shirt came off and the black leggings peeled down her skin to the floor. “This robe is staying closed.”
“Maybe, but I’m going to get to see your calves. Seventy years ago that was considered quite a thing to see, you know.”
“I’m on a date with a Neanderthal,” she moaned.
“Not true,” he said, his door creaking as it opened. “Neanderthals wore much less clothing.”
Kelly would have thrown something at him, but the only thing she had was the robe, and it was necessary to cover up her current nakedness. So instead she pulled it on and went with silence. She didn’t have a good comeback anyway.
“Okay mister, what now,” she asked, fixing him with a disapproving look, which proved to be incredibly hard to keep on her face when Gray smiled at her, his face lighting up with that easy grin that made her heart beat irregularly enough that a doctor would be worried.
“Follow me,” Phuc said, appearing from nowhere and chivvying them both down the hallway and into a large room on the left.
Two tables occupied it, one with several pillows, one without. Both had sheets. Gray went and lay down on the pillowless one, hanging his robe up on the wall and sliding under the sheets smoothly. His actions were quick and sure, but even at that she still had plenty of time to admire everything about him.
“Cute butt,” she muttered just low enough for him to hear as Phuc puttered about in the corner with something or other.
“You were looking at it, were you?”
She gritted her teeth. How did he do that? Just managed to turn everything around so that she was the one feeling embarrassed! It was infuriating, and yet she couldn’t get enough of it at the same time.
Face it. You like him. He’s handsome, funny, quick-witted, and despite his remarks about not being skilled at it, really quite charming.
Which was all the more reason to be wary. No one was perfect. Not even Gray. Which meant that there was something to him that she’d yet to see. Something big. Something bad. He was hiding it well, but there was no doubt in her mind that it was there. The only question was, what was he hiding? What wasn’t he telling her?
“Okay, robe off, slide in,” Phuc said, lifting the sheet to form a barrier between them and Gray.
Kelly smiled in thanks, doffed the robe with one arm covering her breasts, and got onto the table.
“You lie on your side,” the old woman said.
She did as she was told. Then Phuc lowered the sheet and departed the room. In her wake music began to play, similar to what had been out front, a smoothing melody accompanied by fresh fragrances.
“What now?” she asked, taking a deep breath in, letting the scents infuse her nose.
“Now we relax,” he murmured back, his voice softer, gentler.
“Good idea,” she agreed, trying to stifle a sudden yawn.
Her breathing deepened, and she felt the music lull her into a sort of trance-like state. She was awake and aware of all that was going on, but her mind was relaxed, unconcerned.
The door opened and two women came in, Phuc and another younger woman with a much more athletic build to her. The younger woman went over to Gray, pulling the sheet down to his waist. Kelly watched from her side as the woman began to massage some oil into his back. It was clear now why this particular woman had been called in. Someone with Gray’s musculature would need a good amount of pressure to be properly massaged. There was no way someone like Phuc could manage that.
Still, despite her knowledge that it was all about practicality, Kelly couldn’t stop the surge of sudden jealousy that shot through her. She didn’t want that young, attractive woman touching him. He was here on a date with her!
The realization that her source of irritation was another woman touching Gray was more than she needed to deal with at that time. Kelly did not have a claim in on him. He was here with her, true, but it was just a massage! Yet no matter how much she tried to tell herself that, she couldn’t get over it.
Then warm, strong hands began to work along her back, and suddenly Kelly wasn’t quite so concerned anymore.
“Oh,” she all but purred in pleased surprise.
Gray turned his head, his bright blue eyes fixed on her, a smile tugging at his full lips while he watched her. She stuck out her tongue at him.
The massage continued for some time, and Kelly lost herself in the bliss of it. At one point she’d rolled to her other side, but her brain was so relaxed that she’d forgotten all about it. Eventually the music died down, and the pair of them just sort of lay there in something approaching the equivalent to post-orgasmic bliss. Her entire body felt refreshed, from head to toe. Some parts, her calves among them, still tingled from the pressure that had been exerted to help them relax, but in a pleasant way.
“Gray, that was unreal,” she groaned, not wanting to get up. “I didn’t realize I was so tense everywhere.”
He just grinned in response, his own face slack and relaxed. “We’re not done. Come on, time to get up,” he said.
“Not done? What do you mean?”
Gray took her hand, helping her sit up and then politely turned his back while she slipped into her robe once more. He donned his own while she was doing that, and then together they left the room. He showed her to another place two doors down. It was a much larger room, but was currently unoccupied except for the two women from before.
She was ushered into a chair next to Gray. The taller, athletic woman then knelt at her feet, pulling out a tray of water and some other tools.
All of a sudden Kelly understood. “Are we getting pedicures?” she asked with a laugh.
The idea of the gargantuan, ultra-testosterone-laden bear shifter getting his paws worked on by a dainty little senior citizen was just too much for her.
“Yes, we are. You laugh all you want, but I sp
end much of my day on my feet. These feel wonderful.”
“Oh, I know. It’s been so long since I’ve had one though,” she said wistfully.
Gray just smiled at her and lay back in his chair.
***
They were back at her place. Kelly felt extremely refreshed, relaxed, reinvigorated. Re-whatever, she was feeling it.
“Now that was a date,” she said with emphasis.
“I take it you’re glad you caved and got in the kidnapper van?” he teased.
“Very.” She smiled. “I’m even slightly impressed by your driving skills, Gray. I expected to be exactly terrified, but you did a decent job. Still a ways to go, but admittedly better than I expected. Well done.”
“Thanks. It’s been hard finding someone to teach me.”
“Who has been?”
“Madison,” he replied.
“Kean’s mate?” she asked, thinking of the second youngest Koche brother.
“Yeah. She’s a good driver. So I’ve been taking some lessons with her when I can arrange it.”
“That’s neat.” Kelly was impressed. Most shifters had no desire to learn about technology, despite the way it was infused into the world around them.
She climbed the stairs up to the front door of her unit, throwing a bit of an extra sway into her hips, well aware that Gray was likely staring at her rear just then. He’d earned it, she figured. What harm was done by giving him a tiny bit of a show? Her clothes were still on, and they were going to stay that way. He’d taken her out on what could only be described as a near-perfect date for a pregnant woman. She could let him look at her ass.
“Thank you for everything,” she said as they reached the top, turning to look at him.
There was a small landing in front of her door, barely big enough for the both of them to stand on. Her back was to the locked door, and she looked up at him. Gray stared back, blue eyes over the top of his strong, regal nose. Thick, full lips and a day-old beard framed his face. He had a square face without being blockish, and thick eyebrows without being bushy. Short hair of an average brown coloring covered his head, several inches long on top, with a shorter cut to the sides, like many men sported. It wasn’t anything wild, but it suited him perfectly nonetheless.
“You’re very welcome,” Gray replied in that rich, velvety bass of his.
“And thank you for forcing me to come out.”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard. I think you secretly wanted to come all along.”
“Maybe, but you’d better keep your lips sealed about it.”
“I’ll try,” he replied, his voice thickening as they continued to stare at each other, vivid blue circles locked on to the gold-flaked brown orbs.
Kelly tried to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, but her mouth had gone dry and numb. Was he about to kiss her?
“You’d better,” she all but whispered.
“I might need some help.”
“Help how?” Her head tiled backward as he stepped slightly closer, testing her boundaries. Kelly let him, her breathing coming in short, shallow bursts now.
“Like this.”
It was cheesy, and ultra-predictable, but in the moment, at that exact point in time, it was so exciting that she didn’t even notice. Her attention was distracted by Gray lowering his mouth to hers, sealing their lips tight in a fiery kiss that was all nervous tension and excited exploration.
She’d not planned on kissing him today, but now that he had initiated, she couldn’t pull away. The wind picked up abruptly, picking up her loose hair and swirling it around. She reached a hand up absently to calm it. Gray did the same, and his fingers brushed against hers as he pushed them through her hair so that he could hold the back of her head. Kelly shivered as tremors of excitement rushed down her spine, jumping from bone to bone as they went. Her legs wobbled, but Gray held her steady with his other arm, wrapping it around her waist.
His touch was strong and sensual at the same time, her body begging to let him explore the rest of her with those strong fingers of his, longing to see the way he could run them over her skin. It was a near thing for her. She almost invited him inside. But at the last moment some part of her clamped down on that urge just in time. She continued to kiss him for several long moments more, until they naturally parted for air, both of them breathing a little deeper.
Gray’s face was flushed with excitement, like she was sure her own was as well.
“Thank you again,” she said, biting her lip as she met his gaze, seeing the naked hunger in it, the desire for more. For a brief second she thought he was going to give in to it, to take from her what he’d been denied.
But then Gray blinked several times and stood up straight, calming himself for the time being.
“You’re very welcome. Maybe we could do something again soon?”
Kelly hesitated, then nodded hastily. “Okay. I think I would like that.”
Then she turned and with an awkward delay brought on by the fumbling of her keys, fled inside her unit. With her back to the door, she listened carefully as Gray stood outside for a moment before proceeding down the stairs, the wood creaking and thumping under his booted steps.
“Holy shit,” she whispered.
She was in trouble. There was no way she could stop things with Gray now. After that kiss it was very obvious that things had taken on a life of their own. Like a runaway freight train, it was unstoppable now. The way her body ached and yearned, angry at her for denying it anything more than a kiss was a telltale sign all on its own. But the look she’d seen in Gray’s eyes, the one of hunger, she’d felt that echoed within her. If they’d been inside when that had happened, Kelly wasn’t sure she’d have been able to stop herself. It had been that good.
“Oh dear.”
What had she gotten herself into?
Chapter Nine
Gray
He awoke the next morning with a smile upon his face, and cheeks that hurt from too much use. The entire rest of the day he’d been unable to stop smiling. After all, why should he? He’d done it; he’d kissed Kelly! Not only that, but she’d kissed him back, and it had been mind-blowing.
“Don’t you look like a cat who just caught his first mouse,” Andrew teased as he walked into the ambassador’s office.
“It’s that obvious isn’t it?” It was more of a statement than a question, but Andrew nodded anyway. “Oh well.”
“I’m happy for you,” his boss said, leaning back carefully into the wooden chair that had finally replaced the steady stream of plastic folding chairs.
The wood still creaked dangerously, causing Gray to glance into the far corner where the detritus of the last several still remained.
“I know,” Andrew said in response to the look. “But I couldn’t even do this on those stupid things, so it’s already an improvement. One of these days I’m going to get a real, honest-to-goodness comfortable chair put in here. Then maybe I’ll get some paperwork done.”
Gray snorted in disbelief.
“Okay, probably not. But I’ll be able to pretend that I’m doing it much better than I do now.”
“One of these days it’s going to catch up—”
The rest of his sentence was cut off by the door swinging open unexpectedly. A tall, rail-thin man stood in the door. His near lack of muscle, ultra-pale skin, and hawkish features made for a startling contrast to Andrew and him, both of whom challenged the newcomer for height, but outweighed him by a hundred pounds easily. Jet-black hair fell forward and to the sides in nearly razor-straight lines.
“Can I help you?” Gray asked, rising to his feet and stepping between the newcomer and Andrew.
It wasn’t that the gryphon shifter needed the protection. Not in the slightest. In every facet that mattered his boss was superior to him. He was faster, stronger, healed quicker. All of the above and more. There were two reasons Gray did what he did however. One was it was his job to be the first line of defense for the ambassador
, regardless of the powers of the person who held the office.
And secondly, he didn’t like the ugly look on the thin man’s face. It was a dark, possibly sadistic thing. There was a smile on his face, but it was empty, not reaching up to his eyes, or even his cheeks for that matter. Simply just an exercise in pulling his lips upward then.
“Perhaps,” the man said.
No, not man, he thought as he got a whiff of the man’s scent. Shifter. That seemed impossible. Andrew wasn’t sure he’d ever met a shifter so thin, so…so weak-looking. Immediately he realized that was a trap. The look was one imparted to him by his animal. All light and airy.
Whoever he was, he was a bird of prey. An eagle, perhaps, judging by the blackness of his hair, maybe a falcon. The raptor-like bird shifters were a reclusive bunch, and their numbers were on par or perhaps even lower than those of the dragons. They were a rare bunch, and to see one outside of Cadia wasn’t something he’d ever expected to see.
Instantly wary at the unusualness of the situation, Gray continued to keep his body between the unknown shifter and Andrew. For his part, the ambassador seemed content to let his guard do his duty. Which wasn’t as much of a relief as it should be. Despite the man’s seemingly fragile nature, he would be able to put up a hell of a fight if it came to that. Gray was stronger, but the reflexes of the raptors were better than even those of a dragon. It was their only saving grace. If it came to blows, Gray only needed to land one to win. The challenge of course, was in landing that one. He resolved to try and avoid blows, but to be ready if it came down to that.
“Care to be a little more specific?” he shot back.
“Very well. May I come in?”
“Not a hope in hell,” Gray growled.
The falcon-shifter—and the longer he could evaluate him the more confident Gray became that he was indeed a falcon shifter—sneered and opened his mouth to speak, but Andrew beat him to the punch.