The Rub Down

by Gina Sheldon

  Alexa just stood there, speechless, watching me with her soul searching, blue eyes.

  As the saying goes, go big or go home, I laid it all out there for her. “But, for the first time ever, I want to date a client. I want to spend time with YOU outside that treatment room. I want to be able to touch you anytime I want, even when you are clothed.” That seriously sounded so wrong, the complete opposite of what every guy in the world would say.

  “You do?” The smallest, most adorable smile graced her blushing face.

  “Yes, I do. But I won’t give up being your therapist either.” Enough time had passed without her touch, so I reached for her hand. “I can’t even think of some of the other guys touching your flawless body. I’d have to fire them all, and then where would The Rub Down be?” I ran my free hand over my head. “I trust Danny with you, but I just don’t think I could handle the images in my head for the hour.”

  “I would love to spend more time with you, too. The times we’ve been together have been so much fun. Even the fifteen mile runs.”

  Her words were music to my ears. I had hoped she felt the same way I did, but hearing the actual words made me happier than I had been in a long time.

  “So where do we go from here? Do I stop coming in? Do we wait it out until the marathon is over?” Her questions were all valid, the same ones running through my head for weeks now.

  “Like I said, you keep coming in. But we will just be discreet about our feelings.” I moved closer to her. “I have talked to Danny, and he understands how I feel about you. He just asks that we keep a low profile until after the race, and you won’t need treatments any longer. And if you do, we’ll figure it out then.” I took another step, my body being pulled toward her.

  When we were within inches of each other, I felt her breath hitch as she looked up at my lips. I wanted to claim hers, needed to… so, I did. I captured her soft mouth with my own. She tasted like the Cosmo she’d sipped earlier. My tongue teased the seam of her mouth, begging for entrance. Thankfully, she obliged. Loving the feel of her body pressed against me, and her tongue dancing with mine, I let out a moan. With one hand sliding around to the back of her neck, and the other cupping her cheek, I deepened the kiss.

  After what felt like seconds, our lips parted, but not our bodies.

  “I need to be able to do that to you whenever I see you. It’s been killing me not to be able to these past few weeks.” I bent down and gave her a quick peck. I was coming on strong, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “Now that that's settled, I want to kidnap you, and bring you to my place where I can touch and smooch you as much as I want without a bunch of gossipmongers watching.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Alexa

  Hearing Luke say he didn’t date clients hurt more than I ever imagined it could. Over the weeks spent on his table, feeling his touch all over my body, running with him, getting to know him, feelings for him had developed. I wanted to at least have the option to explore things with him outside of the spa, but with one sentence, my hope of that happening was crushed. He didn’t date clients, so my yearning to feel his hand holding mine, his body pressed against my own, and his lips on mine would remain just that… a yearning.

  I avoided him the rest of the night, and enjoyed my time with his sisters and Addison. We were having a blast dancing to the band, and giggling as Elle did the lawn mower, the sprinkler, and then the Q-tip. I loved letting loose, but in the back of my head, Luke’s words kept replaying over and over. “I don’t date my clients. I don’t date my clients.”

  All of a sudden, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist. Recognizing his cologne, I knew they belonged to Luke, but that wasn’t why I froze. His actions sent mixed signals. I didn’t want him to flirt and dance with me when, at the end of the day, I was a client and nothing more. But I would be lying if I said his arms around me didn’t make me long for more, so when he pleaded with me to talk to him, of course, I went.

  I tried not to care about what he had to say, but when he told me he wanted me, little fireworks exploded in my stomach. And then, his mouth met mine. Oh, sweet baby Jesus, did he kiss me. His lips were firm but soft. The way he held me made me feel cherished, like if I moved an inch away from him, it was too far. Cradled so close to his muscular chest, wrapped in his arms, felt better than I dreamed. I had had his hands on me before, but this was so much different.

  After the mind-altering lip lock, we returned to the main bar, hand in hand, and moved toward his family and friends. The thought of him kidnapping me sounded perfect. I hoped our excuse to get out of here wasn’t too obvious.

  Danny noticed us first. He just shook his head at us, and a proud smile spread across his face. I hadn’t spent much time with him, but he seemed like a great guy and a good friend to Luke. Addison and Elle were right next to him, eyes glued to our laced fingers. Addison nudged Jessica and pointed to us. So much for a smooth, inconspicuous exit.

  After everyone but I enjoyed another cocktail, some conversation, and a few raised eyebrows and smiles, Luke declared we were leaving. There was nothing subtle about it. I could only imagine the conversation everyone was going to have after we left.

  “We’re leaving, and I’m taking Alexa home with me.” He stood up and grabbed me off my stool. “You ladies parked in the garage across the street?” He directed the question to his sisters.

  When they nodded and smirked, he turned and addressed Danny. “Hey, guy, can you take Addison home?” Luke was taking care of my best friend for me, knowing I wouldn’t want her to ride in a cab alone. I also think he was trying to hook his buddy up, which was fine with me.

  Danny nodded and sent a wink my way.

  “Wow, brother, you’re smooth.” Jess’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

  Luke shot her a look. The tension between them had been palpable all night, and I had no idea why. I thought Jessica liked me.

  We waved goodbye to everyone and walked downstairs into Faneuil Hall, hand in hand.

  “Do you feel like walking or cabbing it?” Luke asked as he led me toward State Street.

  “Let’s walk. I’ll take a cab home from your place later.” I grabbed his arm to steady myself on the horrible, uneven, brick sidewalk. As much as I was in a rush to go to his place, I was also nervous, and hoped the walk would help calm the butterflies.

  “No way. I’ll drive you home when you’re ready. I refuse to ship you off in a taxi. It’s not safe, and my momma taught me better than that.” The look on Luke’s face warmed my heart. His eyes were full of adoration for me that I had refused to look for before, in fear I wouldn’t see it.

  The walk to his condo went by quickly, which was nice since the night air still had a bite to it. Luke held me tucked close under his arm the whole way there.

  “Do you want to grab a drink at the bar next door at the hotel, or do you want to head up to my place for a glass of wine?” Luke asked once we arrived at his building.

  It was late enough that the doorman was off duty, requiring him to buzz the concierge to let us in. Before I could answer, Luke buzzed and held the door open for me to enter. I chuckled since he clearly made the decision to skip drinks at the hotel bar and head up to his unit. With his hand on the small of my back, he led me to the elevators. He pushed the button, calling the lift.

  I looked at him. “Thank you for making the choice for me. It was a good one.” My arms slid around his waist, and I took a step closer until my body was flush with his.

  He placed his delicious lips on mine, teasing all my senses and making my body crave more of him. It was the sweetest kiss I had ever had. The doors to the elevator opened just as we broke our too quick connection. Luke dragged me inside with a sense of urgency. Once the doors closed, he grabbed me again, slamming his mouth to mine. Hunger quickly took over as his tongue demanded entry into my mouth. I happily complied as his strong hands splayed across my back and drew me even closer. Our tongues fought for position, trying to taste as much of each other a
s possible. It was wild and uncontrollable. All the built up sexual tension between us exploded.

  All of a sudden, the doors started to open, causing us to break apart. Expecting to step out onto Luke’s level, we were stunned to see we were still on the first floor. In his haste for more contact, Luke forgot to push his number. Annoyed, he punched the button for the thirty-fifth floor, closing the doors again. A pissed look covered his face, and I couldn’t stop myself from breaking into a fit of laughter.

  “Guess we got a bit carried away, huh?” I propped my hip on the wall, trying to get a grip on life.

  After staring at me for several beats, he gave me a devilish smirk and said, “I’ll show you carried away.”

  *****

  Luke

  The doors opened again, this time on the correct floor. I reached under Alexa’s knees, threw her over my shoulder, and stormed off toward my place.

  “Put me down!” she screamed while trying to squirm out of my hold.

  When we arrived at the door, I lowered her painfully slow to her feet, dragging her body down mine so every inch touched. My arm wrapped around her tiny waist, holding her close. I couldn’t stop looking at her. Her lips swollen from our kisses. Her eyes sparkled. She had never looked prettier. I grabbed my keys from my pocket and thrust them into the door, wanting out of the hallway as quickly as possible.

  However, I needed to slow down and get a grip. If we kept at this pace, I would have her in my bed in mere minutes, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but not what I wanted for the night. A lamp on low in the foyer, and the open shades cast enough light for us to make our way to the living room without ruining the mood with harsh, recessed lights.

  “Do you want a glass of wine? I have red and white.”

  “I would love a little glass of red, please. I really shouldn’t be drinking at all,” Alexa answered as she headed straight to the windows.

  One of the reasons I bought this unit was the amazing view at night. The city lit up against the darkness was awe-inspiring, and set a perfect romantic scene.

  I walked out of the kitchen with two glasses of my favorite wine. As I rounded the corner, I came to an immediate halt. Alexa, standing in front of the windows with the lights shining behind her, made the already great view, breathtaking. In awe of her beauty and spirit, I stood there and took her all in. I couldn’t look away.

  “You going to stand there watching me like a creeper, or are you going to bring me that glass of wine and enjoy this view with me?” she joked.

  Busted. I was so enamored by the view that I forgot she could see me in the reflection of the glass.

  “Sorry. You caught me, but damn, you’re so beautiful that I just can’t take my eyes off you.”

  Her cheeks flushed as I handed her the wine. She raised the glass to her mouth, trying to hide her embarrassment from my honesty.

  “Wow, this wine’s tasty. What is it?”

  “Quintessa. It’s a blend of different grapes and my all-time favorite.” I bought a case every year, and only brought it out for special occasions. Having Alexa alone and in my house was definitely one. “Come sit on the couch with me. I want to snuggle up with you.” I reached for her hand, and led her to my favorite spot on the couch. Turning her back to my chest, I nestled her under my arm so we were both staring out the windows. With the push of a button, soft music filled the background.

  For a few minutes, we sat in silence, enjoying the warmth of having each other so close. Her body fit right into mine, as if we were two pieces of a puzzle. Her long, blonde hair splayed out over my chest, and I lazily ran my fingers through the ends. It felt right having her here in my house, and more importantly, in my arms.

  “What’s your day like tomorrow?” I asked, breaking our silence.

  “I need to get up first thing and run.” She took a deep breath and snuggled closer to me. “There’s about a week and a half left, and I need to stay on course.”

  “How many miles are you doing tomorrow?”

  “I think I’m doing ten. Then I have clients all day.” Her chin lifted, and she peered up at me. “The weather change is coming, and everyone is itching to shed their designer sweaters for a new spring wardrobe.” Alexa was mocking her wealthy clients, but the smile on her face told me she loved every second of it. “What about you? What’s your day like?”

  “Since I now feel like a bum compared to you, I’ll get up and hit the gym before heading to the spa. I know I have a few clients, but the load will be lighter than today’s, which sucked. Although the way the day is ending, I can’t quite complain.” I shifted our bodies so we faced each other, our lips so close, I felt her breath on my skin.

  “As much as I would rather be kissing you right now, I feel like we need to talk about us.” I clasped her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together.

  “Well, since I’m not the one who has the rule about dating clients in place, you tell me how you see this working.” Alexa stroked my palm with her thumb as she spoke.

  “I want us to be together. For you to wear my letterman jacket and everything.” Alexa let out a laugh before I continued. “But when we’re at the spa, we can’t act like we’re together. It’ll be hard to see you in the Zen room and not pull you to me, but we must keep a professional relationship in those four walls.”

  “Okay, that won’t be too hard, right?”

  “Well, due to the fact that I have to touch you while you’re wearing only your panties, and I can’t do all the things I want to do to you, something will definitely be hard.”

  Alexa giggled. “What about when we aren’t at the spa?” Her voice was laced with hope.

  “We’ll be a couple, if that’s what you want. I know I do,” I answered, but there was a lingering ‘but’ that I left out.

  “Yes, that’s what I want. Why do I sense there is something you aren’t telling me?” No one could ever say Alexa wasn’t perceptive.

  “I don’t want us to be intimate before the marathon, while you’re under my care. When Danny and I first talked about my feelings for you, I promised him I would keep it in my pants until after the race.” It meant a lot to me that he was supportive of our relationship. “I know it doesn’t make much sense, but I just want to uphold my promise to him.”

  “I respect you so much for your decision, and thank you for breaking the original pact for me.”

  With the relationship conversation behind us, I tangled my hands in her long hair, bringing her lips to mine. She tasted of fine wine and pure heaven. Alexa ran her fingers over the shaved hair on my head, scraping her nails back and forth. Driven wild with passion and want, I deepened the kiss, drawing a soft moan from her throat. One hand trailed down her neck, over her shoulder, lingering on the side of her ample breast. I slowly caressed her, brushing my thumb over her nipple. The sound of Alexa whimpering with pleasure was nearly my undoing.

  I tore my lips away, needing to taste more of her. Brushing her hair to one side, I revealed the spot I had so desperately wanted since the first moment she laid on my table. She tilted her neck, exposing her flawless skin to me. I nipped, licked, and nibbled on her soft flesh. Alexa was completely in the moment with me, and I became borderline frantic, knowing she would give me what I wanted. Her hands roamed down the back of my head to my shoulder, digging her nails, pulling me closer, and spurring me on.

  I wanted to make love to her right here on my couch, but we needed to stop. I tore myself away from her skin, so that we were face to face with our foreheads resting together. Our labored breathing mingled as we came down from our high.

  “Thank you for hearing me out earlier.” Breathe. “Thank you for coming home with me.” Breathe. “But more importantly, thank you for being you.” When her eyes closed at my words, I kissed each eyelid. “Let’s get you home.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Alexa

  Thursday night was more than I could have imagined. Thank God, Luke had so much self-control because I never would have been able to p
ull myself away from him. If he had led me to his bedroom, I would have enthusiastically followed. I thought nothing would feel better than his touch on my naked skin, but his lips combined with his hands blew my mind.

  After we broke away and our pounding hearts (and I was sure other things for Luke) settled, he called his car up from valet. He drove me home, holding my hand the whole way with his thumb tracing circles on my palm. I rested my cheek on the cool leather headrest, watching him command the road in his sleek black Audi A6. The car was as sexy as the driver was.

  Since it was late and there was no traffic, we arrived at my building only a few minutes later. I didn’t want the night to end. Luke must not have either, because he walked me to my front door, and then proceeded to devour me to within an inch of my sanity. When he broke away, he ran down the stairs as if his pants were on fire, mumbling something about getting away from me before he never left. In his hasty exit, we didn’t make plans to see each other later this weekend, which was a huge disappointment because I wouldn’t see him again for five days.

  I went to bed on cloud nine. When I woke up, I laced my running sneakers and ran my best per mile time, thanks to the memories replaying like a movie in my head. The smile never left my face the whole day. Even when it started to fade, a text from Luke would come, and it would return, brighter than before. I was so happy, I was almost sickened by myself. Almost.

  *****

  Since Jeff had to travel back to New York to visit with his mom, Luke joined me on another long Sunday run. I also started taking Nikki’s Saturday yoga class at The Rub Down. I dragged Addison with me because we hadn’t spent any time together since Thursday night at the Black Rose. We had our own clients all day Friday, and she went out last night on a date with God knows whom.