by Chris Zett
“Yes, dear?” her mom answered from the next room.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but could you assist me with a massage client tonight at seven?”
“Sure.”
“No, wait. Don’t you and Ella have plans with Clarissa?” Jess asked, knowing her mother was looking forward to showing off her grandchild. “I can do it.”
From her position at the door, Lena looked at Jess with wide eyes. To make matters worse, her mom appeared behind Lena, mirroring her expression.
Why were they staring? She was offering because her mom hadn’t seen her friend in a while. Resisting the urge to squirm, Jess squared her shoulders. “It’s not as if I haven’t done it before. It’s just a massage.”
As soon as she said it, a wave of heat slapped her in the face as if she left an air-conditioned hotel in the middle of a southern summer. It wasn’t just a massage. Maybe for Lena, who was doing her job. But for Jess it would be an exercise in self-control. Lena’s touch had excited her even before they had kissed. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should take back her offer. Maybe—
“Oh, thank you.” Lena’s grateful smile lit up her face, and Jess knew she was lost.
“Wonderful idea. But you need to change her diaper before I can show her off.” Her mom handed Ella over with a grin.
Jess pasted a light smile on her face she didn’t feel at all. “I’ll let you two get back to your work, and I’ll take a nap with Ella.”
Not that she would be able to relax for a second, but at least she could work out a strategy. She worked in a profession that included touching semi-naked people all the time, and she’d never once felt even a twinge of arousal. So if she was assisting Lena at her work, she’d approach it exactly the way she approached her own work.
And she had only three hours to get in the right frame of mind.
Chapter Eighteen
Lena trailed both hands down Jess’s back, then pulled up the towel to cover her. After an hour of oiling skin, kneading muscles, and pressing trigger points, Jess was still as stiff and full of knots as the pines at the beach house. Lena had tried every trick in her book, but it still hadn’t been enough to get Jess to relax. She would never have accepted Jess’s offer if she had known how uncomfortable the experience would be for her.
Remembering her client, she suppressed a sigh and pasted on a smile. “Never forget a sheet or towel after the massage. Unless you find another method of keeping warm together.”
Patty giggled, as she’d been doing all evening. Maybe Jess hadn’t been able to relax with that sound. “Thank you, Lena. And you too.” She awkwardly patted Jess’s back. “I’ll go and wash my hands and change.”
Lena’s fingers itched to stroke through Jess’s ruffled hair, but that would be highly inappropriate. She went to the head of the table and squatted down to eye level instead. “Thank you. Everything okay?”
Jess lifted her head out of the headrest and met Lena’s gaze. “Sure. Everything is perfect.” But her eyes were the color of a stormy sea, and tiny lines showing her tension belied the tone.
Patty’s giggles announced she finished dressing, and Lena rose to show her out. She couldn’t wait to return to Jess and see if she could help her lose some of that tension.
When she came back into the room, Jess had crossed her arms under her head to raise her upper body a little. “Your patience is amazing.”
“Just because I showed her the same techniques about a million times? Was it too uncomfortable?” She picked up a towel that had fallen to the floor and folded it. Not that it needed folding since it was going to be washed, but at least it kept her gaze off Jess’s shoulders. Her toned, bare shoulders that gleamed golden in the candlelight.
“No, it was okay. But I hope for the sake of her partner she’ll be a bit more active when she massages them. Sometimes her touch didn’t even register with me.” She snorted. “And the constant giggling.”
“She was nervous. It’s not every day you get to touch a naked stranger.”
Jess smiled. “You’re too nice. Are you nervous when you teach these courses?”
“Nope.” That wasn’t a lie. Normally, she wasn’t. But today she had been nervous, just not for the reasons Jess suggested. It had thrown her that Jess wasn’t a stranger. She could handle touching random people; that did nothing to her. But knowing the woman on the table was the woman who had kissed her passionately three nights ago was something completely different. And that was why she should go get the towels from the bathroom and start the washing machine to give Jess time to get up and get dressed.
Instead, she placed the folded towel on the small table and stepped closer. “I’m sorry the massage wasn’t relaxing. Let me make it up to you.” She held up the bottle of massage oil and raised her eyebrows.
Something flickered in Jess’s eyes. Hesitation? Attraction? The reflection of the candlelight?
Whatever it was, it captivated Lena and filled her with sparkling energy she couldn’t wait to share with Jess.
With a decisive nod, Jess lowered her head and returned her arms to her sides under the towel covering her.
Lena took her position at Jess’s side and slowly removed the towel. Flawless skin hid the coiled muscles she knew she’d find. “Whenever you want me to stop, tell me.” She poured a generous portion of the massage oil into her left hand and put the bottle away.
Then, as the oil warmed in her hand and the scent of jasmine and orange rose, she trickled it onto Jess’s spine. Drop by drop, she moved from between her shoulder blades to the slight dip in her lower back. Goosebumps followed.
“Too cold?” Lena placed her free hand on Jess’s lower back. The skin was warm beneath her palm. And incredibly soft. But she didn’t want to think about that now.
“No.” Jess’s voice was muffled by the headrest, and the muscles vibrated beneath Lena’s touch.
With long strokes along Jess’s spine, over her shoulder blades, and back down again, Lena distributed the oil and warmed both her hands and Jess’s skin.
The muscles stiffened under her fingers, but after a few repetitions, Jess let go and Lena was able to separate the problematic areas from the general tension. The area between her shoulder blades and neck called for Lena’s attention. Her focus was on the tight cords and hard knots beneath her fingers as she called up every technique she’d ever learned to soften them.
Whenever an area turned from rocks to butter, she moved on to the next and the next. With every passing minute, pride in her accomplishments rose. She could do this, absolutely professionally, just to help Jess relax. Skin was just skin, and the woman under her fingertips was just muscles and tendons.
She stroked the thumb and forefinger of her right hand upward, one on each side of the spine, along Jess’s slender neck until she reached the hairline. The short hair had darkened and curled in the warm room. Lena spread her hand and slipped it into those silky strands. Her fingertips scratched along Jess’s scalp.
Jess moaned, and the vibration sent tingles up Lena’s arm.
Biting her lip to stifle her own sounds, Lena moved her hand through the hair again. Her knees weakened when Jess reacted. It wasn’t professional in the least, but she couldn’t resist. She added her other hand and gently massaged Jess’s scalp, eliciting even more sounds and vibrations.
The skin behind Jess’s ear was deliciously soft. Lena caressed the area with the tip of her forefinger, then moved to her earlobe. Barely palpable indentations hinted at old piercings.
Jess slightly tilted her head as if offering herself. So sexy.
And Lena wanted to continue her exploration, add lips to fingers, press herself to Jess’s back, and get lost in the sensual gliding of her body over Jess’s.
And that’s why she didn’t. Jess had consented to a massage, not to a seduction. She’d made it clear that no matter the attraction that flared b
etween them, she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything physical.
Neither was Lena—that much she knew intellectually. But right now, with the scent of jasmine, orange, and Jess tingling in her nose, with one hand curled in Jess’s hair and the other playing with her ear, she couldn’t remember why.
With her last reserve of willpower and reason, she pulled back. “I’m sorry.” She straightened and pulled up the towel, careful not to touch Jess again. “I’ll let you get dressed.”
She fled to the bathroom and washed her hands in cold water, as cold as it could get. And washed her face. And wished she could douse her head in it too.
What the fuck had just happened? During the first massage, Jess had controlled her reactions. Not that the feeble touch of what’s-her-name had done anything for her. But now?
Now she had melted right through the table under Lena’s skilled hands. Not only had her muscles lost the tension they’d been carrying for days, but other parts of her body had reacted too. A totally inappropriate burning sensation had started low in her middle, and every stroke had fanned the flames. And when Lena had touched her hair, her ear… Had that been part of a regular massage? It had felt more like a caress. She shivered at the thought.
She wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of such affection. Or seduction? In the past she’d more often than not been the one to initiate physical contact. And often it had been enough to please her partner, to know she was giving something special—she hadn’t needed anything in return.
She rolled to her side on the narrow table and sat up. Her feet got tangled in the towel as she tried to remain covered, and she quickly sorted her legs and pulled the white cotton over her chest before Lena returned. Lena didn’t need to see her soft belly and breasts that still felt a size or two too large. Not that she herself wasn’t able to appreciate the attraction of large breasts or the feminine swell of a belly—but preferably on other women. It just didn’t feel like her body anymore.
Who cares? Get a grip and get dressed. She stood, expecting her knees to buckle. But they held, and the energy running through her was more than enough to keep her upright and help her move to the bathroom, where she’d left her clothes. The towel tucked tightly around her, she opened the door and froze.
Lena was in the bathroom, clutching the sink. She looked at Jess with wide eyes, and her hair was tousled as if she’d been running her hands through it.
Another wave of energy ran through Jess, and her fingertips itched with the urge to bury her hands in Lena’s hair, doing what Lena had done to her. She wanted to take charge, to hear Lena moan and whimper, see her squirm, affect her the way she had affected Jess.
Wordlessly, she stepped into the bathroom and cupped Lena’s face with one hand, holding her gaze. Slowly she moved forward, inch by inch, until their breaths mingled, giving Lena time to protest or draw back.
But she didn’t. Lena’s eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t close them. Her pupils dilated and her breathing quickened.
With a smile, Jess leaned in to kiss her, to overwhelm her with every skill she had, to show Lena she wasn’t the one in charge.
Their lips met in a hard kiss, all passion and heat and tongues. For a fleeting moment, Jess wondered why their teeth didn’t clash. But they fit perfectly, kissing as if they’d done it a thousand times before.
Soon, it wasn’t enough. She needed to get closer and stepped between Lena’s legs, pushing her back against the sink. One hand cradled Lena’s head, and the other found its way around Lena’s waist to the small of her back, pressing her even closer. Sneaked under her skintight T-shirt. Stroked silken skin.
A loud moan resonated through their kiss.
Jess tore back, gasping for air. Had she moaned? Or Lena?
Who the fuck cared?
She leaned in again, this time kissing and licking her way in a line from Lena’s mouth to her neck.
Lena’s pulse raced under her lips, and her skin burned as if with fever. Her hands clutched Jess’s shoulders and pulled her even tighter.
Through the thin layers of towel and T-shirt, their breasts touched. Jess’s nipples hardened at the friction. Her legs shook as arousal shot from the hard points directly to her clit.
It had been so long, so damned fucking long since she’d felt this way.
And she wanted more. More friction, more closeness, more skin. More Lena.
She kissed her way along the line of Lena’s jaw to her earlobe.
Tilting her head to the side, Lena offered herself for easy access.
How was it even possible skin was so soft? Jess nibbled on the earlobe, and when Lena moaned, she sucked it into her mouth.
Lena’s fingers dug into Jess’s shoulders as if they were the only thing holding her up. She squirmed, and their bodies touched all along their lengths.
“I want to…” Unsure what she really wanted, Jess kissed the area behind Lena’s ear to buy time. She searched for the spot that had melted her insides into puddles when Lena had caressed her.
When she found it, Lena sucked in a deep breath. “Yes.” Her voice was husky and low.
Jess leaned back to look into her eyes. As much as she wanted this, she needed to know they were on the same page. “I can’t offer you anything but sex.”
She found nothing but arousal and honesty in Lena’s gaze. Her eyes were clear and had taken on the shade of fresh leaves in spring.
“Sex.” Lena nodded, and an impish grin spread on her lips. “And fun. I want that too. I’m not expecting anything else, and I can’t offer more myself.”
“Fun. Perfect.” And it would have been but for the tiny seed of disappointment that stirred in Jess’s belly. She stomped on it before it could take root. Sex, fun, no strings—that was what she wanted. And tonight, she’d take it. “Bedroom?”
Lena trailed her hand down Jess’s left arm and took her hand. “Shouldn’t we talk about risks?”
Oh. As a doctor, this should have probably occurred to her without prompting. “Sorry, yeah. It’s been a while since…” Jess swallowed. Lena didn’t need to know that right now. “I was tested for everything under the sun during my pregnancy.”
“I’ve been tested too. It’s been a while too for me.” Lena’s hand was warm and steady in hers. “Anything else we need to talk about?”
When Jess shook her head, Lena led her the few steps to the small bedroom, still holding her hand. It was oddly intimate, and the flickering candlelight in the living room enhanced the impression.
The queen-size bed was neatly made, and the nightstand held only a notebook, a few pens, and a small lamp. Lena reached for it.
Before she could switch it on, Jess pressed her hand. “Don’t.” She closed the door with a kick of her foot. In the sudden darkness, all she could use for orientation was their joined hands.
Jess stepped closer until she stood in front of Lena. Hot air caressed her lips. She leaned in but held herself back before they touched. It wasn’t time for a kiss.
A moan escaped Lena, and she reached with both hands for Jess’s waist.
Oh, no, not yet. Jess caught her hands and led them back to Lena’s side, then reached for the hem of her T-shirt. Lena didn’t protest as Jess pulled it up inch by inch. Jess brushed against the bare skin of her abdomen with the heels of both hands, eliciting a gasp from Lena. As she reached Lena’s bra, Jess steered her hands outward, skimming the soft cotton. She so wanted to explore the tantalizing curves. Patience.
Lena gasped and squirmed. Did she press closer?
“Patience,” Jess repeated aloud. She almost didn’t understand her own hoarse whisper.
But Lena stilled and took a deep breath, offering herself to Jess’s exploration.
Suppressing a groan, Jess swiftly pulled Lena’s shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. The next thing that needed to go was her yoga pants. Jess
hooked both thumbs into the waistband and pulled. She followed them downward and helped to free first one foot, then the other from the tight cuffs around the ankles. On her way up, she ran both her hands along the outside of Lena’s legs.
The lean muscles were full of tension. The power in those legs was so sexy. The vision of them wrapped around Jess’s waist flashed through her mind, and she lost her balance. Her grip tightened around Lena’s ass to steady herself before she fell with her face in Lena’s lap.
The musky scent of Lena’s arousal shot directly to some primal part of her brain. Jess groaned and pulled down Lena’s panties, not even caring what fabric or cut they were. They needed to be gone.
Jess stood again, this time fast and with a goal in mind. She reached with both hands behind Lena’s back, unhooked her bra with only minimal fumbling, and removed it.
“Lie down.” She swallowed twice, then removed the towel that was still tucked around her.
Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and the minimal light of the moon through the window was enough to see gray shapes.
Lena was sprawled on the bed on her back, her upper body raised on her elbows. Could she see Jess’s body? Or her silhouette? She pushed the thought away. That didn’t matter. It was only sex, and she was in charge.
She sat next to Lena on the bed. With her right hand, she trailed the feminine curve of waist to abdomen. Muscles tightened beneath her fingers, and for a second, she regretted she couldn’t see details. She stopped the journey of her hand on Lena’s sternum. “Lie down.” This time she whispered.
When Lena lowered her upper body to the mattress, Jess continued her exploration. Up, past the sexy indentation of her collarbone to her neck. Lena tipped her head back and offered everything to Jess.
The show of trust made Jess’s head swim. She stretched out on her side, one arm still free to move, to touch, to finally reach for Lena’s curves.