19. Huge Connection

19

HUGE CONNECTION

“ I ’ve got an appointment with Sloane,” Dane said ten days later.

“Your name?” the woman asked. He’d never seen her before. Not that it mattered. He’d only been here two other times and he’d been warned that the employees were waiting for him.

“Dane Grey,” he said.

The woman’s eyes lit right up. “Ohhhhh, we’ve been waiting for you. Everyone wanted to be working, but there are only myself and a few others left. I’m Colleen.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, putting his hand out.

“I’ll text Sloane and let her know you’re here, but if you don’t mind, I need to let everyone else know too. Those that can come up front will be here fast.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Whatever floats your boat.”

She laughed and rushed away to a room off to the side. He heard some voices but not the words and then four women came rushing out.

Didn’t they have clients or something? Did they just leave them undressed in a room ?

“Hi,” the first one said. “I’m Elle. I heard about you first. I’m friends with Nicole who waited on you at the cafe next door.”

She was a nail tech, he knew that since Sloane had told him and she rushed right back after he shook her hand.

The next had the same smock on so he assumed the same when she said her name was Taylor.

“I can tell by the look on your face you think we’ve abandoned our clients,” the next said. “Which we kind of did, but ours have product sitting on their faces. I’m Kaitlyn and this is Tessa.”

He shook hands with them too.

“You can all go back to your clients now.”

He turned and saw Sloane standing there.

“They introduced themselves quickly,” he said.

“He’s nice and sweet standing up for us,” Tessa said. “We are going.”

He watched the two ladies go back down the hall quickly, laughing and whispering quietly.

“Sorry about that,” Sloane said. “I’ve got two other employees doing massages or you’d get hit hard.”

“I guess I never realized how busy it was in here when I came.”

“We try to keep everyone separated and not waiting long. By seven thirty there are normally only a few people left and finishing up.”

“I should try to come earlier,” he said.

He looked at his watch. It was a little after six. Since Sloane had no one else scheduled after him, she’d told him he could show up anytime and she’d work around it. He wanted to be here at six and that was the time of his appointment but he’d gotten behind with his patients.

“It’s fine,” she said. “You know that. ”

He followed her back down the hall and into the room he always used.

“Is this the only room you do massages in?”

“This is my room,” she said. “Yes. We’ve got three massage rooms here and each has their own. I’ve thought of hiring another part-time person who could work when the others aren’t and share their rooms.”

“Are you busy enough for it?” he asked.

“We are,” she said. “And maybe I need to do a little less. I’m used to having no life, but I seem to be getting one.”

He leaned down and kissed her. “I’m glad you’re getting one.”

“Me too. Do I have to step out to let you undress?”

There was humor in her eyes. “You can stay. It’s not like you haven’t seen it before.”

She shut the door and went about turning on soft music as always and getting her oils out.

He undressed, but she wasn’t watching him do it.

Even if she was, he wouldn’t care.

“What do you want me to work on today?” she asked and turned. He was climbing in with his underwear on. “And I think we are at a point where you can take them off.”

She was laughing at him.

“I like that extra barrier,” he said. “More so now that I don’t have to worry about holding back my reaction to you.”

“All the more reason to take them off,” she said. “But you can keep them.” She’d let out a loud mock sigh.

What the hell? He dropped them down and laid them on the bench with his pants.

“Happy?” he asked.

“Always,” she said. “But you didn’t tell me what you wanted and since you’re on your back I’m going to guess your legs to start, then your shoulders and arms? ”

“Sure,” he said. He knew the longer she touched him the more he’d react so might as well start out front up.

“Sorry about my staff,” she said. “But I did warn you.”

“It’s fine,” he said. She moved around to the top of him, behind his head, her slick hands sliding under his back to feel around. “How about a kiss?”

“Oh,” she said. “My clients shouldn’t ask for that.”

He felt his face blush and she laughed at him but leaned down and kissed him on the lips.

“Sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have asked for that.”

“You’re tense,” she said, smiling bright. He didn’t remember her smiling like this before with the other massages.

Or maybe he just felt this huge connection to her on more than a physical level.

“I didn’t think I was.”

“Relax,” she said. “The door is closed. No one will come in. You’re no different than any other client to them.”

“I don’t think they feel that way,” he said drily.

“They will get over it fast enough,” she said.

She was talking and moving like she always did over his body.

“Did you eat already?” he asked.

“I did,” she said. “I brought leftovers in that I didn’t get to eat at lunch and had right before you showed up.”

“Guess dinner is out after,” he said. “And I know it’s late. Tomorrow?”

His on call was last week, he’d had his kids Thursday. He was glad to see her today, but it was hard for them to spend much time together.

He’d like her to come to his house at some point. Maybe stay the night .

But he hadn’t spent the night with her once either and didn’t know how to broach it.

She started later than him and this weekend he’d have the kids.

There would be a way to work around it somehow, he was sure.

What he wasn’t sure about was why he was trying to plan it all out so much when they said spontaneity worked for them.

“I checked my schedule and my last appointment should end around six or so,” she said. “If you want to come get me around six thirty, we can get dinner, but then I need to come back and close. Heather is off tomorrow and Kaitlyn is done at five.”

“You’ll be here alone?” he asked, frowning.

“No,” she said. “Never that. There are always at least two of us here, even if it’s the front desk. But Heather and Kaitlyn are the only two employees I let close. One of them is almost always here later with me, but it fell this way.”

“Got it,” he said. “We can grab dinner and I’ll bring you back. I’d like to cook you dinner sometime. Maybe Sunday afternoon? Would you be interested in staying the night after?”

“I’d like that,” she said. “What time are you bringing the kids back to Mel’s?”

“Nine that morning,” he said.

He liked she was so willing to do this and was glad it was working out even planning something.

“I can come over late morning or so. I’ll come in here and get a few things done and leave for the day. Heather is working.”

He smiled. “Were you hoping this would happen?”

She knew his schedule with the kids at this point. Or could easily figure it out.

“I just knew that you’d be free and I had the spa covered if I wanted to slip out early and we could do something.”

He leaned up on his elbow. “Can I surprise you with plans for the day?”

“I’d like that,” she said. She moved to start on his legs and he lay back down. “I don’t do much. I never really have. I’m open for anything.”

“Then I’ll figure it out,” he said.

“Feel good?” she asked. “You’re still tight. Like you’re tensing all your muscles.”

Because he didn’t want his dick to rise up and join the party and it was damn hard when she was touching him.

“I had a harder workout yesterday.”

She laughed at him. As if she knew he was fibbing.

“Why don’t you turn over and I’ll tackle your back.”

Thank God.

She held the blanket up and he rolled. She shifted the bed and lowered it by his hips a little bit.

“Why did you do that?” he asked. “Though it is more comfortable.”

“Thought you might need the extra room,” she said. “The bed lowers in lots of places. In the chest area for women with large breasts. Hips for people who are a bit boney.”

“Ha ha,” he said.

She laughed and leaned over to kiss his shoulder. “I meant thin or skinny people whose hip bones protrude. Not the other kind of bone, though I’m flattered.”

Good thing he was face down so she couldn’t see his embarrassment over that statement .

But at least lying down now he didn’t have to worry about hiding what he was feeling while she touched him.

It made him think of the massage she’d given him at her house a few weeks ago. Just an informal one that was more sexual than medicinal.

She got to work on his back and they chatted like they normally did only this time it was much more personal and relaxed. As if they were on a date but they weren’t.

“Are you done?” he asked when she was tucking the sheets around him and then lightly patting all his muscles. He knew that was routine at the end of the massage and it felt as if the time flew by.

“I am,” she said. “Why don’t you roll over?”

“You’re not leaving the room like you normally do for me to get dressed?” he asked. He knew he was sporting some serious wood and wanted to calm down.

“Sure,” she said. “But I’ll be right back.”

She left the room and he sat up and took a deep breath.

Yep, that was a mistake to not have any clothing on for this.

It was as if she did that on purpose.

He looked at the clock and saw it was a few minutes before eight and they’d been in here much longer than his ninety minutes.

He was standing up to get his clothing when she came back in and shut the door. He sat back on the bed quickly to try to cover himself wondering if someone else might have seen him that was walking by.

The look on her face with the smile added had him curious, but not as much as her pushing him back onto the bed to lie down.