Claimed by a Stranger (Craved Series #2) (9 page)

I followed the
signs for the spa like it was a scavenger hunt, trying not to dwell on the fact
that someone else would be massaging Audrey.

At least for a
little while anyway.

Once I reached
the spa, I walked down so many narrow teak hallways I started to feel like I
was in some kind of Thai Alice and Wonderland. I passed a room full of tiny
gold Buddhas, a room full of trickling fountains, and a room full of rich
maroon and gold tapestries.

Finally, I
pushed open a door that revealed what I really came to see: Audrey’s smiling
face.

“Hi,” she said,
standing up as I entered the room. She was wearing her white hotel robe and matching
slippers.

“Hello again,”
I said, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. “How are you today?”

“Good,” she
said, her lips pink and shiny.

I searched her
eyes for clues. I wanted to know how she slept, if she lied awake thinking of
me, if she wanted to skip the massage and let me wear her out myself, but I also
wanted to play it cool.

After all, last
night didn’t mean to her what it meant to me. It couldn’t have. It was too
ridiculous to even consider. I’m sure she had her pick of men back home.

“You?” she
asked.

“I’m great,” I
said. “I went on a wonderful date last night with the most gorgeous woman.”

She took a
seat on the bench. “Is that so?”

“Yeah,” I
said, sitting beside her.

She batted her
eyelashes. “Gorgeous, huh?

“You wouldn’t
even believe someone like her existed unless you saw her yourself.”

She rolled her
eyes.

“I know I
didn’t.”

“Funny you
mention that,” she said. “I went on a date myself last night.”

“How was it?”

“Pretty good.”

I raised my
eyebrows. “Pretty good?! That’s all? Pretty good?”

She shrugged
and smiled at me.

“I have half a
mind to rip your robe open right now and see if I can’t change your mind.”

She pursed her
lips. “I’m sure there’s nothing under my robe you haven’t seen before.”

“That’s
exactly why I want to tear it off you so bad.”

She blushed
and glanced down at her lap. “I’m really looking forward to this. I’ve never
had a Thai massage before.”

“Well you’re
in for a treat,” I said. “They’re famous for good reason.”

A few minutes
later, a short Thai woman in a silk purple uniform entered the room and offered
a ceremonious smile. She held the curtain opened and gestured for us to enter. After
ducking past it, we walked down a long hallway to an open door and stepped
inside.

The room was
shaped like a large wooden gazebo and smelled of Jasmine, and the skylights were
covered by leafy green trees so it wasn’t too bright.

In the center
of the room, another masseuse was waiting. She bowed when we entered and handed
each of us a thin tunic to put on before pointing to opposite corners of the
room, each featuring an ornate room divider for us to change behind.

I hated the
idea of Audrey being naked in the room with me and not being able to see her,
but I did my best to be a gentleman, reminding myself that I had all day to
make a move and that it would be easier once the masseuse did the hard work for
me.

Once I’d
changed, I came around the room divider and saw both masseuses kneeling on the
ground next to thin mats that were lying parallel on the floor. Audrey stepped
out a moment later and the women gestured for us to lie down.

As soon as I
sat down, I spoke to Audrey’s masseuse briefly in Thai. The woman looked down
at Audrey’s bandaged foot before nodding back at me, and I was relieved that my
words had come out right.

“I thought you
said you could only read menus?” Audrey asked.

“I looked it
up this morning. Thought it might come in handy.”

“Thanks,” she
said. “It was nice of you to go to the trouble.”

“It’s nothing.
Besides, I can’t have her messing up my fine work now, can I?” I smiled and lay
down on my back. “And don’t be a hero,” I said. “Let her know if she’s being
too firm.”

“Okay.” Audrey
lay down and rested her head on the small folded towel behind her. 

For an hour
and a half the woman kneaded my body until it felt like a soft pudding, working
down from my head to my toes, guiding me into all kinds of different sitting
and lying positions.

As always, despite
the fact that the masseuse had hands the size of a small child’s, the strength
in her fingers and palms blew me away. I couldn’t help but be impressed with
her skill as I enjoyed the barely audible music, which sounded like a medley of
the xylophone’s greatest hits.

I did groan a
little when the woman was folding me like an accordion, crunching my legs up
against my chest and splaying them out to the side so she could press her heels
against my inner thighs. Of course, I didn’t dare make a fuss in front of
Audrey no matter how uncomfortable I was. My ego simply wouldn’t allow it.

Plus, I was
too busy listening to the sound of Audrey giggling and apologizing every time
the woman touched her unbandaged foot which made everyone laugh, even the
masseuses who seemed keen to retain their professional composure.

When they
finally stopped, Audrey and I laid in silence as soft and immobile as if we
were moss growing on our respective mats.

A few minutes
later, one of the women returned with a tray. It had two small teacups on it and
a glass teapot full of floating flowers that seeped orange into the boiling
water.

After setting
it down, the masseuse smiled at us and pulled the door closed on her way out,
perhaps to give us some privacy as we tried to transition back to reality.

“Well?” I
asked, laying on my side and propping my head up on my hand. “What did you
think?”

“I think I’m
going to ask her to marry me.”

I laughed.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Enjoyed is
not a strong enough word,” she said, rolling over to face me. “I think I got
high off it.”

“It’s the
incense. It’s laced with opium.”

Her eyebrows jumped
up her face. “Really?”

I shook my
head. “No.”

She rolled her
eyes. “How about you? Did you like it?”

“Yeah. Except
for the part when she tried to bend my leg in three ways it doesn’t go all at
once.”

Audrey smiled.
“Maybe you should work on your flexibility.”

“Maybe I
should.” I sat up just enough that I could pour the orange tea into each cup.
“Are you offering to help?”

She shrugged.
“I might be able to show you a few things.”

I set the
teapot down. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Seriously,
though. That was exhausting.” She rolled onto her back again and let her arms
fall to her sides. “I thought I’d feel invigorated, but I’m like a wet noodle.”

I looked at
the thin tunic draping her body and got jealous. “How wet are you exactly?” I
asked, keeping my eyes on her as I peered over the edge of my teacup.

She rolled her
head to the side and squinted at me.

“Actually,” I
said, “there was one thing I didn’t like about the massage.”

“Besides the
leg bending?”

“Yeah.” 

“What?”

“I was really
jealous of how her hands were all over you like that.”

She sat up on
her elbows. “Can I tell you something that’s been bothering me?”

“Of course.”

“I’m not sure
if you’re a really great kisser or if I just had a lot to drink last
night.” 

His eyes narrowed at me in just the way I was hoping they would.

And I was so pleased with myself for being flirtatious and coy
when what I really wanted to do was admit that I wished it had been his hands
on me, too. Then I would’ve been aroused when it ended instead of soupy feeling
and sexually frustrated.

I mean, last night had been the longest night of my life, and I
couldn’t wait to have him again, to drink him in like he had me, to explore
every inch of him.

As long as I didn’t have to wake up from this dream, I only wanted
to go deeper into it. I was desperate to give myself to him in every way he
would take me, to talk dirty again, to have him pin my hands above my head and tear
me open until I was lightheaded.

I pursed my lips.

He set down his tea and crawled over to my mat. That’s when I
noticed that the tunics they’d given us didn’t look entirely unlike scrubs, and
I felt full of electricity as he lay on his side next to me, his tan face
framing his blue eyes.

“Sorry,” he said, furrowing his brow. “What was it that you said
was bothering you?”

“I don’t know if you’re a good kisser or if I was just drunk?”

“You tell me,” he said, leaning in and grazing his mouth against
mine.

Our lips caught on each other and he dragged his tongue along my
top lip before slipping it into my mouth. His breath was sweet and he tasted
like tangerine tea. I could feel his hunger for me growing as I kissed him back,
and the feeling lit a fire in my stomach that brought my lazy limbs back to
life.

He put a hand around my lower back and pulled my body against
his. Then he slid his hand over my ass and down the back of my thigh until my
leg was over his hip, his fingers sinking into my thigh.

With the
little strength I had, I pressed my hips against his and ran a hand up his
chest, crumpling his tunic in my fist and pulling him towards me, sucking his
tongue into my mouth as he reached around me and slid his hand between my
thighs.

Suddenly, a
soft knock at the door caused us to bounce apart like we were spring loaded. By
the time the small woman’s head peeked in to see if we were still there, Jack
had already put his towel over his lap and was facing away from the door.

“We were just
going,” I said.

After the woman
nodded and left, I looked down at the towel over Jack’s crotch and laughed.

“I’m glad
you’re amused.”

“You started
it.”

“Did I?” he
asked.

“You most
certainly did.”

“Oh,” he said.
“Well in that case, I’d like to finish what I started.”

I swallowed. “Maybe
you’d like to come back to my room for a drink? It’s nice and cool and-”

He rose to his
feet. “Will you be serving what you were serving last night?”

“If that’s
what you feel like.”

He smiled and
walked over to his divider, but he didn’t walk around it. Instead, he just
pulled his tunic off over his head so he was standing there shirtless, his
pants pulling across his hips where his dick was nearly bursting through the
thin fabric.

I couldn’t
move.

He kept his
eyes on me as he untied the thin string and pulled his pants down, revealing
nothing except the hard-on he had for me. “And what about you?” he asked,
reaching for his clothes hanging over the divider. “Are you thirsty?”

I nodded,
staring at his dick throbbing across the room as shamelessly as if I were
behind a two way mirror. “Why?” I asked, bringing the small cup of tangerine
tea to my lips and drinking it in one go.

There was a
flash of mischief in his eyes.

I set the cup
down and sat up on my knees, watching him slip his pants back on and stuff his
dick back inside them.

I stood up, walked
to the side of the room where my robe was, and took one step around my divider.

“What do you
think you’re doing?”

I poked my
head back around. “I’m changing so we can get out of here.”

He shook his
head and crossed the room with his shirt in his hand. “I showed you mine. It’s
only fair that you show me yours.”

“I’m going to
show you mine as soon as we get back to the room,” I said. “Isn’t that
obvious?”

“Now.”

“But the lady
might come back and then she’ll see me.”

“That’s what
makes it so exciting.”

I looked at
his face and then at the closed door and then at his face again.

“Take off your
top first,” he said.

I pulled my
shirt off over my head. I wasn’t wearing a bra because I didn’t want the straps
to interfere with my massage, but something told me he knew that already.

When I looked
back at him, his jaw was clenched and he was looking at my breasts with a palpable
intensity.

“Now your
pants.”

I kept my eyes
on him as I untied the fabric belt and let my pants drop to the floor.

He furrowed
his brow as he lowered his gaze, shaking his head at the sight of me.

I felt
strangely exhilarated by the fact that someone might come in, but far more excited
by the fact that he clearly liked what he saw.

“If those mats
weren’t so uncomfortable, I’d have you right here.” He took a step towards me
and reached for my breasts.

I smacked his
hand away. “No touching,” I said. “You have to wait.”

“Get dressed.”

“Oh now you’re
in a hurry, are you?” I asked, feeling slightly crazed from the thrill of my
inappropriate nakedness.

“Yes,” he
said. “And you would be too if you knew what I had planned for you.”

I grabbed my
robe from the top of the divider and slipped it back on, flicking my hair over
my shoulders. “Shall we?”

He pulled his
shirt on and gestured for me to lead the way so I did, conscious that he was
probably staring at my ass with every step. But I didn’t care. Because I was
someone else with him, some kind of sex goddess that played games in the
bedroom- a muse, perhaps, as Megan had called it.

The walk back
to the room was impossibly long. I mean, I thought it was narrow and twisting
on the way down earlier, but the tension between me and Jack almost didn’t fit through
the slim corridors.

Not that I
minded the suspense. If anything, I liked knowing that he was probably going
crazy. I certainly was. After all, if we only had half as much fun as we’d had
the night before…

But something
was telling me this time would be even better.

Because this
time, we both wanted it more than ever, and there’s nothing as irresistible as
someone you can’t have. And I couldn’t have Jack- not for keeps- and that made
me want him with a riotous passion.

And as much as
I didn’t want to think about it, our time together was limited. So there was no
reason to hold back, no reason not to try everything I wanted to.

Because he was
up for it.

And I could
take it.

And take it I
would.

Every way I
knew how.