Prince of Air and Darkness (11 page)

Trying to feel pleased that he had come up with a clever seduction tool, Hunter poured himself another cup of coffee and told himself his conscience was fully under control.

Chapter 6

Kiera was staring at the horseshoe her mother had given her when the phone rang. Shaking her head at herself for even considering her mother’s crazy notions, she answered. When Hunter’s voice greeted her, her heart fluttered.

“Oh. Hi,” she said, feeling like a nervous teenager. What did you say to a client who’d almost felt you up in an elevator? Especially when you didn’t know if you were more relieved or disappointed that you’d stopped him?

“I feel like the world’s worst heel,” he told her.

Somehow, that hadn’t been what she’d been expecting from him, and she became even more tongue-tied. She tried to force some words of forgiveness from her dry mouth, but he continued before she could manage it.

“I can only claim temporary insanity. I’m really not the type to take advantage of someone like that, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said when she could find her voice. “It really wasn’t a big deal.” Pathetic lie, perhaps, but maybe if she said it enough times she’d convince herself.

“It was to me. I’m ashamed of myself, and I’d like the chance to make it up to you.”

“Really, Hunter, that isn’t necessary. Let’s just forget about it, okay? I should have your website done in three more days.”

Her attempt to sidetrack him with talk of business failed miserably. “I’d like to offer you a free massage.”

Kiera’s heart seemed to skip a beat as her mind filled with images of lying naked on a table with his hands on her. The thought sent a shiver from the top of her head all the way down to her toes.

“I would, of course, promise to behave in a thoroughly professional manner. There would be no repeat of the elevator scene.”

“That’s a very nice offer,” she began, “but—”

“You’re probably reluctant to be alone with me after the way I acted, but Kiera this is my business. I’ve had some very beautiful women as clients, and I haven’t once made a pass at any of them. Aside from any professional ethics, I could very well ruin my business by acting in an inappropriate manner with a client. You’d be quite safe with me.”

Kiera frowned; she couldn’t imagine feeling safe with Hunter. Even his name declared him a predator. But the idea of having his hands on her, of letting those strong, lithe fingers press into the tight muscles of her back, filled her with heat.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I have a feeling it might be tempting fate.”

“It’s been weeks since I’ve given a massage. I’m out of practice.”

She laughed. “If that’s the case, maybe I should wait until you’re at your best once more. You don’t want to make a bad impression, do you?”

“I’ve never had a woman play hard-to-get over a massage before. Come on, what could it possibly hurt?”

She was beginning to weaken. She’d only ever had a massage twice, both times because a friend had given her a gift certificate. She’d enjoyed it, but not enough to pay eighty dollars of her own money for another. And she’d already had a brief sample of Hunter’s wares when he’d rubbed her shoulders in the elevator.

A sudden thought brought her up short just as she was about to accept his offer. “I just referred a friend of mine to you, and you told him you weren’t open for business.”

“I wasn’t, at the time. My massage table only arrived yesterday.”

He’d answered smoothly, but Kiera’s irritating instincts told her he was lying. She told her instincts to go to hell, but they didn’t listen. “I’m sure, um, Lee will be thrilled to hear that you’re open now.” Jackson had told her he’d used a fake name when he’d called Hunter, but she couldn’t help stumbling over it.

Was it her imagination, or did he hesitate a beat before answering? “You’re trying to deflect my attention from the subject at hand. I will worry about Mr. Lovelace’s ailing back later. Right now, my concern is you. Let me make amends, please.”

What was the point of resisting? Damn it, even though he made her nervous, she had to admit she wanted the massage. Not for sexual reasons, of course. It was just such a decadent pleasure, and Hunter promised to be good at it. And how could she turn down a free massage by a hot guy?

“All right, all right. You win. I lose.”

He laughed. “I hope you won’t feel like you’ve lost when I’m finished with you.”

“If I do, I’ll ask for my money back,” she teased.

“And I will, of course, refund every penny,” he promised in a mock-serious tone. “Now, when would you like to come?”

She shrugged. “I hadn’t given it any thought.”

“How about three o’clock?”

Apparently, he
had
given it some thought. No doubt he’d entered this debate certain he would win. The idea irked her. “How about four instead,” she said, not because she had any objection to three but because she wanted the illusion of being in control.

“Four it is. Wear loose, comfortable clothing that you don’t mind getting massage oil on.”

“Will do,” she agreed, even as heat filled her once more. Her skin felt a phantom touch of oiled hands, and she wondered if she’d just made a terrible mistake.

****

All was prepared, but that didn’t stop Hunter from taking yet another turn around the room, checking and rechecking. Yes, he had a relaxing CD in the stereo; yes, he had matches with which to light the scented candles; yes, he remembered the pattern of strokes he planned to use. No, he no longer had his knife up his sleeve.

Damn,
he thought as he came to a stop in his pacing. He was
nervous
. He couldn’t remember feeling this way ever before. And all because he was going to have Kiera under his hands when he had no intention of making a move on her. He took a deep, steadying breath. It wouldn’t do to act nervous when she arrived. Which, if he had a read on her habits, she would do late. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost four.

Hunter slipped out of the massage room, prowling the apartment restlessly. He stopped in his bedroom in front of the full-length mirror that faced the bed. His nervousness still showed in his eyes, and he spent an anxious moment staring at himself in an effort to school his expression. The idea of spending more than an hour in Kiera’s presence without using his glamour, without even trying to seduce her, made him feel downright panicky. Never before had he realized how much of his life he spent acting a part; never before now, when he was determined to be himself.

What if Kiera didn’t like the real him?

The doorbell rang.

“Will you
relax
!” he snarled at his reflection when he saw what the sound of that bell had done to his face. The doorbell rang a second time before he reached the door.

Hunter took a deep, steadying breath before opening the door, then put on a practiced smile before remembering he was trying to be himself. When he saw Kiera standing there, the smile almost died. She looked as nervous as he felt, her smile failing to reach her eyes, and he felt instantly guilty that he was putting her through this ordeal.

Getting a massage is not an ordeal,
he reminded himself as he firmed up his smile. “Come in, come in,” he said, stepping back and opening the door wider. He saw her swallow hard before she stepped into the room. Between the two of them, they could probably fuel an adrenaline factory for a week. He needed to lighten the mood immediately, so he tried for a little humor.

He glanced at his watch. “You’re right on time. I wasn’t expecting you for at least another ten minutes.”

She gave him a dirty look, but the jest seemed to break the ice, and she looked a little less tense. “Well, they usually tell you to arrive at least ten minutes early to fill out all the paperwork.”

“That explains it, then.” He reached out and put his hand lightly on her arm. “Come, let me show you to my office.”

She tensed again ever so slightly at his touch. “What about the paperwork?”

His research had failed to turn up the fact that there was any paperwork involved, but he figured he could bluff his way through this easily enough. He grinned. “I’m not officially open for business yet, remember? And this is a freebie. So, no paperwork required.” Yes, he was being himself, all right—lying through his teeth. Hunter shoved the thought aside.

She allowed him to guide her back to the massage room, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the frown that creased her brow. He’d never met anyone quite so suspicious before. Either he wasn’t as smooth a liar as he thought, or her instincts were just too canny to be fooled.

He thought her suspicions went down a notch when she stepped into the massage room, which he knew looked highly professional. Money had been no object, so he had ordered only the best equipment, and he had looked at plenty of pictures from the most elegant and expensive spas from around the world.

The lights were low, giving the room a tranquil atmosphere without making it feel dim or gloomy. A tall indoor fountain bubbled gently against one wall, and his cart of lotions and oils stood amidst lush potted ferns.

Hunter gave her a moment to look around while he lit the scented candles that flanked the doorway in simple wall sconces. The scent of sulfur and smoke momentarily marred the atmosphere, and he reminded himself to use a lighter instead of matches if he ever did this again.

Kiera was rubbing her hands absently against the legs of her wide-leg knit pants, and he wondered if her palms were sweating.
His
certainly were. Feigning assurance, he stepped up to the massage table and folded back the sheets.

“I’ll leave you for a couple of moments,” he said, then paused to clear his throat when he heard how husky his voice came out. “I’ll start you off face down.” He forced another smile. “If your back is anywhere near as tight today as it was before, it’ll need lots of extra attention. You can, uh, leave your underwear on or take it off, whichever makes you more comfortable.”

She fixed him with a stare that did funny things to his insides, but he met her eyes as innocently as possible. That was the standard spiel. Nothing sexual about it. But the idea of her lying entirely naked beneath that sheet . . . Better not to think about it. He’d purposely worn a pair of blue jeans—not the most standard of massage attire—because the heavy denim would help hide the arousal he’d been certain he would feel. However, denim could only do so much.

He cleared his throat once more. “I’ll knock before I come in,” he finished, then slipped out of the room quickly before he embarrassed himself any further.

He needed to pull himself together and fast. The plan was to make her feel less threatened by him while at the same time getting her to associate him with things sensual. To do that, he’d have to keep at least a bit of professional distance. It wouldn’t do to have a hard-on the entire time he was in the room with her. He closed his eyes and focused on the punishment he’d suffered at Bane’s hands. That had been nothing but a wrist slap compared to what awaited him should he fail the larger mission.

The reminder wilted him immediately and he opened his eyes. Not the most pleasant way to rein in his lust, but it was effective.

Marginally more prepared, he knocked softly on the door to the massage room. After a brief hesitation, Kiera gave him permission to enter.

She’d managed to pull the sheet all the way up to her neck—a difficult feat when lying on her stomach. Her head was turned toward the doorway in what must have been an uncomfortable position, but she was obviously too uneasy to bury her face in the face cradle yet. He gave her his most reassuring smile, coming to stand beside the table.

“Warm enough?” he asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, then. Go ahead and put your face in the cradle.”

The sheet rose and fell with her deep breath, but she turned her head and wriggled until she was comfortable. Hunter took a deep breath himself as he folded back the sheet to reveal the smooth, creamy expanse of her back. His cock twitched, and he drew in another breath, drawing the sheet farther down to reveal the first swell of her hips. He stopped when he caught a glimpse of the elastic waistband of her panties. What a surprise, she had kept them on. And they reached practically to her waist. Did she usually wear granny panties, or were these just for him?

He tucked the sheet into the waistband of her panties and drew them a little lower down her hips. He saw the muscles in her back clench, but he chose not to acknowledge her tension. Lowering them was perfectly acceptable, for they would get in the way when he worked on her lower back. There was nothing sexual in it whatsoever.

Hunter couldn’t help the little smile that curved his lips. He wondered how many times he would repeat that little refrain before this hour was up.

He flipped on the stereo, and the soft, vague strains of New Age violins joined the burble of the fountain. He squirted massage oil onto his hands and rubbed them together to warm it.

When his hands first touched her back, both of them tensed. The feel of her against his palms sent an arrow of desire from his hands through his arms to his groin. By the time he’d finished the first broad stroke, he was fully erect and Kiera was even more tense than she’d been when she walked in.

Ignoring as best he could the throbbing in his groin, Hunter closed his eyes and concentrated on what he’d learned about massage, concentrated on keeping the pressure from his hands firm and even, concentrated on keeping the strokes slow and unhurried.

Somewhere along the way, Kiera’s muscles began to respond, the tension draining out of them drop by drop until she was completely pliant beneath his hands. He risked opening his eyes and was pleased to discover his lust had calmed from a rolling boil to a gentle—and not unpleasant—simmer. He changed from the broad strokes that covered her entire back into a more focused stroke that concentrated on the tightness of her shoulders. It didn’t take long for him to find isolated spots that felt strangely harder than the rest of her muscles and he worked each until it softened and relaxed. He didn’t need to ask if the pressure was too much; she had gone so limp he was certain he wasn’t hurting her.