Strictly Business [Stud Service 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (14 page)

“Well, you can relax now.” Brian picked up a bottle of oil and rubbed it between his hands. “You’re in good hands.”

“Thank you.” She mumbled the words the moment his talented hands hit her skin. Nimble fingertips smoothed the oil all over her exposed skin. A pleasant, minty scent filled her nostrils, and she closed her eyes against the pleasurable sensations.

“Sometimes I find it helps to talk about my troubles.” He seemed very empathetic.

“I don’t normally talk about my problems with complete strangers.” She let out a twisted chuckle.

She felt the first of the hot stones glide along her muscles, and she let the breath hiss between her teeth.

“It’s part of my job to see you relaxed. Forgive me if I overstepped my bounds.” His hands massaged her shoulders and back before placing hot stones upon her back. She felt the blood rush through her body and respond to the heat, opening herself up and relaxing.

“You were just trying to help.” She let out another wistful sigh. It probably wouldn’t matter if she told this one guy her troubles. It wasn’t like she was going to see him again. Ever. “Not many people understand.”

“Try me.”

“Okay, but you asked for it. Normal people are allowed to figure out who they want to marry and wait to have kids, but my mom is so excited to have a grandkid that she is willing to cut off my trust fund money to make sure I get pregnant.”

“Sounds...complicated.”

“It is. Especially when I don’t even have a boyfriend.”

“So let me get this straight, they want grandchildren without a father?”

“Mmm-hmmm. Now you see my problems with it. I have a life, I have a career, and they want me to go find a sperm donor.”

“Any takers?”

She groaned. “Not really, but that isn’t exactly the thing you want to mention on a first date. Hi, my name is Susie, and I need to have kids right now.”

“Yeah, that would be a downer.”

“I even met someone I like, and I think we could have been right for each other, but I don’t want him to think I was interested in him just for his sperm.”

“I understand.” The hot stones were placed strategically all over her body, on the palms of her hands and in between her toes.

“Do you? I am afraid if I tell him what’s going on in my life I might chase him away. Colt’s been so good to me.”

“Colt Vance? The hotel owner?” His gentle touch stopped.

Alarmed, Susannah nearly sat up. How could she be so stupid as to say his name? Of course all the employees knew his name. He was an icon here. “Yes, but please don’t tell him about my situation. I’ll tell him when the time is right, but I just want to enjoy what we have for now.” She tried to read Brian’s face. She had never felt so scared that she might lose something she cherished with Colt, and she didn’t know what they had yet. She could hardly call this love in the first days, but she would like to be able to in the future. “I really like him.”

“Colt’s a good man.”

“I know.” She blushed and turned her face away so he wouldn’t see it. She didn’t understand why they connected so quickly, but she liked him. A lot. “That’s why I don’t want to hurt him.”

“Do you know what? I think you are a good woman.”

“Are you going to tell him?” She felt her stomach turn at the idea of him finding out her life secrets.

“No, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

Susannah let out a relieved breath with those words of reassurance. Whoosh. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until that moment.

The hot stones seemed to be doing their job of relaxing her muscles. It almost felt she took a sleeping pill before she came in for the massage.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

Susannah felt a sense of peace and calm.

He waited for her to relax and the stones to cool before beginning to remove them. “Feel better?”

“Yes,” she mumbled.

Her body felt like a wet noodle. It was so relaxed she wasn’t sure she would be able to stand when the massage was over.

Brian put the stones down back in the oven and used his hands directly on her body to help massage the skin and deeply penetrate the muscles.

“Are there any areas of your body you need help with or experience pain in?” he asked.

“No. It all feels so good,” Susannah murmured.

“Then I’ll just help you to relax, and your session will be over in a few minutes.”

She closed her eyes against the pleasurable sensations. “Thank you, Brian.”

It was an amazing experience.

When it was time to leave, Susannah didn’t want to go. She watched him leave and let a few minutes pass before she got the strength to get off the table and dress again.

The hot stone massage was really enjoyable, and it wasn’t just the massage but finally getting the pressure she was feeling off of her chest. Her sisters understood because they were each going through the same thing, but she couldn’t imagine anyone else in the world knowing what it meant to her.

When she paid for the massage at the counter, she doubled Brian’s tip. It was nice to use him like a therapist, and she was sure that wasn’t part of his usual job description.
 

Susannah returned to her cottage to take a nice, long nap, and when she faced the world again, she felt like a new woman.

She was still several hours out from being able to see her lover Colt, and she had energy and time to burn.

She wanted to stay near the hotel in case he had any free time or her bags suddenly arrived.

She could spend it watching hours of television locked up in her room, or she could get some fresh air and work on her tan.

Susannah opted for the last option. She craved sunshine like other people hungered for food. It made her happier to be in the great outdoors.

Weighing her options, she decided to go swimming and sit by the pool for a few hours. She gathered up her things and got dressed in a bathing suit, matching sarong, and flip-flops. Large, oversized sunglasses topped her head, and she pulled her long hair back in a French twist away from her neckline.

A quick coat of sun lotion and a good book, and she was ready to go.

She whistled on her journey to the pool, filled with an inner happiness. The pool wasn’t busy at all, which was surprising considering the heat of the day.

She claimed a lounge by the bar with her towel and set her oversized bag to the side of her chair. After making herself comfortable, she set down to read a new book by her favorite romance author.

A few pages turned before she was rudely interrupted by a man shadowing her body.

“Comfy, ice princess?” The familiar, deep voice set her teeth on edge.

“Excuse me? Why can’t you go bother someone else? I have three other sisters you could be following around.”

Ethan glared at her and folded his arms over his chest. “They aren’t on Daddy’s shit list.”

“Neither am I. Have you called him lately? He’s turned the credit cards back on and is giving me another six months before my ultimatum kicks in.”

“Well, aren’t you the manipulative little…” Ethan shook his head.

“Little what? I hope you weren’t going to call me any names, because my daddy would be very disappointed in your behavior.” She put the book down and smirked at him.

“I am sure you aren’t used to having anyone talk back to you. Are you? In fact, I’m pretty sure no one ever stands up to you.”

“You might be surprised.”

“I think it’s time you get what’s coming to you,” he said before coming within inches of her body.

“What are you doing?” she screeched as he lifted her in the air, and she hung tightly onto his shoulders with both hands, barely noticing it took him any effort. “You’re going to drop me!”

“If I dropped you it wouldn’t be an accident,” he teased back.

She turned her head, noting he approached the edge of the pool. They were precariously close to the edge. The blue water ripples glistened white in the sunlight.

“You wouldn’t dare!” At the same time as she protested, she knew she was pressing her luck. She scrambled to get a better grip, or higher up. At the very least she wanted to take him in the water, too, if he threw her in.

“Paybacks are a bitch, aren’t they?” His voice was determined, and she knew he was going to throw her in.

“No—Ethan, don’t!” Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

He tossed her in front of him, and she turned in midair, grabbing tightly onto his arms.

She didn’t mind getting wet. She was an experienced swimmer and physically fit, but it was an assault to her ego to get thrown in the pool without taking the guy in with her. She was strong enough she wasn’t about to go in by herself. He went in with her.

She sputtered and spurted a mouthful of water back into the pool.

He was fully clothed and completely drenched. His soggy hat brim nearly touched his eyebrows.

Ethan wasn’t wet enough as far as Susannah was concerned. She sprayed him with water, splashing as hard as she could.

“My father is going to hear about this!”

Ethan belted out laughter from deep in his chest. “That’s just what I’d expect you to say, princess.”

She couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity of her situation, and his laughter was contagious. Finally she stopped being so angry and rolled her eyes at him. It had been a long time since she paid men any heed at all, and when she suddenly took notice to one of them, nothing they did or said made any sense.

All the fight left her, and suddenly she didn’t want to argue anymore. It seemed pointless to continue a bitter feud with a man she barely met.

“Hey! Where are you going?” He tried to run in the water to catch up to her.

“I want to go dry off, Ethan,” she said, feeling perplexed.

“You’re not mad anymore?”

She shook her head. “I am not going to hold it against you for being here. If my father insisted on you coming, then you have a job to do. I just hope we can be adults about this.”

“Really? Just like that you want to let everything go? You aren’t going to run anymore? I don’t have to chase you across the island and guess which airport you are flying out of, or play detective?”

“You can do anything you want. I am not going to play games with you, Ethan. I am just going to ask you to back off a little and give some space and privacy.”

“Okay.” He seemed stunned, but she felt a sense of peace. This trip wasn’t about proving herself to anyone anymore.

“Truce?” She extended her hand, and he waited a moment before taking it in his and responding.

He looked skeptical. One eyebrow arched high, but he was willing to agree to a shaky agreement not to fight for a short time. “Agreed. Truce.”

Susannah smiled. Ethan could make her last week here hell while she was waiting for the research vessel, but if they could have some sort of truce maybe she had a chance of all this working out in her favor.

“Remember, just a little bit of space is all I ask.” She used the handrail to glide up the stairs and stopped when she heard him mutter something behind her.

“What was that?” She turned around and suddenly asked him.

“Nothing, princess. I will try and behave if you will.” Somehow she didn’t fully believe Ethan, but his word was all she could go by. For now, it had to be good enough.

* * * *

Colt Vance was knocking at her door by six o’ clock that evening. She leaned against the door and took in his six-foot-tall, sexy frame of maleness.

“Why, hello there, sexy!” She brightened whenever Colt was near her.

“Susannah, I should have called, but I wanted to see you in person. I hate to break our plans for the evening, but I have to go check on another business tonight in Jamaica. It’s rather hectic trying to get two restaurants opened at the same time.”

“Oh.” She felt disappointment hit her belly hard as a rock.

He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I hate to do this, but…”

“I could go with you.” It was a spur of the moment thing. She didn’t think about how awkward that might sound until the words were already out there.

He looked stunned.

She panicked. “Unless of course you don’t want me to. I am fine with that, too.”

“No, it’s a good idea. I didn’t think about that because I didn’t want to bore you with business, but I’d love to show you the site of the nightclub we’ll be opening.”

“Really? Because I wouldn’t want to intrude or invite myself.” Like she just did. She winced inwardly.

“Come with me. I think it will be nice to have your company.” His offer seemed genuine, and she didn’t want to spend another day away from Colt. “You may even be able to help me.”

She smiled and hoped she wouldn’t end up in getting in his way. “Okay. Just let me get my jacket.”

“Great.”

She felt his eyes on her as she went back to her bedroom and retrieved a light jacket. It wasn’t meant to be much protection from the elements. The thin, black material might provide a slight advantage against the wind, but it was meant to be pretty, not practical.