Jill crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. “You know, you and I should have lunch some time. I would like to get to know Fox the man, not Fox the businessman.”
“Look Jill, that’s never going to happen. I don’t even like working with you on a business level. I think you’re overpaid and your “consulting” is more debilitating than helpful. I don’t understand why Roman keeps you around and furthermore, why he overpays you.” If subtlety didn’t work for her, blunt force would have to do.
Jill’s mouth gaped. “Well excuse me for being nice. Let me tell you something, Fox Kemp. Roman would never let me go. So sorry if you don’t like it, but I’m here to stay.”
She stomped off and Lea walked up in the wake of Jill’s tracks.
Fox stood. “Lea, hey.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her against him.
“Hey.” Lea backed away, unease lined her face. “I know it’s none of my business, but who is that woman?”
“Lea, don’t be afraid to ask me anything, okay. That’s Jill, our business consultant slash thorn in my side. She has a hard time picking up on my get–lost vibe.”
“Does she have any reason to come on to you so strong? I mean, is she one of the women you’ve slept with?”
Fox chuckled. “Not no, but hell no. She has never appealed to me in the slightest. Did you see her? The woman’s a train wreck.”
Lea cracked a smile.
“Come on,” Fox grabbed her overnight bag and slung it over one shoulder, draped his arm around her, and led her to the private elevator just inside a side door.
Once the elevator doors closed, Fox dropped the bag to the floor, took her face in his hands and kissed her. “I’ve missed you these last couple of days. Haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
“Me too.”
Fox smiled. “Did you know that with the touch of a button, I can stop this elevator any time I want for as long as I want?”
Lea peeked at the button that Fox pointed to. “I didn’t know that.” Her lips curled up in a wry smile. “So what are you waiting for?”
Fox gave her an extended glance before he put a five–minute–long kiss on her, his hands woven in her hair.
Lea blinked slowly when he pulled away. She put her hands on the rail to balance herself. “Wow, that was better than all the sex combined I had with Brandon in a ten years.”
“Thanks my dear, I’ve got more where that came from.” Fox’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out. A text from Bianca. The massage table is all set up. If you have any guests who could use a massage send them over now. I’m giving away a couple of freebies to hone my skills.
Fox put his phone away. “You know what. I’ve got the cure for your sleeplessness.” He hit the OPEN button on the elevator and pulled her by the hand, stepping out onto the first floor. “I’m taking you for a massage.”
CHAPTER TEN
—Lea
Walking into Salon Zen, Lea felt out of place. She’d never been in such a magnificent, chic salon. Smooth Jazz music played from invisible speakers and the smell of expensive shampoo filled the air. Lea counted five female stylists all working on thick manes of beautiful hair at their individual stations. The large mirrors in front of their stations where lined with neon lights in different colors. The stylists were thin and their makeup applied with a steady hand. Their own hair looked as if it took three hours to style. Lea was in awe.
The girl at the receptionist desk said, “Follow me,” and showed Fox and Lea toward the red door at the back of the salon. She opened the door and closed it behind them after they walked inside.
“Hi guys,” Bianca said, arranging some lotions on a shelf.
Lea took a look over her shoulder at Fox. She was more than a little intimidated by the red muted lighting and lavender incense burning. There was one massage table in the center of the room. There was a shelf on wheels ahead of the table with candles burning and an assortment of massage lotions. Not to mention, this Bianca girl was very attractive. Long, straight blonde hair. It would take Lea several hundred dollars to chemically straighten her own to look like that. Her eyes were a shade of blue green that reminded Lea of the ocean, and she had a dimple in the cleft of her chin—probably the sexiest place any person could have a dimple. Oh, and she was probably no more than a hundred and twenty–five pounds. Pure, perfect woman, Lea thought. Bye bye, Fox. Lea was no competition for Bianca. She wondered how old Bianca was. She looked maybe twenty–five, twenty–six. Definitely had a few years on Karrigan.
“Who’s going first?” Bianca asked with a friendly smile. Her eyes went from Lea to Fox. Neither were forthcoming with an answer.
“Come on guys,” Bianca said. “Don’t be shy.”
Still neither spoke.
Lea wondered if Fox wanted to go. She didn’t want him to, of course; she didn’t want some beautiful girl’s hands all over her man’s body. Then again, she didn’t want to volunteer her body. How embarrassing—Fox would see her in all her glory with one misplacement of the towel. It wasn’t dark enough for that. Yeah, Lea knew he would see every part of her sooner than later, but not like this, in front of a prettier, skinnier girl. Her heart raced. Should she sacrifice her man to save her humility? “Fox, why don’t you go?”
“No, this is for you, Lea,” Fox said. He turned to Bianca. “In case you didn’t know, this is a very important guest. She’s very stressed, and I need you to do her right.”
“You bet.” Bianca stepped closer and took Lea by the hand. “Have you ever had a massage, honey?”
“No, I can’t say that I have.”
Bianca tugged on her hand. “Then let’s not wait another minute. This is something that every girl should experience in her life.”
She opened a closet door and handed Fox a fold–up chair. “Here, make yourself comfortable.” She opened another door, and said to Lea, “Go ahead and undress, honey. There’s a warm towel to wrap around yourself in the cabinet. Help yourself.”
Lea closed the door behind her and wondered if she should hurry up, undress, and get back out there before Bianca took her man, or if she should call off this whole stressful event before it went any further. It wasn’t worth being this nervous, though she believed that it would be beneficial to her health. She wiggled out of her sundress, and looked in the mirror, finger–styling her hair. She ran her hands over her belly feeling like half—no twice—the woman Bianca was. With the weight she’d put on this past year, Lea had absolutely no confidence. Still, she had to give herself credit. At least she had curves, and wasn’t shaped like a boy. There was a knock on the door. “You about ready?”
Bianca. “Uh…almost.” Lea covered herself with her arms as if anyone could see her.
“Can I come in?”
What for, Lea wondered. Still holding her arms around her breasts, she cracked the door and stood behind it. Bianca pushed it open, letting herself in, and closed the door behind her. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I’m just… a little nervous. That’s stupid, huh?”
“No way, not at all. But listen, don’t be. You’re a beautiful woman. You’re eyes are an awesome shade of blue, you have a fabulous smile, and let’s face it, Fox will get turned on seeing you getting rubbed down by a girl. Don’t you think?”
“I guess so.” Lea couldn’t get past the compliments Bianca had just paid her. It was one thing when a guy said those things; but when a girl did, it was even more flattering. Women were catty creatures, always looking for an opportunity to break other women down, never build them up. This girl was different. Lea liked her. And she did have a point about Fox loving the visual. What man wouldn’t? But how did Bianca know Lea and Fox were an item? Had he told her something while Lea was in the dressing room?
“Look,” Bianca said. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll strip down to my bra and panties, so you don’t feel so vulnerable.”
“Is that supposed to be a good idea?”
Bianca sm
iled. With no hesitation and lots of excitement, answered, “Yeah!”
Lea wasn’t so sure. Fox would never look at Lea if Bianca was half naked too. But then again, Lea would feel better. This was a no win situation, but she didn’t want to be argumentative. “Sure, I guess, go ahead.”
Bianca took off her clothes in a flash, and lay them on the back of a rack. She wore a lacy red bra and matching thongs. Her legs were a mile long. Lea wanted to cry. Bianca must have sensed her apprehension. She moved Lea’s hair out of her face, cupped her face in her hands. “Stop worrying, okay. You’re beautiful. You’re the only girl in the room.”
Lea swallowed and nodded. Bianca was standing by with a towel, and she wrapped it around Lea.
When they walked out, Fox took one look up from the magazine in his hands, and then he let it slip to the floor. “Is this the kind of massage you’re talking about giving to all the customers?” he asked, astounded.
“I’m not that kind of girl,” Bianca answered, “but Lea needed some coaxing, so I was just helping her out by revealing some skin too. If you want me to put my clothes back on, I can.”
“Maybe you should,” Fox said.
“No Fox,” Lea chimed in. “Don’t. That’s actually making me feel more comfortable.”
“Okay, if that’s really what you want.” Fox picked his magazine up, and flipped through the pages so fast there was no way he was really reading.
Bianca held Lea’s hand as she helped her onto the massage table on her stomach. She adjusted the towel down to cover Lea’s butt. “Let’s get started.” She poured some oil in her hands and rubbed them together. Lea smelled the scent in the air: cherry.
Chills erupted down Lea’s arms as soon as Bianca made the first squeeze at the top of her shoulders blades. She closed her eyes. Oh, God, this was going to awesome, wasn’t it?
Bianca moved the towel down and made figure eight strokes on Lea’s back. She felt the negative energy being lured from her body. Bianca rubbed the outside of Lea’s arms all the way down to her wrist, intertwined her fingers with Lea’s. Rubbed her fingers in and out of Lea’s. This was erotic. She didn’t know if was supposed to be, but it was. She’d nearly forgotten Fox was still in the room.
After she’d worked on Lea’s back for a few minutes, Bianca moved down to Lea’s legs. She rubbed up and down the whole length of one leg, then the other. Then she spent several minutes on each leg, kneading Lea’s calf muscles. She opened her hand around Lea’s upper leg, rubbing from knee to butt cheek with a firm grip. It was heaven. She was almost asleep when she heard Fox’s chair squeak. She looked up. Fox was standing.
“I need to step out and take a call. Be back in a few.”
“Okay.”
When Fox closed the door behind him, Lea sat up on the table, bringing the towel up over her breasts. “I don’t know why he left like that,” she told Bianca. “I hope he wasn’t upset because I was ignoring him.” She looked down at her hands in lap. “I didn’t mean to…it just…felt so good.” She was struggling with what she was feeling. Bianca’s massage had turned her on. “I should get dressed and go find him.”
Bianca was standing in front of her, her thighs touching Lea’s kneecaps. “He’s fine. Trust me, he’s not upset with you.” She moved Lea’s hair away from her neck. “I want you to know, Fox is a lucky guy. You’re very beautiful.”
Lea was floored. The entire time she was being massaged in front of Fox, she had wondered if Bianca was secretly trying to seduce him. Now that Fox was gone and Bianca was saying this to her, she was blown away. “No, you’re beautiful,” Lea said, avoiding eye contact and feeling embarrassed by the words.
“Thank you,” Bianca said, and then she let out this childlike giggle. She put her hands on Lea’s knees and pushed her legs apart so she could move in closer. Lea meet her gaze now. A moment later, Bianca leaned in and gently kissed Lea on the lips.
Oh my God. Kissing a woman was something Lea hadn’t considered in her life. She probably should have after what Brandon had put her through—women might have been a better way to go. Kissing soft, feminine lips was so different than kissing a guy with a few days’ stubble, like Brandon usually had. Bianca coaxed Lea’s lips apart and slipped her tongue past. Lea eagerly accepted her tongue and let her own move against it. Without even realizing it, she let go of the towel around her breasts, so she could caress Bianca’s neck. She gently stroked the side of her neck and let her other hand go up into the back of Bianca’s hair.
Bianca’s own hands were now giving Lea’s breasts a massage, pinching her nipples, then spreading her hand around each breast. Lea felt the warmth turn to wetness between her legs as Bianca moaned against her lips. “Have you ever been with a girl?” Bianca asked.
“No,” Lea said, with a giggle that echoed Bianca’s earlier one. She felt fifteen all over again—or was it, like a virgin all over again. Either way the excitement was almost more than she could handle. “Have you?”
“Oh, yes, it’s a beautiful thing.” She kissed Lea’s jaw and up her cheek, back to her mouth again.
“But you could have any guy you wanted,” Lea said.
“Sometimes they’re more trouble than they’re worth. That last boyfriend I had beat the crap out of me. Now I’m on a hiatus from men.”
Lea laughed. “I wish I’d thought about that after my divorce from my husband.”
“It’s not too late. You can be with me right now.” Bianca reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor.
Lea couldn’t look away. She wanted to, but she was enthralled with Bianca’s full breasts.
“Don’t be afraid,” Bianca said, grabbing both of Lea’s hands and putting them on her breasts.
Lea let her hands massage them freely, taking in the wonder of this new experience. Then the thought crossed her mind: What would Fox think if he walked back in now? “I should go. I’m sorry. It’s just, this thing with Fox is new, and I don’t want to mess things up with him. I hope you understand.”
Bianca backed away, giving Lea room to scoot off the table. “I do, hon. Fox is a nice guy. I hope things work out for you two.” She smiled. “And hey, if they don’t, give me call.”
Lea smiled. “I better go get dressed.”
—Fox
He’d been waiting outside the salon for ten minutes. Fox had heard rumors about Bianca—rumors that she liked women. And he could see where things were headed with Lea’s massage. He’d left her alone with Bianca on purpose. He had no problem sharing her with another woman; it would only prime the passion she’d have for him later. And the idea of her with another woman was a complete turn on. But he doubted Lea would have allowed it to progress had he stayed seated.
When Lea swung open the door, walking out of the salon, Fox rose from the seat he’d taken in a nearby cove with plush seats. He walked up to her and grabbed her by the hand. “Enjoy yourself?” he asked as he started toward the elevator.
“I did,” Lea said.
Inside the private elevator, Fox stayed quiet, waiting to see what—if anything—she’d reveal to him.
One, two, three…
“Fox, why did you walk out like that? Were you upset with me for letting Bianca massage me in her bra and panties?”
Fox pushed the button that kept the elevator from moving. “On the contrary,” he said, pulling her against him. “I was getting hard just watching. But, I thought you might find it more enjoyable if I wasn’t standing by.”
“Oh.”
“So, what happened when I left, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Lea grinned. “You knew what was going on, didn’t you?”
“I have heard that Bianca appreciates the company of women.”
“We kissed,” Lea admitted, and Fox noticed her cheeks turn bright–red fast. Fox nodded, biting away the grin on his lips.
“I take it from the expression on your face, you don’t mind.”
“No, do you know how turned on I am right n
ow?”
Lea shook her head, looked down at her feet. “I feel as guilty as if I’d been caught in the act.”
Fox lifted her chin with the side of her finger. “Don’t be. But, listen, Bianca’s the only person I’d ever share you with. I’d never let another man lay a finger on you.”
“Good. I was starting to wonder,” Lea said. She pushed the button on the elevator and it started going up. “Can we just change the subject? I feel like I’m in the twilight zone right now.”
Fox put his arm around her neck and pulled her in for a hug. “My lips are zipped.”
When the doors opened at their floor, Erickson was standing there. “Brother,” Fox said, grabbed his hand in a manly shake, and touched shoulder to shoulder.
“Hey, bro.”
Fox put his arm around Lea’s back. “I’d like you to meet my… This is Lea.”
“Nice to meet you,” Erickson said, extending his hand.
“You as well,” Lea said. “ I want you to know how much I enjoyed eating in your restaurant. You’re a fabulous chef.”
“Thank you so much. What did you have?”
“Spaghetti.”
“Then you haven’t seen nothing yet. Next time, order the fresh Maine lobster.”
“Okay, I’ll be sure to do that.”
Erickson pressed the button to open the elevator doors and stepped inside. Fox stopped the door with his foot. “Wait. What are you doing up here? I thought Jill was staying in your room.”
Erickson shook his head, frowning. “Yeah, she is. Roman asked me to take the embroidered robe he had made for her to her room before I went home for the night.”
“Embroidered robe? God. Why’d you let Roman talk you into letting her use your room?”
“Man, what was I supposed to say? I can’t tell him no. Besides, Jill doesn’t bother me. She asked to buy me dinner one night, and I’m thinking of taking her up on it. She’s actually cordial.”
All this talk about Jill and Fox’s semi–erection was now gone. He put his hand on Erickson’s forehead. “You feelin’ all right, buddy. I know you’ve had a long day and all, but dang…”
The Opium Room Page 8
