Serenity (Inevitable Book 5)

by Janet Nissenson

  Sasha laughed this time, the sound reminding him of tinkling bells. “I do my best,” she assured him. “It’s more difficult with bodies like yours and Ian’s, though, considering how much muscle mass you have. I have to dig a little deeper sometimes.”

  Matthew grit his teeth, determined not to cry out in pain when she definitely dug in deeper as she moved to his shoulders. “I, um, don’t have anywhere near as much muscle mass as Ian, though,” he pointed out. “The guy could be a linebacker or a tight end on any professional football team. Though considering he’s British I guess he’d be the prop or a flanker on a rugby team.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know much about professional sports, American or otherwise,” admitted Sasha. “But while you may be a bit leaner than Ian, you’re still very muscular, very strong. And very, very tense. I could spend the entire hour on just your neck and shoulder blades. Did you fall asleep in an awkward position or something?”

  Sheepishly, he told her about slumping face first onto his desk the previous day. “I guess all of the stress is starting to catch up with me,” he acknowledged. “It’s been a rough few months all around.”

  Unbidden, Matthew found himself telling her about the nasty, contentious divorce proceedings and how uncooperative Lindsey was being; how difficult it had been on him not to see his children as often as he would have liked; how his responsibilities at work seemed to be mounting at an alarming rate, and how he rarely seemed to have a minute to himself these days.

  Throughout the one-sided conversation, Sasha didn’t comment or offer up any sort of opinion or feedback. Occasionally she’d make some small sound of acknowledgment or sympathy, but mostly she just continued with the massage, her slim, capable hands working out knots and tension and soreness that he hadn’t even known existed in certain spots.

  At some point he ceased talking, far too relaxed by now to do anything but close his eyes and enjoy the pure indulgence of the massage. Sasha was rubbing some sort of lotion into his skin, and the subtle scent was both pleasant and vaguely stimulating. And, as her hands gradually moved to his lower back, hip flexors, and hamstrings, Matthew unwittingly became aware that other parts of his body were also feeling, well – stimulated. Perhaps it was simply because it had been so long since a woman had touched him in any manner – sexually or otherwise – but his body was definitely reacting to Sasha’s soothing, knowing touch. Combined with the scents of the massage lotion and aromatherapy oil, the strains of the hypnotic violin music playing through the speakers, and the cocoon-like warmth of the heated pad beneath his naked body, Matthew felt surrounded by sensations, all of them pleasant, almost hedonistic. And with each stroke of Sasha’s expert hands on his muscles, his erection seemed to grow another inch, until it was almost painfully swollen.

  He bit down on the fabric covering the face rest, determined not to emit the slightest sound that might betray his growing arousal. He shifted around a bit awkwardly, trying to find a position to more comfortably accommodate his rapidly hardening cock. Sasha merely rested a hand in the middle of his back, stilling him, and he obeyed despite the overwhelming urge to do otherwise.

  But it was when she murmured to him softly, “Time to turn over”, that he had to fight off a sense of panic. There was no way, no way, to disguise the fact that he had a rather obvious hard-on. But there was also no easy way to refuse Sasha’s instructions, so Matthew rather gingerly eased himself onto his back, willing his cock – which seemed to have a mind of its own at the moment – back into compliance.

  Sasha spent a couple of minutes pulling and readjusting the sheet and blanket, making sure he was adequately covered, and if she noticed his rather conspicuous erection she was far too discreet and professional to acknowledge the fact.

  It was with equal parts relief and dismay when she only spent a few minutes working on the front side of his body, mostly focused on his shoulders and neck. He figured that the hour was nearly over, and marveled that sixty minutes could go by that quickly. She gently massaged his temples and forehead, soothing away the tension headache that was almost always with him nowadays. She lifted his head very slightly off the table, her fingers threading through his scalp for a few seconds, before she carefully set his head back down. Matthew wanted to moan – or purr – from the sheer pleasure of it all, and couldn’t help feeling dismayed when Sasha stepped away from the table, quietly signaling the end of the session.

  “Take a few minutes, hmm?” she murmured softly. “I’ll be back in just a bit with some water for you.”

  She exited the room as quietly as she’d entered an hour earlier, and Matthew could no longer hold back the groan of mingled pleasure and mortification that escaped his lips.

  ‘Jesus, please do not have let her noticed the fact that my cock was just tenting this sheet a few minutes ago,’ he begged silently. ‘It has obviously been way too long since you’ve had any action, Bennett. Maybe you should make sure you jack off before your next massage. Otherwise, you’re really going to embarrass yourself.”

  The temptation was strong to just keep his eyes closed and drift off to sleep at this moment. He hadn’t felt this relaxed and warm and content in a very long time, and the stress that was his constant companion these days seemed to have taken a temporary leave of absence. He stretched his arms and legs in opposite directions before slowly, reluctantly, easing his body off the table.

  He dressed quickly, oddly reluctant to have Sasha catch him in the act of putting his clothes on, even though he’d just been naked as a jaybird in her presence for the last hour. True to her word, though, she had kept all the private parts of his body well covered at all times, and he hadn’t felt the least bit awkward or embarrassed as he’d initially feared he might.

  He was just pulling on his socks when she knocked gently on the door, entering at his bidding. She crossed over to where he sat on the chair, a glass of lemon and orange infused water in her hand. Matthew marveled yet again at how easily she moved, how light and graceful she was on her feet, and wondered aloud how many years she’d trained as a dancer.

  Sasha smiled at his somewhat absentminded inquiry. “All my life, actually,” she replied. “Since the time I was a very young girl right up until today. Oh, I don’t do any formal dance training or classes these days, but dance certainly factors into my yoga practice. A lot of the yoga poses I do in my own practice and the classes I teach are influenced by dance.”

  “Do you miss the training?” he inquired casually, taking a long sip of the cool, refreshing water.

  Her smile quickly vanished, replaced by a look of mingled annoyance and irritation, two emotions that he would have never attributed to the calm, even-tempered Sasha.

  “No,” was all she said in reply. “Those particular memories are not the most pleasant. So, how do you feel now? Are those shoulder and neck muscles a little looser?”

  He allowed her to change the subject abruptly, having quickly picked up on the fact that her past dance training was not something she enjoyed discussing. He rolled his neck from side to side experimentally, and was pleasantly surprised to find how much looser it felt.

  “I’d say so, yes,” he replied, grinning broadly. “You’ve definitely got some magic in those fingers of yours.”

  Sasha laughed, her good humor quickly restored. “I do my best. Now, I’d like you to finish the whole glass of water, and then promise me you’ll drink at least two or three more glasses this afternoon. Hydration is very important, and especially after a massage.”

  Dutifully, he downed the rest of the glass and nodded. “Okay, I promise.”

  She held out a sheet of paper to him. “Now, you can choose to do this or not, it’s entirely up to you. But I took the liberty of writing down several types of vitamins and supplements that I think you should consider taking. Some help with stress, others with muscle recovery, and most are just for overall good health. I also included the names and addresses of a few different health food stores where you c
an pick these up if you decide to try them. Again, it’s completely your decision, Matthew, but I do think taking these would do you a world of good.”

  He grinned, taking the sheet from her, and quickly scanning over what she’d written in a neat, artistic hand. “Ian warned me that you’d probably do this,” he replied teasingly.

  Sasha arched a dark blonde brow. “Did he now? Well, you see, Ian is a prime example of someone who just assumed he was getting plenty of vitamins and minerals from his daily diet and the generic supplements he was taking. It was something of an eye opener for him to realize that his regime wasn’t quite as healthy as he’d always assumed. And I’m going to guess that your own diet isn’t as disciplined as his – given what you just told me about your current lifestyle.”

  Matthew sighed, and folded the paper in half before tucking it inside his jacket pocket. “My diet can only be described as appalling right now,” he admitted. “I think the only time I eat vegetables are when there’s lettuce and tomato on my burger or club sandwich. And since I already know how you feel about drinking alcohol, I won’t freak you out by admitting how many glasses of whisky I put away every night.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not here to lecture you, Matthew,” she told him gently. “That’s not my place, after all. But if you’d ever like advice about changing your diet and other habits I would be more than happy to help you with that. You know how to get in touch with me now.”

  “Speaking of which, I definitely want to set up another appointment. As soon as you can fit me in. Do you have your appointment book nearby?”

  “The front desk handles all of that,” she corrected. “On your way out you can have Willow check to see when my next open time slot is. I’m guessing not until sometime next week, unless there’s been a cancellation. And I’m glad that you’ve decided to book another session. As I mentioned, it’s probably going to take several appointments before I can really make some progress. You’ve got some real tough knots there.”

  He gave her a lopsided smile. “Think we’ll have to call that Shibari master in to get them untied?”

  Sasha laughed in delight, her green-gold eyes sparkling. “You remembered that from the wedding, did you? But, no, I think I can handle these particular knots on my own. Now, please take good care of yourself until our next appointment, hmm? Try to eat a real vegetable or two, drink some nice cold-pressed juices, and maybe cut back just a little on the whiskey. I understand that this is a very stressful time for you, but there are many other methods beside alcohol that can help relieve that.”

  Matthew bit his lip, forcing himself not to utter the very suggestive phrase “You mean like sex” in response. Instead, he merely nodded and held out a hand to her.

  “Thanks again for fitting me in today,” he told her earnestly, then had to fight off the really dirty image of how snugly his cock might fit inside that taut, slim-hipped body of hers. “I didn’t realize how badly I needed that massage until I arrived.”

  She smiled as she gave his hand a brief, reassuring squeeze. “Most people don’t. And even though you’re a few months late, I’m very, very glad that you came in today, Matthew. You’ve taken the first step in helping yourself get through this difficult time in your life, and I hope that you’ll continue to take better care of yourself. Starting immediately. FYI, one of those health food stores I recommended is just across the street.”

  The urge to pull her into his arms and give her a quick hug was strong, and he guessed that she wouldn’t resist such a gesture. She was by nature a very nurturing person, caring and compassionate, but in the end he fought off the temptation - largely because his motivation in holding her in his arms had absolutely nothing to do with comfort and instead everything to do with sexual attraction.

  Chapter Six

  Early October, Marin County

  “Want to talk about it, niná? And before you try and bullshit your Tia Linda that it’s nothing, forget about it. I can always tell when something’s going on in that pretty head of yours.”

  Sasha smiled at the woman who sat in the chair to her right. “Of course you can. And I wouldn’t dream of denying it. You were the one who taught me how to pick up on that sort of thing, after all. As for what’s on my mind this afternoon…would you believe me if I confessed that it was a man?”

  Linda Vargas gave a hoot of laughter. “I’d believe you, niná, but only because I know you never lie about anything. But I will admit to being surprised. Who is this mystery man responsible for that very intense expression on your face?”

  Sasha took a sip of the herbal tea that her aunt had brewed just a few minutes ago, then set the hand painted ceramic mug - one of Linda’s creations - on a low table. “A friend of a friend. And also one of my massage clients.”

  Linda made a clucking sound of disapproval. “Sasha, you aren’t sleeping with a client, are you? Not that I’m a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but that’s a bit on the unethical side.”

  “I’m not sleeping with him, Tia,” she replied. “You know me better than that. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it. He’s - well, not exactly my type, but that doesn’t seem to matter much where my hormones are concerned. The first time I met him I felt this sort of connection with him. Even though he happened to be a married man at the time. Still is, legally.”

  Linda’s scowl was positively ferocious. “So not only is he a client, but a married one as well? Sasha, you are a beautiful, accomplished young woman. You could have most any man you wanted. So why are you craving the forbidden all of a sudden?”

  Sasha smiled and patted her aunt on the forearm reassuringly. “You should know better than anyone, Tia, that you can’t control the way you feel about someone. And even though nothing has happened between us, Matthew is technically single nowadays. He filed for divorce a few months ago and moved out on his own. And to hear him talk about it - which he seems to do every single time he comes in for a massage - he considers his marriage to be over.”

  “Hmm.” Linda still looked skeptical. “Does he have kids?”

  “Yes. A boy and a girl. Both in their teens, so not all that young. He’s a good father, too, calls them almost every night and sees them as often as possible. And I can tell he misses them a lot, given how much he talks about them during our sessions.”

  Linda took a long, thoughtful sip from her tea. “You need to tread carefully here, niná,” she cautioned. “Dating a man with children - even a man who’s in the process of getting a divorce - is always tricky. Because he will almost always choose his children over anything, and especially if he’s as devoted to them as you describe. And you’re too good a person, Sasha, to have your heart broken.”

  Sasha waved a hand in dismissal. “I think it’s a little premature to start talking about broken hearts here. After all, he’s just one of my clients at the moment. And he hasn’t said or done anything to indicate that he’s interested in a relationship with me.”

  Linda quirked a brow at her much-loved niece. “Really? Because it’s hard to imagine you being attracted to a man if he hasn’t given you some sort of signal that he feels the same way.”

  Sasha’s cheeks flushed beneath her pale gold skin, and she grinned at her aunt. “He hasn’t said anything directly, or asked me out on a date or anything. And I suppose it’s just normal physical reactions, certainly not the first time that a male client has, er, been stimulated during a massage, but…”

  Linda returned her niece’s grin, though her expression was far naughtier. “He’s had a boner, has he?” she joked. “Well, if he’s been separated from his wife for a few months that could explain things, especially if he hasn’t been seeing anyone else. But my guess is that he’d react that way to you regardless, niná. You’ve always been a very sensual woman, very attuned to sensation and emotion, and I’m guessing your Matthew can’t help but respond to that.”

  “He isn’t my Matthew,” corrected Sasha as she picked up her mug
. “And even if he is attracted to me, you were right earlier - it would be incredibly unprofessional to have any sort of relationship with him under the circumstances.”

  Linda shrugged. “Two ways to handle that one. One is you find him another masseuse. Or the second is you continue to give him massages, just as long as you don’t do it at the studio and you don’t charge him for it. I fail to see the conflict of interest under those circumstances.”

  Sasha nodded. “I thought about that. Silly of me, I know, given that Matthew hasn’t even asked me out for a cup of coffee yet. I do think, though, more like sense, that he’s attracted to me as well. And it’s not just the, ah, obvious physical reaction. The way he smiles at me, or touches my hand, the sorts of things he confides in me about. And I know he’s incredibly rich - my friend Tessa told me he’s the CEO of some big computer company - so maybe he just treats everyone this way, but the tips he leaves for me are more than the cost of the massage.”

  Linda’s eyes widened. “Maybe you shouldn’t ditch him as a client after all. But that would mean you couldn’t sleep with him, either.”

  “You know the money means nothing to me,” pointed out Sasha. “In fact, I’ve been meaning to tell him that the tips are too much. And if Matthew is actually interested in me, then there’s really no choice to make. He’s - well, I think he would be good for me, Tia. And I know exactly what you mean about the complications with his children. But I’m talking about going out once in awhile, enjoying his company, not moving in with him. I’m not sure long-term relationships are ever going to be my thing.”

  “Well, God knows you’ve never had a good example of one to follow,” commiserated Linda. “Between the disaster of my marriage to your uncle, and whatever passes for a relationship between your crazy parents, it’s a wonder you’d ever want to date anyone. The most stable marriage you’ve ever witnessed is probably your gay roommates’.”