It felt like her entire body was being hugged by a giant marshmallow made of dandelion fluff crossed with the cuddliest animal she could imagine. In short, it was perfect.
She’d left Zepharos alone. He said he needed to sit and think on things a bit now that they were in a safe place. “A short meditation. I’ll join you after you are done for dinner.”
“Suit yourself. More hot water for me.”
“It’s a natural spring, Maria. I don’t think it runs out.”
She grinned wide, happier than she should have been, smacking him playfully on the shoulder. “Always so literal. I’ll see you soon.”
“That you will.”
It was a short walk to the spa area for a welcome soak and scrub, and Maria certainly put it to very good use. She then made her way to the nearby room where she was told her masseuse would be waiting. Despite their visit being comped, Zepharos had insisted she take a few credit chits with her to tip them. His considerate attention to the service staff rubbed her the right way. How he treated them without thought of how they could be of use to him was a sign of a man’s character. He wasn’t trying to get anything. It was just what he did, it was that simple.
And the masseuse more than earned every penny, or whatever unit of currency they used on the chit thingies.
She worked Maria’s body with powerful hands, kneading and massaging where the muscles required loosening, switching to more gentle sweeping motions almost akin to a lymphatic massage in more tender areas, helping her body process the lactic acid out of her system and pump fresh blood into every nook and cranny of her cellular matrix.
“My God, you’re incredible,” she moaned as the woman dug her meaty thumbs into her lower back, pressing out to her hips until the muscles stretched and relaxed, a few vertebrae as well as her hips popping audibly as the tension finally released.
“You’re carrying a lot of tension in your legs and bottom, not to mention your back.”
“We’ve been on a hike,” Maria replied, leaving it at that. It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the entire truth. A reasonable compromise, she thought.
“How romantic.”
“In a way, yeah, I suppose it is.”
“Yousuppose?”
“Itis.”
“Better. While you’re here, I’ve found people get the most of their stays by embracing the romance in the air. There have been quite a few babies made on these premises. Bonded couples, of course. I see you two are of different races. Are you and your mate Infala bonded?”
Maria had learned it was better to simply let people have their assumptions than get into the complexities of correcting them, especially given her and her rescuer’s tenuous situation.
“We’re not, actually.”
“Ah, too bad. Unless you didn’t want a child. It could always be done in a lab as is common in such situations, but there’s something to be said for a natural fertilization.”
“Well, we’re not looking to have a little one just yet.”
“Enjoying the consequence-free fun, then? Good for you.”
It took Maria a minute before she realized what the woman was talking about.
Of course. You can’t get pregnant here if you’re not bonded. Duh.
Now that she remembered, however, gears were turning in her mind.
Maria changed the topic, switching to inquiring about this spa resort and how it came to be, along with if the woman enjoyed working there. It seemed this was a choice gig, and one people waited years just to get an interview for. Exclusive.Private. And because Zepharos knew some prince back home, they were reaping the benefits.
She avoided having her Infala examined with the excuse that she and her man were meeting for dinner, and she had to cut the massage short, though she’d have loved nothing more than to linger a bit longer.
“Enjoy. Our chefs are second to none.”
“If they’re half as skilled as you are at your craft, I have little doubt,” she replied, slipping all of the credit chits into the woman’s hand.
“Oh, there is no need. Your visit has been?—”
