Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Kissing Clara is wrong.
And yet, despite the horrible mistake, it’ll go down as the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had in my entire damn life.
Clara
I’m good at my job, but today I’m distracted. Thankfully, my last client fell asleep, snoring softly, and didn’t notice I’d zoned out while giving her a massage. It’s been like that all day. My thoughts keep circling back to Eric.
He kissed me last night.
I’m still reeling from it.
But then he freaked out and locked himself away in his room afterward. He hasn’t spoken to me since. Granted, it’s only been twelve hours or so, and most of those were spent sleeping, but still. I don’t like that he’s avoiding me.
It reminds me of the years when he was in New York.
“Clara,” my boss, Judy, says as she peeks her head into my massage room. “I moved a few clients around since you had a special request. You have a full body coming in just a few instead of the thirty minute hot stone you were scheduled for.”
Since I like special requests, because it usually means a bigger tip, I give her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I’m almost ready. Send them back when they get here.”
She gives me a wink as though she knows a secret I’m not privy to. Normally, I might bug her until she spills the beans, however, I’m not in the mood today. I quickly finish prepping my room and then slip out to see if they’re ready for me in the waiting room.
The room is dark, for calming purposes, and a man stands with his back to me. When he turns, I don’t have to see him well to know who he is.
“Eric?”
He flashes me a small, nervous smile as he saunters over to me. “Hey.”
“You’re my appointment?”
“Yup.” He grins at me. “Is that okay?”
“Of course,” I say as I show him to the room. “Get undressed to your comfort level and lie face down on the table. I’ll be back in a few.”
It’s not until the room door shuts that I realize I just instructed my stepbrother to take off his clothes. A flood of heat burns my cheeks. Judy, passing through the hallway, chuckles at me.
“Surprise,” she says. “I’ll make sure Katrina up front knows to give him the family discount.”
I thank her and shift awkwardly on my feet as I wait for Eric to get ready. Once more than enough time has passed, I clear my throat and knock on the door. He grunts his approval for me to come in.
It’s just a massage.
Nothing more.
Focus on the job, not the fact the two of you kissed last night.
“Is the temperature of the table okay?” I ask, voice light and professional. “I can make it warmer or turn it down if you get too hot.”
“It’s perfect.”
His back and shoulders are beautifully sculpted in hard muscle. I remember when he first started getting muscles as a teen. We’d go swimming during the summers and I’d steal glances at his shirtless body whenever I could. Now he’s all man and I’m about to rub all over him.
Ugh.
This isn’t going to be easy.
“What made you decide to get a massage?” I ask as I snag a hot, wet towel the steam cabinet. “I mean, you need it, but I wasn’t expecting you.”
