“Joshua. Are you okay?”
I realize I’ve just been staring into space. Releasing Gia’s hand, I squeeze some ointment onto my fingers. “I’m fine. It’s been a tense couple of days, and I haven’t gotten much sleep.”
What the actual fuck, Joshua? Why on earth did I blurt that shit? Maybe it’s her. Maybe Gia is the one messing with my mind.
Shoving those thoughts aside, I concentrate on applying anti-bruising cream to her skin. Her flesh is warm and silky smooth as I massage it in, taking my time to ensure I’m covering both sides of her neck where my fingers gripped her. A fresh wave of shame washes over me before I’m distracted by the slight hitch in her throat and the faint blush crawling up her neck and onto her cheeks.
I’m suddenly aware of how intimate this is with me bending down over her within the confines of my bathroom. Our faces and bodies are close enough to touch, and tingles spread over my hand and up my arm as I caress her soft skin.
“I think that’s enough,” she whispers. Her chest heaves, and air trickles from her full lips. Her warm breath fans across the side of my face, scorching my skin every place it touches. Our eyes connect, and I should look away, but I can’t. We stare at one another as electricity crackles in the small space between us, and it’s as if there’s a string connecting our bodies and I’m being tugged into her orbit.
She’s fucking beautiful. How have I never noticed before?
Her big blue eyes convey so much, and I know I’m not the only one feeling this weird chemistry between us. The thought is enough to break the spell, and I jerk back and straighten up, needing distance. My heart is pounding against my rib cage, and my goddamn hands are still tingling. Must be the arnica, I lie to myself.
She clears her throat and stands as I turn on the faucet and apply soap to my hands. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Not for that,” I say, irritated all over again. I lather my hands and rinse them under the flowing water while I avoid looking at her. I’m drying my hands when a security system alert pings on my cell phone. I glance at the screen before repocketing the phone. “The hairdresser is here.” I fold the towel and place it on the heated radiator before walking out of the bathroom after Gia. “I’ll get you settled and then let him in.” I lead her to my private spa and open the door.
“Holy shit.” She steps inside with a dreamlike expression on her face. “I can’t believe you have all this at home.” Her brow puckers, and she loses the childlike wonder in her gaze. “I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend.”
“I don’t.” I lean against the doorway, fighting amusement.
“Oh.Oh.” Her fingers dance across the massage table as her eyes flit over the hair station, freestanding tub, and rainforest shower, drinking it all in. The shelving unit tucked into the corner holds various toiletries and towels. “This is for your wh—lady friends.”
A laugh bursts from my lips of its own volition. “That’s one way of putting it.”
She narrows her eyes and plants her hands on her hips. “I’m trying to be polite, out of respect for the women you sleep with, not you,” she adds, shooting fire from her eyes.
“I don’t bring women here. Only the female staff and my mom have been at my penthouse.”
She blinks repeatedly. “You don’t take your fuck buddies home?”
I arch a brow. “What happened to respect?”
“I’m done being polite. Let’s call a spade a spade unless you’re telling me I’m wrong?”
“You’re not wrong, and we’re not doing this. Who I fuck is none of your business.” I step into the room. “My home is my haven, and I like privacy. It’s why I pay a masseuse, a beauty therapist, and a hairdresser to come once a month to attend to my needs.”
Her face contorts, and she looks like she just sucked on a lemon. I fight the urge to laugh again. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Gia. It’s all strictly professional.”
“Actually, that’s not what I was thinking. At all. I was trying to decide if I was jealous or horrified that any man could be so vain to have all this in his private residence.”
“You call it vanity. I call it self-care.”
“At least it explains all this.” She waves her hands up and down my body.
I can’t fight my grin this time. “Liking what you see?”
She scoffs before rolling her eyes. “As if. I’m just stating the facts. You know you look good. You had a freaking spa built at your home for fuck’s sake.”
My cell pings again letting me know Alexander has arrived at the front door. “My hairdresser is here, and Rosemary, my beauty therapist, will arrive in a couple of hours. I’m having your new wardrobe delivered later. By the time you’re done tonight, I’ll have a new apartment and car lined up.”
“Wow, you’re a fast worker.”
“We don’t have time to waste.”
Her expression turns more sober. “No, we don’t.”
