Serenity (Inevitable #5)(38)
He'd instantly asked her for a list of what she would need, and then hadn't wasted any time in ordering a top of the line table, sheets, heating pad, plus the various oils and creams she used. He had set everything up in the room he utilized as his home office, including a portable sound system, and had even downloaded a relaxation playlist to the iPod. Shy of painting the walls a more relaxing color, Matthew was pretty sure he had done all he could to replicate the room at the studio where he normally received his massages, and hoped that Sasha would approve.
It had become important to him over these past few weeks to gain her approval, and even more so to please her. The desire to make her happy had been the main reason why he'd been so quick to comply with all of her suggestions about his diet and health, and each time she had smiled approvingly at him Matthew had felt as though he was on top of the world. And he had been so grateful for all of her advice, for her kindness, and nurturing, that he had shown his appreciation in the only way he knew how - with money.
He had always been a generous tipper, even in the days when he'd had precious little money of his own. And since his fortunes had multiplied so significantly over this past decade, he hadn't hesitated to share his wealth with those less fortunate. Lindsey had always chided him about how much he would tip a waiter or a bellhop, or complain about the amount of money he insisted on donating to various charities. But he'd ignored her, going so far at times to remind her that it was his money after all, and he certainly gave her plenty of it to lavish on herself. Giving a hard working, low paid waitress a hefty tip would hardly make a dent in their finances.
Sasha had told him very little about herself, and then only because he'd asked her some very specific questions. He knew that she didn't own a car or a computer - the latter fact in particular having appalled him. She rented a single room in an old Victorian house in the city's Mission district, and seemed perfectly content with the simple lifestyle she'd adopted. She didn't wear any jewelry or makeup, left her nails unpolished, and dressed in either yoga apparel or on occasion a long, floaty skirt and cotton tank top. It was fairly obvious to Matthew that she didn't have a lot of money, and his natural reaction had been to rather extravagantly over-tip her each time he'd had a massage. Since he left the money for her in an envelope with the front desk clerk after paying for the massage, he had never presented her with the tip personally. He suspected that if he had done so, however, that she would find some way of gently refusing it.
He wasn't sure why he was quite this anxious about her being at his condo this evening, but it had been practically all he'd been able to think about all day. After all, he scolded himself, it wasn't like a date or anything. Sasha was simply his masseuse, and to some extent his friend. At least, it pleased him to think of her that way, and hoped that she considered him as more than just a client.
And, if he was being completely honest with himself, he would have to admit that lately he was thinking about Sasha more and more, and in ways that had nothing to do with her being either his masseuse or his friend. He was attracted to her, very much so, both physically and emotionally. Each time she touched him, even when it was to work out a particularly nasty knot in his neck or upper back, he had to fight back the growing arousal he experienced in her presence. And it was downright impossible to suppress the erections that occurred almost automatically during the massage sessions. Sasha was still tactful enough not to mention his physical reactions, but Matthew knew damned well that she had noticed them each and every time. And later that day, in the privacy of his walk-in shower, he'd found himself jerking off each and every time, his eyes closed in ecstasy as he imagined it was Sasha's smooth, soft hand stroking his cock instead of his own.
He was drawn to her, he acknowledged now. Drawn to her kindness and compassion, and the way she expressed concern for his wellbeing. It had been a long, long time since anyone had gone out of their way to take care of him, to encourage him to think about himself, and to forget about the rest of the world for a little while. God knew that Lindsey was probably the least nurturing person in the world, and she had always assumed he would take care of everything when it came to the house and their finances and even the children. Hayley was unfortunately evolving into a mini-me of her mother, and was completely caught up in her own teenaged universe at the moment. Casey continued to be a great kid, the one person who made life worth living most days, but he wasn't even a teenager quite yet and couldn't be expected to shoulder too much responsibility at this point in his life. Elena looked out for him, of course, but Matthew was never quite sure if most of that was because she considered it the chief responsibility of her very well-paid job - and also because she was just bossy by nature. The rest of his staff - including managers, board members, and investors - were all quick to make multiple demands on his time, but rarely if ever asked if he needed anything.