Serenity (Inevitable #5)(41)

"Sorry," she apologized as Matthew appeared at her side. "I didn't mean to space out that way. But this view is really spectacular. I can understand why your company wanted this particular unit."

He nodded. "It's a pretty special place, that's for sure. And surprisingly quiet given the location. There's another balcony that you access through the master bedroom, and that one is even more private. I've, uh, got all the equipment set up in my home office, though. Would you - should we go take a look?"

"Yes, of course."

En route, Matthew gave her a quick tour of the spacious condo, which consisted of a living room, dining room, enormous eat-in kitchen, a family room, home office, three bedrooms, and three and a half baths. The décor throughout the unit was sleek, cool, and modern, not at all what Sasha normally liked, but even so she could appreciate the clean, simple lines of the furniture, and admired the pieces of modern art that had been hung at strategic locations.

"Here we are. I hope I got everything you'll need. And that all of it's okay."

Matthew sounded so anxious, almost apprehensive, that she gave him a reassuring smile even before entering the room he used for his office. But upon seeing the top of the line massage table that had been set up in the middle of the room, Sasha couldn't stop herself from gasping in surprise.

"Wow." She ran a hand almost reverently over the sturdy oak frame, and the exquisitely soft sheets that covered the thick table pads. "You might have gone a little overboard here, Matthew. The tables we have at the studio aren't half this nice. Same with the sheets."

"That's just part of it. Look."

He hurried to show her the rest - the half-dozen Jo Malone bergamot scented candles that he began to light; the tray of assorted massage creams, oils, and ointments; the iPod in its docking station that began to play some soft, relaxing music at the touch of a button. The room was lit only by a fabric covered floor lamp in one corner, but the lights from the city, not to mention the magnificent blaze of the sunset, nearly flooded the room with brightness.

She was deeply touched that he had gone to so much trouble, far more so than any of her other clients had ever done, and she knew without having to ask that he had ordered all of this himself, hadn't delegated the task to his assistant or another staff member.

"It's lovely. Just lovely," she told him earnestly, placing a hand lightly on his forearm. "Thank you for arranging for all of this so quickly, Matthew. But these weren't on the list I gave you."

Sasha took a deep, appreciative sniff of the lavish bouquet of autumn flowers that had been expertly arranged in a hammered bronze bowl - tiger lilies, chrysanthemums, daisies, roses, all in shades of bronze and gold and burgundy.

"No." He looked down at his feet a bit uncertainly. "Those - those are just for you. As a way to thank you for coming here this evening. I hope I'm not keeping you from something important, that you didn't have to cancel plans or re-schedule something."

"I didn't," she told him gently. "And there's no place I'd rather be this evening than right here in this beautiful room with the amazing view and gorgeous flowers and my favorite client. Speaking of which, I'll leave you to get ready, hmm? I need to wash my hands. I'll just use the bathroom we passed out in the hall, if that's all right."



       
         
       
        

Matthew's eyes had widened when she'd referred to him as her favorite client, and the smile that lit up his face made something in her tummy begin to flutter with - what? Nerves? Anticipation? Desire? Or maybe a little bit of each. Sasha beat a hasty retreat, closing the door after her, as she struggled to bring her wayward emotions under control.

'You've got to remember that he's just a client,' she told herself sternly as she washed her hands in the elegantly appointed bathroom. She was pretty sure the bathroom was larger than the bedroom she occupied at Chad and Julio's. 'A really good looking, and really sweet one, but a client just the same. Act like a professional, Sasha. And no more giving him compliments, understand? The poor man obviously needs a boost to his ego, but that's really not your responsibility, is it?'

She took a minute or two to run through a few deep breathing exercises of her own, something she often did when she needed to focus for an extended period of time. When she knocked on the bedroom door a moment later, Sasha felt much more in control of herself, with renewed determination to keep this evening's session strictly professional.

But as the next hour progressed, she found it increasingly more difficult to remind herself that Matthew was simply her client - not her boyfriend and definitely not her lover. He seemed to be extra responsive this evening, groaning and grunting a bit louder than usual when she found a sore spot or dug a little deeper into a knotted muscle. Or moaning in pleasure when she soothed away the tension he always seemed to hold in his neck and upper back.