Happy Endings (8 page)

She sure hoped this wasn’t one of Vanessa’s ‘special’ clients. The look the man gave suggested he was.

Taking a deep breath, Larissa indicated the changing nook in the corner protected by a yellow curtain. “You can take off whatever is comfortable for you, but I really need your shirt off, and your pants if that’s not too revealing for you. Feel free to leave your underwear on. There’s a sheet on the table, so lay face down and cover your body with that while I step outside.”

She knew being exposed to the therapist was often a fear with massage clients, but Mr. Skinner didn’t have the look of someone who was going to be bashful about her seeing his body.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes and we’ll get started.”

He gave another creepy smile. “I can’t wait.”

Larissa held in her sigh until she left the studio, shutting the door behind her. The waiting room was completely empty, with not even the massage coordinator working today. Mr. Skinner was truly the only client for anyone, but Larissa wished someone else was in the building.

She shook herself slightly. It wasn’t like she didn’t know how to handle clients. All she had to do was focus on work, and not worry about Mr. Skinner. If he wanted a happy ending, he’d soon learn Larissa wasn’t in the business of giving them.

She was out of peppermint oil, and liked to use that since it did such a good job at opening the tissues. She walked to the oil display behind the reception counter. Swiping a new bottle, she glanced at the clock.

Fifty-five minutes and this would be over. And she’d be on her first real date with Quinn. Sure, she was a bit nervous about being on horseback, but that was it. It surprised her, actually. She should be afraid of going out to the middle of nowhere with a man she just met. He could be a murderer or something, after all.

She chuckled and crossed back to the studio door. The only thing she had to fear from Quinn was that he was a thief. It would be easy for him to steal her heart, especially the more she learned about him.

“I’m ready in here,” Mr. Skinner called.

First, to get this over with.

Plastering a smile on her face, Larissa opened the door. The first thing she saw was Mr. Skinner’s bare butt. Not only had he stripped naked, he hadn’t bothered with the sheet. Even Quinn had draped it across himself with some level of decorum. Still, many clients preferred to go undraped, so it wasn’t that unusual. It was the creepy vibe the man gave off which made her nervous.

Patting the pocket of her scrubs, the tiny bulge of her cell phone felt reassuring. If Mr. Skinner asked for anything untoward, she’d call Quinn, as instructed.

“Okay, sir, the rocks are ready. Do you have any allergies? I prefer to use peppermint oil, but if you have a preference I have others available.” Larissa walked to the crock pot and extracted two of the smooth stones.

“No allergies,” he said into the padded hole on the table. “I’ll take whatever you want to give me. I bet you’re good with your hands.”

Oh, gag me!

It looked to be a difficult morning. Larissa put oil on the rocks and went to the head of the table, leaning over him to rub the heated stones across his back. Above all, she was a professional. She’d get rid of Mr. Skinner as fast as she could. Then, she’d spend the day with Quinn.

***

Q
uinn tied the guide rope onto the back of Shadow’s saddle, giving the packhorse, Sunfire, a friendly pat on the neck. “Looks like I’m all set. Time to pick up the food.”

Brad finished fastening the last buckle holding down the blankets, and then gazed at his brother from across the back of the horse. “You aren’t getting in over your head this time, are you? Let’s not have another Camille debacle. She took a lot of money to get rid of.”

Quinn’s eyebrows rose and he looked at his younger brother sharply. Brad usually did a better job of hiding his resentment. He and Brad had never really gotten along, since the only thing they had in common was their love for horses. His attitude didn’t come as a complete shock.

“Is there something you’d like to say, Bradford?”

Brad shook his head, running a hand across his stubbly face. “Sometimes I get tired of the golden child having everything handed to him, that’s all.”

Out of all the kids, Brad was the one who most resembled Quinn. They both received their father’s dark hair and olive skin, while the rest of the children were fair like their mother. Quinn thought that was why people immediately identified them as brothers, but perhaps it was the obvious rivalry between them.

“Golden child?” He glared at Brad, frustrated that he would try to spoil Quinn’s good mood. “If you really want Mom and Dad sticking their nose in your business, setting you up with girls, and dictating your every move, by all means, take over the spot as the supposed golden child. I never asked for it.”

“Yeah, well, you got it. I’ve had my eye on Larissa all summer, just waiting for a chance to talk to her. Now, thanks to Mom and Dad, you’re the one dating her.”

Quinn sucked in a deep breath and leaned against Shadow’s side. He had no clue that Brad even knew who Larissa was. “I wasn’t trying to steal her away, but I really like her. Did you ask her out?”

“No,” Brad admitted, “but I was going to if she ever came to the stables.”

Since Larissa admitted to having a fear of horses, that wasn’t likely to have happened. Still, it wasn’t impossible that they could have met at a company party. Maybe his younger brother would be a better fit for her. He’d never been divorced like Quinn. He was more pristine—more what Larissa hinted she searched for.

However, the thought of breaking off his date made Quinn’s whole body tense with anger. It wasn’t as though he and Brad had ever gotten along. Even if Quinn broke the date, it would change nothing, except to make Quinn miserable.

“You don’t know anything about Larissa.” Quinn struggled to keep his tone level and not show his irritation that Brad would try to guilt him out of dating her. “She’s just a pretty girl to you. You don’t actually care about her.”

“So. Why does that mean you get to have her? I should have a chance.”

“Sorry, little brother. I know in the past I’ve always given in and let you have your way, but not this time. Nothing I’ve tried before has made us friends, and I like Larissa a lot. I’m not breaking our date.”

Brad crossed his arms, looking sullen. “I wasn’t asking you to.”

He was, and Quinn knew that. Just like he’d asked Quinn to stop so many other things throughout their lives. It was never enough for Brad. Quinn didn’t know exactly what happened to make his brother so unhappy, but there was nothing he could do to fix it. He was tired of trying.

Uncertain what else to do, Quinn ducked beneath the lead rope, coming over to Brad’s side of the horses. He grabbed the younger man in a tight hug. “I do love you, you know, even if you hate me.”

Brad shrugged away from him. “Enjoy your date. Maybe one day you’ll actually learn how to love something more than the spotlight.”

Quinn watched Brad stalk off, knowing it would be pointless to say anything else. That was how things always ended between them. It was exhausting, trying to figure out what Brad’s problem was.

A shove to the back brought Quinn’s smile back as he turned around.

Shadow nudged him again, pressing his black nose against Quinn’s chest.

“Okay, old boy,” Quinn crooned softly, scratching the horse’s face up to his ears. “You always were part dog, I swear. Have to get in your lovin’.”

Shadow sighed, leaning into Quinn’s hand and restoring Quinn’s happy mood with his antics.

Brad’s pettiness wouldn’t spoil the day. After all, Larissa was the first girl special enough to show the waterfall. Anticipation of just what, exactly, might happen between them sent tingles through his body. He checked his watch again. She should be with her client by now. He’d just head over to get the food and then hang out near Larissa’s apartment. Shadow wouldn’t mind waiting. He loved being out of the stables.

As Quinn put his foot in the stirrup and swung himself across Shadow’s back, his phone buzzed. He fumbled to pull it from his pocket, praying it wouldn’t be an emergency requiring his attention. He didn’t want anything to spoil this day.

It didn’t look good. His father’s number showed up in the caller ID.

He swiped to answer. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

“Mr. Skinner, that’s what.” John’s voice sounded grim.

“Excuse me? What’s happened? I don’t have a lot of time. I’m supposed to meet Larissa soon.”

“Larissa’s why I’m calling. You know I checked her schedule yesterday so that I could arrange for your date today?”

An uneasy feeling crept into Quinn’s belly at his dad’s agitation. “Yes. What about it?”

“Her client is Mr. Skinner. The name was nagging at me, so I went and checked the records.” John sighed heavily. “He’s one of the guests who Vanessa claimed partook of her services.”

Quinn took in a deep breath. That didn’t mean anything, not really. If he asked for a Happy Ending, Larissa was sure to tell him no. “Do you think he’ll get violent when he can’t get what he wants?”

“I’m not sure,” John said. “But I think you’d better get over there. Say it’s a surprise inspection or something, but I have a bad feeling about her being alone with him.”

L
arissa finished massaging the client’s hamstrings, trying not to shudder as she worked deep into his gluteal muscles. It wasn’t that she minded touching someone’s butt. She was, after all, trained to relax the muscles. It was Mr. Skinner’s repeated innuendoes that were getting to her.

“There we are, Mr. Skinner. Looks like you’re all relaxed.” She stepped away from the table and glanced at the clock. Darn. She still owed him twenty minutes. “Would you like me to do a traditional massage on your back now and get those tissues really oxygenated?”

“No.” He slid off the table and turned to face her. “I could really use some work on my front. Especially my thigh area.”

Doing her best not to acknowledge his semi-erect penis, Larissa merely nodded. “Sure. Lay on your back.”

His jeering grin flashed once again as he followed her command.

Larissa firmly reminded herself that many men became hard while getting a massage. It was natural. She just needed to follow her training and ignore it, even if this particular client made her skin crawl.

“Would you like me to heat up the rocks for your front, too?”

He folded his hands behind his head, jutting his erection even more noticeably at her as it firmed. “Your hot hands are enough for me. Make sure you work it real deep with long, hard strokes. I like a lot of friction.”

She was getting to the end of her patience, but it wasn’t as if he’d actually asked her to do anything inappropriate. There were always people hoping for more than a massage. It came with the territory. Unless he actually asked, she didn’t dare kick him out of the studio. She knew Quinn and his dad said they’d have her back in this situation, but she couldn’t be crying wolf every time someone made her uncomfortable.

Setting to work, she massaged his upper thighs with a gliding motion, loosening the muscles. Unfortunately, it was obvious her touch wasn’t relaxing him.

“So tell me, new girl, do you offer the full service here?”

Larissa jerked her hands away. “Excuse me?”

He laughed. “You can’t send me out in this state. People will notice. If you take care of me, I’ll take care of you.”

Stepping further away from the table, Larissa put her hands on her hips, glaring down at him. “This massage is over. I’ll have your account refunded for the last few minutes.”

She whirled around, heading for the door, when his hand fell heavily across her shoulder.

“Don’t be so quick to say no.” He pulled her against him and bumped his erection into her ass. “Vanessa got a sweet deal once she left the island, and I could do the same for you. I’m here for two weeks, and I’d like to request your private services in my bedroom during the evenings. I pay really well, and I know how to please a woman. You’ll get as good as you give.”

Larissa jerked away from him, fumbling for her phone. It was time to call Quinn. “Touch me again, and I’ll have you thrown off the island,” she said, continuing to the doorway.

She was almost to it when it burst open.

Quinn stumbled inside, nearly colliding into her. He breathed heavily and his steely eyes looked past her to the client. As they narrowed, Larissa figured he must have spotted the man’s aroused state.

“Surprise inspection,” Quinn said gruffly. “We want to make sure things are going as they should here on McCallister’s Paradise.”

“Well, they’re not,” she whispered. “Obviously, right?”

Mr. Skinner laughed. “Don’t listen to the girl. She freaked out when I turned over and was aroused. It happens.”

Larissa turned, seeing that his member was already shrinking.

He ran a hand through his silvery hair. “You really need to hire more experienced people. Would you please tell her that this is normal for us guys?”

Quinn grabbed her hand and then stepped around her, blocking her from the client’s view. “She doesn’t need me to tell her anything. She’s good at her job, a professional. My father called to tell me Vanessa used to be your massage therapist.”

“What of it?” Mr. Skinner was starting to sound angry.

“Those services are not sanctioned by this spa.” If the man sounded angry, Quinn sounded downright dangerous. “Put your clothes on, Mr. Skinner. You will no longer be using the spa’s services during your stay here.”

“We’ll just see about that,” he said. “I’m calling John. He’s a close friend of mine.”

“Don’t trouble yourself,” Quinn said. “I’m calling him myself. You have five minutes to get dressed and leave.”

Quinn turned and headed through the door, pulling Larissa with him. He led her to the couch in the waiting room, and she sank into it, unsurprised to note that her legs were shaking.

“Are you okay?” he asked, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him.

With a sigh, Larissa relaxed into him. “He was getting rather persistent. I think I had things under control, but I sure am happy to see you.”