Fucking hell, I was hurting for her.
“But... eventually Jace got me out of my shell. Or rather, I got out of my shell for him. He was even more withdrawn than I was. The only thing that seemed to cheer him up was planning shenanigans. In the beginning I only did them because I was afraid he’d break his neck if he didn’t have supervision, but then discovered I absolutely loved being up to no good. As I said, I’ve never been one to instinctively know what I like or need.” She looked behind us, straightening up. “Oh, our boat’s here. Let’s go. And afterward—”
“Babe!” I pulled her to me, splaying my hand on her neck. “We did everything you wanted today. But the night is my domain.”
Chapter Nineteen
Hailey
My feet were protesting by the time we reached the hotel. The sun had already set, and the city was covered by a chilling mist.
I dropped on the bed the second we entered the room, spreading my arms wide on the mattress.
“We should probably tell the concierge to make us dinner reservations,” I mumbled, even though all I wanted was to wrap the soft blanket around me and stay like that the entire night. On second thought, I’d wrap myself up in Reid. Feeling those muscled arms around me? Definitely the way to go.
He didn’t say anything. Instead, I felt the mattress cave around my ankles. Reid was climbing on the bed. I licked my lips.
“We did everything on your plan today, but the night is mine. We’ll do what I say.”
My, my. He looked at me with that delicious twinkle in his eyes. I still had an item on my to-do list for midnight, but I was ready to forget all about it.
What could I do but wait and see what this man had in store?
“Oh, and what will that be?”
He dipped to kiss my neck, speaking against my skin. “You’ll see.”
“You have a full plan already, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“When did you even have time for that?”
“While I waited for you in the lobby before we left the hotel.”
“Sneaky, are we? I approve.”
He grinned. “Glad you do.”
“So... what’s the first step in this grand plan?”
“Make yourself comfortable, and trust me.”
The first step turned out to be a couple’s massage. The spa area took up an entire floor of the hotel. As soon as I entered it, I felt my entire body become lighter. The mix of bamboo furniture and the lavender smell coming from the aromatherapy diffusers relaxed my muscles. The massage felt more like the cherry on top at this point.
I’d never done anything like it, but I could see myself becoming an addict. It was so very relaxing: the music, the candles, the hands kneading my tired muscles with warm oil. The exquisite man lying on the massage bed next to mine. Yep, he contributed too. I couldn’t see him, because the ladies working their magic on us instructed us to keep our eyes closed, but just knowing he was right next to me filled me with nervous jitters, as if I had champagne bubbles coursing through my veins.
“The massage part is over now,” one of the ladies said. “We’ll leave you alone for a few minutes and knock at the door when the session is over. Until then, you can just relax in silence. Leave the day behind you, and just focus on the music, or on your breath. Follow every breath in and out. Another relaxation technique is to focus on each muscle, feel the way it has softened in the last hour.”
All that sounded great, but I’d already made up my mind about what I’d do next. Relaxing was fun, but spying on a seminaked Reid was just what the doctor ordered.
As soon as I heard the door close, I grinned, turning my head in Reid’s direction, blinking my eyes open. I startled when I realized he was looking at me.
“You should keep your eyes closed,” I murmured.
“So should you.”
“Well, I did consider it, but the point of this was to relax, and, well... admiring you should definitely be considered a relaxation technique.”