Peak of Desire Ch. 06

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Why do you ask that?"

"I've had some female masseuses tell me their boyfriends can't stand what they do. So I'm wondering if your guy feels the same."

"Well he's not crazy about it. But with him, it's more of a safety issue, rather than a jealousy one."

"So he's okay with you continuing to do it?"

"Yeah. He just doesn't like me having a mobile business. Says he'd rather I work in a spa."

"That's not what you want though, is it?"

"No. I enjoy being mobile."

"Then continue doing it. Don't let him change you."

Although she knew Jacob meant well, she couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable with his inquisitiveness. She was a fairly private person, and other than her mother or very close friends, she preferred not to divulge too much information regarding her love life.

Preferring to remain quiet, she continued to knead the flesh of his back, hoping that he wouldn't say anything else. But being the talkative person that he was, Jacob's voice once again filled the air.

"Do you still think about us?"

Erica hesitated before responding. "What do you mean?"

"The kiss we shared."

"That was a long time ago."

"Sure, but it still happened." Her silence prompted him to continue speaking. "So have you thought about it since?"

"A few times, but not lately."

"I think about it quite often."

Unsure of how to respond, she remained quiet.

"You're not saying anything, so I guess you didn't enjoy it very much."

"Well to tell you the truth, I hardly remember it."

"No need to spare my feelings, Erica. Just come right out and tell me exactly what you think." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I didn't mean it that way. We were at a party, and we were both a little tipsy that night, so I don't remember a whole lot of what happened."

"I do. We always had an attraction to each other. I wanted more, and so did you. Why didn't we fully explore that?"

"To tell you the truth, I think it's best that we didn't go any further. It would have totally ruined our friendship."

"Yeah, I guess." Disappointment was evident in his voice.

Her fingers continued to work their way down his down his body, and as they reached his upper legs, she began working on his hamstrings. She used a gentle but firm pressure, and her palms moved across his flesh with a long sweeping motion, getting deep into the muscles of his thigh.

A muffled noise of gratification escaped his lips, then he murmured, "Mmm, feels so good. Can you just keep massaging me forever?"

Her lips curved into a smile as she kept working her magic on him. Once she finished with the back part of his body, she gave him a gentle tap on the leg.

"Turn over, and I'll massage your front."

Once Jacob had flipped over, she went to work at skillfully manipulating his tissue, gliding her palms and kneading her knuckles against his tanned flesh. Moving the sheet upward so that more of his legs were exposed, Erica began to massage his inner thighs.

After a few moments of working this area, she noticed that the sheet covering his groin had begun to form a tent. She averted her eyes and pretended not to notice his erection, but as obvious as it was, it was pretty hard to ignore.

She heard Jacob clear his throat, and in a voice rife with embarrassment, he said, "I'm sorry."

"No worries. It happens sometimes."

Although it wasn't the first time she'd had a client who got an erection during a massage, it was certainly the first time that Jacob had received one while beneath her hands, and she found herself wondering what she'd done that had triggered it.

Hoping to lessen his excitement, she slid her palms away from his upper thighs. Then she changed her pressure and technique, switching to a deep tissue massage so that her caresses were less gentle, and more rough.

After a few minutes passed, the tent beneath the sheet lowered, and once his erection was no longer visible, Erica resumed her usual massage routine. The remainder of the session went painfully slow, and an uncomfortable tension hung between, as neither spoke a word. The only noise in the room was exotic sounding East Indian music, which had a relaxing, ambient rhythm to it.

As the buzzing noise of her massage timer finally filled the air, she reached down to grab it from the little shelf beneath the table, then switched it off.

Relieved that the hour was up, she said, "Looks like our session has come to an end. I'll step out of the room so you can have some privacy while you're getting dressed."

Jacob lifted himself from the reclining position, making sure to keep the sheets wrapped around his midsection so that his groin remained concealed. "Don't worry about leaving. I'll put my clothes on in the bathroom."

"You sure?"

"Yep. It's no problem at all."

He wrapped the sheet tightly around the lower half of his body, then walked toward his bed and retrieved a neatly folded set of clothes. "Back in a bit." He gave her a little smile, then continued along his way.

While he was putting his clothes on in the bathroom, she set to work at folding up the massage table. Then she put her supplies in the black tote bag, and once that was done, she took a few moments to glance out the panoramic windows, enjoying the gorgeous view.

She found herself wondering what it was like to live in a fabulous house like this, way up in the hills away from the rest of the common population. It seemed to be a pretty blissful existence, and she guessed that the residents of Chandler Hills didn't have too many cares in the world.

Turning away from the window, she allowed her eyes to rove around the room, and found herself thinking about just how quickly things had changed for Jacob. Just three months ago, he'd been living in a tiny studio apartment, and now here he was, living it up big time in a spacious mansion. She was happy he'd sold his screenplay, and hoped nothing but the best for him in the future.

Casually sauntering around the expansive room, she noticed how immaculately clean it was, and how everything was perfectly in its place. Then her eyes caught sight of something lying next to the bed, and as she walked closer to it, she saw what appeared to be a necklace lying on the floor next to the frame of the bed.

Her curiosity piqued, she ventured over to have a closer look. From afar they appeared to be those Mardi Gras type of beads, and as she reached the object on the ground she bent down to retrieve it. It wasn't until she was holding them in her hand that she suddenly realized it wasn't a necklace she was holding, but a long string of anal beads.

She'd never seen any in person, but she'd looked at pictures of them online, so she knew exactly what they were used for. Her face wrinkled into an expression of disgust, and she promptly dropped them from her hand, then got onto her feet and hurried toward her tote bag, which sat on the floor next to her folded up massage table. After retrieving two sanitizing hand wipes from the bag, she began to vigorously rub them against her left palm.

While she was cleaning her hand off, she heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, and turned her head to see Jacob walking towards her. He was clad in a pair of khakis, and gray v-neck polo sweater which was layered over a white, button up shirt. His hair appeared to be freshly pomaded and was combed back from his forehead. As he reached her, the scent of his cologne wafted into her nostrils.

"That was an amazing massage, Erica. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

His eyes drifted to her hands, and he spotted the multiple sanitizing wipes she was using to clean off her palm. "Do you normally clean your hands with disinfecting wipes after massaging a client, or is this only reserved for me?" His lips pulled into a faint smile.

She gave him a sheepish look. "Of course it's not you. I'm just trying to get the massage cream off my hands. If I let it dry, then it starts feeling sticky. You know how it is."

"It's been months since I last massaged a client, so I guess I've forgotten what it's like."

"You rich people have no idea what it's like for us common folk, do you?" She playfully shook her head, then said, "So typical."

He offered a light chuckle. "If you'd like to wash your hands, you're welcome to use the bathroom."

"Yeah, I think I will. I'll only be a minute."

"No rush, take your time."

She made her way toward the bathroom, and once she was inside, she closed the door behind her. After pumping a few generous globs of liquid soap into her palm, she vigorously scrubbed away at them, then rinsed them off using the hottest water she could stand.

By the time she finished washing her hands, her palms were red and felt a little raw. But despite the fact that she'd thoroughly washed them, she still couldn't help feeling grossed out. She'd just held a string of beads which been pushed inside someone's ass, so it was going to take some time before she felt like her hands were truly clean again.

After drying off her hands, she exited the bathroom and was surprised to find Jacob standing in the middle of the room with a willowy brunette of medium height. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and his lips were sealed to hers in an intense kiss.

They were so consumed in their make out session, that they didn't even take notice of Erica as she came into the bedroom. She cleared her throat to catch their attention, and as the couple broke apart, they both offered her a look which made her feel extremely awkward.

"Sorry to interrupt. I'll just grab my stuff, and then be on my way." She headed over to where her massage table and tote bag was located. After slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she reached out to grab the handle of her massage table, but before she could, Jacob took hold of it.

"Why don't I carry this out to the car for you?"

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

He gave her a little wink. "No problem." Turning to face his girlfriend, he said, "You don't mind paying her, do you, Rebecca? I haven't had a chance to go by the bank yet, so I'm running low on cash."

Rebecca rolled her eyes and released an exasperated sigh. "Fine." She picked up an oversized clutch and began rooting through it for her some money.

"Thanks, honey." He leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips, then turned his attention on Erica. "You're parked at the bottom of the stairs right next to the curb, right?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"Cool. Meet you out there."

"Alrighty."

Once Jacob had left the room, Rebecca fixed Erica with a steely expression, then began to speak. "You didn't give him one of those happy ending massages, did you?"

"No, of course not." Erica's brow creased.

She uttered a humorless chuckle. "Why am I asking you for? Even if something did go on, it's not like you'd tell me." She shook her head, then pulled out a thick wad of bills and unfolded them.

"Nothing happened, and that's the absolute truth."

Rebecca cast a long, hard glance at her. "Yeah, right. I know what you massage girls do, so you're not fooling me."

"Excuse me?" She stared in disbelief at the other woman, flabbergasted that Rebecca had dared to insinuate that the massage she'd given had been anything but professional. "I don't do that kind of a massage," she said in a firm tone of voice.

"Yeah, sure you don't, sweetie." Her lips curled into a sneer as she coldly asked, "What's the fee?"

"Eighty-five dollars." She impatiently held her hand out, wanting to distance herself from this unpleasant woman as soon as possible.

After counting out the bills, Rebecca threw them onto the floor, where they scattered in different directions. Then she put out a pair of oversized sunglasses and placed them on her face. She then turned on her heel and walked away, her stiletto heels making clicking noises against the marble floor as she exited the room.

Both stunned and infuriated by Rebecca's behavior, all she could do was stand there with a pinched expression on her face. She briefly thought about going after Jacob's girlfriend and letting her know exactly how she felt, but then realized that confronting her would do no good. It would only create a messy situation, and the last thing she needed in her life was drama.

Suddenly catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that there was a dark haired woman standing next to the door. She was tall, with olive toned skin and long, dark brown hair. Her coral colored lips pulled back to reveal a set of perfectly straight, white teeth, and her stunningly curvy figure was outfitted in a strapless floral print summer dress.

Crossing the threshold to enter the room, she gestured with her head in the direction which Rebecca had walked off. "Don't mind her, she's got a permanent stick up her ass." She stretched her hand out for Erica to shake. "I'm Shoshanna, by the way. Jacob's sister."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Erica." She clasped hands with the other woman, giving her a smile.

"Yes, I know. My brother's spoken of you before."

"He's told me about you, as well."

"Good things, I hope."

"He's mentioned quite a few times that you're a brilliantly talented dentist, so I'd say that's a pretty good way to describe you."

"He always did love to exaggerate."

"I'm sure you're well deserving of that title."

She gave Erica a broad smile, then bent down to pick up the bills that had been scattered on the floor. After arranging the currency in a neat stack, she handed it over to Erica.

"Thank you."

"No problem. And sorry about Rebecca treating you like that. She's pretty bitchy with almost everyone she comes into contact with. Including me."

"I was wondering what her deal was. She seemed pretty certain that something was going on between me and Jacob."

Shoshanna rolled her eyes. "She is so paranoid. He can't even look at another girl without her going off."

"I've gotta say, I feel bad for him. She seems like she'd be a handful."

She blew out a breath of air and shook her head. "You don't know the half of it."

Erica's lips tugged upwards. "Well, Jacob's waiting for me outside, so I guess I'd better be on my way."

"Let me walk you to the door."

They made amiable chit chat along the way, and as they passed by the living room, Erica noticed that Jacob's girlfriend was lounging on the curved sofa, with legs tucked beneath her. As the two women passed by, Rebecca fixed her attention directly on Erica, flipping her hair back and giving her a haughty look.

Erica contemplated giving her the evil eye, but decided that her energy would be better spent on other things. She could give a damn if Rebecca didn't like her, and she wasn't ever coming back here to give Jacob another massage, so it wasn't as if she would ever have to see her again. As they reached the door, Shoshanna pulled it open.

"You have any business cards on you? Jacob's always saying what a fantastic masseuse you are, and knowing how picky he is, that's really saying a lot."

"I sure do." She reached into a small side pocket located inside of her tote bag and retrieved three business cards, then handed them to Shoshanna. "I gave you a few extra, just in case you have any friends who'd be interested."

"Cool, I'll pass them along." She tucked them into the pocket of her dress, then pulled out a card of her own. "You ever need a dentist, call me. I just opened a brand new office in Pasadena."

Erica took the car from her, then slipped it into her tote bag. "I am in need of a deep cleaning, so I'll definitely keep your card on hand."

"Great." She casually stuffed her hands into the pockets of her dress, then said, "Guess I'd better be letting you go now. My brother's probably wondering where you are. It was nice meeting you."

"Nice to meet you, too. Take care, Shoshanna."

"You too. Drive safe." She offered Erica a wave, then closed the door behind her.

Erica headed down the steep flight of steps, and once she reached the bottom, she spotted Jacob leaning against her car.

Taking a glance at his watch, he said, "It's about time. Took long enough." The tone of voice he used was joking, and as Erica approached the car, she gave him a smile.

"I was talking to your sister. She's just as cool as you described her."

"Yeah, Shoshanna's awesome. It's pretty much impossible to dislike her."

The car emitted a beeping noise as she hit the button on her keyless entry remote, and after opening the door, she stepped aside so that Jacob could put her massage table in the back seat.

Once that was done, she glanced up at him and said, "Thanks for bringing the table down."

"No problem."

A short moment of awkward silence passed between them, then she said, "Oh by the way, my mom needs some work done on her website. Think you could help her update it?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to."

"Great. Just give me a minute to write down her number." She dug into her purse to retrieve a writing utensil, but before she could find one, Jacob retrieved a silver fountain pen from his pocket.

"Here you go," he said as he handed it to her.

"Thanks." She scribbled her mother's number down on a slip of paper, then handed it to him.

"I'll give her a call tomorrow."

"Sounds good." She recapped the writing utensil, then took a moment to admire the dragon design that was etched into it. "Neat pen. Where'd you buy it?"

"At a stationary store. You can keep it, if you want."

"Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Thanks." She slipped it into her purse. "Guess I'd better hit the road. It really was nice seeing you again."

"The pleasure was all mine." He leaned down and took her in his arms, wrapping them around her in a tight hug which crossed the line of friendly, and bordered on intimate.

She was first to pull back, and her keys made a jingling noise as she fished them out of her tote bag. "I hope your movie is a huge success, and don't forget to send me an invite to the premiere, okay?"

"That's a long time off. How about you come over for dinner next weekend?"

"Jacob, you have a girlfriend. And I'm seeing someone. We can't start dating."

"It won't be a date, just a dinner between friends."

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Come on, Erica. How are we going to maintain a friendship if you refuse to see me?"

"I don't mind us meeting up for coffee and having a chat sometime. But having dinner is crossing the line."

"Okay, forget dinner. I'm having a cocktail party in a few weeks. Other people will be there, including Shoshanna. And you can bring your boyfriend along with you. Will you come to that?"

"I don't know, maybe."

Please do. It'd be nice to see you again. Plus It'd give me a change to meet this guy you're dating."

"I'll keep it in mind, okay? But I can't make any promises."

"That's cool. Just as long as you'll think about it."

She gave a light nod, then said, "Gotta get going. See you later." She headed for the driver's door, and after opening it, she tossed her tote bag onto the passenger's seat.

"Wait," he called out.

Glancing up at him, she said, "Yes?"

"Can I book a massage for next Friday?"

"I'm pretty certain my schedule's full."

"How about the following week?"

"I'll take a look at my appointment book and get back to you, okay?"

"If you don't want to massage me, you can just come out and say it. You don't have to make excuses."

She released a sigh. "I just don't think it's a good idea, okay?"

"Is this about me getting an erection? Because that was completely out of my control."

Although that was part of the reason she didn't want him to book another appointment with her, the last thing she wanted was to make him feel bad about it, so she avoided giving him the blunt truth. "I know you couldn't control it, Jacob. Sometimes it just happens."