the last drops of water from my shower still hanging in my curls.
“You look like a Raphaelite angel.” His voice came from inside the room.
I looked over my shoulder into the room with a smile. I spoke softly. “Are you really awake?”
“I’m not sure.” He sighed faintly.
I waited for a few minutes then peeked inside the room. His eyes were closed, his limbs splayed across the bed, one long leg wrapped around the edge of the white sheet. His dark blond shock of wayward locks went every which way across his pillow. He looked totally at peace, and completely asleep.
I smiled and went to find my laptop. My mind was racing and I needed a place to put it all before it disappeared.
***
“Bloody hell, is that the time?” He sounded awake now. I heard movement from inside the room, the sound of him going into the bathroom and turning on the shower.
I had opened the balcony door, pulling the gauze curtains aside to let the natural light in the room, but ended up moving onto the balcony to write. I had no idea what time it was; time wasn’t important to me right now.
I glanced at the clock. It was nine-forty-seven. I stretched and made my way into the room and found his clothes, which trailed from the door to the bed.
He emerged from the bathroom five minutes later, his hair still dripping wet. “I’ve a meeting in less than fifteen minutes.” He was naked and I was staring.
I held out his clothes. “Can you make it?”
He looked at me, his eyes red and his chin covered with morning stubble. He looked absolutely gorgeous as he grinned. I felt the blush flood my cheeks as my eyes wandered over his body. He was too damn beautiful. My pulse began to pick up as my mind wandered…
He shook his head as he spoke. “Not if you keep that up.” He took a step toward me, his body willing to accommodate my line of thinking.
“No!” I put a hand out in front of me, feeling ridiculously out of control. “Go…go to your meeting. I’ll be here. You’re my ride, remember?”
He smiled as his hand cupped my chin, his thumb trailing my lower lip. “I could have great fun misinterpreting that statement.” He smiled again as a blush covered every inch of my exposed skin. “That’s the only reason I’ll go. You have no escape,” he said softly before kissing me.
I felt warmth pooling in the pit of my stomach, my limbs willing me to wrap myself around him again. Instead, I shoved his clothes at him, my heartbeat pounding in my ears as I stepped a bit away from him. “Do you have time to get there? Have a change of clothes?”
He shook his head as he stared at my mouth, smiling. “No worries. Rumpled clothes and dramatic entrances aren’t cause for alarm in Hollywood. All is right with the world.” He pulled his clothes on quickly, his wrinkled and unkempt appearance somehow dashing and chic. He sat, pulling on his shoes, singing something softly under his breath as my room phone rang.
“Yes?”
“Miss Collins, you have your first treatment at ten. Raul will be at your room in the next few minutes to accompany you to your mud bath. It’s your first spa treatment. Please wear the robe on the back of your bathroom door.”
“Mud bath?” It didn’t sound all that luxurious to me.
“Yes. Followed by a deep body massage, then lunch and yoga,” the chipper voice stated.
“Okay.” I sighed. Why not? “I’ll be ready.”
Josh’s arm slipped around my waist as he dropped a kiss on my neck. He whispered, “Happy birthday, Claire.” His breath was on my neck as I hung up the phone, a shiver shooting up my back as he added, “Enjoy your mud.”
Chapter Four
Encased in herbal-scented mud, I fell into a restoring sleep.
After a deep muscle massage, I dozed again when warm rocks were placed on my back.
I ate lunch and enjoyed yoga. Though I’d never tried it before, there was something very controlled but leisurely about it, two things I didn’t often feel at
“You look like a Raphaelite angel.” His voice came from inside the room.
I looked over my shoulder into the room with a smile. I spoke softly. “Are you really awake?”
“I’m not sure.” He sighed faintly.
I waited for a few minutes then peeked inside the room. His eyes were closed, his limbs splayed across the bed, one long leg wrapped around the edge of the white sheet. His dark blond shock of wayward locks went every which way across his pillow. He looked totally at peace, and completely asleep.
I smiled and went to find my laptop. My mind was racing and I needed a place to put it all before it disappeared.
***
“Bloody hell, is that the time?” He sounded awake now. I heard movement from inside the room, the sound of him going into the bathroom and turning on the shower.
I had opened the balcony door, pulling the gauze curtains aside to let the natural light in the room, but ended up moving onto the balcony to write. I had no idea what time it was; time wasn’t important to me right now.
I glanced at the clock. It was nine-forty-seven. I stretched and made my way into the room and found his clothes, which trailed from the door to the bed.
He emerged from the bathroom five minutes later, his hair still dripping wet. “I’ve a meeting in less than fifteen minutes.” He was naked and I was staring.
I held out his clothes. “Can you make it?”
He looked at me, his eyes red and his chin covered with morning stubble. He looked absolutely gorgeous as he grinned. I felt the blush flood my cheeks as my eyes wandered over his body. He was too damn beautiful. My pulse began to pick up as my mind wandered…
He shook his head as he spoke. “Not if you keep that up.” He took a step toward me, his body willing to accommodate my line of thinking.
“No!” I put a hand out in front of me, feeling ridiculously out of control. “Go…go to your meeting. I’ll be here. You’re my ride, remember?”
He smiled as his hand cupped my chin, his thumb trailing my lower lip. “I could have great fun misinterpreting that statement.” He smiled again as a blush covered every inch of my exposed skin. “That’s the only reason I’ll go. You have no escape,” he said softly before kissing me.
I felt warmth pooling in the pit of my stomach, my limbs willing me to wrap myself around him again. Instead, I shoved his clothes at him, my heartbeat pounding in my ears as I stepped a bit away from him. “Do you have time to get there? Have a change of clothes?”
He shook his head as he stared at my mouth, smiling. “No worries. Rumpled clothes and dramatic entrances aren’t cause for alarm in Hollywood. All is right with the world.” He pulled his clothes on quickly, his wrinkled and unkempt appearance somehow dashing and chic. He sat, pulling on his shoes, singing something softly under his breath as my room phone rang.
“Yes?”
“Miss Collins, you have your first treatment at ten. Raul will be at your room in the next few minutes to accompany you to your mud bath. It’s your first spa treatment. Please wear the robe on the back of your bathroom door.”
“Mud bath?” It didn’t sound all that luxurious to me.
“Yes. Followed by a deep body massage, then lunch and yoga,” the chipper voice stated.
“Okay.” I sighed. Why not? “I’ll be ready.”
Josh’s arm slipped around my waist as he dropped a kiss on my neck. He whispered, “Happy birthday, Claire.” His breath was on my neck as I hung up the phone, a shiver shooting up my back as he added, “Enjoy your mud.”
Chapter Four
Encased in herbal-scented mud, I fell into a restoring sleep.
After a deep muscle massage, I dozed again when warm rocks were placed on my back.
I ate lunch and enjoyed yoga. Though I’d never tried it before, there was something very controlled but leisurely about it, two things I didn’t often feel at
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