leisurely across her face, down the slope of her neck.
Barbara was never happier than at that moment, pleased with the fact that she could actually stand there and not have to hold her breath and her stomach in until he looked away.
“So you have a son,” she said in a voice that sounded as if it came from far away.
“Yes.”
“Good looking young man.”
“I’d tell him but he’s already vain.”
He smiled and she swore she heard a symphony. “He got it honest,” she admitted.
Wil had barely changed in the years since way back when, she observed. He still had that incredible cocoa-brown skin, broad shoulders that could always carry the weight of her world. Eyes so soft and brown you wanted them all over you. She remembered those lips, the way they used to nibble on her ear or plant hot kisses on her young neck. He’d gained some weight. They all had. There were dashes of gray in his close cut hair and mustache, but it only made him seem more virile, more…man.
A hot shot of desire exploded right between her legs sending a tremor along the inside of her thighs. Ohmygoodness.
“How long have you been working here?” he asked, snapping her out of her trance.
She blinked. “Uh, I’m one of the co-owners, actually.”
“Really.”
Genuine surprise lit his eyes and admiration tugged up the corners of his mouth.
He slid his hands into the pocket of his sweat-pants. She thought about her diamond, thankful thatshe’d taken it off to work. A little stab of guilt wiggled under her skin. Glad she’d taken it off? Why?
“How many co-owners are there?”
“Huh?”
He repeated the question.
“Oh, sorry. There are four of us. You met Ellie and then there’s Ann Marie and Stephanie.”
He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with merriment. “Four women open a spa for men. That’s rich.” He chuckled harder.
Barbara put her hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. “I really don’t see what’s so funny.”
“Not that it’s funny, ha ha funny. But funny in the brilliant sense. Pure genius.” He stopped chuckling and looked dead at her. “Who knows what men want more than a woman?”
Her breath stopped somewhere in her chest and refused to move. She started to feel lightheaded and began coughing—choking was more like it.
Alarmed, Wil sprung into action and began patting her back. “Are you all right? Can I get you something?”
She bent over, still coughing, but loving the feel of those big hands on her back, the sound of his voice in her ear. She unscrewed the cap on her bottle of water and took a long swallow.
By degrees her coughing subsided and sheslowly stood up. “Sorry about that,” she choked out. “Guess something went down the wrong way.”
“Sure you’re okay?”
She nodded.
“Married?” he asked out of the blue.
She almost lapsed into another coughing attack.
“No. Widowed.”
“Sorry.”
She dared to look at him. “You?”
“Was. It’s been over for years now.”
“So you’re a single parent.”
“That’s what they call us.” He waited a beat.
“Kids?”
“No,” she barely murmured.
He lowered his gaze for an instant, not wanting to witness the sadness he saw in hers. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ve gotten over that part of my life.”
She drew in a breath. “Well, if we don’t finish this tour your son will be wondering what I’ve done with you down here.”
“I could think of a few things, but then there might be witnesses.”
She didn’t even want to begin to imagine what he meant by that. “Uh, down this hallway is the massage room.” She caught his grin before she turned away.
“So you do the massages?” he asked looking around.
“Yes, but we’re in the process of hiring some permanent help. My full-time job is at the hospital in rehabilitation. I’m on vacation this week.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.” He frowned for a moment, trying to put it together in his head. “So you only do this part-time. How long have
Barbara was never happier than at that moment, pleased with the fact that she could actually stand there and not have to hold her breath and her stomach in until he looked away.
“So you have a son,” she said in a voice that sounded as if it came from far away.
“Yes.”
“Good looking young man.”
“I’d tell him but he’s already vain.”
He smiled and she swore she heard a symphony. “He got it honest,” she admitted.
Wil had barely changed in the years since way back when, she observed. He still had that incredible cocoa-brown skin, broad shoulders that could always carry the weight of her world. Eyes so soft and brown you wanted them all over you. She remembered those lips, the way they used to nibble on her ear or plant hot kisses on her young neck. He’d gained some weight. They all had. There were dashes of gray in his close cut hair and mustache, but it only made him seem more virile, more…man.
A hot shot of desire exploded right between her legs sending a tremor along the inside of her thighs. Ohmygoodness.
“How long have you been working here?” he asked, snapping her out of her trance.
She blinked. “Uh, I’m one of the co-owners, actually.”
“Really.”
Genuine surprise lit his eyes and admiration tugged up the corners of his mouth.
He slid his hands into the pocket of his sweat-pants. She thought about her diamond, thankful thatshe’d taken it off to work. A little stab of guilt wiggled under her skin. Glad she’d taken it off? Why?
“How many co-owners are there?”
“Huh?”
He repeated the question.
“Oh, sorry. There are four of us. You met Ellie and then there’s Ann Marie and Stephanie.”
He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with merriment. “Four women open a spa for men. That’s rich.” He chuckled harder.
Barbara put her hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side. “I really don’t see what’s so funny.”
“Not that it’s funny, ha ha funny. But funny in the brilliant sense. Pure genius.” He stopped chuckling and looked dead at her. “Who knows what men want more than a woman?”
Her breath stopped somewhere in her chest and refused to move. She started to feel lightheaded and began coughing—choking was more like it.
Alarmed, Wil sprung into action and began patting her back. “Are you all right? Can I get you something?”
She bent over, still coughing, but loving the feel of those big hands on her back, the sound of his voice in her ear. She unscrewed the cap on her bottle of water and took a long swallow.
By degrees her coughing subsided and sheslowly stood up. “Sorry about that,” she choked out. “Guess something went down the wrong way.”
“Sure you’re okay?”
She nodded.
“Married?” he asked out of the blue.
She almost lapsed into another coughing attack.
“No. Widowed.”
“Sorry.”
She dared to look at him. “You?”
“Was. It’s been over for years now.”
“So you’re a single parent.”
“That’s what they call us.” He waited a beat.
“Kids?”
“No,” she barely murmured.
He lowered his gaze for an instant, not wanting to witness the sadness he saw in hers. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ve gotten over that part of my life.”
She drew in a breath. “Well, if we don’t finish this tour your son will be wondering what I’ve done with you down here.”
“I could think of a few things, but then there might be witnesses.”
She didn’t even want to begin to imagine what he meant by that. “Uh, down this hallway is the massage room.” She caught his grin before she turned away.
“So you do the massages?” he asked looking around.
“Yes, but we’re in the process of hiring some permanent help. My full-time job is at the hospital in rehabilitation. I’m on vacation this week.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.” He frowned for a moment, trying to put it together in his head. “So you only do this part-time. How long have
Similar Books
