His tight, black short-sleeved shirt hugged his fit body, showing off the faint outline of his pectorals. The dark color matched the inked lines flowing down his arms and ending above his wrists.
With his signature crooked smile, he gestured at the interior of the other room. “Welcome to Serenity Oasis, Charli.”
“Shouldn’t you be greeting me with some sort of guru wisdom about life?” I teased.
His genuine laugh eased my nerves. “If it would make you more comfortable, I think I can come up with something.” Nick paused for a moment before his eyes twinkled and he bowed once, folding his hands together. “Never test the waters with two feet.”
I scrunched up my face. “I don’t think either one of us are that cautious in our lives, if I had to venture a guess. Me, I’m more of a cannonball kinda girl. Straight into the deep end and splashing everyone around me.”
“I’d like to see that,” Nick chuckled. “And I’m not going to tell you what kind of guy I am.” He gestured for me to enter the room.
“Why not?” I asked, entering a room painted in a cool blue tone with paintings of tranquil settings decorating the walls.
Dark curtains blocked out the light, keeping the space dim. A vintage dresser pressed against the far wall held a multitude of glowing candles. The cushioned table sat in the middle of the room covered with a cream blanket.
“Because,” Nick said from behind me, “I find a little mystery in life quite tantalizing.” He shut the door, enclosing us both inside his den of zen.
“I like what you’ve done with the old place,” I commented, taking in the decorations. “It doesn’t resemble a house anymore.”
Nick appreciated my comment with a nod. “Thanks. This used to be the dining room, if you can believe it. I had a hard time finding blackout curtains that fit the old windows.”
“If this is the dining room, then where do you eat?” I asked.
He pointed at the second door. “Standing up at the kitchen counter or sometimes upstairs in my office if I’ve got a lot of clients. I’ve also come to like the food at the cafe.”
“Yeah, that place is iconic. Mr. Steve is a great cook.” My eyes flashed to that table, knowing what was supposed to happen soon enough.
Nick picked up a clipboard and a pen. “Don’t be nervous. I just need to ask you a few questions and get your consent before we begin.” He checked his paper. “Do you have any ongoing health conditions? High or low blood pressure or stuff like that?”
“Nope.”
“Any persistent pain anywhere?” he continued.
I snorted. “Other than my brother’s teasing?”
“So, that’s a no.” Nick checked something off with a smile. “Any areas you would like me to focus on in particular?”
Rubbing my hands, I did a mental checklist of my body. “Not that I can think of?”
“And what’s your purpose in being here today?”
I sighed. “My friend made me the appointment.”
Nick’s haughty demeanor faltered with a slight grin. “Yeah, Lavender’s pretty great. I didn’t expect to meet someone like her here.”
His words quelled my concerns about my friend’s crush. “It’s about time she met someone nice.”
Worry lines appeared between his eyebrows and his jaw ticked once. He shook it off and gestured at the table. “Let’s get started, shall we? I’ll go out and give you some privacy, and when you’re ready, lie down under the blanket facing up.”
Lying on the table, I did my best to relax into the experience. When Nick knocked on the door to come in, I yelped a little and pulled the blanket up further.
“Nervous?” he asked.
“A little,” I admitted. “Honestly, this is the first spa Honeysuckle’s ever had.”
He squirted something into his hands and rubbed them together. A pungent aroma filled the air around me.
With gentle hands, he rubbed my tense jawline. “You’ve never lived anywhere else?”
The scent of sandalwood permeated my senses, and I breathed it in deep. “Actually, I have. But I never had the means to afford such a luxury.”
His fingers worked their way up to my temples. With his thumbs, he pressed into my forehead. “I don’t see finding ways to take care of ourselves as a luxury. More like a necessity. But my guess is that you give to others a lot more than you take.”
“Mm-hmm.” Thoughts of how I deserved to experience this flitted in and out of the peaceful fog filling my head.
Nick’s fingers massaged my neck, working their magic, and I suppressed a satisfied groan. With his heated touch, he massaged the oil into my skin, and its scent distracted me while I tried to identify it. About the time I thought I knew what it was, I lost track and started over again. The more Nick worked, the more I forgot.
“What is that scent?” I asked, my words slurring a little.
Nick pushed his fingers into my skin a little harder. “It’s an oil of my own making, but it’s not important. Just let go.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but the words fell right out of my head. The music changed cadence into something with a low steady thumping rhythm. Like a heartbeat. My breathing slowed to match its tempo.
Leaning close to my ear while he massaged the underside of my shoulders, he asked, “Now, Charli, can you hear me?”
I nodded in answer. “Yes.”
“Good.” Nick’s hands moved to cradle my head, his fingers pressing into the base of my skull. “Then I want you to tell me what it is that you desire most in this whole world. What would make you the happiest?”
If his question had been simpler, it might not have interrupted my tranquil state. But the existential inquiry erased some of the murky haze from my mind. My first response should be for my grandmother to reawaken and fuss at me again.
