The Masseuse (15 page)

Jezebel halted that train of thought, shook her head, and released a deep breath. She had no business thinking that way. As she looked back to her computer, she couldn’t help but think that if Ramsey Stone knew what was good for him, he’d manage to see her in the next couple of days.

She’d just refocused her attention on the proposal before her when a knock sounded on her door. “Yes?”

Marlo, her junior secretary, stepped in. The usually unflustered woman seemed a bit confused, prompting Jezebel to ask what was wrong. “There’s a package here for you...”

“From who?”

“He won’t say—he says he’s supposed to give it directly to you.”

Brows furrowing, Jezebel asked, “Should we call security?”

Marlo shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She walked to Jezebel and held out her hand. In it was a business card.

“Eros Messengers?” Beneath that name was the address, phone number and email of what she suspected was a hand-delivery company. Her secretary nodded.

Curious, but not stupid, Jezebel pushed from her seat. “I’ll come to him.”

As soon as she stepped into the lobby, she regretted her bold statement. She should have asked for more information, and then told Marlo to let him in.

Standing in her lobby in a tight red jacket, tight white pants and a red-and-white Robin Hood-esque cap, was a handsome young man holding what looked like two-dozen red roses and the most massive assortment of candy she’d ever seen. Jezebel smirked a little as she took in his features—features similar, but not as attractive as a certain missing Korean...

Naturally, Baby-handsome had drawn attention, and most of the secretaries, assistants, and junior assistants. Hell, even some of her associates, male and female, were out of their offices, staring.

“Ms. Carter?” he asked in a rich baritone.

Jezebel considered shaking her head, but before she could answer Marlo threw her under the bus with a slightly excited, “Yes.”

Baby-handsome smiled and approached. Was he supposed to be Cupid?

“I have a delivery from Ramsey Stone.”

Of course.

“Do you know him?” she inquired, wondering if this was one of his “specific” family members. She doubted it.

Baby-handsome seemed shocked, but shook his head. Figures, Jezebel thought with a smirk. Ramsey had hired a lesser attractive version of himself just to tease her.

He handed her a card, which she opened.
I’m sorry. I miss you. I’ll be there soon. In the meantime...enjoy.

Jezebel stared at it. Enjoy?

Before she could make sense of the message, Baby-handsome began to sing. Yes, he serenaded her. “
This time, this place, misused, misplaced...
” he sang in an amazingly beautiful voice. As she stood there shocked, he continued, his face breaking into a smile at her reaction. “
I loved you, loved you all along...and I missed you, been far away for far too long...”

Nickelback? Jezebel found a little smile before she realized that everyone in the office was staring at her, and him, and the roses and the candy...and they
knew.
Marlo and Janice, her senior secretary, had seen Ramsey many times, but they were a select few people and she’d never told them what they were doing. For all they knew, Ramsey was a client. But now...all of her business was out there. She didn’t like it one bit.

“Er...thank you, Mr.?”

Baby-handsome broke off and looked confused. “I have another song.”

“Sure.” Jezebel motioned him into her office. The observers gave a collective groan but quelled it after a stern look that had them scurrying back to their offices and cubicles, most with grins and wriggling eyebrows.

“I’ll get you a vase for the roses,” Marlo said, and Jezebel had a feeling she just wanted into her office to listen and see Baby-handsome. He seemed closer to the young woman’s age than Jezebel’s.

As she stepped back into her office and closed the door, Baby-handsome started from where she’d cut him off, as if he was just on Pause. With a good-natured shake of her head, she stepped to the roses and inhaled deep. Gorgeous.

At that moment, the door opened and Marlo entered with the vase. Taking the flowers from him, Jezebel set them in the vase. Marlo refused to budge and Jezebel didn’t have the heart to kick her out, not when this was probably the most fun she’d had in the last week due to Jezebel’s hectic schedule.

When he finished, both she and Marlo clapped. Baby-handsome dipped his head, and launched into another song, a song she knew by heart.
“It’s been too long and I’m lost with you...”

She had Aaliyah’s
I Miss You
on almost every playlist she owned. It was a beautiful song, and sung by a handsome Cupid...

Marlo sighed loudly, and Jezebel agreed.

When he was finished, he dipped his head, and retrieved something from his red-and-white satchel. She hadn’t even noticed the satchel.

“For you, Ms. Carter.”

Jezebel took the rectangular black box from his possession and noticed the little grin on his lips as she lifted the lid. That should have warned her that this gift was for later.

When the white handle came into sight, Jezebel snapped the box shut. If Ramsey were here, she’d strangle him...and then she’d make him try the present on her.

“Thank you...Cupid.” Jezebel placed the box into one of her drawers and reached into her purse for tip money. As she approached him holding a twenty-dollar bill, he shook his head. “That’s fine, Ms. Carter. I’ve already been tipped for the service.”

“Well, thank you. You have a lovely voice.”

“Yes,” Marlo chimed dreamily. “It’s beautiful.”

“And my secretary thinks you’re handsome.”

He grinned at Marlo, who blushed prettily.

As he left, followed by Marlo, who was “walking him out,” Jezebel remembered the black box and grabbed her cellular phone.

I received your present
, she texted.

His response came quickly. “Did you like it?”

“He serenaded me.”

“Yes.”

Before she could reply, her office phone rang. Looking to the number, she answered it. “You are in so much trouble,” she stated.

“Was he horrible?”

“No. He sounded great. Ramsey! He serenaded me in front of my employees.”

The man had the audacity to laugh. “Good.”

“Good?”

“Now they know.” Before she could inquire on exactly what they knew, he asked, “What about the other presents?”

“Oh, you mean the candy and the flowers?”

“And the black box.”

“What black box?” She decided to make him squirm. He’d toyed with her regarding the singer—which was a nice gesture—but she wanted payback.

“The black box the messenger was to deliver to you after the songs.”

“I never got a black box.”

Ramsey didn’t speak for long moments and then he asked, “Are you lying to me, Jezebel?”

“Maybe.”

“Do you like it?”

“Haven’t tried it. Don’t know.”

“Try it tonight.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. You’re not here to make sure I do anything so...maybe I’ll forget, or sleep, or watch TV.”

“Jezebel.” His voice had gone all commanding, and she smirked even as heat travelled the length of her body. This was his bedroom voice, the tone that could make her do almost anything. “Try it tonight before you go to bed, and when I call tomorrow, I want to know how it made you feel.”

“We’ll see,” she answered nonchalantly, removing the black box from where it rested and opening it. Inside was a blue and white Hitachi Magic Wand. She’d seen it advertised a few times, and had thought it discrete. It wasn’t.

“Yes, we will.”

***

As she stepped from her car and headed for her house, Jezebel couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. She’d felt it a few days back, but had dismissed it as her paranoia after viewing a documentary on serial predators. But the feeling was back again. She paused at her gate and looked around, wondering if her neighbors had discussed her and were now contemplating baking her something else. She smiled wide, hoping it signaled to them that all was right and she didn’t want any pies or cakes, and turned back to her gate. Jezebel was almost at the gate when someone called her name.

“Ms. Carter?”

Strange. Most people on this block called her Jezebel like they’d known her from birth, or had helped her mother choose the name. She turned. A woman with smooth, caramel skin and thick hair pulled into a bun, was heading her way.

“Yes?”

The woman smiled, and then looked apologetic. “I’m sorry. I met you a few nights ago at the
How to Budget for Your New Business Panel
at the SBA.”

“Oh.” Of course. Her face looked familiar, but Jezebel had been unable to place it.

“I’m sorry, Ms...?”

She stuck out her hand. “Danielle—everyone calls me Dani though—Marx.”

Jezebel nodded and shook her hand. “Jezebel.” Looking in the direction from which Dani had come, Jezebel saw a man leaning against a car, watching them. At her glance, he waved easily. She smiled and nodded.

“Oh, that’s my husband, Eric,” Dani explained. “We just moved here a few days ago.” She shook her head and looked excited. “Imagine my surprise at finding out that you’re one of my neighbors.”

Jezebel nodded and smiled. “Did you meet the block council yet?”

“Oh, yes, Maggie, Paige, and Joanne baked and welcomed me to the neighborhood yesterday. They seem really nice.”

“They are.”

“Well, don’t let me keep you.” Dani nodded. “We’ll likely see each other over the next weeks.”

“I’m sure we will.” With a smile, Jezebel headed past her gates and into her home. She headed straight for the shower, allowing the water to wash away the grit and grime of the past day, before exiting and making her way to her purse. Removing the black box, she opened it and took out the vibrator. She took it into the bathroom, she washed and dried it. Having already read the instructions, she plugged it in, and tested the strength against her finger.

She decided she couldn’t very well let Ramsey’s money go to waste and wanting to tease him mercilessly tomorrow with images of her doing exactly this, she lay back, spread her legs, and placed it where it was intended.

***

“Did you have fun last night with your new friend?”

“My new
best
friend.” Jezebel turned to stare out of her window again. After a night of play with Hitachi, her friend, she’d fallen asleep exhausted and relatively happy.

“That good?”

“Yes.”

“Better than the others?”

“Yes.”

“Better than your phal?”

“I’d have to think about that some more, considering I’ve forgotten what he feels like.”

Ramsey chuckled.

“That’s funny?” she asked.

“It’s always funny to me when you lie so blatantly.”

“When are you coming back?” Jezebel didn’t want to sound desperate, but she was dammit. “Wednesday. “

She groaned. It was Friday. That meant she wouldn’t see him for 5 entire days.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she bit out. “It’s work.”

“You sound like you want to strangle me,” he murmured.

She did. “I don’t. I understand. Really.” Of course she understood. It was the nature of business. That didn’t mean she had to like it.

“I’ll make it up to you, Jez. I promise.”

“Sure.”

“Jez...”

“Yes?”

“I miss you.”

She sighed. “I miss you too.”

“I miss
her
too.”

“Good!” She hoped it was more painful for him than her. That was cruel, but it was cruel how long he’d been gone.

“That’s not very nice, Jez.”

“Where are you?”

“Home,” he replied.

“In bed?”

“Yes.” His voice had changed, growing lower, huskier. “Why?”

“Curious.”

“About?”

“Cocks.”

“What?”

She grinned. “Are you hard, Ramsey?”

“Cocks?” he repeated, sounding less and less pleased. If she’d said his cock, or her phal, or something singular, he’d be fine, but she didn’t want him fine. She wanted him frustrated, like her. He sounded too calm and collected.

“Are you?”

“Why are you curious about
cocks
?”

“Because they fascinate me.” She sighed dramatically. “I haven’t seen one in weeks. In fact, if I wait for you, it will be three whole—”

“What do you mean
if
you wait for me?” His voice was low and sharp. They hadn’t actually said they were exclusive, but it was a given. She’d claimed his body for herself and he’d done the same. Plus, she didn’t want anyone else, but she could make him think she did.

“Well...”

“Jezebel, this isn’t funny.”

“Not to you,” she caved. Such a baby. He could tease her with bullets and Hitachi, but couldn’t stand to be teased. Granted, it was totally different, but she didn’t care.

“The only cock you should be worried about is your phal.”

“I would be if he was close enough for me to access.”

“He will be in a few days.”

She groaned.

“Jez...”

“What?”

Ramsey chuckled. “I know you’re frustrated, but wait for me, baby.”

As if she had a choice. “If something else comes up, I’ll fly over there and it won’t be pretty.” It was an empty threat, but she felt the need to say it.

“If something else comes up, I’ll fly you over here myself.”

She rolled her eyes.
Sure he would.

“Now, back to your fascination with my cock—
your cock
.”

“Hmmm,” she moaned. “Are you hard, baby?”

She heard shifting, like he was moving on the bed. “The sound of your voice makes me hard...”

“How hard?”

“I’m ready to fuck you.”

Jezebel laughed throatily. Thank God her line was not monitored. Everyone else had a one, but she’d drawn the line there. She hadn’t exactly done it with the intentions that one day she’d meet a man and have great phone sex with him, but it came in handy.

“Don’t you want me to suck it first?”

Ramsey groaned. “Yes. I’d love that, baby.”