Page 28 of The Heartbreak Hotel

Ella eyed her warily. “I’m not eating that.”

Riley laughed and shook her head. “I don’t want you to eat it. Rub it on your skin, and it helps ease the pain. Nature’s own anti-inflammatory.”

“Really?” She didn’t seem convinced, but when Riley nodded, she shrugged. “Go on then. It can’t make it worse.”

She turned her back and scooped her hair into a bun on top of her head, exposing her delicate neck, then hooked her fingers under the straps of her top and bra and lowered it off her shoulders.

Riley swallowed. Ella wanted her to apply it? Before her brain jumped in and made her say something stupid and refuse, she gently squeezed the gel out of the stem and onto Ella’s skin.

Ella hissed at the contact, and Riley’s stomach rolled. She shouldn’t be getting turned on by this…but she couldn’t find it in her to stop. Easing out more aloe vera juice, she let her fingers rub soft circles across Ella’s shoulders, taking extra care on the sore spot on her neck.

“It feels nice,” Ella said in a breathy whisper.

Heat pooled between Riley’s thighs. Ella’s voice triggered an instinct inside her that she hadn’t felt for a long time, and she started to pulse. Her hands longed to explore the contours of Ella’s body, to hear more of her breathless tone and see what other responses she could pull from her lovely mouth. She swallowed, realising her fingers had stilled on Ella’s shoulders, and continued her massage. When Ella’s red skin was completely coated, silky and smooth, she blew out an unsteady breath.

“Okay. That’s all done.” The words came out softer than she’d intended. Where had her voice gone?

Ella turned to face her slowly, and Riley’s eyes were drawn to her bare chest. White bikini lines hooped around her neck, leaving the rest of her skin tender and pink.

“What about the front?” Ella asked, her voice low in her throat.

Jesus. Riley’s neck flushed, creeping up and into her cheeks. She didn’t know where to look. Not at Ella’s thick lips, which were just inches away from hers—and definitely not at her full cleavage, which was hovering gloriously below Riley’s face.

“I…uh–I think you should do those–er, that part.” She managed to meet Ella’s gaze briefly before glancing away.

“I don’t want to get my hands all slimy. Please…if you don’t mind.”

Riley cleared her throat, trying not to focus on the desire pooling in her underwear or the way her whole body hummed at the feel of Ella’s body underneath her fingertips. “Alright.”

Carefully, she squeezed the plant, biting her lip as the gel coated Ella’s chest.

Good god, Jesus almighty.

Her fingers worked in slow circles as the sound of their breathing filled the room. She took extra care at the base of Ella’s neck and across her clavicles, feeling her gaze on her. The air thickened, pushing them closer together. Riley tried her best not to look down Ella’s top, but the very thought of caressing her breasts and pushing her onto her bed spread a deep ache through her pelvis.

With an awkward pat, she finished rubbing in the gel and took a step back. “There you go.”

Ella looked up, locking Riley with those big eyes. “Thanks.”

Riley glanced away. “I’ll, er, cut some more for you to take with you.” She forced herself to move, her head and heart warring over how this was simultaneously stupid and brilliant. Her unsteady fingers snipped another stem from the aloe plant, and she handed it to Ella. “Just apply it whenever you need it.”

Ella nodded but looked like she wanted to say something else. Then she gave her a small, genuine smile. “Really, Riley, thank you.”

Her heart fluttered. “No problem.”

Ella glanced around the room, lingering on Ziggy. “Anyway, I’ll head off. I imagine you have a busy afternoon.”

Riley checked her watch. “I actually have a surfing class soon, so I should make my way to the beach.”

They watched each other for a moment, and Riley’s heart thundered louder with each passing beat. Ella’s attention dropped to Riley’s mouth, and for a few agonising seconds, she begged that she’d kiss her.

Riley, what are you doing?

“Do you want to walk down together?” Ella asked.

Riley couldn’t think of a reason not to. She could hardly get in trouble for walking with a client. Massaging their chest and shoulders, perhaps. “Alright. Sure.” When Ella didn’t move, Riley indicated behind her. “I, uh, just need to get changed.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. I’ll just—” Ella hurried out the door, taking her bag with her, leaving Riley breathing heavily in her bedroom.