Page 7 of The Panther’s Edge

“You must be the one from the glory holes that everyone is talking about,” he said, his accent thick. Brazilian was the first word that came to mind, but I wasn’t sure if that was right. “I hear you do exceptional work, my friend.”

“Thanks…” I wasn’t really sure how to respond to that.

“A friend of mine, I think you know him,” he said, giving me a wink. “Told me that you deserve a little reciprocation for all the good work you’ve done.”

“Oh.” I felt my face grow hot immediately. “I don’t need anything. Really.”

“He said you work too much,” the panther continued. “That you have a lot of stress. And while you’re good at serving others, he thinks you might have trouble giving your own body what it needs.”

My mouth opened and closed without a word. Was I that transparent? Could everyone tell that I was nothing but a ball of stress on the verge of implosion?

“That’s where I come in,” he said, smiling wide. “My name is Ravi and I’m the masseuse for the bathhouse. Your friend has purchased you one of my more expensive treatments. So when you’re ready, please let me know and we’ll go to a private room.”

I stared at him for a long moment, trying to process what he was saying. Someone had bought me a massage. Not just any massage, but one of the expensive ones, apparently. Which meant it probably wasn’t the kind you got at a regular spa. Although, considering what I’d seen at the bathhouse, nothing was regular here.

“I…” I started, then stopped. “That’s really nice of him, but I don’t want to put you out.”

“You’re not putting me out,” Ravi said smoothly. “I get paid either way. And besides, your friend was very insistent. He said you needed this.”

I thought about the man in the pool, the one with kind eyes and vitiligo covering his dark skin. He’d been so easy to talk to, so willing to help a stranger feel comfortable in a place like this. And apparently he’d also decided I needed professional attention.

“Okay,” I heard myself say. “Yeah. Sure.”

Ravi’s smile widened, showing all those impressive fangs. “Excellent. Come with me when you’re ready. No rush. Finish your water first. You’ll want to be hydrated. My massages are thorough.”

He pulled himself out of the pool with surprising grace for someone so large, water cascading off his muscular form. I watched him pad away on bare feet, his tail swishing behind him, naked and fully exposed, and felt a flutter of nerves in my stomach.

I was surprised to find myself deeply attracted to him. That was weird for me. Sure, some guys were hot. That happened now and then. But this guy… I just couldn’t take my eyes off him and that wasn’t like me. Maybe the bathhouse had awakened something in me. Or maybe I was finally starting to get some life back in my body. Either way, I wasn’t going to miss this.

I drank the rest of my water and climbed out of the pool, wrapping my towel around my waist. My body felt loose and relaxed already, but there were still years of stress bound deep in my muscles that even cock sucking and hot water couldn’t get out.

I found Ravi waiting near a door I hadn’t noticed before, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, still completely nude. My eyes dipped down to his heavy balls and his soft dark cock before I could help myself. He smiled and straightened when he saw me and gestured for me to follow. We walked deeper into the building, past several closed doors, until he stopped at one marked with a small brass plaque that read “Massage Room 3.”

Inside was a space that looked nothing like the rest of the bathhouse. It was warm and softly lit, with electric candles flickering in the corners and the faint sound of running water coming from somewhere. There was a massage table in the center, covered in plush white towels, and shelves along the walls holding bottles of oil and other supplies.

“Leave your towel on that chair. You won’t need it for this,” Ravi said, pointing to a wooden seat in the corner. “Then lie face-down on the table. I’ll give you a moment of privacy to get settled.”

He stepped out before I could respond, closing the door behind him. I stood there for a second, my heart suddenly hammering, before I unwrapped my towel and folded it onto the chair. My cock, which had finally started to soften during my time in the pool, immediately began to harden again at the thought of Ravi touching me. I tried to think of something unsexy as I climbed onto the massage table, but nothing seemed to work.

I settled face-down on the table, my face pressed against the donut cushion, and tried to control my breathing. The room smelled like lavender and eucalyptus. It smelled expensive. Maybe Ravi really was far more of a gift thanI’d realized.

There was a soft knock on the door, and then Ravi was back. I heard him moving around the room, heard the sound of a bottle opening, then a slick sound as he warmed oil between his large palms.

“Relax,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “This is about you. Tell me if anything hurts or if I’m being too rough on you.”

His hands descended on my shoulders and I nearly jumped off the table. His fingers were warm, his touch firm but not painful, and he knew exactly where the tension was hiding in my muscles. He worked his fingers into the tight knots between my shoulder blades and I groaned despite myself.

“You’ve been holding things in for years,” he murmured. It wasn’t a question. “Your friend was right. You need this far more than you know.”

He worked methodically down my back, finding every place where stress had made a home for itself. My lower back, my hips, the muscles along my spine… he didn’t miss anything. And as he worked, something shifted inside me. The panic of letting go I’d been expecting didn’t come. Instead, there was just the sensation of his hands on my skin, the smell of the oils, the warmth of the room wrapping around me like a blanket.

By the time he reached my legs, I was drifting in a strange space between relaxation and arousal. My cock was pressed against the table, hard and aching, and I was grateful I was face down so he couldn’t see.

Ravi worked his way down to my feet, massaging each one with careful attention. Then he moved back up, his hands skimming along the backs of my thighs. When he reached the top of my legs, his hands stilled for a moment.

“This massage is full service,” he said, his face suddenly close to my ear making my skin tingle. “Please allow me to fully care for you.”

I took a deep breath, shuddering slightly. “I… I’ve never done anything like this…”