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Just try it, she said. It will be fun, she said.
And that manipulative conversation with Sophie, his soon-to-be sister-in-law, is why Braxton now found himself wearing nothing but his boxer briefs and a towel, waiting for a massage.
A massage. He might as well turn in his man card now and go ahead and sign up for a facial and a pedicure while he was here.
Braxton Monroe and his brothers were gearing up to open a women-only resort and spa, in honor of their late sister, Chelsea. The business had been her dream, so how could they ignore something she’d been so passionate about?
With the resort set to open the first of the year, and the open house just a week before Christmas, they needed to hire a masseuse. In the beginning, they weren’t sure if they wanted one on hand the first day the resort was open, but finally decided they wanted to do this up right and do it up big, just like Chelsea would’ve wanted.
Sophie had just sold a house to a new lady in town, and after some apparent girl bonding, Sophie wanted the guys to check out this applicant for the masseuse position.
And because the woman was new to the small town of Haven, Georgia, and not currently employed, Braxton was now in this stranger’s home. He’d been half naked in a strange woman’s house before, but usually under much different circumstances. Braxton hoped like hell Sophie hadn’t lied when she’d said she’d checked out the woman’s credentials.
Thankfully, Sophie had driven him over here to help with the awkwardness of the situation. Though he’d questioned her in the car when she started acting weird. She never gave him a straight answer when he asked about the naughty grin on her face, and he was almost afraid to see how this was going to play out. Okay, he wasn’t almost afraid, he was flat-out terrified.
He also had no clue why he couldn’t meet the potential employee before she came in and rubbed her hands all over him. But Sophie had insisted he was to undress and wait in the room, because he needed to have the full “client experience.” Yet again, how the hell had he ended up with his ass up and his head in a doughnut-shaped hole?
Braxton groaned as he realized how foolish he looked lying there. For all he knew, this was a prank orchestrated by his brothers. No doubt Zach and Liam were back at the resort laughing their asses off at his expense. There would be payback.
The door behind him clicked and footsteps shuffled across the glossy wood floor. Braxton didn’t lift his head, didn’t want to see whoever had just walked in. He’d had more than enough of pampered rich girls to last him a lifetime. He’d seen the designer bag by the front door, Prada if his ex had taught him anything. The last thing he wanted was to deal with another label-snob.
Bitterness was a pill he’d been trying to swallow for months . . . It still wasn’t going down.
Braxton wanted to get this humiliation over with so he could go back home to his punching bag, drink a beer, fondle his remote, and try to regain some of his masculinity. First, he had to get this damn warped interview process over with.
The pocket door to the room slid open, then shut with a soft whoosh. Braxton attempted to mentally prepare himself for the next hour of the unknown.
“Good morning, Mr. Monroe.” The soft, almost angelic voice washed over him, hitting him straight in the gut with a punch of lust. That was definitely something he hadn’t prepared for. “My name is Cora. Have you ever had a massage before?”
Braxton grunted out a laugh. “First, call me Braxton. Formalities aren’t necessary when you’re going to have your hands on me. Second, no, I haven’t, but I lost a game of rock, paper, scissors with my brothers, and my so-called friend drove me so I wouldn’t be able to back out.”
Her soft laugh seemed to caress his bare skin. “I assure you, by the time I’m done, you’ll be glad you lost that game.”
Between that laugh and her sultry tone, he was getting more turned on than he should. Seriously? That was new to him. For the past several months he’d been a bit . . . social with the ladies. Normally it was a flirty smile, a heavy-lidded lingering gaze, or a blatant touch that set him in motion.
Did Cora have a sultry smile or bedroom eyes? Tall, short? Did she have curves, or more of an athletic build? Did she dress classy to match that Prada bag, or was she more laid-back?
He gritted his teeth. He was here for a job interview, not to visualize the body that belonged to that sexy voice. He shouldn’t care, because the last thing he needed was to be tied in knots over a woman . . . any woman. Physicality was his best friend lately, and he was just fine with that.
Braxton closed his eyes, listening to the soft movements, the subtle clangs of containers being opened, closed. He had no clue what to expect, but when something small and warm rested against the top of his spine, he stiffened.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Hot stones. I’ll be placing them down your spine. Would you like me to explain each step as I go so you’re more comfortable, or do you prefer quiet? Each client is different, but since this is basically an interview, I feel I should tell you everything so you understand what it is that I can offer.”
What she can offer? With a voice like that . . . Braxton bit the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t start hitting on a potential employee. Yes, he’d gotten a bit more outgoing since his engagement debacle, but there was a time and a place. This was neither, nor.
Cora carefully rested the stones down his spine, which he had to admit was rather nice. Damn it. He refused to like this. He was here under duress. Why was he already thinking of her on a first-name basis? Oh yeah, because she was about to rub him.
“While I’m working I can tell you about myself.”
Yeah, something he should’ve thought of. This was his chance to interview her for the position, and they desperately needed someone to fill the role. Sophie absolutely swore this woman was the one for the job, but she’d insisted one of the brothers interview her to make sure. Focusing while getting a rubdown was a bit difficult, in his defense. Damn it, that felt too good. Should he be enjoying himself this much?
“I’ve been a licensed masseuse for two years.” Her calm, relaxing voice cut off his thoughts. “Not very long, but I went to college first and I have my degree in accounting.”
