He rubs his neck, a sure sign of tension, and I sit up, throwing off the duvet. “Come here,” I say.
“Did I miss the use of the word please, or did you just decide not to go with manners today?”
I roll my eyes. “You wouldn’t know what to do if I used them, so what’s the point?”
“Very true.” I pat my leg in invitation, and he narrows his eyes. “I am not a dog, so why are you making that ridiculous gesture?”
“Because I’m going to rub your neck,” I say patiently. I reach for the small leather bag on the side table. “I found this in the bathroom, and I’ve been going through it. There’s some hand lotion in here somewhere. Did you know they even give us hotel water bottles. They’re well posh.”
He drifts closer and I note that his eyes are twinkling, perhaps losing some of their tiredness. “That’s probably why the room is forty-five thousand euros a night.”
My hand slips, and I drop the bag. “You’re joking?” He shakes his head. “What thehell, Mac? That’s a deposit for a house you just spaffed away.”
“Your vocabulary is juststunning. Absolutely stunning.”
“Well, it’s your money, I suppose,” I say disapprovingly. “Spaff away.”
“Thank you so much,” he says silkily.
I triumphantly exclaim when I find the hand lotion. “Come and sit at my feet,” I order. I’m amazed when he does as I say and settles in an elegant sprawl at my feet.
He directs a sparkling gaze at me. “That shut you up.”
“It certainly did.”
He rubs his neck again. “Although I can’t imagine you can do much to ease this knot. I need a… Oh my god, that’s so fucking good,” he groans as I start to massage his neck.
“Bloody hell, you’re tight,” I say, digging my fingertips into muscle and finding knots of tension. “How are you still upright? You must have such a headache.”
“A bit of one,” he admits. “I thought it was the company this evening.”
“Mine?”
“Good god, no.” I smile at the honest surprise in his voice. “No, the men I had dinner with. Even after five hours, I don’t think there was a single interesting thing said.”
“So why did you stay?”
“Business,” he says simply.
I huff and carry on the massage. He sinks farther into me, leaning against my leg with a tired sigh. I gentle my grip a little as the knots ease. The smell of lavender and coconut fills the air.
“You’re right. It is nice,” he finally says in a dreamy voice.
“What is?”
He waves a hand at the doors. The curtains billow in the breeze, and thunder rumbles far away in the distance. “The sound of the rain. I don’t think I’ve stayed still long enough to listen to that for ages.”
“You certainly don’t stay still enough,” I scold. “Always on the go and never sitting down.”
“I’m sitting down now. You made me do it with your officious manner. Anyway, the business doesn’t run itself.”
“And maybe that’s your fault.”
“Pardon?” He doesn’t sound offended, just curious, so I elaborate.
“Surely, the mark of a good businessman is being able to handpick good people to delegate to?”
“Delegate?”
