Page 39 of True Abandon

My eyes bulge out of my head, and I have to bite my cheek to keep from having any sort of reaction.

Kal, on the other hand, lets out a loud yelp that gets Jax’s attention.

That was a mistake. Jax’s stone-cold glare is piercing its way over to the bar where my hand is on Kal’s shoulder as he leans forward with a laugh. I quickly drop my hand, turn on my feet, and head out of the restaurant.

This is going to be a long seven days.

chapter EIGHT

For as many months as I’ve been working at the hotel, I’ve never had a service at the spa. While Jax’s presence is painful, I may as well reap a few benefits from his stay. I follow the attendant to the women’s dressing room where she shows me to a locker with a white robe and slippers inside.

“When you’re done, you can sit in the relaxation room until your masseur is ready.” She shows me where the changing area is and walks out.

I hang my clothes up in the locker, strip down leaving only my panties on, and don my robe. When I’m properly outfitted in my spa attire, I walk into the hallway, past the wet room equipped with a sauna, steam room, and hot tub, then into the women’s only relaxation room.

I pour a glass of cucumber water and listen to the sounds of trickling water and monks chanting on the overhead speakers.

Laying down on one of the lush loungers, I sit back, take a sip of my water and enjoy the moment of silence. The lights are dimmed, and the room is infused with the soothing scent of chamomile.

The new plan has been set: convince Jax to do a spa treatment every day. I could definitely get used to this.

A door opens, and a man walks in wearing all white. I recognize him from staff gatherings.

“Hello, Trish. What a pleasant surprise to see you at the spa today.”

I suddenly feel foolish for being here while on the clock. “Hi, Fernando. Just a little treat for myself. It’ll be nice to tell guests what the experience is like now that I’m, you know, experiencing it myself.”

He bows slightly and holds a hand out toward the door. “Everyone deserves a moment of relaxation. Follow me.”

I get up, making sure to keep my robe closed, and walk through the door. Fernando escorts me down a long hallway. A statue of Buddha sits at the far end where we make a right and continue to the third door on the left.

He leads me into a darkened room illuminated by tea light candles. There are two beds, and it smells like lavender. The soft hum of natural sounds and instruments playing lightly keeps me in a Zen mood.

Fernando pulls down the sheet on one of the beds. “There is a hook behind the door for your robe. You can leave your undergarments on or strip down completely. Lay down on the bed on your belly. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

When he’s gone, I contemplate whether or not I should leave my panties on. Feeling a little brazen, I strip out of my robe, lay it on the bed and slide out of my underwear and fold it into the pocket of the robe.

I’m standing in the room, completely naked. The sound of the door opening causes me to quickly drop to the floor, hiding behind one of the beds.

When the door closes, I peek up and see Jax standing there in his robe.

He leans forward with a squint of his eyes. “Why are you on the floor?”

“Get out of here,” I hiss at him, covering myself with my hands.

His shoulders relax as a huge smile crosses his face. Those damn dimples make an appearance. “Are you naked?”

I grab a bottle of lotion from the table behind me and throw it at him. He ducks out of the way with a laugh.

Putting his hands up in the air, he does a quick about face. “Sorry. Didn’t know you were standing in your birthday suit. By all means, take your time. I won’t peek.”

“You won’t be peeking because you won’t be in here.” I grab the robe off the bed and bring it down to my level in a poor attempt to put it back on my body. He looks over his shoulder, but I shoo him to turn back around. “Leave.”

“Why would I leave? I’m getting a massage.”

“In your own room.” I pull the fabric tighter around my body.

“Uh no, Trish. I’m in here, too.”