Page 124 of Ivory Ashes

“You’ve said that about every meal since we got here,” Mikhail points out with a laugh.

“Because they’ve all been my favorite.”

“I want to move here for that alone,” I whisper, jabbing a finger at Dante’s almost-clean plate. “He has never eaten so well.”

Neither have I. Clearly, keeping my hands off of Vacation Mikhail requires a lot of energy. I’ve been doing nothing but eating and relaxing since we got here, but I still end every day absolutely exhausted.

After dinner, Mikhail offers to read books to Dante. I climb into our bed wearing a skimpy baby blue nightie to wait for him. I even light a sea breeze candle next to the bed for ambience.

The next thing I know, I’m waking up to bird calls and sunlight streaming through the windows.

“Nooo!” I roll over and groan into my mountain of pillows.

My nightie is twisted around my body and I can feel some drool crusted on my lip. Not exactly the mood I was hoping to set.

“Not what I expected to hear from a woman who went to sleep early and slept in an extra hour this morning.”

I peek over at Mikhail. He’s sitting on the attached balcony with the doors wide open, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, wearing a button-down shirt with the top four buttons undone. The view of his hard-as-rock torso is not doing anything to ease my annoyance with myself.

“I wasn’t supposed to go to sleep early,” I complain. I try and fail to smooth down my bedhead as I sit up. “I had… plans.”

Last night, I would have dropped to my knees in front of Mikhail and let him touch the back of my throat. I was prepared to be a seductive vixen. We were going to defile every inch of this bedroom.

In the early light of morning, saying any of that feels embarrassing.

“Well, now, we have plans this morning.” Mikhail throws a white robe on the end of the bed. “My masseuse is here.”

“Your masseuse?”

“I make an appointment with her every time I stay here.” He unbuttons his shirt and lets it fall to the floor. Then, with no warning whatsoever, he drops his shorts as well. “Since Stella will be out with Dante all morning touring my animal sanctuary, I asked for a couple’s massage.”

I would gawk at the fact that he has his own animal sanctuary, but I’ve swallowed my tongue.

Mikhail doesn’t seem to notice as he pads naked to the closet, his firm ass flexing with every step. But when he pulls on his robe and turns back to me, he looks too smug to be completely innocent. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

When I get downstairs, I’m wound tight. I’m sure Mikhail’s masseuse is amazing, but this isn’t the kind of tension a couple’s massage is going to fix.

A woman I assume is the masseuse, given her clean, neutral uniform and soothing smile, is in the hallway outside of the downstairs guest room. She has a towel draped over one arm and a glass container of oil in the other.

“Good morning, Mrs. Novikov.”

It’s the first time I’ve heard my new name. I like it.

“Your husband is getting situated on the table,” she tells me. “You can go on in and join him. Once you’re both ready, I’ll come in and?—”

“Actually,” I interrupt, unsure of what’s going to come out of my mouth even as I’m speaking. “How much would I have to pay you to just… leave?”

She frowns. “I’m sorry?”

No, I’m sorry. I’m so horny I’ve lost my mind.

“I want to cancel the massage and I’ll pay you to quietly leave. Right now.”

She stares at me for a few more seconds, her expression blank. Then it hits her. I watch it happen. A blush spreads across her face and she swallows nervously, trying to hide her smile. “Would you like me to leave the oil?”

“That would be great.” I sheepishly take the bottle from her.

I wait until she is out of the house and well beyond earshot before I slip into the room.

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