Page 25 of Out of the Shadows

But now her phone was on silent, tucked away in the women’s locker room at the Pacific View Resort, a world-renowned luxury wellness resort located on the northwestern tip of Hudson Island. A guy named Sergio was adding pressure to her right trapezius muscle. Letting out a breath, she sank her face deeper into the head cradle. He’d been massaging her upper back for the last thirty minutes, and she was having a hard time remembering why she was so annoyed.

“You should really make massages a regular thing,” Sergio murmured. “You carry an incredible amount of tension in your shoulders. And since you sit at a desk all day, your lower back is extremely tight as well.”

“Talk to my boss,” she said with a sigh.

Oh, yes.Thatwas why she was annoyed. Her boss.

After her outdoor excursion with Wilson Thursday morning, she had met with Doc at her office. With the headaches gone and no signs of a concussion, he’d given Bean the all clear to go back to work. However, he’d informed her that her blood work showed that she was anemic. He’d given her an iron supplement, a not-so-gentle lecture on her diet, and orders to take regular breaks so she didn’t work herself into more fainting episodes. Seeing as she didn’t want to smack her face on the corner of her desk again, she’d readily agreed.

Then, after she’d spoken with Gavin about the charity event, the infuriating man had somehow gotten wind of the anemia thing, and the bossy man had made it his personal mission to not only be her hydration monitor, but to feed her seemingly on the hour.

The man was ridiculous.

All day Friday, every time she’d finished an energy drink,Gavin had knocked on her door with a bottle of water and a healthy snack. But not in a nice, concerned way. No. He’d been a growly beast. A borderline jackass. Like he’d rather be doing anything else.

Every time he’d stepped into her office, he’d had some lame excuse of checking in with her on whatever project she was working on. The man wasn’t a micromanager, and he sure as hell didn’t micromanageher. She’d even double-checked the office’s video feeds to make sure he wasn’t spying on her, because his timing had been uncanny. Seconds after her empty energy drink hit the recycle bin, he was there. Bottle of water and snack in hand. And questions. So many damn questions about what she was working on, what was this, what was that.

Holy hell.

By late afternoon, she’d put her foot down and let him know she was done with his constant interruptions. Yes, the food had helped, and she’d actually felt better, but enough was enough. In hindsight, she supposed it was kind of him to make sure she was okay. It was sweet in a still-very-annoying kind of way.

“Whatever you’re thinking, sweetie, please think of something else. Preferably something relaxing,” Sergio said, his deep, melodic voice pulling her from her thoughts. “I can literally feel the tension returning to your back. We only have another hour or so before you’re whisked off for more pampering, hair, and makeup.”

“Sorry,” she murmured, consciously relaxing her shoulders. After a few minutes, she asked, “You know Esme, right?”

“I do. She’s a regular of mine.”

Bean’s eyes popped open, and she lifted her head from the cradle. “Esme gets regular massages?”

“She sure does. Every other Saturday.” Sergio chuckledand gently pressed her face back down into the cradle. “She called me earlier this week to let me know she’s sick and sending you in her place.”

It was a little presumptuous of her friend, but Bean mentally shrugged. It’s not like Esme had been wrong. However, presumptuous or not, her brain had a hard time wrapping around the fact that not only did Esme—who was just as much of a workaholic as she was—get regular massages, but that she was also on the island more than Bean had realized. Her friend lived in the Seattle area and only came to the Hudson office every few weeks. Or so she’d thought.

Frowning, Bean supposed it wasn’t all that much of a surprise that she was in the dark. Not really. She didn’t get out of her work bubble all that often. In fact, this was the most unusual Saturday morning she’d had in a long, long time. Maybe ever.

Per Esme’s detailed schedule, Bean had arrived at the Pacific View Resort’s world-class spa at nine. She’d been treated to a fancy breakfast in a private room that had a spectacular panoramic view of the Puget Sound. After she’d eaten, she was taken to yet another private room, this time a Himalayan salt chamber to relax. It had taken her a few minutes for her mind to settle, but there was something about the cool, salty air combined with the heated, plush recliner that had her nearly falling asleep.

After who knows how long—there wasn’t a clock in sight—she’d been brought to the eucalyptus-scented massage room she was currently in. As Sergio had said, she was scheduled for a mani-pedi, hair, makeup, and lunch. In what order? She couldn’t remember. She would be done by four, which would give her enough time to get home and change before Gavin picked her up at five to take her to the company’s aircraft hangar, where they had a fleet of four helicopters and three airplanes of various sizes.

Simply put, the Saturday schedule Esme had arranged for her was bananas. Because Bean’s Saturdays were usually like every other day. Work. Which she was more than okay with. In fact, it’s what she preferred. It’s what she did. Who she was.

This? The massage, the made-to-order crepes with fresh fruit? The Himalayan freaking salt room?Notwhat she did. Ever.

A moan escaped her as Sergio dug into an especially tender spot along her side. Holy crap, maybe she needed to reevaluate adding this into her packed schedule.

She sighed under Sergio’s ministrations, and her mind drifted to the conversation she’d had with Gavin about her joining him at the McClintock charity event. Her lips twitched at the recollection. He’d been surprisingly awkward. But looking back on it, she found it kind of endearing.

Awkward. Endearing. Up until this exact moment, those were two words that she’d never associated with the man. It was nice to know that beneath that intense surface, he was actually human.

Forty-five minutes later, Bean was lying on her back, letting out a deep sigh.

“How do you feel?” Sergio asked, humor lacing his words.

“Jell-O. I feel like human Jell-O.” She smiled as she stretched her arms over her head. “Thank you so much. I may have to take Esme’s lead and make this a regular thing.”

“You absolutely should. Now, take your time. When you’re ready, get up slowly. You can redress in your robe, and I’ll be waiting for you outside.” He gestured to the side table. “There’s a bottle of water for you. Make sure you stay hydrated today.”

The door closed behind Sergio, and she relaxed for a few more minutes before rising. Back in her robe and after chugging half the bottle of water, she joined her massage therapist in the hallway. He escorted her back to the private dining room she’d been in earlier.

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