Free Shadowed: Brides of the Kindred book 8 by Evangeline Anderson Page B

seeing her beauty, and remember that Nina was nothing to him—nothing but a means to an end.
    Settling himself in the pilot’s chair, he strapped in and began the lift-off sequence. Time to get things done.
     
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    “You have a walk-in client, Nina. I hope that’s okay.” Cherri the front desk receptionist looked up at her appealingly. “I know it’s closing time, but he begged so hard, and besides, he’s really good looking. Seriously, like movie star looks.”
    Nina tried to hold back a sigh. Her arms and hands were aching from all the massages she’d given that night. And then that run in she’d had with Mr. Witherspoon…she shivered in disgust at the memory. God, she had to get him banned from Massage Envy or at least make sure he was only allowed to have male masseuses in the future. He’d hinted around about wanting a “happy ending” before, but he’d never been quite so blatant about his desires. Just thinking of what he wanted made Nina feel like she needed a hot shower to wash the slime off.
    It’s not forever, she reminded herself. Just until you get into the PA program and get through it. After that, she could use her “healing touch”, as Mr. Witherspoon called it, for actually healing people instead of just rubbing them down.
    Not that her massages didn’t do people good, though. She had many clients who came to see her over and over, claiming that she was the only one who could help them. Many of them had chronic pain that no medicine seemed to touch. But after Nina worked on them, they felt better for weeks at a time. So maybe Mehoo-Jimmy was right about her…at least in a way. But it’s silly to think I could take away someone’s pain just by touching them, it’s just that I have good technique…
    “Are you mad at me?” Cherri asked in a small voice. “I’m really sorry…”
    Nina realized she still hadn’t answered the girl.
    “No.” She sighed. “It’s just been a really long day. Let me know before you add one next time, okay?”
    “Okay.” Cherri brightened. “But seriously, just wait ‘til you see him. He is so hot. You’re gonna thank me for adding him—you’ll see.”
    “I’m sure.” Nina tried to smile. At this point, she was so tired she wouldn’t have cared if it was Ryan Gosling or Brad Pitt naked on her table—she just wanted to go home. But whatever. Just get it done, she told herself. Then you can go take a nice hot bubble bath and eat a big bowl of Special K with strawberries for dinner. She knew she shouldn’t eat carbs at night, but damn it, it had been a rough day. Just this once, she was making an exception.
    “I already put him back in your room,” Cherri said, grinning. “And told him to get naked for you.”
    “Cherri!” Nina tried to frown but Cherri’s naughty little grin was catching. “You’re lucky Bob has already gone home,” she told the girl, shaking a finger at her. “If he heard you talking like that…” Bob was the manager of Massage Envy and extremely strict.
    “I know, I know—we’re a professional place and no talking about the clients.” Cherri sighed. “But seriously, Nina—”
    “I know, wait until I see him. Right.” Nina shook her head. “Okay, I’m going to go get him done so we can go home.” She looked at her watch. “Is everyone else gone?”
    “Mostly. I think Marie was finishing up in room two, but she may be gone by now.”
    Great. So we’re all alone here at nine thirty at night with a new patient. A male patient. Nina frowned. It was against company protocol, but now that Cherri had put the client in a room, there was nothing much they could do about it. She wasn’t really worried, though—this was South Tampa, the most affluent and prestigious part of the Tampa Bay area, so it wasn’t like they had a lot of crime. Still, Cherri was going to have to learn to put a rein on her hormones and not let just any good-looking guy talk his way into having a massage after