Free Terms of Service by Emma Nichols Page A

it, she was done for the night.
    “Okay ladies,” she said affectionately, “tomorrow night we pick up where we left off.”  She gingerly lifted each girl from the bed, wincing at times, then hugged her and spun her toward the door.  “Time to go to your room to sleep.  I have to meet Gavin downstairs.”
    Feeling sheepish, Gavin tried to make a hasty retreat.  Naturally he was spotted.  Rory was smiling at him and offered a little wave.  Placing a finger over his lips, he slowly backed away and rushed to the study.  The fire was going really well.  Sierra would be here any time to set up.  He closed his eyes.  And soon after, Hannah would be lying naked on the massage table.  He squeezed his eyes even more tightly shut, trying not to picture the image.  It was no good.  Hannah naked was all he could imagine.  Turning away from the fire, he sighed.
    “You wanted to see me,” Hannah said poking her head in the door.
    He nearly groaned audibly.  Interesting choice of words.  Of course he wanted to see her.  That was precisely what he was imagining.  Instead he pulled himself together and tried to maintain a professional manner as he grabbed the robe he had lying over the back of the nearest leather chair.
    “This is for you.  You’ll need to undress and come back down wearing only that.”  He passed her the robe and watched in surprise as her eyes narrowed.
    “Huh,” she began, licking her lips as she prepared to give him a tongue-lashing.  “That didn’t take long.”
    “What?”  He asked, genuinely confused.
    “I know what you must think of me, the way I negotiated my stay in our terms of service, and my pay, the way I moved in with a complete stranger.  I’m sure you’ll find it hard to believe I’m not that type of girl.”  She folded her arms across her chest angrily.
    “And just what type of girl is that?”  Instantly, he realized what she was thinking and tried to hide his laughter.  “So, you’re not the type of girl who likes a massage when she injures her back?”  He raised his eyebrows in challenge.
    She swallowed.  From the look on her face, he could see this had become one of those awkward moments.  The swallowing?  It was her pride.  “A massage?”  She asked weakly.  “This is about a massage?”
    “Yes, Hannah,” Gavin said.  “A woman will be here in a few minutes to give you a massage.”  He watched her emotions radically change and was pleased he was the one pampering her and making her so happy.
    Hannah squealed. Never one to hide her feelings, she crossed the distance between them to throw her arms around him and plant a kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you,” she said, wincing some as she pulled back.  “I’ve never had a massage before.”  Then she walked toward the stairs, leaving Gavin to stand there in surprise, lightly touching the spot where she had planted her grateful impromptu kiss.
    By the time she returned, Sierra had arrived and set up in the study.  Moments after introducing them, Gavin excused himself so he might enjoy a glass of wine and relax on the patio.  He stretched some before the outdoor fireplace and tried not to think about what was happening in his study and how much he would prefer to be there.  It was no use.  He had seen Hannah hesitantly enter the room wearing only a bathrobe as he spoke to Sierra.
    Her bare feet, slender ankles and part of her shapely calves were left exposed beneath the white robe.  Upon seeing him standing there, a shade of pink crept into her cheeks.  He had excused himself then, slipping out one of the French doors onto the patio with his wine.
    Scowling at him, Sierra shooed him away as Hannah dropped the robe and climbed under the sheet on the table.  He felt like a naughty schoolboy.  Part of him wanted to give her the massage himself, put into practice his unused skills, and touch her.  He wanted to feel her skin beneath his hands, see it glisten with the oils he would knead