Page 26 of Summer Ride

She had cut that session short by five minutes. The woman hadn’t seemed to notice and had even left a rather large tip, which had made up for the stress a little.

“You look dead on your feet,” Andrea said when she stepped out of the massage room.

“I feel it,” she admitted, rolling her own shoulders.

“Then you’ll be happy to hear that your last appointment before lunch cancelled, and I have enough free time to slip you in.” She motioned to her massage room. “Head on in.”

“Seriously?” She held in a squeal.

“Yes, go on, get comfortable. I’ll make sure your last client gets out okay.” She motioned to Kara’s room, where the older woman was changing.

“Thanks,” she said, heading into Andrea's massage room.

She couldn’t even count the times she’d gotten a massage from her friend. Hell, she’d given Andrea almost as many as she’d gotten.

She quickly peeled off her outfit and lay down on the table, covering herself with a towel.

Ten minutes later, with Andrea working out the kinks in her shoulders and arms, she drifted off to sleep.

If she’d thought about it ahead of time, she would have known that it wasn’t a good idea to let her guard down. Not after the night before.

The nightmare, or rather the memory, started at the moment she woke up after being taken from her bedroom. Memories of the strange man touching her, cupping his hand over her face, then stuffing her own rainbow panties deep into her mouth to stop her screams. She watched as the dim motel room light caught on the blade of the knife, felt the first stings of the slices he made across her bare body. Smelled herself and blood as he continued to make tiny little marks all over her, until she was covered in her own blood. Only then, did he stop slicing.

She’d believed the worst of it was over. She’d been so very wrong.

“Hey.” Andrea shook her awake as her own muffled screams echoed in her head. “Are you okay?”

Her foggy mind immediately went sharp, and she started to jump off the table.

“No, easy. We still have time,” Andrea said in a smooth tone.

“No, I…” She glanced around as she held the sheet to her chest. “I’m going to meet Carter.” She rushed to the changing room to shower off the lotions and oils that Andrea had used.

Standing under the hot spray, she allowed the silent tears to flow until she was back under control. When she stepped back out into the waiting room, Andrea and Carter were sitting in the chairs, chatting quietly and sipping drinks.

“Hey, there she is.” Carter smiled as his eyes ran over her face. “Feeling better?”

She nodded. “Thanks to Andrea. Where else could you get a massage during work?” She sighed and sat next to Carter as he handed her a drink of her own. “I love this job,” she said, feeling even better now that Carter was there.

“Well, if I plan on keeping mine, I’d better head out and grab lunch so I can be back on time for my next appointment,” Andrea said, standing up. “Thanks for the drink.” She lifted her bottled iced tea. “See you after lunch,” she said to Kara. Then she flipped the open sign to closed and shut the door behind her.

Carter leaned back and ran his eyes over her. “So, how are you really feeling?”

“Better than I was before,” she admitted. She wanted to bury the rest of her fears, or at least get distracted from them.

She set down the bottled water she’d been drinking and straddled Carter as he sat on the sofa. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d been together in the pool house, but it would be the first time in months.

“Kara.” Carter half moaned her name as his hands moved to her hips.

“I need a distraction,” she admitted, leaning down and rubbing her lips over his.

She felt him still and knew that she’d said the wrong thing. Leaning back, she looked into his eyes.

“I need you to take my mind off things. Don’t argue. Just go with it.” She leaned in and poured the pent-up feelings that had been bubbling inside her into the kiss, willing everything in her past to fade until there was only Carter.

“Kara,” Carter warned against her lips, but she shook her head and started yanking his shirt over his head.

“Shut up, Carter,” she warned, then for good measure, she bit him on the shoulder.