Claim
Page 100
Now Matthew was really intrigued, finding this woman with her wild curls and tiger eyes the most unusual, fascinating person he’d met in a very long time. “And what sort of guys would those be?” he asked, chuckling.
Sasha smiled, and that small movement lit up her radiant features, enough for Matthew to realize that Tessa’s bridesmaid was seriously gorgeous.
“Oh, you probably couldn’t begin to imagine,” she began. “I mean, if you’re one of Ian’s friends, I’m guessing you’re on the straight-laced side like he is. And he’s such a kind man, a real gentleman, but I’m well aware that certain aspects of my, ah, lifestyle are pretty far removed from black tie dinners and mansions and five star resorts. Most people would call me a hippie just for starters, but it goes well beyond something that simple.”
He glanced at her beautiful blue gown, silver high-heeled sandals, and the dainty diamond and sapphire pendant that hung around her slender neck - a bridesmaid’s gift, he guessed, from Tessa. “You don’t look anything like any hippie I’ve ever seen,” he stated firmly. “You just look - lovely.”
The look of pleasure on her animated face made him instantly and uncomfortably hard, and Matthew wondered what in hell had brought on that sort of reaction. He didn’t know anything about this woman, had barely exchanged a few sentences with her, but apparently his dick didn’t care. And evidently that particular part of his anatomy also didn’t mind that he was a married man, one who definitely should not be reacting this way to a woman who wasn’t his wife - no matter how pretty or interesting she was. His unwilling attraction to Sasha made him realize just how long it had been since he’d enjoyed sex with Lindsey - really enjoyed it, and not just gone through the motions.
“Well, thank you,” replied Sasha charmingly. “But this isn’t the way I usually dress. Not by a long shot. I did this to please Tessa, to make her happy. Because she’s been a very good friend to me, and she and Ian are two of the best people I know.”
The bartender caught Matthew’s eye then, motioning to his empty glass and silently asking if he wanted a refill. It was on the tip of his tongue to say yes, but then he glanced at Sasha as she continue to sip her tea. He sighed, and asked the bartender for a bottle of mineral water instead.
She nodded in approval as he uncapped the bottle. “A much better choice than bourbon. Stick to water for the rest of the night, and it will help flush out the alcohol.”
He regarded her curiously. “Are you a doctor in addition to a dancer?”
Sasha laughed again, and this time it definitely sounded like bells tinkling. “Neither one, actually. I’m a yoga teacher and masseuse mostly, but I’ve done some training as an herbalist as well. Not enough to get licensed, but I know quite a bit about the practice.”
“Wow.” Matthew shook his head. “I mean, we have masseuses at the health club I belong to, but they’re these big, beefy guys. You’re, well, less than half their size.”
She shrugged. “It isn’t always about raw strength, you know. And there are many different types of massage. Some have more benefits than others, and it all depends on the client and their particular needs. Ian was skeptical at first, too, convinced that someone he outweighed by eighty pounds wouldn’t be able to dig deep enough to make him flinch.” Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous gleam. “The first time I had him on the massage table I found a sore spot between his shoulder blades he didn’t know was there. And all I did was press on it with my thumb and he yelled so loud the table shook.”
Matthew guffawed, unable to imagine his buff, fitness fanatic friend at the mercy of this slender, graceful young woman. “So you’re the masseuse he always raves about,” he mused. “Hmm, maybe I should set up an appointment with you myself. I, uh, have a pretty stressful job, and massage seems to help with that from time to time.”
“Of course,” agreed Sasha placidly. “I’m afraid I don’t have a business card with me, but you can just ask Tessa or Ian for my contact info. After they get back from their honeymoon, that is.”
“I’ll do that.”
Sasha set her tea mug down on the bar. “I should be getting back now. You’re not here alone, are you, Matthew?”
He quickly decided that he loved the way she said his name - almost like a musical note. “No. My wife and I are here together. Though it seems like she’s ditched me for a different dance partner,” he joked, trying to sound carefree. “Several different ones actually.”
Sasha frowned. “Why in the world would she do that? I mean, don’t married couples typically hang out together at events like this one? And dance together?”
Matthew tried again to laugh the matter off. “I’m a terrible dancer,” he admitted. “Two left feet, and all that. And Lindsey loves to dance, so it’s better for both of us if she finds another partner. That way neither of us is miserable.”
Sasha shook her head, causing those curls to bounce endearingly. “I don’t believe you’re a terrible dancer,” she declared firmly. “Not for a minute. You hold yourself very well, have excellent posture, and seem extremely fit. If you can’t dance well it’s probably because you haven’t had the right teachers. Come with me. I’ll show you.”
“But - honestly, I don’t think..” stammered Matthew, as she took him firmly by the hand and led him out to the crowded dance floor.
“Relax,” she assured him, patting him on the shoulder as though he was a small child she was comforting. “The band has just switched to a slow number, so all you have to do is move your feet a little.”
Before he could protest further, Sasha had placed one of her hands on his shoulder and picked up his hand with the other. Automatically, Matthew’s arm banded about her slender waist, holding her a respectable distance from his body. It was, he thought absently, a far cry from the way he’d seen Lindsey almost dry humping one of her dance partners a little while ago.
And surprisingly, with Sasha’s softly murmured instructions, he found himself moving her around to the music, not stepping on her dainty toes even once. He gazed down at her, the top of her curly head barely reaching his chin, and realized he hadn’t felt this sense of calm in a very, very long time.
“You’re doing great,” she assured him. “See, I told you. Anyone can dance provided they receive the proper instruction. However,” she added more severely, “you weren’t kidding before when you said you needed a massage. You’ve got knots in your shoulder that a Shibari master wouldn’t be able to untie.”
Sasha smiled, and that small movement lit up her radiant features, enough for Matthew to realize that Tessa’s bridesmaid was seriously gorgeous.
“Oh, you probably couldn’t begin to imagine,” she began. “I mean, if you’re one of Ian’s friends, I’m guessing you’re on the straight-laced side like he is. And he’s such a kind man, a real gentleman, but I’m well aware that certain aspects of my, ah, lifestyle are pretty far removed from black tie dinners and mansions and five star resorts. Most people would call me a hippie just for starters, but it goes well beyond something that simple.”
He glanced at her beautiful blue gown, silver high-heeled sandals, and the dainty diamond and sapphire pendant that hung around her slender neck - a bridesmaid’s gift, he guessed, from Tessa. “You don’t look anything like any hippie I’ve ever seen,” he stated firmly. “You just look - lovely.”
The look of pleasure on her animated face made him instantly and uncomfortably hard, and Matthew wondered what in hell had brought on that sort of reaction. He didn’t know anything about this woman, had barely exchanged a few sentences with her, but apparently his dick didn’t care. And evidently that particular part of his anatomy also didn’t mind that he was a married man, one who definitely should not be reacting this way to a woman who wasn’t his wife - no matter how pretty or interesting she was. His unwilling attraction to Sasha made him realize just how long it had been since he’d enjoyed sex with Lindsey - really enjoyed it, and not just gone through the motions.
“Well, thank you,” replied Sasha charmingly. “But this isn’t the way I usually dress. Not by a long shot. I did this to please Tessa, to make her happy. Because she’s been a very good friend to me, and she and Ian are two of the best people I know.”
The bartender caught Matthew’s eye then, motioning to his empty glass and silently asking if he wanted a refill. It was on the tip of his tongue to say yes, but then he glanced at Sasha as she continue to sip her tea. He sighed, and asked the bartender for a bottle of mineral water instead.
She nodded in approval as he uncapped the bottle. “A much better choice than bourbon. Stick to water for the rest of the night, and it will help flush out the alcohol.”
He regarded her curiously. “Are you a doctor in addition to a dancer?”
Sasha laughed again, and this time it definitely sounded like bells tinkling. “Neither one, actually. I’m a yoga teacher and masseuse mostly, but I’ve done some training as an herbalist as well. Not enough to get licensed, but I know quite a bit about the practice.”
“Wow.” Matthew shook his head. “I mean, we have masseuses at the health club I belong to, but they’re these big, beefy guys. You’re, well, less than half their size.”
She shrugged. “It isn’t always about raw strength, you know. And there are many different types of massage. Some have more benefits than others, and it all depends on the client and their particular needs. Ian was skeptical at first, too, convinced that someone he outweighed by eighty pounds wouldn’t be able to dig deep enough to make him flinch.” Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous gleam. “The first time I had him on the massage table I found a sore spot between his shoulder blades he didn’t know was there. And all I did was press on it with my thumb and he yelled so loud the table shook.”
Matthew guffawed, unable to imagine his buff, fitness fanatic friend at the mercy of this slender, graceful young woman. “So you’re the masseuse he always raves about,” he mused. “Hmm, maybe I should set up an appointment with you myself. I, uh, have a pretty stressful job, and massage seems to help with that from time to time.”
“Of course,” agreed Sasha placidly. “I’m afraid I don’t have a business card with me, but you can just ask Tessa or Ian for my contact info. After they get back from their honeymoon, that is.”
“I’ll do that.”
Sasha set her tea mug down on the bar. “I should be getting back now. You’re not here alone, are you, Matthew?”
He quickly decided that he loved the way she said his name - almost like a musical note. “No. My wife and I are here together. Though it seems like she’s ditched me for a different dance partner,” he joked, trying to sound carefree. “Several different ones actually.”
Sasha frowned. “Why in the world would she do that? I mean, don’t married couples typically hang out together at events like this one? And dance together?”
Matthew tried again to laugh the matter off. “I’m a terrible dancer,” he admitted. “Two left feet, and all that. And Lindsey loves to dance, so it’s better for both of us if she finds another partner. That way neither of us is miserable.”
Sasha shook her head, causing those curls to bounce endearingly. “I don’t believe you’re a terrible dancer,” she declared firmly. “Not for a minute. You hold yourself very well, have excellent posture, and seem extremely fit. If you can’t dance well it’s probably because you haven’t had the right teachers. Come with me. I’ll show you.”
“But - honestly, I don’t think..” stammered Matthew, as she took him firmly by the hand and led him out to the crowded dance floor.
“Relax,” she assured him, patting him on the shoulder as though he was a small child she was comforting. “The band has just switched to a slow number, so all you have to do is move your feet a little.”
Before he could protest further, Sasha had placed one of her hands on his shoulder and picked up his hand with the other. Automatically, Matthew’s arm banded about her slender waist, holding her a respectable distance from his body. It was, he thought absently, a far cry from the way he’d seen Lindsey almost dry humping one of her dance partners a little while ago.
And surprisingly, with Sasha’s softly murmured instructions, he found himself moving her around to the music, not stepping on her dainty toes even once. He gazed down at her, the top of her curly head barely reaching his chin, and realized he hadn’t felt this sense of calm in a very, very long time.
“You’re doing great,” she assured him. “See, I told you. Anyone can dance provided they receive the proper instruction. However,” she added more severely, “you weren’t kidding before when you said you needed a massage. You’ve got knots in your shoulder that a Shibari master wouldn’t be able to untie.”
