Page 25

“Mel!” he called out. I almost didn’t stop, but something in his tone made me turn to look back at him.

“I’m really sorry about Steve.”

I nodded jerkily, heading back towards the villa.

“Hey, Stink!” Joel was in the kitchenette as I walked in, expertly flipping some beef and noodles in a wok. The smell of the stir fry made my mouth water.

“I’m starving!” I sauntered over and reached into the wok to snag a piece of beef, popping it into my mouth and tucking one leg under me as I sat.

“Sit straight, Mel.” Joel chastised. I pulled my leg out from under me.

“You’re looking significantly less tense since your bath,” he said, sliding a cheeky sidelong look in my direction.

I flipped him the bird.

“Is that the magic finger you used earlier, when you were moaning in the bath like a porn star?” He gasped. “ Finger-bang Bathtub ! ”

I rolled my eyes. “Title of my sex tape?” I asked. His lips curled upwards.

“It would be better than the first one; the soundtrack alone was enough to get me harder than steel.”

“Oh, yeah? So what’s your sex tape called then, Mr ‘I fucked my fist listening to a chick coming on her fingers next door’?”

He turned the full force of those baby-blues on me. “Mel, you need to stop talking dirty to me, or I’m going to have to stop cooking your dinner and …”

“And what?” I asked, my voice suddenly throaty.

“And order you straight back into that bathtub for an encore.”

I shook my head, surreptitiously squeezing my thighs together. “You’re a sick man, Joel Herbert!”

He winked, a lopsided grin on his face. “Thanks!” It was like I was paying him the greatest compliment ever.

“Now, can we please never speak of it again?”

Joel saluted me. “It’s our dirty little secret.”

I rolled my eyes and changed the subject. “I just ran into Pete Levine out in the garden.”

Joel looked sharply at me. “Do I need to help you hide the body?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Not at all. It was so strange – I’ve been working myself up for when I’d have to confront him, but I stopped for a second and I thought, ‘I just don’t care enough about you to be angry at you’.”

Joel watched me, an odd look in his eyes. “And you’re okay?”

I nodded, confused. “Yeah, I’m fine, why?”

Joel shrugged and turned back to the wok. “No reason. Just checking.”

We ate out on the little patio outside the villa, where there was a small table and chairs. The night was balmy. I really enjoyed the weather in California at this time of year.

“One day I might move to America,” I said vaguely to Joel as I popped the last piece of beef into my mouth. The dinner he’d made was nothing short of awesome – I’d never give him the satisfaction of telling him, but he was an amazing cook .

Joel turned his sapphire gaze on me. “Why?”

I shrugged. “The weather’s nice.”

“The weather here is so much like Australia it’s not funny,” he argued. He had a point.

“It’s far away from my mother.”

Joel nodded. “Well, that’s a good reason – for you at least. Me, I like being close to Mum.”

I tucked my leg up underneath me – Joel didn’t notice. “I like being near your mum too. I love your mum!”

Joel picked up his glass and stared down into it. “So, why’d you move back home then? You were welcome to stay with us for as long as you wanted.”

I stared into the darkness, not wanting to delve into why living with him was difficult for me. Not even really knowing the answer myself.

“Well, Joel, we spend so much time together, with training, and travel and everything. Don’t you like to have a break from me?”

I looked at him then, and he was staring at me, a strange smile frozen on his face.

“Stinky, you’re my favourite person – to torment I mean. When you’re not there, I get bored!” His eyes didn’t look teasing.

I looked away. “Well, you’ll just have to get your fix when we’re together,” I teased back, trying to lighten the weird mood. I stood up, needing to put some distance between us.

A spasm of pain went through my back. I gasped. Joel looked sharply at me, leaping to his feet.

“What’s wrong Mel? Is it your ankle?” He crouched down and took my right foot in his hands, running his fingers lightly over it.

“No, not my ankle. My back just twinged a bit, that’s all.” I straightened up and gasped again.

Joel stood. “You were sitting on your leg, weren’t you? Stink, you know you’ve been told not to do that!” Joel sounded exasperated. “Where’s the pain?”

I pointed to my tailbone.

Joel sighed. “Go into your room and strip down to your panties,” he commanded .

“Why?”

Joel was already heading back inside. “I’ll come and rub it for you, just let me go get some massage oil.”

I muttered crankily to myself as I shuffled into my room and undressed. I was still sitting on the edge of the bed rearranging my pillows when Joel walked into the room. I wrapped one arm around my boobs and shot him an angry look.

“Oh, come on, Stink. I distinctly recall you brazenly stripping your bikini off and sticking those beautiful breasts in my face less than a month ago.”

I bit my lip to stop from retorting and lay face down on the bed, wearing nothing but a leopard print Lululemon g-string, half wishing that I’d had a chance to change into a proper pair of briefs. The other half of me was wondering what Joel was thinking of the skimpy thong.

“Joel, just promise me that this isn’t just some stunt of yours to feel me up,” I warned.

The lid on the massage oil popped, and I heard the slick sound of oil being warmed between his hands.

“Stink, I’m actually more concerned that you’re match fit tomorrow. And believe it or not, you’re in good hands; I have a diploma in remedial massage.”

I was surprised enough not to comment. And then words failed me, because Joel’s hands were working magic on my back.

He didn’t get too deep into my muscles – obviously he didn’t want me to be too tender tomorrow – but he did work out the kink in my lower back.

When he was done with that, he moved more generally over my whole back, and even down the backs of my legs, my glutes, calves and thighs.

I couldn’t prevent the little sigh of happiness that left me as his palms swept across my shoulder blades.

When his hands moved off me, I groaned in disappointment.

Joel laughed under his breath. “Well, Stink, you know if you want me to keep going, I can, but it’ll cost you.” He chuckled again, but there was an edge to the sound. “I don’t know if you’re willing to pay the price.” His voice was soft, mellow. It sounded like it did in my …

“Okay, this conversation is officially getting too weird,” I said sharply, sitting up, forgetting that I was just about naked.

Joel stood up, and surprisingly his eyes didn’t stray from my face to my breasts. “Are you sure you don’t want me to keep going? I could do the front for you,” he offered, waggling his eyebrows at me suggestively.

And just like that we were back in familiar waters, safe waters. I gave him a withering look.

“I’ll take that as a no then. Have a shower and go to bed,” he said.

“I hope I don’t wake up sore in the morning,” I said, standing and walking over to the door of the bathroom. I didn’t bother to hide my almost nudity. He’d just rubbed down every inch of the back half of me, what was the point in hiding?

Joel smiled at me, softly, sweetly. I found myself staring at his full bottom lip. My insides fizzed.

“Have a little faith, Mel – you’ll be fine tomorrow and you’ll play your heart out.”

I closed the bathroom door, showered very quickly, and when I opened it again to get into bed, Joel was gone.

Feeling a little put out for no good reason, I turned the light out and very promptly fell asleep.

“Mel, it’s okay!”

I startled awake, sweating, my breath coming in gasps. I turned. Joel was sitting on the bed beside me, his hand on my arm.

“It was just a bad dream,” he whispered soothingly to me.

For a moment I felt like I was still suspended in my dream. The ache between my legs intensified as his fingers stroked the length of my arm. I shook my head to try and rattle free the sudden desire to drag him into my bed, to seek comfort in the best way I could currently think of.

I sternly told myself that this was real life. And in real life I would never find myself wrapped around Joel Herbert, his hard body rocking against mine. But in my dream it felt pretty damn good, until I rolled over and saw Steve on the floor, and it all turned to shit.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “It’s pretty much the same nightmare I’ve been having since …” He knew what I was talking about.

“Did it always start out with you moaning and rocking against your mattress?”

I grimaced into the dark. “No, that’s a … recent development.”

Thankfully Joel didn’t press me for more information. “Are you okay now? Do you need me to stay?”

“No, I’m fine now, thanks, Joel,” I murmured. The mattress moved as he stood up. In the darkness all I could make out were his white teeth as he smiled at me.

“Any time, Stink.” He reached over, pushed a strand of hair out of my face and walked to the door, pausing for a split second before he walked out and closed it gently behind himself.

I shut my eyes and slept a dreamless sleep for the rest of the night.