Page 11 of Cruising with You (Swenson Sweethearts)

Gage

T he rest of the day is spent on the beach sipping Mojitos that Nora insists don’t hold a candle to Henri’s but are still pretty good while soaking up the sun.

I’m surprised by how easy it is to spend time with her.

It isn’t forced. It doesn’t require extra energy.

If anything, her presence is calming somehow. Or maybe it’s the alcohol.

I couldn’t finish our kiss on the boardwalk the way I wanted to, which is frustrating as hell.

She looked good enough to eat in her little bikini, and keeping my hands to myself has been absolute torture all day long.

I get the vibe that she isn’t a huge fan of PDA, so I’ve done my best to respect her wishes even though I’ll be sporting blue balls for the rest of the day.

When we’re back on the boat, I stretch my arms over my head and ask, “So, what are the plans for the rest of the day?”

Nora shrugs, while Gem suggests, “We have a few hours before tonight’s event.

Nora, do you mind attending the couple’s session tonight, and I’ll take over the Spin-the-Bottle activity in the main area?

I was going to cover the couple’s session, but since you actually have someone to go with”––she waves her hand at me––“I figured it might be fun.”

Grimacing, Nora mutters, “I dunno about fun , but I’ll go wherever you need me to.”

“Perfect!” Gem claps her hands. “I already had Captain Ron send some of his crew to set up the room to Dr. Lorringer’s specifications, which means you only have to show up once it starts and help however she needs you to. Gage, do you mind tagging along with Nora?”

“Sure thing.”

“Perfect. I’m going to go take a nap, but there’s a fun couple’s massage class in the lounge if you guys want to go try it out?”

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Nora glances over at me but doesn’t respond.

“I’m sure we’ll figure out something fun to do while you’re napping,” I answer Gem.

“Perfect! Conner, were you wanting to…nap too?”

Nora’s face reddens as Conner wraps his arm around Gem’s waist. I grin.

Sweet. Innocent. Nora. Man, you’re adorable.

Conner yawns dramatically. “Yeah, I’m exhausted. We’ll catch up with you guys later tonight. Maybe grab some drinks or something?”

“Sounds good,” I return. “Have fun… napping .”

With a deep chuckle, Conner guides her to the elevator. “We will.”

There’s a heavy silence that’s laced with a bit of awkwardness as Nora rocks back on her heels. “So, umm…do you want to try the couple’s massage thing? Or we could just meet up later? Or maybe hang out by the pool for a little while?”

“You look like you’ve already gotten a lot of sun today,” I point out while simultaneously biting the inside of my cheek to refrain from suggesting we take our own nap .

“Or you could just be blushing because you know your friend is about to get laid, but I’m good with anything.

The couple’s massage could be interesting. ”

“That’s kind of what I was hoping you’d say. I am a little sunshined out for the day, but you totally nailed it. I don’t really want to go to my room and possibly hear my best friend sexing it up with my cousin so….” She shivers.

Unable to muffle my laughter, I lead her to the lounge area. “Yeah, I’m not sure I’d want front row seats to that either. Come on. Let’s go get our muscles loose.”

When we reach the room, I notice that we must be a few minutes late because they’ve already started.

There are a bunch of yoga mats splayed out on the floor, and the tables have all been pushed aside to make room for the class that’s in session.

In the center are a girl and a guy. The guy isn’t wearing a shirt but has gray joggers covering his bottom half, while the girl is in a white tank top and gray yoga pants.

The whole thing is very granola, and I look at Nora with wide eyes.

“You sure you’re ready for this? We can go if you don’t feel comfortable,” she whispers before grabbing my hand and squeezing.

She probably doesn’t even notice she’s done that, but it makes me smile.

It’s not the first time I’ve seen her read someone’s emotions before making it her personal mission to take care of them, but I like being on the receiving end of her efforts.

“Lead the way, Pretty Girl.”

At the edge of the room, there’s an empty yoga mat, and Nora mirrors the other couple’s stance by kneeling at the front of it. Following suit, I slide behind her, then put my hands on her shoulders.

The male instructor nods his approval before walking over to us and squatting low.

“Thank you for joining us. Right now, we’re working on a simple relaxation technique that involves rolling your thumbs along the base of the skull.

We recommend you strip down to your swimsuits to allow for a deeper massage, but no pressure.

” Handing me a small bottle the size of travel shampoo, he adds, “Here’s some massage oil to help prevent too much friction. ”

Glancing over her shoulder, Nora listens to his instructions before slipping the white cover-up over her head and folding it beside her on the edge of the mat.

She’s trying to kill me. That’s the only possible explanation for the torture I know I’m about to go through.

Subtly, I rearrange my stiffy before recognizing that I’m in a pair of board shorts.

Hiding this monster is going to be an issue, and willing it to go away is a wasted effort as I take in all the silky, smooth skin on full display.

And I get to touch it.

With another look over her shoulder, Nora asks, “So uh…we gonna do this, or…?”

I chuckle. “You have no idea how many ways I want to answer that question.”

She rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

Squeezing a dime-sized amount of oil into my hand, I rub my palms together then dig my thumb into the base of her skull.

Nora’s dark brown hair is pulled on top of her head in a sexy messy bun that gives me plenty of access to her neck and spine.

Goosebumps race across her bare skin as I rub in a circular motion, daring me to lean forward and press my mouth to them.

The male instructor prevents me from moving forward with my plan as he advises, “Now, I want you to continue drawing slow circles along both sides of the spine. Remember, slow circles,” he emphasizes.

“I want you to pay attention to your partner’s reactions.

If their muscles are tense, or if they’re sitting up too straight, then you’re probably doing something wrong.

Listen to their breathing. Watch the rise and fall of their chest. Feel the muscles beneath your fingers.

Are they hard and tight? Soft like putty?

Answer these questions in your head because each and every one of them is trying to tell you something. ”

My breathing is shallow as I slowly glide my hands down her spine, mirroring the circular motion the instructor is demonstrating on his female counterpart.

Shifting onto my knees to prevent my dick from saluting the entire class, I listen to Nora’s breathing.

It hitches before she rolls her head down to give me better access, then she melts under my touch.

I’ve given massages before. I’ve been on the receiving end too. But none of them have ever felt like the kind of foreplay I’m experiencing right now. It’s lethal.

When a soft moan slips past her pouty lips, I groan and shift my hands from my left to right, craving relief from the torture I’m putting us both through with a simple back massage.

But it doesn’t stop. If anything, it’s only amplified when the female instructor breaks the electric silence with her smooth voice.

“Now, we’re going to trade places. Ladies, as we all know, we’re smaller than most men, and sometimes, we’re able to get a little more leverage by administering the massage from a different angle.

While you were able to sit up to enjoy your massage, we suggest that the men lie down on their stomachs. ”

Holding my breath, I slide off my white T-shirt, then roll onto my stomach and raise my arms from my sides to use them as a pillow against the hard ground.

At least they didn’t ask us to lay on our backs , I think to myself before smirking. Probably because they’ve tried that before and got quite the view of everyone standing at full mast.

“Ladies, you have two choices. You can either sit beside your partner’s back on the left or right or, if you’re comfortable enough, you’re welcome to straddle them in order to have the best leverage.

This position allows you to really dig into those muscles.

But like I said …you are the boss here. Do what makes you feel comfortable, and only what makes you feel comfortable. ”

The rest of the room gets into the position of preference.

Some straddling, others sitting beside their partners, while Nora is standing frozen in place.

I can feel her anxiety as she stares down at my bare back.

I’ve never really recognized someone else’s emotions so strongly before.

Maybe it’s all the zodiac crap that’s slowly going to my head.

Or maybe it’s just her. But damn, it’s a potent thing.

I feel like I’m drowning in her, and I’ve only kissed her twice.

I’m a selfish bastard, though, and wait for her to decide what she wants for herself instead of letting her off the hook by suggesting the opposite of what I really want.

Which is her. On top of me.

Naked.

I shift my hips to get comfortable when I know there won’t be any relief until I can find some alone time after this. Or we finally just give in and take a nap together.

Unable to help myself, I glance up at her as she hovers over me.

With a smirk, I tease, “Any day now, Pretty Girl.”

There’s a moment of hesitation before she finally gives in and places her feet on both sides of my hips. The heat from between her legs practically brands my lower back as she sits down on top of me.

I squeeze my eyes shut and bask in the exquisite torture before releasing a slow breath out of my mouth.

Don’t roll over, Gage.

“Alright, ladies. Now that we’re all in position, I want you to pour a bit of the oil into your hands and rub it into your palms. This will help heat it up a little bit so that it won’t feel so cold against your partner’s back.”

Shifting against me, Nora reaches for the bottle, and my muscles tense beneath her.

You’re playing with fire, babe, I want to shout, but I bite my tongue. I’ve never been so close to coming in my board shorts before, but my restraint is seconds from snapping.

When a loud squirting sound breaks the lust-filled ambiance, my body rumbles with laughter beneath her, grateful for the opportunity to release a bit of the tension.

She smacks my back, giving me a turkey, which only makes me laugh harder.

“Ouch!”

“Don’t laugh at me!” she admonishes before snapping her mouth shut when the instructor gives her a dirty look.

“We want everyone to feel safe in this environment, ladies. Please do not break your partner’s trust by hitting or scratching them.”

“You can scratch my back anytime,” I counter to help ease Nora’s embarrassment. “Oh, and she knows I like it rough.”

The instructor purses her lips but doesn’t encourage me any further.

“We will now start with the same circular motion but will add a little pressure by keeping our elbows locked and leaning into the movement. Once you’ve mastered this, I’d like you to draw your hands out from the spine to their sides. Understand?”

Nora digs her thumbs along the tight muscles on both sides of my spine before using the heel of her hands to spread out from the center of my back and to my sides, just like the instructor mentioned.

I groan. Probably a little too loudly because it’s followed by a soft chuckle from Nora.

Leaning forward, her mouth grazes the shell of my ear as she asks, “Does that feel good?”

“You have no idea.”

She rolls her hips into my lower back, torturing me on a whole new level while repeating the massage technique from seconds before.

“I beg to differ,” she breathes.

“Now, we’re going to work on a technique called longitudinal gliding,” the male instructor explains. The buzzing in my ears is too much for me to pay attention to anything else, and I pity Nora for needing to focus on his instructions when I get to just lie here and get lost in her touch.

By the time the class finishes, I can’t get up. Well, not without looking indecent, anyway.

“How you doin’ down there,” Nora teases as the class empties and leaves us dangerously alone together.

Pressing up onto my elbows while keeping my hips firmly against the yoga mat, I mutter, “Oh, ya know…just great.”

“So, how’d I do? Do you feel relaxed?”

“Actually, I feel a lot of pent-up frustration right now. You?”

Her face lights up with amusement, which only fuels the fire. “I feel all loosy goosy, thanks to you. Maybe I need to keep working on my technique, though. I mean, if you’re not feeling very satisfied….”

“Yeah. You should definitely work on that. I’d be happy to let you practice on me. We could always go to my room….” I let my voice trail off. I don’t want her to feel any pressure from me, but I also want to make it clear that I’m game if she is.

“Don’t hate me, but I’m going to have to take a rain check on that.

The next session is in thirty minutes, and I want to change into something other than my swimsuit before it starts.

” She has the decency to look sheepish as she turns me down.

Amused, but sheepish. “Want to meet me in thirty minutes?”

“Yeah, sure.”

She offers her hand to help me up, but I wave her off. “Nah. I’ll just sit here for another minute. Thanks, though.”

Laughing, she covers her face before nudging my T-shirt toward me. “Gotcha. Well…I guess I’ll just see you in a few. Do you know where the next session will be held?”

I shake my head.

“It’s in the same room the keynote speaker was in last night.”

“The room with the open bar?”

“Yup.”

“Alright, I’ll see you there in thirty.”

“Perfect. And uh…”––she motions to my prone position while scrunching up her bright red face––“I’m sorry about… that .”

“Sure, you are. Are Cancers known for enjoying the torture of innocent victims, or is this more of a Nora-specific trait?”

“Innocent, my ass,” she counters, placing her hands on her hips. “Besides, you started it. Your hands are magical, Gage.”

With a cocky grin, I tell her, “You have no idea, but I’d love to give you a more intimate demonstration.”

She covers her face, then peeks between her fingers. “You are incorrigible. I’m going to go. I’ll see you in a few.”

“See ya soon, Pretty Girl.”