Massage

He gripped the back of his neck and tipped his head to the side. 

“Are you okay?”

“I have a knot.”

“Do you want me to…?”

 He eyed her for a moment before he sat at the end of the bed. She stood beside him and put her hand where his was and applied pressure. Immediately, his head dropped forward. 

“Harder,” he grunted.

She climbed on the bed behind him for better leverage and was pleased by his low grunt. She felt the bump immediately and got to work, kneading, trusting he would say something if she was doing something that felt wrong or pained him. He didn’t say a thing, he just sat there as she tried to give him some relief. 

After several minutes that felt like an eternity, she paused. He reached back and grabbed her hand. 

“Run your thumbs from here to here.”

He dragged her hand from the base of his neck to a spot several inches into his hairline. When she obeyed, his hum made her core pulse. His gruff, “Other side,” made her shift restlessly on her knees. That damn growly tone always got to her. 

As she repeated the simple motion over and over, she glanced out the window. All she could see were a handful of buildings. Everything else was obscured from view, enfolding them in their own world. Roth was strangely still beneath her hands, as relaxed as his muscled body would allow. 

“Lie on your stomach.”

He raised his head. “What?”

He sounded drugged. She grinned and kissed the side of his neck before she tugged him back. 

“You gave me a massage. It’s time for me to return the favor.”

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.

This whole book is filled with everyday, quiet moments like this one. For the most part, the animosity they had in the first two books is banked after she agrees to give him a second chance at the beginning of the book. 

It was so weird writing these scenes. I wasn't sure if they were interesting enough. Usually for romance, you need that push and pull to keep readers engaged, but I think considering all the drama in the first two books, we all deserved and would appreciate this because we've never seen them at ease with one another except in flashbacks. I hope you guys will enjoy these quieter scenes of them just being and getting to know the people they've become.