Page 32 of Black Light: Cured

even Klara is starting in on him too. None of this was supposed to happen. I was supposed to tell him

to get off my table then get on with the rest of my night.

Once more, tears well up as all the angry, raucous energy washes over my body. So much tension.

It’s enough to make me sick. Perhaps I should have just given in and given him the happy ending. That

way, the only one upset would be me. No one else would be yelling or dragging a crowd around.

It would just be me and my secret shame at allowing myself to do something I vowed never to do.

No one else would have had to know. It would have just been between Master Aiden and me. But

deep down, I know it wouldn't have stayed that way. I would have been so guilt-ridden that I would

have turned myself into the board.

But again, there would have been no fighting. It would have solved so many things. Yes, I would

have lost my career just as I was trying to build it, but then no one else would have to be angry. I try

so hard to be a good girl. So fucking hard, and look where it got me.

“Lila, what’s going on?” Austin’s voice is laced with concern, and it’s yet one more nail in the

coffin.

Before I can answer, Klara turns to him, her face a mottled red. “This jackass demanded a happy

ending.”

“He. Did. What? What the fuck were you thinking? She’s a licensed massage therapist, not a

whore,” Austin snaps. “She’s here to heal people, to help them, and you cheapen her work by asking

that of her?”

“Oh yeah?” Master Aiden spits out, like a cornered animal trying to protect himself. “And what

exactly do you see her for?”

“To have her work out my rotator cuff. Why else?”

“So, you’re saying you didn’t have other thoughts in mind?” The tone that drips from Master

Aiden’s lips is full of scorn and sarcasm. It’s strident, at odds with the situation. Instead of calming

things down, all it does is make everything worse.

“Like what? You mean besides working my arm out? I have a wonderful woman to see to any

other needs I have.”

Master Aiden glances over at Kit, Master Austin’s partner, the fabulous financial planner that

sometimes sees me for a nice, relaxing Swedish massage at my other job, and looks her up and down.

“How was I supposed to know you were with her?”