Page 18 of Snow Storm

Harley dropped his face back down into the space for it, and it was a thousand times more comfortable. Even if his body was one big line of tension. “Tell me if I’m not doing something right.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. Just try to relax, okay? I’m going to take care of you.”

Harley did his best to obey. His back still felt like it was full of corded rope instead of muscles, but the scent in the room was soothing, and the sheets were keeping him warm. He took a slow breath in, then let it out.

“Where would you like me to start?”

Harley almost jumped at the sound of Daniel’s voice. He cleared his throat and smiled before remembering Daniel couldn’t see his face. “Uh. Where do you usually start?”

“Where my client prefers.” Daniel’s voice was slightly clipped, maybe even annoyed, which wasn’t exactly a surprise, considering what a mess Harley was making of this whole thing. Maybe heshouldjust go. “When I get massages, I usually have them start on my calves, but that’s where I hold the most tension.”

“I think my entire body holds all my tension,” Harley admitted. “I feel like you can probably pick a muscle group and go to town.”

Daniel was silent, then let out a wheezy chuckle. “Alright. I’m going to start on your back. If something hurts, or I’m not using enough pressure, let me know.” Harley heard him rubbing his hands together, and before Harley could say anything else and make a bigger fool of himself, Daniel touched him.

Though that wasn’t quite right. It was more than a touch. It was sudden, deep, intense stroke from the small of his back all the way to his shoulders. The sound he let out wasn’t totally human. His entire body flushed, but as Daniel did that motiononce more, the noise rushed out of him again, like it was being forced out.

Christ, this was humiliating. And good. God…it was sogood. He hadn’t been touched like this in…well, maybe ever? Darren never put hands on him like this. His idea of foreplay was squeezing his ass and pinching his nipple while wagging his eyebrows. But hell, it had been a while since Darren had bothered to do even that with him.

He was so touch starved. So lonely. He began to feel a hollow, aching sensation in the pit of his stomach, and as Daniel began to work his muscles deeper, something snapped. His eyes got hot, and the next thing he knew, he was crying. He felt a sob lodged against the back of his throat, which he only just managed to hold back, but his nose began to drip, and he did his best to sniff it all back.

Christ, what a mess.

“Mr. James? Am I hurting you?”

He realized Daniel had stopped massaging him and probably had been paused for a long while. Harley wasn’t brave enough to push up on his elbows and show his splotchy, ugly cry face to this man. “It’s not you.” His voice was heavy with tears. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. This happens. It happened to me my first time. I hadn’t realized how badly I was holding on to some things, and it…well, I guess it helped me let go.”

“Is that why you got into massage?” Harley asked. “Because you wanted to help people like that?”

Daniel laughed like the question was an inside joke. “Uh, no. I stumbled onto this job by accident.”

“Someone better thank the universe because you’re amazing at this.”

“I’m still building my skill,” Daniel told him. “And if it’s too much, we can stop.”

“Is it weird if I say I don’t want to stop?”

Daniel gave a soft, confused noise. “Why would it be weird?”

“Because I’m lying here naked and crying on your table while you rub your hands all over me.”

“That’s kind of the job. I just wanted to check in. It’ll feel better once you let it all out.” Daniel touched him with a bit more hesitation this time, and Harley did his best to relax. He breathed as the massage resumed, and he noticed that Daniel’s passes were lighter, but not in a bad way. It was like he was trying to ease him back into his emotions calmly. Safely.

The thoughtfulness of it almost made him start crying again. He took in a shaking breath as Daniel began to move further down his body, past his ass, starting at the backs of his thighs. The massage felt just as good there, though less intense.

“Thank you for this.”

“It’s my job,” Daniel reminded him.

Harley snorted. “No, I know that. I promise I’m not some weirdo who thinks people are into him because they take care in their work.”

“Like the people who think strippers want to date them?” Daniel asked as he went for a particularly sore spot on Harley’s calf.

His mind whited out from the pleasure-pain of it. “Uhg, God. Yeah. I wrote a book like that once. Publisher hated it and told me to shelve it. It’s still sitting there.”

Daniel’s hands stilled, and Harley came back to himself, flushing when he realized what he’d admitted. “What else was the book about?”

---