morning.”
“Why?” Had Zach said something else to upset her? He’d punch his lights out. Enough was enough.
“I felt foolish being here.”
A group of women walked past, giggling and chattering. Emmett sensed Abigail needed to talk, but he didn’t want to suggest they go to her room. She needed gentle coaxing.
“I have an idea,” he said, rising. “Let me show you the spa.”
Her face brightened. “I’d love to see it.”
Emmett had always hated the design of the spa facilities, which forced one to first walk through a large tiled room containing an enormous hot tub. Gregory was in the steamy water with two women Emmett didn’t recognize. He cursed his bad luck as he and Abigail approached the three.
“Well, hello there, Emmett. Now I see why you’ve disappeared for a few days.”
Emmett wanted to push Gregory’s head under the water and drown the asshole. “Abigail Cosslin, my cousin, Gregory Fallon.”
Gregory looked Abigail up and down, a wicked grin on his face. “I’d stand up to shake hands, but then you’d know how inadequate Emmett is.”
Abigail said nothing, her gaze distant and not amused. Emmett resisted the urge to smile. It wasn’t often he witnessed a woman indifferent to Gregory’s sarcastic charm. The two women with Gregory giggled like schoolgirls as Emmett took Abigail’s elbow.
“We’re taking a tour. Have fun.”
More laughter followed their progress through the sliding glass doors and into a hallway that smelled of massage oil and lavender.
“Sorry about that. He’s an ass.”
Abigail smiled up at him. “He certainly is. Another owner?”
“Yes. There are six of us.”
“Are you all related?”
“In one way or another.”
“So it’s truly a family business, then.”
He couldn’t help but grin. “You remembered I told you Lilith was an ancestor.”
She averted her gaze as a flush crept up her neck. “It was only yesterday, Emmett.”
But she remembered.
“Down this hallway are the massage rooms. We offer just about anything you could want. Acupressure, Anma, Balinese, hot stones, and reflexology, just to name a few. We also have yoga and meditation classes.”
“How large is your staff?”
“Somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred. You’d have to ask Zach for an exact figure. He takes care of the books and personnel issues.”
At the mention of Zach, another shadow passed over her face. “What happened, Abigail? Did he insult you again?”
She lowered her gaze. “No, not at all.”
“Are you sure? I won’t have him harassing the guests.”
Even in the dim light, her fierce blush was obvious. When she finally raised her gaze to his face again, her eyes were too bright, as if she were trying to hide her emotions.
“I’m positive. Everything is fine. Meditation, you say? I tried that once, but I just couldn’t understand what I was supposed to do.”
“If he didn’t insult you again, then why were you thinking of leaving?”
A door opened near them, and one of the guests exited with a massage therapist. The pair smiled and nodded as they passed. Emmett walked over to the computerized schedule on the monitor and studied it. Taking Abigail’s hand, he led her to one of the meditation rooms. It wasn’t booked all day. They’d have complete privacy.
“Now, I have to confess I’m not trained in this, but at least let me show you one of the rooms we provide for guests to practice meditation techniques.”
Inside was dimmer than the hallway. The room was lit by one candle in each corner. Incense filled the air, and soft music played in the background. Abigail walked to the center of the room and twirled in a slow circle. “Well, it certainly is conducive to relaxation.”
He took a seat on one of the large cushions and patted the one next to it. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me why you wanted to leave.”
She regarded him from her standing position, arms crossed. “I wish I hadn’t said anything about