He’d only run two, but that was enough. He wanted her to stop. They had a day ahead of them. He turned his machine off and stepped to the rails and down.

She waved and he rolled his eyes, pulling her headphones off. “Come on. We have to check out and then stop and get breakfast before we get on the road.”

She scowled and he grinned. “Oh the first scowl of the day and it’s only five. We may just break records today.”

She took her shower first, coming back out looking marginally better. She’d said her good-byes to her mother the day before so they could leave first thing.

“You’re looking a little scruffy.” She examined him, running her fingertips through the ends of his hair and then over his chin.

“I’ve been short on time to go to the barber.”

She laughed. “Go. Sit over there. Let me take care of you for a change.”

She fiddled around in the bathroom for a while, gathering things until she came out where he’d been waiting.

A bowl of steaming hot water, scissors, his razor, shaving cream and a healthy supply of towels and washcloths were what she placed on the table next to him.

“Don’t worry, I’m a professional.”

He raised a brow and she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. “I learned how to cut hair when I was eight. My aunt has a salon.” She laughed. “‘Salon’ is not really the word for it. It’s in her garage. She does it on the side and the cops ignore it because there are better things to do than roust an old bitch trying to make a buck.”

“My delicate flower.”

“Anyway, so I actually got a job at a real salon when I was fifteen.” She ran her fingers through his hair, which was still wet. “I used to do the men’s side of stuff. Which was practically nonexistent because you must know dudes in small towns like Harperville and Happy Bend go to the barber or let their wives or mothers get out the clippers. But occasionally I’d do a shave and a trim.”

She draped a towel around his neck and massaged his scalp first, making him groan at how good it felt. “I can’t believe you haven’t done this yet. My god, this is fantastic.”

“Less pain than three hours of me jabbing you with ink and needles, hm?”

“You have many talents.”

She continued on, taking up the scissors and a comb. He heard the snip from time to time as she worked, moving around his body easily.

“You’re going to be with me at Christmas.”

“Um, that’s an interesting thing to say while getting a haircut. That’s a first.”

“You’re staying with me and we’ll have dinner at my house. Just me, you and Carrie. On Christmas Eve anyway. Then my parents have a thing on Christmas Day. A buffet. There are card games and all that sort of thing.”

“Oh delightful. Will Beth be there? I haven’t been kicked in the face in ages.”

He laughed. “I think she’s afraid of you. Or maybe she respects you. Anyway, I promise to keep myself between you.”

“For a lady like her, I think fear and respect are closely tied. You know I hate this stuff, right? All this family stuff and I have to be nice and not say the F word. It sucks.”

“But I’m there. That’s good right?”

“Maybe. Depends on how you compensate me later. I’m going to have to do something with Erin too. I try to avoid it by leaving town that week, but she sees blood in the water. Like a shark. She’s not going to let go until I agree to go eat turkey or whatever. Probably sing carols and make crafts.”

“You should stop acting like you hate it. I see how you are with those kids.”

She tousled his hair, brushing the hairs away from his forehead. “You’ll have to jump back in the shower to really get rid of all the little hairs. Now you need a shave.”

She put a pillow back and he rested against it. “Tip your head back.” And then she placed the warm towels on his face. “Relax, they’re not hot enough to do you any real damage. You have very nice shaving gear. It’s rare. Most dudes use electric shavers or soap.”

“The shaving stuff was a gift from Carrie. I think she liked the brush so much she got the rest for that.”

It felt good to be pampered and so he relaxed, his eyes closed, listening to the sound of her moving nearby. Then her fingers were back in his hair and against his scalp.

“It’s the oil I use. It doesn’t have a girly smell, I promise. It’s good for you.”

Like he’d argue? It felt so damned fabulous, her firm, strong kneading touch against his scalp. He’d nearly fallen back to sleep by the time she stepped back, removing the towel from his face.

“Now.”

She climbed into his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. “This wasn’t part of what I learned. Just in case you were worried. I like being close and since we’re all alone, I can get really close.” Her smile did wonders for his cock. Nearly as much as her pu**y being so close and her weight in his lap.

She lathered up the brush and made small circles on his face to distribute it. Then she would shave a bit, clean off the razor in the bowl of hot water, use another hot towel to clean him up and start again. Over and over until he relaxed again, letting her minister to him.

He wasn’t sure how long it lasted, only that when she managed to get off his lap, he opened his eyes to find her smiling down at him.

“All done.”

He moved to the bathroom to admire his haircut and the shave. He did look much better and it was special because she’d done it for him.