Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“I’ve seen some improvement, but you have a long road ahead of you,” she teases.
“That’s only because all this muscle makes it harder to stretch.”
I’m anticipating a smartass comeback, the kind I often hear from her when Max says boastful things like this, but instead, her cheeks turn pink, and she makes a show of resituating the towels she’s carrying.
“Are you expecting many people this morning?”
She doesn’t meet my eyes as she responds. “Probably not many. Sadie, for sure, and her other bridesmaids. Maybe a few cousins.”
“Not too many people to embarrass myself in front of, if I happen to fall over.”
This finally pulls a smile out of her, and my chest swells at the accomplishment.
We’re the first to arrive, and after setting Callie’s mats down, I offer to go to the resort’s health club to bring out more mats. Callie said they told her she could use them for her class.
When I return to the lawn, Sadie’s there, along with three or four other women. To my surprise, Callie’s Aunt Iris is also there.
“Can you believe it?” Callie whispers when I deliver the mats. “She said she has a headache, but otherwise feels fine.”
“I’m impressed.” Warily, I eye Aunt Iris, hoping she doesn’t press me to kiss Callie again, even though I want to.
After others get set up, I unroll my mat behind everyone else, where I hope to keep a low profile. Unfortunately, Aunt Iris has other ideas.
“Ooh, it’s Max! It’s so good to see you. Why don’t you move your mat over here?” With big arm movements, she gestures to the space beside her.
“It’s good to see you, too.” I wave a hand at her but ignore her suggestion.
“C’mon over here, Max, so I can see you better.”
Callie, who’s getting ready to start the session, appears flustered, but her sister speaks up. “It looks like Max is fine right where he is, Aunt Iris.”
The older woman lets out a huff of frustration. “But I can’t see him back there.” This sets off a wave of giggles among all of the other women, most of them turning their necks to get a look for themselves.
All of this is leading me to the conclusion that I’d be better off doing yoga at home watching videos, rather than attending classes. Or maybe Callie could lead me in private sessions. No, on second thought, that would be much too tempting, and I can’t imagine that scenario right now unless I want to pitch a tent in my athletic shorts.
Under no circumstances do I want to know what Aunt Iris would have to say about me popping a boner.
Callie gets us started with some rhythmic breathing, and I do my best to follow along. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the stillness, and I didn’t see how breathing, something we do all day, every day, should be a part of a fitness class, but I’ve been starting to see the value in focusing the mind.
In the short time since I started attending yoga classes, I’ve been sleeping more soundly, and I’ve been thinking more clearly—except, that is, when Callie’s around.
I swear I can smell her scent on the breeze with each inhale. Or maybe it’s just imprinted on my brain. A woman has never affected me this way, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
I’m relieved when she starts into the flow portion of class. Getting the poses right, and keeping my balance, gives me something to focus on besides the memory of how Callie’s lips tasted last night. She responded to my kiss in a way I hadn’t expected, and if we’d been alone, I’d have needed to find out more.
The sequence Callie’s leading us through is fairly easy, and I wish it was more difficult, because my brain needs a diversion. There’s plenty else I should be focusing on, but Callie’s currently in a low lunge, and all I can think about is wrapping my hands around her waist, sliding one up toward her chest, the other down toward that perfect ass.
The screen on my phone, which I’d set at the top of my mat, lights up with a silent message. I bend forward to read it, and wow, there’s the more challenging pose I’d been hoping for. Thankfully, I catch myself before I topple to the side.
Max: “Can you break away?”
Callie is facing the other direction, twisting in the pose, so I grab my phone, my fingers flying. Then I roll up my mat and exit as quickly and quietly as I can.
CHAPTER 27
CALLIE
Is it weird that I sense Miles’s absence before I catch sight of him walking away?
It’s definitely weird, but I feel something shift before I come out of my twist, and then I see his figure disappearing inside the hotel’s side entrance.
At first, I worry that it’s Max I’m seeing, but a quick scan of our little yoga group confirms that Miles has left.