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Why had I thought this was a good idea again? Panic has my heart nearly thrumming out of my chest as I stare at the door in front of me like it’s a snake ready to lash out and bite me. “You can do this. It’s just naked yoga with the sexiest man you’ve ever seen and an unknown number of perfect strangers.”
My pep-talk skills could really use some work. Turning from the door, I rummage around in my bag for my phone. Pulling it out and glancing at the time, I can see I only have a handful of minutes before class starts. Dialing my best friend’s number and putting the call on speaker, I look myself over in the mirror as the phone rings.
I look as terrified as I feel. My eyes are wide, my face and chest flushed red. I didn’t know my blush could extend so far down my body. My panic increases as my eyes follow the trail of reddening skin. My breaths start coming faster and faster, too fast. My chest is heaving trying to catch up with my quickening breaths. A futile effort it seems, because I can’t seem to catch my breath regardless. Am I about to have a panic attack before the date even starts?
“Charley? Why are you calling me right now? You’re supposed to call after to tell me how it goes.” Millie’s voice is like a soothing balm on my frayed nerves, and it allows me to finally slow my breathing down enough to speak.
“Oh, Mil. I don’t know if I can do this. Why did I think this was a good idea? And, more importantly, why did you let me do this?” My tone is sharp and accusing on the last question so that Millie will hopefully get my point.
But Millie just laughs at my severe tone, clearly not at all understanding the severity of the situation. “Oh, Charley. Stop being dramatic. It’s fine! You wanted to up the stakes for Emmett and this is definitely the way to do it.” “Yes, but I forgot about the whole me-being-naked-part.” Another glance at my reflection in the mirror seems to highlight every single flaw. “Mil, my boobs don’t look as good as they did ten years ago. My stomach is not flat. Emmett doesn’t have an ounce of fat on his stupid, perfect form. And we’re going to be surrounded by perfect, pert, twenty-something women. Why would he ever even look twice at me?”
“Don’t make me pull out your full name, Charley. You are beautiful and he knows it. You are confident in your body and don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. He’s interested in you and everything that makes you the wonderful person you are. Now, get your ass out there and make him sweat!” The dial tone clicks in my ear as Millie ends the call without saying goodbye. I am somewhat offended, but feeling much better than I did before the call. Shaking off the last of my nerves, I tuck my phone back in my bag and take one more deep, calming breath before pushing open the door.
Even Millie’s glorious speech—she really had missed her calling in life—couldn’t prepare me for the sight that meets my eyes when I step out of the dressing room. I had taken yoga classes before—albeit clothed ones—and the room looks pretty standard. It’s large and open, with bright shades of yellow painted on three walls, one of which has stacks of rolled up mats lined up along it. The fourth wall is primarily dedicated to a large mirror allowing the room’s occupants to survey their form as they cycle through the poses. There looks to be about twenty other people in the room milling about cheerily as they grab their mats and lay them out to prepare for class. So far pretty standard for any yoga class.
Where that standard ends is when I notice they’re all as naked as the day they were born, and not one of them is under the age of sixty. A squeal escapes my lips and I slam my hands over my eyes as a particularly wrinkly old man saunters in front of me, winking.
“Well, well, well. I think you’ve outdone yourself with this one, Sunshine.” His usually smoky voice is tinged with amusement as his large, calloused hand lands on my blessedly bare shoulder and all thoughts of the bare senior citizens surrounding us flees my mind in an instant.
I drop my hands, but keep my eyes shut as I try to work up the nerve to turn and take in Emmett’s appearance. But that would also mean allowing him to see me. My desire to see Emmett wins out over my own nerves, but just barely. I flip around, his hand dropping from my shoulder and dragging along the sensitive skin of my arm as I turn.
He’s gorgeous. A prime example of male perfection and I don’t even pretend I’m not staring. His thick, muscled legs, trim, powerful torso, and impressive...equipment, make him easily the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. And the mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he watches me check him out tells me that he knows he looks good too. His dark hair is tied back from his face today, showcasing his sharp cheekbones and strong jawline. His lips lift in a crooked smile as he says, “like what you see, Sunshine?”
My eyes dart away from unsafe territory and I try to pretend I wasn’t ogling him. Although I can feel my ears burning so I’m sure my entire body is flushing with embarrassment and giving myself away.
“Uh, well, yeah actually.” I gesture at the surrounding room with its senior occupants, and say, “lots of eye candy in here.”
He laughs, but his gaze doesn’t stray from me. I watch as he dips his gaze all the way down to my toes and back up, ever so slowly. As if he has all the time in the world to commit my body to memory. My body flushes with heat again, but this time it’s not from embarrassment. I try to see myself as he is right now. I should have tied my hair back like he had, but I’d left it down, hoping my wild, curly hair would give me at least a semblance of privacy. It falls across my chest, covering the important bits, but still leaving very little to the imagination. The rest of my body is on full display with nothing else between us and Emmett drinks in the sight as if he’s savoring it. Savoring me.
The longer he stares without speaking, the hotter the surrounding room feels. It’s nearly suffocating, and I have no idea how people are supposed to exercise at this high of a temperature. Sweat beads on my forehead, but I’m not uncomfortable any longer. My nerves have taken flight under Emmett’s thorough perusal. I steel my spine, straighten and smile at him as I say, “like what you see, Sweets?”
His cocky, self-assured expression now looks almost pained as he groans and drags his eyes away. Looking anywhere but at me, he shifts in his stance and says, “Sunshine, I’m not sure this was a good idea, after all.” His voice is husky and low, meant only for my ears. Something about seeing this gorgeous man this bothered by my naked form is a confidence boost unlike any I’ve ever had before.
Before I get a chance to respond, though, we’re interrupted. “Well, hello there, handsome.” It takes Emmett a full minute to get himself under control and turn his attention to the woman butting her way between us. “I’m Vivian. You can call me Viv.” Her voice is deep and husky as she leers openly at him, letting her eyes trail the same path my own had just taken. Jealousy spikes through me at her perusal. A foreign emotion I’m not entirely comfortable with. But comfortable or not, I can’t deny that seeing another woman checking Emmett out has me gritting my teeth to keep from blurting out something entirely too territorial.
Vivian—or rather Viv—doesn't even notice me. She just smiles up at him with her too-perfect, clearly false teeth, bottle-blonde hair, and lines bracketing her face. She is an attractive woman for sure, but at least twenty years his senior. And naked as the day she was born. I can see the moment Emmett realizes that as his eyes jerk up toward the ceiling and his large hands move to cover his manhood with impressive speed. “Um, hello.” His formerly steady voice sounds decidedly nervous now and I can tell he’s rethinking his thoughts on the Bare Yoga right now. Which, honestly, so am I. I had been so distracted by his appearance, that I’d nearly forgotten about our fellow classmates. When planning this date, I liked the idea of seeing Emmett naked and I still like that, but I have absolutely no desire to see men and women more than double our age naked as well.
Humor laces Viv’s voice as she says, “We don’t usually get any as young and...tight as you in here.” Emmett’s still staring at the ceiling as if he might be beamed away if he concentrates hard enough so he doesn’t see the little old lady licking her lips as she eyes her way down his body. “Oh, now don’t be shy, Sweetums. I can’t wait to see those muscles in action. I bet you’re flexible.” To our mutual dismay, Viv reaches a long-painted claw out to drag along his chest as she says it.
Jumping back from her touch, he says, “I really should get back to my date. It was nice to meet you, Viv.” Without a backwards glance, Emmett moves around Viv and grabs hold of me, pulling me flush to his body like a shield.
“Oh,” escapes from my lips as I realize how close he is. All of his hard angles lining up with my own soft curves and causing a kaleidoscope of feelings to race through me. He realizes it at the same time I do and drops his hand, stepping back quickly as if my touch burned him.
“I’m sorry about that.” He looks sheepish now as he looks away and rubs his hand over the back of his neck. Something about seeing this gorgeous man looking nervous and unsure fills me with a confidence I didn’t have before.
“It’s fine,” I say, smiling at him. “Shall we get our mats and get set up?” I don’t wait for his answer, though. Letting his eyes drink their fill of my backside as I cross the room to grab a mat. His groan is the only answer I get before he lumbers after me, grabbing his own.
We set them up together in the back of the room, both doing our best to ignore the stares and murmurs from the rest of the group. After one particularly wrinkly gentleman walks past me and nearly trips over his own feet from his distraction, I say, “Okay, so maybe my plan to get you all hot and bothered with some sexy naked yoga crashed and burned miserably.”
His response isn’t what I’m expecting, though. He laughs, a beautiful, musical sound as he says, “oh, Sunshine. I gotta say this has for sure gotten my attention. Standing here in a room full of naked elderly people I’ve never met before, I can’t seem to keep my eyes off of you. I’d say the hot and bothered part of your plan worked seamlessly. You’re beautiful, Sunshine. But there’s definitely something extremely uncomfortable about being hot and bothered in this particular setting.”
I grab my stomach, laughing at his obvious discomfort, but I decide to take pity on him. “I agree. I’m so sorry. I really should have done a little more research before scheduling this date, obviously.” My nerves return full force then, like they just now remember that I’m standing completely naked in front of this man. I look away, biting my bottom lip as I try to give myself a mental pep-talk. The worst is already over. Now I just have to make it through the next forty-five minutes of this class.
Before I can retreat too far into my own thoughts, Emmett is suddenly standing in front of me, gripping my hips and pulling me into him again. Only this time there’s nothing accidental about it. My teeth release their hold on my bottom lip as a gasp of surprise escapes me. For a minute, we just stare at each other. I don’t say anything and neither does he. I’m not sure what I would even say if I tried to speak because the only thought running through my mind is how badly I want his mouth on mine. Emmett must be a mind reader because he lowers his mouth to mine as soon as the thought crosses my mind.
I’m hesitant at first. As much as I want this, something in the back of my mind is telling me that this might not be the best time. I ignore the voice of reason and throw myself into this kiss like my very life depends on it. He tastes better than the sweetest chocolate as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. I wrap my own hands through his hair and use it to hold him in place. This kiss is so much more than our first kiss. There’s nothing tentative about it. We’re not exploring each other and the chemistry between us. Now we’re giving in to the explosive chemistry and letting our bodies call the shots. And without the barriers of clothes between us, this kiss is fast becoming something more. And I’m fine with that. I need more. I move my hands down his thick arms, groaning at the feel of his hard, warm muscles as he wraps me tighter in his embrace.
The sharp whistles and cat-calls bring us back to reality as effectively as a bucket of ice-cold water. Emmett releases me immediately and I’m wobbling like a brand-new baby deer just learning to walk as my legs try to remember how to properly function. The entire class surrounds us, cheering and applauding our kiss like it’s part of the show and I fervently wish a hole would open in the ground and swallow me. How did we forget our surroundings like that?
