Finn and I chat a while longer until I get home. With our plans for next week confirmed, I quickly shower and dress for a workday at city hall, forcing my attention to what I need to accomplish there in the next eight hours.
That’s all that stands between me and getting Summer in my arms, and hopefully in my bed tonight.
11
Summer
It’s a really good thing I’m not trying to use power tools or anything of the sort today. All I can think about are Ethan’s hands bringing me to ecstasy yesterday, and how much further things could go tonight. He won’t tell me what he has planned, only todresssexy.When I got that text message, my whole body shivered with anticipation. Sweet and caring Ethan clearly has a dirty side, and I am having way too much fun uncovering that.
My head is still in the clouds when I walk into Harbour Dance, Serena’s studio, in the late afternoon. She’s teaching a toddler tap class, and I watch through the large glass window as she leads the most adorable group of kids around the room with her arms floating up and down. The click clack of tap shoes can be heard over the quiet voices of the parents watching the class, some of whom glance at me curiously. I don’t recognize any of them, but that’s not exactly a surprise given how long I was gone from Dogwood Cove.
Several minutes later, Serena wraps up class with a clap of her hands, and the hyper group of kids come rushing into the waiting area with their noisy shoes creating a cacophony of sound. Serena waves me through, and I weave through kids and moms until I am in the main studio.
“Hey, Summer! Thanks for coming by,” she says breezily as she goes over to the sound system.
Serena’s got an ethereal elegance to her; she glides instead of walks. Her dance background is apparent in every move she makes. I feel frumpy and awkward in comparison, but brush off the critical thought like a fly buzzing in my ear. I don’t waste time on feeling bad about myself for long. That was not an option after watching my mother overcompensate for her low self-esteem in man after man, none of whom stuck around long.
“Hi, thanks again for agreeing to let me teach a few classes here,” I say, pulling out my yoga mat. Serena wanted me to run her through several different styles of classes so we can decide what to offer. “I’ve got a fit and flow practice, a slower paced hatha, and I was thinking we could offer an evening unwind class as well.”
She waves her hand at me. “Honestly, you’re doing me a favour. I didn’t want to figure out adult classes, so you’ve solved my problem for me. Those three options all sound perfect.”
I smile, gratified that I’m not just being given a handout with the opportunity to teach here.
Serena grabs her mat and we get started. I run her through shortened versions of the classes I am proposing, and we go through the practices with ease. It’s not surprising to me that Serena has the flexibility and strength to get into some of the more challenging postures, but when she collapses out of a forearm stand at the end, we both fall onto our mats giggling.
“Oh man. Okay, yep, let’s offer those classes to start, and I’ll be coming to the fit and flow class!” Serena puffs out some air, making the hair that has fallen over her face fly up in the air.
I sit up and wrap my arms around my knees. “Really? So, all three classes?”
She sits and faces me. “Yeah, I think they will all be really popular. We might have to offer more than one session of them.” Her face turns serious. “I know how much work you’ve got to do out at the resort, are you sure you can commit to this? I hate to sound like a nag, but I don’t want to set all of this up, only to have you needing to cancel after a month or so.”
I hurry to shake my head. “No way, that won’t happen. I love teaching yoga, it grounds me. Yes, the resort will need a lot of my time, but I can definitely fit in these classes.”
“Okay, then let’s get these on the schedule and start signing people up.” Serena claps her hands, much as she did at the end of the tap class, and unfolds her long body, standing up gracefully. We roll up our mats and after agreeing on a schedule and fee structure, I leave her to teach her next class.
When I get back to the apartment above the bakery, I head straight for the shower. As the hot water beats down on my hair, I close my eyes and let my imagination carry me forward to tonight. Despite the heat from the water, I shiver thinking about what I want to do with Ethan. What I want him to doto me.
After finishing my shower and drying my hair, I stand in front of my closet in my bra and panties, surveying my meager wardrobe. I have never been one to own too many clothes, and definitely not anything fancy. Ethan wants me to dress sexy, but I honestly don’t think I have anything that fits that description. I have one pair of heels, and they’re booties. Some jeans that make my ass look great, but wouldn’t a skirt or a dress be sexier? I guess I don’t have a choice there, since my only options are casual summer dresses. Hanging behind my favourite cozy sweater, I see a flash of red. Recognition dawns, that’s the shirt I bought six months ago when I thought I was going on a date with a Henry Cavill look alike. The guy turned out to be a total dud, and lookednothinglike superman, but at least I have that shirt.
When I’m dressed and have applied a little bit of makeup, I take one final look in the mirror.Not bad.The jeans really do make my ass look phenomenal, and the way the red blouse is cut in the front, it shows the perfect amount of cleavage. The secret weapon is the cut out in the back that dips almost down to my bra strap, but not quite. It’s sexy but subtle. And I’m confident it’ll be enough to drive Ethan wild, especially if I keep it covered with a coat at first.
I’m putting on a coat of light lip gloss when I hear his footsteps on the stairs leading up to the apartment. I grin at myself in the mirror, my body humming with excitement. Opening the door, my heart stops dead.
Ethan in a plaid shirt is one sexy lumberjack look-alike. Ethan in a snug, dark blue, button-down shirt and tailored dress pants is a walking, talking orgasm.
“Wow,” he murmurs, his beautiful lips curving into a smile.
“That was my line,” I say weakly as I reach out and grab his hand, pulling him into my apartment. I wrap my arms around his neck and lift up on my toes to kiss him, breathing in his scent, so clean, so manly, so…Ethan.
“Mmm, as much as I want to continue this, we gotta go.” Ethan pulls back, keeping his hands on my hips.
I pout but reach over and grab my purse off the kitchen counter. “Fine. Let the wooing commence.”
His rich chuckle fills my ears as we leave my apartment.
“When was the last time you were in Victoria?”
We’re driving out of town toward the highway, and I’m staring hungrily at his profile, strong and solid. Ethan is all man, and simply being around him grounds me in a way nothing else does.
