AllFreeNovel
Share Us
11
“Good morning.”
The polite greeting came as a surprise. Considering how Sterling had reacted the last time Kat had woken him for yoga, she’d half expected him to slam the door in her face. As it happened, he seemed to have already been up and about. He was dressed in shorts that revealed muscular calves dusted with gold and had clearly run a brush through his hair.
She paused on the threshold. “Are you going somewhere?”
He nodded. “I like to run in the morning.”
She’d just bet he did. His gorgeous legs attested to that. “Yoga is starting soon,” she said. “I’d hoped you might join in again.”
A scowl darkened his face. “That didn’t go very well last time. What makes you think it’d be different today?”
She fidgeted. What had made her think things would be different? Perhaps because she’d believed they were bordering on a friendship of sorts. “Won’t you just give it another chance? You can go for your run after and I won’t pester you again today. Promise.”
He studied her so intensely she couldn’t help but squirm. Finally, he gave a curt nod. “Okay. But then you don’t bother me about yoga again.”
She grinned and offered her hand. “Deal.”
They shook on it, his palm warm against hers. She sent him what she hoped was a supportive smile, then led him to the foyer, where they claimed mats next to each other in the rear of the class. A few more people arrived, then Bex called the group to order. She started a gentle soundtrack and demonstrated warm-up stretches. Kat watched out of the corner of her eye as Sterling bent his head one way, then the other, his chest rising and falling with even breaths. He managed to pull off a convincing downward dog, though she noticed him panting through it.
When they had to lower themselves to their stomachs to shift into cobra pose, he hit the first snag. He was halfway down when his arms buckled and he flopped onto his stomach like a landed fish. She held her breath and waited for the fireworks. Bex had also stilled, ready for anything. But then he shook his head, picked himself up and rearranged himself into the correct position. A collective breath was released.
He next encountered difficulty with tree pose, wobbling dangerously as he struggled to balance on his right leg with his left foot pressed into his thigh. Teetering back and forth, he had to drop his foot to regain balance more than once, but he only rolled his eyes and tried again. She had to admit, persistence was a very attractive trait in a man. As was the willingness to risk looking like a fool when giving something a second try.
Kat watched him so single-mindedly that she lost her own balance and tripped forward, knocking into Tione.
“Oy, watch it,” he grunted, hitting the floor with a thump.
“Sorry.” She backed off, pleased she didn’t have the kind of complexion where it was obvious when she blushed. She met Bex’s eyes, and Bex waggled her eyebrows suggestively, shooting a glance at Sterling. Damn, her friend knew what had been on her mind. Talk about embarrassing.
A hand touched her waist and she flinched. It was Sterling, helping her to right herself. And damned if he didn’t smell as good as he looked. He must be wearing cologne because no man naturally smelled this good in the morning.
“Thanks,” she murmured, then tried to give her attention to their teacher.
Everyone moved into chair pose. Of their own volition, her eyes were drawn like a magnet back to Sterling, only to find him looking straight at her. Their gazes clashed and held. Unspoken messages flew between them.
I’m attracted to you.
The feeling is mutual.
What are we going to do about it?
Nothing. They couldn’t do anything. Kat closed her eyes, severing the connection. Remember who you are, she told herself. You don’t deserve to share an attraction with an interesting man. You don’t deserve happiness. You don’t deserve love.
For the rest of the session, she pretended there was a brick wall dividing her from him. For all intents and purposes, there might as well have been.
After a quick shower,Kat grabbed a notebook from her office and headed to the kitchen, where Tione was preparing breakfast.
“Meal planning,” she announced. “Next week. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking,” he said, as he whisked omelet mixture, “that I’d like to know what you’re doing with the suit.”
The pen slipped from her fingers and she bent to pick it up, her hands trembling. “What do you mean?” Had she been that easy to read? “I’m helping him loosen up.”
He laid the whisk down, poured mixture into a skillet and raised an eyebrow dubiously. “I think you’d like to do more than loosen him up, Kat.”
She swallowed. “I would?”
