Chapter 13
EMMIE
“How does my ass look in these pants?” Erin asked, twisting sideways to show me her butt in her orange yoga bottoms.
“Very spankable,” I replied.
“Perfect. That’s what I’m going for.” She turned back around and adjusted her boobs in her sports bra, making them sit even higher on her chest—something I was insanely jealous of.
“You’re peppy for seven in the morning. Usually, I have to pry you from your bed Freaky Friday style.”
“Yes, that is the case, but this time, there’s going to be three extremely hot athletes with us,” Erin explained. “I’m ready to bend in half in front of them—your man excluded, of course—and show them just how limber I can be.”
“First, you’re freakishly flexible.” If Erin had been more athletic, she really could have been a gymnast or figure skater. “And second, Mateo isn’t my man.”
“Yes, he is. You get this little sparkle in your eye whenever you talk about him. Which, by the way, is a lot.” Erin headed for her bathroom, so I followed.
“I don’t talk about him a lot,” I defended.
“Uh, yes you do. Mateo is at practice, Mateo just texted me, did you know Mateo doesn’t like avocados?”
“I’m not that bad,” I mumbled.
“It’s okay that you are. Emmie, I’m a writer.” Her signature gold rings and necklaces jingled as she tugged and pulled her curly brown hair into a braid. For someone about to go to Pilates, she sure was dressed up. And this was coming from the girl who refused to come with me every time I offered.
“You’re exactly where you should be. Going on dates, although I wouldn’t say inviting him and his friends will be fun, but I digress. You should be giddy about Mateo and talking about him nonstop.”
“There’s just something about him.” I struggled to put into words what it was.
“I’m excited to meet him then. Get a feel for how he is and if he’s going to treat my best friend the way she deserves,” Erin said, looking at me through the mirror.
“He’s not going to know what hit him,” I said. Poor Mateo was about to get the third degree. When it came to me, Erin didn’t play games, never did. The one guy I dated for six months got an interrogation, and I was pretty sure he was a little scared of her.
“Exactly what I want.” She turned around to face me, hands on her hips. “Now, you need to go change into your sexiest workout outfit. This,” Erin pointed to my black matching sports bra and leggings, “is not it.”
“What? This is practical.”
“We want Mateo to drop to his knees at the sight of you. While this is great, it won’t do the job. Come on.”
With a wave of her hand, Erin pushed past me to my room. Guess I was changing.
I pulled into a parking space in front of the Pilates studio fifteen minutes before eight. Erin was practically bouncing in her seat.
“Did you chug an energy drink without me knowing?” I asked, unclipping my seat belt.
“That is a possibility.” Her response meant yes. Oh boy, energizer Erin was always a handful.
“Let's get you inside to work off some of that caffeine.”
With my bag on my shoulder, the two of us headed in. Align was a cute little brick and mortar building on Fourth Street, not too far from the Titan’s stadium. I met the owner a few years ago when she opened and had been going ever since.
The first time I walked inside, the space took my breath away.
Pale yellow walls made the area feel warm and open the second you pushed through the doors.
Twelve Pilates machines lined the room, their reflections stretching across the floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
Light wood floors and crystal chandeliers bathed everything in a soft, flattering glow.
One wall had the studio's name, and the other a quote that the owner, Ashley, always said before each session.
Strong Looks Good On You.
It was my second favorite place to be.
A couple of women stood by their machines, stretching as Erin and I walked in. Thankfully, Saturday’s morning class wasn’t a busy one, so there were plenty of machines. I claimed one closer to the back of the studio, making sure there were three other ones for Mateo and his friends.
He had no idea what he agreed to yesterday. Maybe I should have told him it was a Pilates class, but where was the fun in that? I couldn’t wait to see his reaction when they walked in.
While I waited for them to show up, I moved around the machine, setting up my towel and water and handing Erin hers. Five minutes passed before the sound of the door stole my attention.
I was helpless in holding back my grin as Mateo and two other guys entered. I gently nudged Erin with my elbow to get her attention, but at a quick glance, I found her already staring at the door.
They looked around the studio in what I could only describe as shock. Pretty sure they were picturing a gym with weights not…this. The handful of women that were present whispered at the sight of the three tall, gorgeous men. Something that didn’t happen here.
Their eyes darted around the space as they slowly made their way toward Erin and I.
“Um, Em is this a Pilates class?” Mateo asked once he was close enough, still taking in the machines.
“Yes, it is.” I grinned, hands on my hips, loving the wide eyes and lifted eyebrows of his friends.
Mateo finally looked at me. Heat pooled in my lower belly at the way his blue eyes raked up and down my body, lingering on my chest for a split second. I guess Erin was right, after all.
The emerald green yoga set matched my skin and red hair perfectly. The sports bra was tight enough that it gave the illusion that I had boobs, and my leggings made my legs appear miles long. Judging by the way Mateo’s pupils flared, he liked it.
While he took his fill, I did as well. My mouth practically watered at the sight of his arms in his muscle tank top. Tan skin from being out in the sun, muscles that popped even though he wasn’t flexing. Mateo had broad shoulders, but his shirt made him seem bigger than the last time I saw him.
My eyes traveled down to his simple black workout shorts, then back up to his face. He had a few days’ worth of stubble, a look that was insanely attractive on him. My fingers itched to run through his hair. Instantly, dirty thoughts of tugging it while he was between my legs came to mind.
For the last three days, I had replayed the act of Mateo pressing me into my car door in my mind. The feeling of his breath against my neck, his body and scent surrounding me. All I wanted in that moment was for him to touch me, kiss me. It had taken all my self-control to not press against him.
But now, days later, I regretted holding back. It’s like he lit a small spark inside me that was now slowly growing into an inferno. It was all I thought about. Even during practices, he was on my mind.
“You look beautiful.”
Mateo’s voice broke me out of my staring. I awkwardly shifted on my feet, cheeks flushed, hoping it wasn’t clear on my face what I was thinking about. “Thanks. Glad you guys came.” I forced myself to look away from him to his friends. “Hi, I’m Emmie.”
“Jake,” the guy on Mateo’s left greeted first. He wasn’t as tall as Mateo but was a bit stockier. He was extremely handsome with braided hair and tattoos lining both of his arms.
“And I’m Perry.” A blond stepped up beside Jake with a wide smile, his height pushing past Mateo’s. His hair was buzzed short but suited him surprisingly well. It made his cheekbones stand out even more. Just from his smile alone, I could tell he was the life of the party, a ladies’ man.
A cough had me hooking my arm through my best friend’s. “This is Erin.”
The way Jake and Perry’s eyes immediately zeroed in on her had me pressing my lips together so I wouldn’t snort. Erin was gorgeous, with curves for days, and by the way these two looked her up and down, they thought so, too.
This was why she agreed to come today. I guess having hot men present was motivation.
“Nice to meet you guys.” Erin grinned, her hand squeezing my arm tightly. “I didn’t know Mateo had such hot friends.”
“Well, I’m the hottest one on the team,” Perry said with a slight shrug. The way he flashed his megawatt smile at Erin, I just knew the two of them were going to be flirting the entire class.
“Definitely don’t listen to his delusions,” Jake butted in, taking a step forward. He gently took Erin’s hand and brought it up to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. “Pleasure to meet you.”
As Erin giggled, I met Mateo’s gaze. He stared right back at me with a matching look of what have we done?
Before the three of them could start flirting, I butted in. “Let's get you guys set up before class starts.”
I unhooked my arm from Erin’s and stepped toward a machine next to the one I claimed, then explained the gist of what the class was about.
“Ashley will go around and help if you don’t know the moves, but it’s not too hard.” This class was for beginners, so they shouldn’t have too hard of a time.
“We’re professional athletes, this’ll be a walk in the park,” Perry said.
“Oh yeah?” A smirk played on my lips.
“Bring it on,” Perry offered back. Oh, how I couldn’t wait to see how he felt after class. As Perry, Jake, and Erin got situated by their machines, Mateo came over to the one beside me.
“Your evil smirk tells me you think we’re going to suffer.”
My head tilted back to look at him. “I mean…”
“Cruel, firecracker,” he said with a shake of his head. For some odd reason, my heart fluttered at the nickname.
“It’s okay if it's too hard for you guys,” I said, loud enough to draw the attention of Jake and Perry.
“Too hard?” Jake echoed.
“Your girl just said some fighting words,” Perry spoke.
“I know. I guess we’ll have to prove her wrong, won’t we, boys?” Mateo's head tilted to the side, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t argue with his friend calling me his girl. I tucked that into the back of my mind for later.
Both Jake and Perry crossed their arms. “Guess so.”
“You guys are going to regret those words,” Erin said from behind me.
Before any of us could say another word, Ashley’s familiar voice echoed around the room, followed by a clap. Class was about to start.
Mateo sent me a wink, and I grinned back. This was going to be fun.
“Now breathe in and expand your diaphragm,” Ashley’s soft, almost hypnotic, voice instructed as she moved around the room.
“How am I supposed to fucking breathe like this?” Mateo muttered—scratch that, more like wheezed—next to me. We were currently in a plank-like hold, hands on the bar, the balls of our feet on the moving mat. It wasn’t the hardest position, but we had been here for over a minute.
I turned my head to the left to see Mateo’s arms shaking, face beet red. I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh.
“Now, let's do thirty pulses. Using your core, bring your knees forward into a crunch and then back out.”
“Wait, what?” Jake panted down the line, his voice echoing through the studio over the music playing.
“She’s fucking with us,” Perry chimed in, a quiver in his tone.
“Thirty pulses—and now!”
I sucked my core in and brought my knees inward. I kept my gaze on my hands, breathing in through my nose and exhaling out of my mouth, trying to control my breathing.
“I’m dying,” Perry moaned.
Jake echoed that same sound. “What kind of torture is this?”
Mateo's voice was hoarse. “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”
If I wasn’t so focused on doing the move, I would have let out my amusement. Erin laughed on my other side. For a bunch of athletes who claimed this class would be easy, they sure were doing a lot of complaining.
“Remember to breathe as you move,” Ashley instructed.
“Oh, I’m fucking breathing alright,” Jake grunted.
The last ten pulses were torture. My core was screaming, and I had sweat dripping off my nose. When Ashley finally ended the countdown, I slowly brought my knees down to the mat.
“Holy hell.”
I turned my head to see Mateo hunched over his machine, his whole body heaving as he took deep breaths.
“Having fun?” I asked, reaching to grab my water.
“Oh, I’m having a blast,” Mateo muttered. I sputtered, choking on my water.
“Just another moment before we continue,” Ashley spoke, stopping any sort of remark I was about to give Mateo.
“Wait, there’s more?” Perry asked, his head popping up to look over at Ashley. The other women in the class chuckled.
“We still have another twenty minutes,” Erin said.
“Twenty more?” He almost looked like he wanted to cry.
All three guys looked at each other in what I assumed was panic. Bet they regretted coming.
Ashley continued. “Let’s move into a seated position. Time to work those arms.”
Their groans filled the room.
“You can do twenty more minutes,” Mateo muttered under his breath beside me.
More grunts, groans, and cursing flittered through the space. By the time Ashley called the end of class, the three of them were lying on their backs by their machines. Even Erin, who hated coming to class, fared better than them.
Breathing a little hard, I grabbed my towel before making my way toward the guys. I loved the adrenaline rush after a workout class. My legs and arms were always a little shaky, letting me know I pushed myself to my limits. I was more energized than when I first walked into class.
“Are you three alive?” I questioned.
“Worst class ever,” Perry heaved, arm draped over his eyes. The white muscle tank he was wearing was soaked through. Next to him, Jake’s green one was no different.
I drank in the sight of Mateo. His black muscle tank was molded to his chest, ab indentations clearly visible. His arms were slick with sweat. It shouldn’t have been as hot as it was. When he sat up, my eyes tracked bead that trickled down his throat.
I wanted to lick it away.
Heat swelled in my stomach, and I was just glad the red on my cheeks was already there from the workout. When I wiped my neck and chest with my towel, I saw and felt Mateo’s eyes tracking the movement. The muscle in his jaw ticked when the towel dipped below my sports bra.
“Mateo, tell your girl we’re never doing another workout class with her,” Jake groaned as he sat up. “You don’t even look winded.” The accusation in his tone made me grin.
“She’s an Olympian, what do you expect?” Erin chimed in, coming to stand by my side. “She’d probably do another class if she could.”
“You’re batshit crazy.” Perry shook his head at me.
“So, is that a no to going to hot yoga with me next week?” I asked.
“Fuck no,” Jake and Perry said at the same time.
“Figured,” I laughed.
“Does anyone want some breakfast?” Erin asked a moment later, her eyes mostly on Jake and Perry. Knowing my best friend, she’d probably try and get both of them.
“I’m starving,” Perry said as he grabbed his water.
Jake gave a nod. “Sure.”
I met Mateo’s eyes and tilted my head in question. What I really wanted to do was go somewhere alone with him, but I’d settle for getting food.
“What sounds good?” he asked.