Chapter 1 Ben #2
The man dips his head, acknowledging my statement, and his full lips rise in a sexy smile.
“I don’t suppose you’d want to tell me how you came to be an expert in handstands?” He raises his voice over the music and bends closer.
Be still, my heart. He wants to talk about handstands? Maybe I can pass the time with him tonight while James has his fun. The guy literally fell at my feet. It would be irresponsible of me to ignore such a gift.
“Do you mind waiting here for a few minutes? I need to check on my friend, and if you’re serious about handstands… I’ll show you.”
The man’s smile grows, and oof…he’s a handsome devil when he grins like that.
He points to the hallway I had been heading towards before his failed handstand. “I’ll wait right here.”
Shaking my head, I leave the man and scan the dance floor for James. When I find him, he and Brandon are dancing awfully slow and close for the upbeat music.
“James!” He turns away from Brandon and grins at me.
“Ben! Are you leaving?”
“I, uh, met someone. I’ll text you his picture before I go anywhere with him.” Leaning in close to his ear, I ask, “Are you taking Brandon home?”
James smiles with a wink. “He offered to take me, so I’ll say yes. Is 2 A.M. too late for you to come back?”
Shaking my head, I hold up my phone to snap a photo of Brandon. “Sorry, it’s our tracking method.” Brandon doesn’t seem put out about it, and I shove my phone back in my pocket. “It’s fine, James. I might have found a way to pass the time anyway. I’ll text you the pic and our plans.”
With a hug, James resumes dancing, and I weave through the crowd, half expecting the shitty handstand guy to have disappeared, but there he is. Standing right where he said he’d be. Hands stuffed in his pants, with a boyish smile and appearing much smaller than his actual size.
He’s not my usual type. I usually stick to the suits or the men close to my size. This guy is huge and tattooed. He carries himself with a shy confidence. Like he knows he’s attractive, but he’d never believe it if you told him.
Maybe it’s the fact he failed at a handstand, or maybe it’s just that he has a scar on his chin that tells a story of some risk I don’t know. Whatever it is, it works, and I’m intrigued enough to at least talk to him.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d still be here.”
He shrugs. “I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
“That’s very flattering.”
His smile fades. “Shit. Sorry. I wasn’t…” He runs a hand through his shaggy hair and puffs a breath. “Can you really do a walking handstand?”
His voice carries a hint of childlike excitement. “I can.” His smile grows. He’s actually interested in handstands. “And I think I can teach you. Do you want to get out of here?”
He nods, and I hold up my phone. “Say cheese.”
His laugh rumbles from his chest, deep and carefree. “See? I’m already unforgettable. You took my picture.”
I send the pic to James and wait for it to register as received before pocketing my phone.
“Maybe. We have an entire evening to find out if that’s true or not.
” Yeah, something tells me this guy will definitely be a favourite memory.
“But I sent it to my best friend. If I go missing, you’re the last person I was with. ”
Blood drains from his face, and I feel a twinge of guilt for being so forward.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? I’m not…I don’t hurt people.”
And I know he doesn’t. Call it a feeling, but I’m not worried about being alone with him. He throws massive teddy bear vibes despite his formidable stature, and his eyes are too kind. Sure, I’ve been wrong before, but this time feels different.
“What’s not to be sure about? We’re going to do some handstands and then hit a hot dog cart after. No hot dogs before upside-down stuff. I don’t want to throw up.”
When he laughs again, it’s rich and… sexy.
He thinks I’m funny, which is a total plus in my book.
I motion for him to follow me, clearing the way to the exit.
When we burst into the crisp early autumn air, I shiver.
Vegas nights were chilly, but it takes some time to adjust back to the near-zero temperatures of a Northern Ontario autumn evening.
“Are you warm enough?” I ogle the big guy in his T-shirt, who seems not to care a single bit about the chill.
“I will be once we get to the physical stuff.”
“That’s mighty presumptuous of you.” I raise an eyebrow as we walk and laugh.
He coughs and turns his heated gaze to me. Just like earlier, when he was up in my personal space, his interest isn’t concealed at all. “I meant the handstand stuff. Not…other stuff.”
I don’t know what I love most about this interaction, his poorly concealed interest or his eagerness to learn a handstand.
“I’m Lukas, by the way.”
He doesn’t offer a hand to shake. They’re still jammed deep in his pockets.
“Ben. Nice to meet you. Have you been to Pansy Park?”
He shakes his head. “No, I’m new to town, but it sounds pretty.”
“It is during the summer, but now most of the flowers have died. I used to play here when I was a kid.”
We’re almost at the park, and Lukas’s gaze is on me again with the weight of unasked questions.
“So you’re a local?”
We walk past the sign to the park, the gravel crunching under our feet as we head deeper down the trail.
“I used to be. I just moved back a few months ago. My parents aren’t here anymore, but my best friend is. I’m currently sleeping on the floor in his home office while I search for a decent apartment.”
Lukas hums in agreement. “Yeah, I’ve heard it’s hard to find a decent place here. I have a short-term rental at a motel close by for now. But I’m hoping to find a bigger place soon.”
In the park, there are only a few light standards, so I find one with a large tree as close to it as possible.
“Ready for your lesson?” Stopping under the light, I tilt my head back and look up at him.
He nods, his lips tilted in a lopsided grin. It gives him a boyish look that seems out of place with the scar and tattoos. But I like it. A lot more than I expected.
“Okay, the walking handstand. You have the entry pretty good, but you need to work on your balance and control.” Patting the tree, I explain.
“Go into your stand and let your feet rest gently against the tree. Do it until you get a feel for how hard you need to kick your legs up into the stand without losing your balance.”
Lukas adjusts his stance and does a handstand a few times against the tree until he’s comfortable.
Every time he does a practice stand, I notice something different.
The bulge of his biceps or the way his shirt slides down and reveals abs to rival any washboard.
He’s a physical specimen unlike any man I’ve ever been with.
And the tattoos. I’ve always associated tattoos with bad boys. But Lukas doesn’t throw that vibe at all. In fact, he’s still mostly a sexy mystery.
“Okay, now what?”
Moving over to a grassy section, I motion for him to follow.
“You need to engage your core, squeeze your glutes to keep steady. Once you do that and you’re up, it’s a rocking motion. It’s all in the shoulders. Watch me.”
Easily, I enter a controlled handstand and exaggerate the shoulder rock motion while I walk forward.
“See how it’s smaller steps and more like a rocking motion?”
After several steps on my hands, I lower myself back down. Lukas stands a few feet away, his hands back in his pockets again.
“Did you want to try it?”
“How did you get so good at that?”
“Oh, I teach fitness classes. Yoga, pole fit, aerial silks.” I leave out the circus part because inevitably it leads to clown jokes, and I’m not in the mood for that tonight.
“That’s really cool. I’ve never had a male yoga teacher before.”
Again, Lukas seems genuinely interested in what I do, and I wonder if he’s an athlete himself or just a guy who likes to keep fit.
“Well, I’m happy to be your first.” I motion for him to step forward. “Go on, try it. I got you.”
With a deep breath, he enters his handstand, and even from where I’m standing, I notice how his butt flexes following my advice.
When his T-shirt slides down, I get another very good look at the most beautiful oblique muscles I’ve ever seen.
He tests the rocking motion, and when he bends his elbow, he loses his balance, and I lunge for his legs to ease his fall.
We tumble together in a heap, and the guy is solid muscle, knocking the wind out of me for a few seconds.
“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I wheeze, and once I catch my breath, his hand on my abdomen registers. It’s large and searing hot through my shirt. His wide eyes lock on mine, and we both lick our lips. Yep, I’m attracted to this guy, and there is definitely something happening here.
Lukas scrambles up first and offers me his hand. When I take the offered hand, he pulls me up with superpower strength, almost making my feet leave the ground. I lose my balance, smashing into his chest.
His very hard and wide chest that my face just met intimately. He smells of Tide and the outdoors. His hands grab my shoulders, gentle despite their size, as he licks his lips and steps back.
Jeepers.
If this is foreplay, I’m here for it.
His eyes burn bright in the park’s darkness, and I swear he wants to kiss me. Instead, he gently brushes the hair off my forehead, lets me go and says, “So, how about that hotdog cart you promised?”