7. Evan
SEVEN
EVAN
I never should have touched her. Val’s unyielding stream of questions tumbled out of her, and deep in my soul I knew I couldn’t lie to her.
Fuck if I knew why. Hiding the truth to get what I needed had never been an issue before, but there was something about Val Rivera that prevented me from lying to her.
When she’d asked why I stepped in front of the gun and took a bullet for her, the truth was simple.
If it weren’t for Val, Gemma would be dead.
A week had passed since the afternoon in the forest when I’d touched Val and nearly pulled her into me. She was a dichotomy of muscle and softness, vulnerability and strength. I’d never met anyone quite like her, and it bugged the shit out of me.
It had always been easy for me to be singularly focused.
Whether it was on a job in Chicago or here at the ranch, I was steadfast and reliable.
I did what needed to be done. Now I thought of Val constantly, and it was messing with my head.
Had she figured out the chore list? Did she know to stay away from Ray when he was having a bad day?
Had she finally gotten some decent work boots?
After seven days of only glimpses of her at breakfast or dinner as she’d grabbed a plate and scurried to her room, I was losing my mind.
Though she was invited, she’d declined to go to our weekly group dinner on Sunday.
Her presence gnawed at me. There was just something about her that I needed to figure out.
On the following Saturday, I was in town for dinner—a burger and a beer––when I finally saw her strolling into the town’s only workout facility.
A split-second change of plans and I was running back to my truck to grab the gym bag stashed there.
The small town had a surprisingly top-notch workout facility, with everything from weights, mats, and a variety of classes.
Looked like I was joining a yoga class. Only a few minutes late, I grabbed a towel from the stack by the door and unceremoniously unrolled it next to her.
She spared me a disinterested glance, but I still noticed the way her heartbeat hammered at the base of her neck.
She might look at me like I was something she’d stepped in, but her body reacted to me, and that was like a fucking drug.
“What are you doing?” she whisper-yelled.
I made a show of bending and stretching and swinging my arms. There were about a dozen people in the workout class tonight, and my big ass was definitely out of place, but I didn’t care.
“I’m working out.” I shot her a side glance and did my best to hide the smirk that pulled at my lips. “Obviously.”
I was rewarded with an eye roll, and I inched closer, just to piss her off and get a whiff of her shampoo.
It was bright and citrusy, and I did my best to commit it to memory.
I took in her tight leggings and the strip of bare skin between her waist and the hem of her cropped tee.
The words Namaste on the Couch stretched across her chest, and I smirked at its silliness but glanced away.
The instructor took us through a series of simple bends and stretches. Brute strength had always been my go-to, and I was much more comfortable lifting weights than contorting myself into those positions.
Val’s limber body ebbed and flowed with each movement throughout the warm-up. I struggled to reach my toes, and more than one uncivilized grunt escaped me. Once our muscles were warm and loose, the class fell into a quiet rhythm.
A time or two I caught Val’s eyes tracing along the tattoos that roped up my forearms and disappeared into my shirtsleeves.
I bit my cheek to hide the pleasure that her interest and approval tugged out of me.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Val’s strong, muscular frame bend and stretch.
Her endless legs met the most perfect ass I’d ever seen.
She was all power wrapped up in a gorgeous package.
Focusing on our instructor while keeping my dick in check was one of the most difficult things I’d ever done.
Val did her best to ignore my presence. As the class wound down, I watched her fiddle with the seam of the towel, anxious to get away.
Just as I was about to get her attention and ask her to grab a beer with me in town, the instructor broke in.
“Our last sequence tonight will be some deep partner stretching. Please pair up.” Though her voice was calm and soothing, my heartbeat ratcheted higher.
Val intentionally didn’t look my way, and when a young guy with floppy blond hair glanced at her with his eyebrows up and face full of hope, I threw a murderous glare in his direction.
He caught my stare over Val’s shoulder and quickly turned to find someone else.
“Looks like it’s you and me.”
Val turned with a tight smile.
The instructor’s low voice flowed throughout the gym space. “Okay, I need one person lying on his or her back. Palms down. Deep breaths.”
I motioned for Val to lie on the ground. Her eyes never left mine as I stood, looming over her while she took her position.
“The other partner, please kneel to the side. Partners in Savasana, I want you to lie still and breathe. Eyes closed.”
Val did not do as instructed. Her eyes stayed pinned to mine. “You know this is called the corpse pose.”
A low rumble akin to a laugh moved through my chest. “I did not.”
As the instructor moved around the small space, she paused by us. “Eyes closed. Breathe.”
Val looked at me again, warily. I nodded. “You heard the lady. Dead body.” After a beat, I added, “It’s all right. You’re safe with me.”
I didn’t miss the sharp intake of breath at my words, but Val simply closed her eyes and lifted her chin.
“Do you feel zen yet?”
She peeked at me through one slitted eye, a suppressed laugh teasing the corners of her mouth as it twitched. “So fucking zen.”
She closed her eyes, and after a few moments, her breathing evened out and her shoulders relaxed.
“Now,” the instructor continued, “partners kneeling in Vajrasana, I want you to slowly move toward your partner’s feet. We will begin a gentle stretch of the legs and pelvis.”
At the word pelvis , one of Val’s eyes whipped open. I shrugged and kneeled at her feet. My large frame loomed over her, and even with her curves, I realized how slight she was in comparison. One lean forward and the entirety of my body could cover hers.
I ached to know what it would feel like to sprawl across her and feel her strong, pliant body beneath mine.
“From Savasana, lift one leg and rest your ankle on your partner’s shoulder. Keep the leg straight and feel the stretch run along the hamstring.”
Val carefully lifted her leg and placed it on my shoulder. My fingers grazed her slim ankle, and I could feel her pulse hammering beneath the thin skin there. Our eyes locked.
“Now, kneeling partners, gently tilt forward to deepen the stretch. Be mindful of your partner’s cues. They will tell you when to stop.”
I continued to stare at Val’s perfect face.
She nodded, and I slowly leaned forward.
There was little resistance with her leg.
Apparently, she was much more flexible than I’d realized, and I couldn’t help but think of all kinds of interesting things we could do in this position.
Though the room wasn’t hot, a small bead of sweat escaped her hairline.
“Breathe.” The instructor stepped closer to us and used hand motions to pace our breathing in and out. “Now lean back and allow your partner to switch legs.”
Val changed legs, placing her right one against my shoulder, and I gently leaned forward.
“Is this far enough?” My hand stayed planted on her ankle, and I leaned far forward, stretching her leg.
“Deeper.” The husk in her voice sent a bolt of lightning straight down my spine, and it settled between my thighs.
I gently moved forward, deepening the stretch so I was almost pressed against her heat.
One more inch and Val would not only see but feel exactly how much she affected me.
I was certain rubbing up on my hard-on in the middle of a public yoga class was not the relaxing time Val had envisioned.
Because I was a glutton for punishment, I risked placing my free hand on her thigh, just above her knee.
A flicker of something passed through her gorgeous caramel eyes, and when I lightened the weight of my hand, she only nodded, allowing it to stay planted on her thigh.
My palm twitched as I gently rubbed the muscle as she stretched.
The class faded away, and it was only she and I in that room. Desire coursed through my body, but I also felt a strange connection to her—like something in my chest was tethered to hers. I’d never felt anything like it, and an aching twinge passed through me. Val’s eyes were locked on mine.
Does she feel this too?
Before I could say anything, the teacher cut in and instructed us to switch positions. Val let out a hearty sigh and swiped the loose hairs that had escaped her ponytail. She took one last look at me, gathering her towel. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”
I stared, mouth agape, as she hurried out of the studio and into the darkness.
The next night I still couldn’t get Val out of my head. No amount of extra chores or an additional grueling workout helped to clear my thoughts of her. There was something about that woman that sucked me in and wouldn’t let me go.
It was what forced my feet to trudge the path to her room in the lodge on Sunday evening. I paused for a moment. It was quiet, but a faint humming traveled through the thin wooden door. I lifted my hand to knock.
She didn’t answer right away, but when I knocked again, the door cracked open and one dark eye peeked out at me.
“It’s you.”
I nodded. “It’s me.”
Val’s smoky eyes raked down my front at a pace that said she was more than comfortable appreciating the male form. A swell of pride filled my chest at her assessment.