26. Miles
CHAPTER 26
MILES
I ’d have given Callie a goodnight kiss if Max wasn’t here. A real kiss, not one being cheerleaded by a horny senior citizen.
So it’s a good thing he is here, because a real kiss would be disastrous. Or, at the very least, inadvisable and ethically questionable.
I had to remind myself of all the reasons that kissing her again is a terrible idea as I tried to fall asleep. My night was restless, and sleeping on the floor wasn’t the problem.
Now, in the morning, my head is clearer, focused back on business. Though, to be safe, after I get dressed I sit with my back to the room so I can’t see Callie get up and go into the bathroom.
Max makes a flirty comment when she comes out, and I can’t resist turning to see her in her yoga clothes. Why do they have to fit her like a second skin? How could someone’s ass possibly look as good as hers does?
She’s scanning the room. “Is there a coffee maker in here?”
“There is, but I saw a coffee shop in the lobby. I’ll get an iced coffee for you. Oat milk and vanilla syrup, right?”
She blinks at me, probably surprised that I remembered this detail from our preparation. “Yeah. Thank you, Miles.”
Since last night, she looks at me differently, and her voice is softer when she says my name. Red lights flash “Danger!” in my head, but my cock begs me to ignore them.
“How much time until we need to be downstairs?” I ask.
More pretty fluttering from those dark lashes. “Oh. Are you coming to the yoga class?”
“Of course.”
My brother snickers at this, but lets it pass without comment.
“You’ll probably be the only man there,” she warns.
I shrug. “I’m used to that.”
“We need to be there in half an hour.”
“I’ll be right back with coffee.”
Though she doesn’t know it, Callie is doing us a favor, and I’d be getting coffee for anyone in her position. I’m not doing it because I find her attractive and want to win favor with her. At least, that’s what I tell myself.
When I reach the lobby, I find out this errand has other benefits.
“He’s in line for coffee,” I text Max.
His response comes immediately. “Keep him busy.”
And I do.
“I’m so sorry about my aunt last night.” Callie and I are on the way down to the lawn for yoga. I’m carrying two mats she brought from home, and she’s carrying two towels.
“It was fine.”
“I had no idea she had a side like that to her.”
“Alcohol has a strange effect on some people.”
“I wonder if she’ll even remember any of it.” The look on Callie’s face tells me exactly what she’s remembering, though I get the sense that, like me, she’s trying not to remember. She felt it too; I know she did—and that makes things worse.
I change the subject. “It’s a shame you have to work while you’re here enjoying time off.”
“You mean lead the yoga session?” When I nod, she says, “I don’t consider this work. Getting up at the crack of dawn to go to the health club isn’t my favorite thing, and three classes in a row can be a lot, depending on how much I demonstrate, but I’d be doing yoga even if it wasn’t my job.”
“That’s good. That’s the best kind of job to have.”
“What about you?” I prepare for questions about my job, but instead she asks, “What has you so devoted to yoga?”
My primary answer has everything to do with how her ass looks in those yoga pants, so I give her the secondary reason. “I’m working on my flexibility.”
“I’ve seen some improvement, but you have a long road ahead of you,” she teases.
“That’s only because all this muscle makes it harder to stretch.”
I’m anticipating a smartass comeback, the kind I often hear from her when Max says boastful things like this, but instead, her cheeks turn pink, and she makes a show of resituating the towels she’s carrying.
“Are you expecting many people this morning?”
She doesn’t meet my eyes as she responds. “Probably not many. Sadie, for sure, and her other bridesmaids. Maybe a few cousins.”
“Not too many people to embarrass myself in front of, if I happen to fall over.”
This finally pulls a smile out of her, and my chest swells at the accomplishment.
We’re the first to arrive, and after setting Callie’s mats down, I offer to go to the resort’s health club to bring out more mats. Callie said they told her she could use them for her class.
When I return to the lawn, Sadie’s there, along with three or four other women. To my surprise, Callie’s Aunt Iris is also there.
“Can you believe it?” Callie whispers when I deliver the mats. “She said she has a headache, but otherwise feels fine.”
“I’m impressed.” Warily, I eye Aunt Iris, hoping she doesn’t press me to kiss Callie again, even though I want to.
After others get set up, I unroll my mat behind everyone else, where I hope to keep a low profile. Unfortunately, Aunt Iris has other ideas.
“Ooh, it’s Max! It’s so good to see you. Why don’t you move your mat over here?” With big arm movements, she gestures to the space beside her.
“It’s good to see you, too.” I wave a hand at her but ignore her suggestion.
“C’mon over here, Max, so I can see you better.”
Callie, who’s getting ready to start the session, appears flustered, but her sister speaks up. “It looks like Max is fine right where he is, Aunt Iris.”
The older woman lets out a huff of frustration. “But I can’t see him back there.” This sets off a wave of giggles among all of the other women, most of them turning their necks to get a look for themselves.
All of this is leading me to the conclusion that I’d be better off doing yoga at home watching videos, rather than attending classes. Or maybe Callie could lead me in private sessions. No, on second thought, that would be much too tempting, and I can’t imagine that scenario right now unless I want to pitch a tent in my athletic shorts.
Under no circumstances do I want to know what Aunt Iris would have to say about me popping a boner.
Callie gets us started with some rhythmic breathing, and I do my best to follow along. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the stillness, and I didn’t see how breathing, something we do all day, every day, should be a part of a fitness class, but I’ve been starting to see the value in focusing the mind.
In the short time since I started attending yoga classes, I’ve been sleeping more soundly, and I’ve been thinking more clearly—except, that is, when Callie’s around.
I swear I can smell her scent on the breeze with each inhale. Or maybe it’s just imprinted on my brain. A woman has never affected me this way, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
I’m relieved when she starts into the flow portion of class. Getting the poses right, and keeping my balance, gives me something to focus on besides the memory of how Callie’s lips tasted last night. She responded to my kiss in a way I hadn’t expected, and if we’d been alone, I’d have needed to find out more.
The sequence Callie’s leading us through is fairly easy, and I wish it was more difficult, because my brain needs a diversion. There’s plenty else I should be focusing on, but Callie’s currently in a low lunge, and all I can think about is wrapping my hands around her waist, sliding one up toward her chest, the other down toward that perfect ass.
The screen on my phone, which I’d set at the top of my mat, lights up with a silent message. I bend forward to read it, and wow, there’s the more challenging pose I’d been hoping for. Thankfully, I catch myself before I topple to the side.
Max: “Can you break away?”
Callie is facing the other direction, twisting in the pose, so I grab my phone, my fingers flying. Then I roll up my mat and exit as quickly and quietly as I can.