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CHAPTER SIX
TANNER
I make it all the way out to the parking lot before the adrenaline wears off and my legs start to shake.
I’m not a “shake with emotion” kind of guy.
Not even after three-alarm barn fires or seeing my oldest brother drive a skid-steer through the side of the calving barn.
But standing there in the soft afterglow of that yoga class, I’m feeling like I got hit over the head with a two-by-four.
I lean against my truck, breathing hard, and try to process what the hell just happened.
My entire body’s still vibrating, every nerve ending lit up and buzzing, and I know I’ll never be the same.
Star, the yoga instructor, is my mystery blonde, the woman I’ve been obsessing over for days, the one who ruined my concentration and invaded my dreams? I finally fucking found her.
Holy. Shit. How did I get so goddamn lucky?
She isn’t just gorgeous; she’s smart and funny, and her hands on my body felt like some kind of blessing. Like every fantasy I’ve had since I spotted her walking down Main just got cranked to eleven.
Fuck, I’m lucky.
I climb into my truck and just sit there, hands on the steering wheel, feeling the ghost of her touch still burning through my shirt. Star Wilder. Jesus. That woman is a force of nature.
I jab the ignition button, and my truck comes to life with a low growl.
The A/C is set to Arctic Blast, which feels like heaven.
My back is already looser than it’s been in weeks.
I crank the radio, hoping a little southern rock will drown out the endless playback in my head, but no dice.
I’m rewinding every second of that class like it’s a crime scene, and I’m looking for clues as to how Star managed to get under my skin.
I’m halfway home before I realize I’ve missed my turn three times.
My phone vibrates in the cupholder, the screen lighting up with Maggie’s name and, of course, the Hey Soul Sister ringtone she programmed in as a joke.
I consider letting it go to voicemail. I try to focus on the road, but every time I blink, all I see are Star’s green eyes staring into mine.
I run a hand through my hair and laugh out loud at myself. Jesus, get a grip, Carrington. You’ve known her for an hour, and you’re already planning out your entire life together. Pathetic.
The phone keeps ringing. My sister won’t be denied. I curse and tap the answer button, prepping my best nonchalant voice.
“Yeah?” I say, trying for casual and failing miserably.
“How are you doing?” Maggie’s voice is half-worried, half-gleeful.
I grunt, “Barely survived. You owe me hazard pay.”
There’s a pause. “You didn’t look like you hated it.”
I didn’t. Not even a little. But I’m not giving her that satisfaction. “My dignity may never recover.” And I know for sure my heart will never be the same again.
She snorts. “What are you talking about? You were the main attraction.”
I grip the steering wheel, knuckles white. “I’m almost home. My back feels…” I stop, because I don’t want to admit it, but finish with, “Fine. It feels fine.”
She laughs, high and sharp. “Admit it. You liked it. I knew you would.”
If I weren’t so rattled, I’d have a snappier comeback. “It was great.”
She’s quiet for a second, and I can feel her thinking. My sister is annoying, relentless, and she’s also freakishly perceptive. “You okay?” she asks, but it’s not about the class anymore. “You sound weird.”
I almost say, “I’m fine,” and hang up. Instead, what comes out is, “Tell me about Star.”
There’s a delighted gasp, like I’ve handed her the plot twist of the year. “You like her!” Maggie crows.
“Don’t start with me,” I groan, but I’m smiling despite myself. “And I never said I like her.”
She giggles. “You are so screwed, Tannie Poo. What do you want to know about her?”
I pull into my driveway and shut off the engine, needing a second to reset before facing reality again. “Everything.”
Maggie laughs so loud the sound echoes around my truck. “Oh my God, you are already obsessed. I knew it.”
I don’t bother denying it. No point.
She just keeps going, voice practically vibrating. “She moved here a few months ago. Used to teach yoga in Austin, but she wanted to start her own studio. She’s amazing. The class regulars swear she’s the best teacher around.”
I squeeze the steering wheel and try to play it cool, but my heart is pounding like I just ran sprints.
“She lives in a little cottage behind the bakery, drives a beat-up Jeep, and has a Chihuahua named Bruno that she treats like royalty. Star’s a sweetheart, but she doesn’t put up with bullshit. I like her, Tanner, a lot, so if you hurt her, I’ll kick your ass.”
I actually laugh. “Noted.”
But she isn’t messing around. “I mean it, Tanner. She deserves a good guy.”
“No argument here.”
I can hear her smiling through the phone. For a second, it’s quiet. Then she goes for the jugular.
“So, what’re you planning?”
My head hits the back of the seat. “Jesus, Maggie. I literally just left the parking lot.”
“Which means you’re already plotting how to get back in her orbit. Don’t lie.”
My sister knows me so well.
I try to play it cool but fail. “I bought an annual membership, and Star is giving me a private session on Wednesday night.”
The shriek that comes out of her nearly shatters the Bluetooth. “I knew you’d love her.”
I roll my eyes. I should’ve already known my sister was plotting something. “I just want my back to stop hurting.” Which is a total lie. “And maybe get some core strength.”
Right. Because “core strength” is the actual reason I’m already hard as a rock just thinking about Star Wilder touching me again. Good talk.
Maggie is basically vibrating through the phone. “You don’t fool me, Tanner. She’s gorgeous, you’re obsessed, and you couldn’t take your eyes off of her the entire class.”
She isn’t wrong. I’m picturing Star’s soft hands touching me.
The way she hovered over my back, hair falling forward, the soft, hypnotic scent of her skin.
I swear I still feel the heat where she pressed her palm between my shoulders.
If I close my eyes, I can see the green in her eyes, the way her mouth goes soft and pink when she smiles.
I shift in my seat, suddenly way too aware of how tight my shorts have gotten.
Maggie’s still talking, but it’s just a buzz in the background while my mind replays every single second of that yoga class, especially the parts where Star Wilder’s body was pressed close to mine, her voice in my ear, those unreal green eyes pinning me.
Fuck. My dick is throbbing just thinking about her again.
I rub a hand over my jaw, knowing I’m completely out of my depth.
Star isn’t just hot. She’s lethal. And she has no clue what she does to me.
The way she’d stand just behind me, palm hovering a breath above my skin, her scent all sage and lemon and something bright and wild.
When she finally touched me, it felt like getting zapped by a live wire.
“Hello, Tannie Poo.” My sister’s voice cuts through the cab. “Are you still there, or did your brain short-circuit thinking about Star?”
“I’m home,” I say, staring out the window at my sprawling ranch house with its stone facade and the oak trees I planted myself five years back. The porch light I forgot to turn off this morning glows uselessly in the late afternoon sun. “I’ll have to call you later.”
She tries to squeeze in another word, quick and sharp: “Bu—”
I end the call before I’m tempted to tell my sister any more of my secrets.
And I didn’t even bother to swear my sister to secrecy. A rookie mistake. It’ll be all of half a heartbeat before gossip burns through Silver Spoon Falls and everyone knows I’ve fallen for Star.