Page 4 of Unbound Boxset

CHAPTER TWO

“Are you ready for me?”

Her breath hitched at his low-throated question, his breath hot in her ear. Ariel managed a half-hearted nod and prayed the students couldn’t tell her nipples had tightened under her skimpy Lycra shirt.

She felt his hands push into the small of her back to send her deeper into the Downward Dog position as he instructed the small group of students on the basic points of the posture. His fingers trailed down the backs of her thighs and kneaded a gentle pressure so her heels sunk deeply into the mat.

Crap. She had to get out of here.

Grant kept speaking in his soothing voice, while Ariel slowly went out of her mind. He had to get his hands off of her or she was going to explode. After a full day of having his fingers explore every intimate, clothed part of her body, she was ready to get naked and get serious.

He patted her rear gently as if she was a horse and instructed her to ease back into Child’s pose. She rested her forehead on the mat and mentally cursed him with her whole arsenal of weapons. And she had a lot of them.

“Class dismissed. We’ll see you tomorrow morning at nine o’clock sharp.”

Ariel groaned with relief. Suddenly he was beside her.

“Are you okay? Sore?” he asked with concern as her groan rose to his ears.

Ariel swore she’d become the Dalai Lama himself if she could wrest all this sexual frustration and put it into her practices. Slowly, she raised her head and met his gaze. “No, I’m fine. Just letting out a little tension.”

His full lips quirked in a half smile. “You’ve done yoga for the last six hours. How could you be tense?”

“Poor choice of words. Never mind.”

She stood up and wondered why she felt so cranky. This is what she wanted, hours of asana practice and him to stay away from her. She needed no complications in her life, and God knows, he would be one giant complication.

Ariel knelt to roll up her mat and sensed the power of his stare. She refused to look up. After a few moments, he walked away to chat with the other students as they left.

She pulled her hair out of her ponytail holder and squeezed her fists over her eyes. Okay, she was going to act like a grown-up. Be polite, yet distant. Get a drink at the hotel bar, some food, and a good night’s sleep. There wasn’t too much cleanup so she’d sneak right out of here with the group and tell him she would meet him in the morning. Then⁠—

“Let’s get some dinner.”

She turned and faced him. God, he looked good. Inky strands of hair pulled back from his face. His features were stark: slashed cheekbones, high dark brows, piercing eyes so deep they reminded her of polished onyx. His black yoga pants and tank showed off lean, hard muscles. She wondered how he moved in bed. If class was any indication, he knew every pulse point of pleasure in a woman’s body and how to make her sing.

“Maybe not such a good idea,” she finally said.

He laughed. “How can you be cranky? You should be buzzed with energy after opening up all your chakras.”

“Maybe you opened up too many.”

He caught the undertones and acknowledged her irritation with a nod of his head. Still, his gaze gleamed with humor. “Point taken. We’ll eat and discuss it.”

Ariel lifted her eyebrow. “I didn’t think discussion was an option.”

“I’m a civilized man. Discussion is always an option.” He stopped the conversation by interlacing his fingers with hers and led her out of the studio. Ariel was too taken aback to protest as he guided her into the car and drove to the hotel.

She said nothing on the short ride but stopped at the elevators. “I have to take a shower and change,” she said. “I’ll meet you in the lounge in half an hour.”

“Is that enough time?”

“I’m the type who can be ready in fifteen minutes. The extra was for you.” She heard his chuckle as the doors shushed before her.

Ariel wasted no time. She refused to analyze what had changed, but the possibility of sex with her teacher was too tempting to discard. She showered, threw on a black lace thong and matching bra, and wiggled into her one knit black dress, casual but sexy. The knit dipped in a low rounded neck that showed her cleavage, and stopped above the knee. She left her legs bare and hooked strappy jeweled sandals on her feet. Then headed out.

* * *

Grant watched her walk into the dining room with a fascination and desire he no longer wanted to hide.