Her wide, infectious grin tells me I made the right choice staying home.
18
Lily
“So I can just get new cards?” I ask as I lift my eyes from my cards to look at Chris across the coffee table.
“Yep, and then you decide if you want to bet some more or if you want to fold.” Chris stares down at his cards with the cutest little frown on his face.
Biting my bottom lip, I look down at my cards too, deciding what I want to do. I tap my finger to my lips in thought.
“What are you going to do?”
I look up to find Chris watching me, and my stomach flips. He isn’t even doing anything that would be interpreted as flirtatious, but sometimes when he looks at me, my body reacts to him in the most visceral way. There’s just this ease between us that I never would’ve guessed would be possible with a man. Especially one I’m not in a relationship with.
“I’m not sure what’s best.”
He scoots around the table until he’s next to me, his shoulder brushing mine. Goosebumps travel down my arm. I tilt my head so I can look up into his face as he studies my hand. His cologne encompasses us, and I inhale slowly, letting the scent flow into me.
“Okay, so if I had this hand, I would pick these two to get new cards.” He points to two cards, explaining that, depending on what I got, I have a few options for what hands I could make.
Our faces are now inches apart as he looks at me, and my heart hammers. His breath tickles my face, the spicy scent from the bourbon he’s been drinking mixing with his cologne. As if involuntarily, my tongue darts out to wet my lips. His eyes flick down, and I press them together as my cheeks heat from embarrassment. Gaze locked on me, his Adam’s apple jumps with his swallow.
My heart sinks when he looks away quickly and shifts back to his original spot on the other side of the table with a clearing of his throat. I attempt to slow my breathing so as not give away how affected I am by his nearness.
“Here’s your new cards. Just put the ones you’re discarding here.” His voice is rougher, deeper than usual.
Maybe I’m not the only one affected by us.
I stepout of the guest bedroom, trying to be as quiet as possible, not knowing whether Chris is awake. Glancing down the hall, I don’t see any movement in the barely lit living room and kitchen area. I turn in the opposite direction to go to the bathroom, and before I can even register, I barrel into warm, bare skin.
I shriek out my surprise as my hands fly up and press against what I just ran into—Chris’s naked chest. A light smattering of hair tickles my palms, and a strong arm goes around my waist to steady me, but also presses me harder into him.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were awake.” I sound breathy and panicked even to my own ears.
His deep chuckle vibrates through me, and my nipples instantly tighten in response. My body warms, hoping he can’t feel my nipples from where they’re pressed against him.
“It’s okay. I didn’t realize you were up either.” He carefully moves me away from him as he talks, and my body hates the distance. I fight the urge to lean into him.
Looking up at him, I swallow hard. “I was going to go to hot yoga.”
He nods slowly, as if considering my words. Then, he smiles down at me, and butterflies take flight. “Great, I’ll come with.”
Shock has me scrunching my face, and I take in his muscular form. His body is toned and trim, but not excessively so. “Have you ever done hot yoga? Or yoga at all?”
He holds out his hands, showing off his body even more, and my mouth goes dry. “I know I look quite unlimber, but I can assure you, I’ve been to a yoga class or two.”
I chuckle. “Okay, my apologies. Class starts at 7:30, but I like to get there about fifteen minutes early.”
“Perfect. Meet you in the kitchen in about ten minutes?”
I nod, and he turns away from me to walk back into his bedroom. My stomach flutters as I hurry to get ready because I guess we’re going to hot yoga together.
We make it to class, and as we’re laying out our mats and towels, Chris hisses, “It’s very hot in here.”
I furrow my brow at him as I take a seat on my mat. “I told you it was hot yoga. I feel that does imply that it’s hot.”
He sits on his, leaning back on his palms, stretching out his long legs in front of him. “Well, you weren’t kidding.”
