“Tragic,” I deadpan.
Smiling at her thesis on strategic matrimony, I head back toward the house, just as the front gate opens.
A familiar rental car slowly rolls in on the gravel drive. The driver steps out and leans against the open car door, arms crossed. He’s looking straight at me, and my steps falter.
The heat of his hands on me is still humming against my skin, and I can still feel the warm rush of his breath. I know he was just being an ass, looking to get a reaction out of me, but it’s terrifying how badly I wanted to close the gap between us.
“I was beginning to think you’d ditched me,” Lilly trills through the loudspeaker.
“Sorry, slept through my alarm. Let me find a spot.” The confusing knot of fury and arousal still lies heavy in the pit of my stomach, and I’ve barely got any sleep the past couple of nights.
“Sure you don’t want to skip the session today?”
“No!” I’m wound so tight, my hands are shaking. The shade on the lake shore looks like a good place to get my head back on straight. “We can start in a minute.”
Before I step onto the lawn rolling down to the lake, movement behind the office window catches my eye. Curiosity is sometimes my worst enemy.
Adam is mid-call, casually talking and gesturing to the people on the other side of the laptop screen. But that’s not what stops me in my tracks.
His outfit is odd to say the least. Waist up iscommittee hearingwith a jacket, shirt, and tie. Waist down ispool party,barefoot in fitted swimming trunks. I know the exact moment he cracks a joke, the smug satisfaction when he gets the answering laugh he wants.
“Jackie? Still there?” Lily’s velvety voice yanks me out of the trance. But not before Adam’s gaze slices from the laptop screen and latches onto mine, unblinking, heavy with intent. My skin prickles. Then, just like that, he’s right back to business, leaving me flustered, like I’ve been caught peeping in the boys’ locker room.
I scurry away as fast as possible.
“Yeah. Switching to video.” I prop the tablet against my water bottle, trying to keep my voice steady.
Lilly, always so perceptive, didn’t miss the temporary glitch in my brain. “Is everything OK?”
The mat is plush under my toes, and I take a breath of humid, earthy air. Maybe I shouldn’t have avoided him all these years.Now he’s too much, overwhelming in every way. Being near him makes me feel unmoored.Like part of me is drifting, untethered, unsure where to land.
“Adam is here,” I mutter, sitting cross-legged, my hands resting on my knees, doing my best to focus on my breathing.
Lilly mirrors my pose. “Then let’s find you a little peace. Breathe. Close your eyes.”
Wishing the light breeze would take my fluster away, I let my lids fall, but it does nothing to erase the feel of Adam’s breath on my neck, the memory of his body so close to mine.
“Let’s flow into downward dog,” she says.
I lift my hips and do my best to focus and clear my mind.
Lilly continues gently, “Lift your leg upwards.”
I’m still not locked in. My joints rattle and my balance wavers.
“Is Adam the reason your knee looks about ready to give out?” Lilly snickers.
Of course she’d notice. But I don’t know what to tell her. I don’t know myself what’s going on.
“Tried to make Carter kick him out,” I grit out, doing my best not to fall into a clumsy heap on the mat. My brother asked too many questions, so I gave up. “No luck, unfortunately.”
“Isn’t this a lovely sight?” Adam’s voice drawls from far too close.
My leg buckles. I’m ready for the searing pain in my knees, but warm hands clamp around my waist. He’s right by my side, holding me, snuffing out my ability to speak.
“Morning, Lilly. Long time.” His tone is light. “Saw you onThe Morning Show.”
My heart is thumping in my chest, and the heat from his palms spreads down my back, pooling low in dangerous places.
