Focus.My thoughts always become jumbled around him, even when I have the upper hand. I want nothing more than to make him feel as off kilter as he’s made me feel every day for months.
Leaning in, I whisper in his ear, “Like a snake charmer.”
That snaps him out of the moment, and he rears back slightly as something that looks an awful lot like hurt flashes in his eyes.
I instantly regret my words, even though I don’t know exactly what I said that was wrong. Still, I see the effect they had written across his face, and I want to slap myself for ruining what was supposed to be fun.
Before I can apologize, an easy grin settles on his face. A fake smile.
My insides squeeze and cramp to be on the receiving end of the expression he shows the world when he’s not being authentic. I wither inside.
“Tieran—”
“Will you show me how to climb them?” He nods to the silks dangling from the ceiling. “Stasia was right, you’re a natural.”
It’s obvious he wants to change the subject, and after what I did, I do too, even if it makes me a coward. Anxiety worms its way through my body, and all I can think about is the light dimming from his eyes because of my careless words.
“Sure,” I say, voice a little wobbly.
I give him the basic rundown of how to lift himself, how to grasp the material between his thighs and loop his foot around to give the best purchase, even going as far as to show him visually by doing it myself. After several failed attempts and a sheen of perspiration along his brow, he looks visibly annoyed.
“How are you so good at this?” He takes a sip of the water he brought with him, and I watch a trickle of sweat glide down his neck and over the tattoo just below his ear.
I want to li?—
He breaks my line of thought by reaching out and grasping my chin, wrenching my gaze away. “Eyes up here, Hellfire.”
Humor shines in his eyes, and I internally breathe a sigh of relief to see it again.
“I do Pilates five times a week. You’d be surprised how strong you get from it.”
“Are you insinuating I’m weak? I’m a rugby player, for fuck’s sake.”
“A rugby player who could benefit from Pilates, it would seem, if you can’t pull yourself up a shiny rope.” I pick invisible lint off his t-shirt before patting at his chest. “But that’s okay, big guy. We all have our challenges.”
The anxiety starts to ebb as we settle back into our easy banter.
Tieran levels me with a glare that promises retribution. “Right, well, that won’t do.”
Before I can stop him, he grabs hold of the silk and wraps it around his wrist. Soon enough, his arms start to shake from the exertion of lifting his massive body in the air, but he keeps going, pushing with his thighs and pulling with his arms. He’s halfway in the air when the velocity from his speed, mixed with the jerky motions of his climb, start to make the silks twist around his body, cocooning him inside their warm embrace.
“Uh…Tieran?”
“Give me a minute.” He starts to thrash around, but it only exacerbates the issue.
“I think you need he?—”
“Don’t say it.”
“Big, strong rugby player, strung up in ropes.”
“Jade,” he warns.
“It’s like a fantasy come to life,” I tease.
“Yeah? You want to see me tied up?”
“Mmmm.” I leave him in suspense for a minute. “Yeah, I think I do.”
