by Piper Rayne
“Oh, my. We’re going to have to rush to the car to keep her looking this nice.”
“Don’t worry about paying me. We can settle up next time you’re in.”
The woman glances past Leo to me and, not knowing what to do, I just smile at her. “Are you sure?”
“I am. It’s miserable. Why don’t you go get out of this rain and enjoy the rest of the day curled up with this one.” He bends down and pets the top of Trixie’s head.
“You’re the best, Leo. I’ll be in next week to check out those new swimsuits I see over there.” She points to the rack John was working on earlier.
“Sounds good. Bye, Mrs. Langley.” Once she’s off he closes the door behind her and locks it again, heading over to the register again without a word. “So where do you do yoga?” he asks a minute later, closing up the register and placing the cash into a bank bag.
I step back toward the counter. “It’s a small studio off of Reader Street.”
“Mind if I join you? I think I could use some namaste time myself.”
“Do you do yoga?”
“Well, no, but I figure you tried surfing, so I’ll try yoga. Can I tag along?”
Holy shit. Why does he want to join me? Sophie’s opinionated voice slams into my head. I should say no. Definitely should say no.
“Sure.”
He smiles. It’s the first smile all day and it’s slow to form, but stays planted on his face and a warm feeling invades my chest because I put it there. God, Cupid can come grab his arrow any damn day now.
“Great. Let me finish up here. I’ll put Cooper in the crate in the back and I’ll drive.”
Where did his bad attitude go?
“Oh, I should mention, it’s hot yoga,” I say.
He stops midstride, glances over his shoulder. “Well, if you’re in the room it would be, now wouldn’t it?”
My hand grips the counter until my knuckles turn white.
And once again I’m whipped up and off balance in the Leo tornado once again.
13
Leo
First, I agree to go to the Manhole with Oscar last night, resulting in my face plastered on a gay gossip mag as he tries to grope me. Now, I voluntarily put myself in a hot-as-hell room with Teegan’s yoga-pants-covered ass in my face, resulting in my dick being at half-mast the entire class. Thank God for athletic pants.
I thought it was a gesture of kindness to come with Teegan. After the asshole I was this morning, I meant it as an olive branch to start fresh. After all, in three days we’ll be with each other twenty-four seven in New York. Except for when she’s out with her college friends, whoever they are.
Teegan’s long ponytail slides to the side of her neck as she glances back at me. Maybe I should’ve taken the front spot when we came in. I had no idea hot yoga could be this fucking erotic.
The instructor tours the room and stands behind me, placing her hands on my back.
“Focus on something,” she whispers, bringing my hand up on my hip and raising my leg even higher.
Ignoring the pain shooting through my thigh, I concentrate on the dribble of sweat running down Teegan’s lower back. A drop of my own sweat hits the mat.
“Oh, men sweat so much,” the instructor says and half smiles before moving to her next victim.
The sweat spot expands the longer we’re in this excruciating pose.
“Keep it going, ladies… and gent.” The instructor smiles at me but her look says she has no idea what I’m doing here. “And slowly exhale, bringing your leg down.”
Thank God. My leg slowly falls, but a cramp tightens the entire limb.
“Oh, fuck,” I say and I topple over like a tree that’s been cut down.
“Shh,” the instructor says.
The woman on the mat I just tumbled over onto stares down at me, her eyes wide with shock.
Teegan falls from her pose, bending down in front of me. “Are you okay?”
Wimp. Total fucking wimp. I can’t handle yoga. She’ll totally think I’m a loser.
“Just a cramp.” I try to straighten my leg, but it fights me every step of the way.
“Excuse me,” the woman says, her hands on her hips, staring down at me like I just refused to valet-park her car.
“Take mine.” Teegan points to her mat.
The woman huffs, grabs her towel and water bottle and moves up to Teegan’s mat.
“Can you walk?” Teegan asks, her hands on my thigh, trying to massage the cramp out.
“Of course.” I sit up, but my leg stays in the same position.
Teegan stands. “Here.” She holds out her hands.
Does she really believe she’ll be able to pull me up? She’s crazy. Since I have no other choice, my hands land in hers. A soft smile graces her face.
I grimace as she pulls and I use all my muscle strength in my right leg to stand.
“Do you need medical help?” the instructor whispers to us.
“No. I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to be macho, you know. Yoga is difficult and many men get injuries from it.” The instructor seems to be concerned. With her shorter curly hair and thin petite frame, she resembles a mom with a caring but firm nature.
“I’m good. Just have to work out the kink.” I bend down to grab my water bottle, but a shooting throb zips up my leg.
“Uh-huh.” She shares a look with Teegan and the two have some non-verbal communication.
“I’ll get him home,” Teegan tells the instructor and flawlessly bends over and grabs my water bottle. “Here.” She tries to slide under my arm.
“I got it.” I put all my weight on my right leg, limping past the women snickering to one another.
We finally get out of the room and I sit down to enjoy the air conditioning in the front office area.
“I guess you shouldn’t surf and I shouldn’t do yoga,” I say, leaning my head against the wall.
Teegan laughs, putting her jacket on. She holds mine out. “You want to put it on? Or are you too manly to need a jacket in the rain?” A smile teases at her lips.
“I’m a fucking pussy. Go ahead and say it.” Using the arm of the bench, I get up and snatch the jacket from her hands.
“I’ll drive you home.” She holds her hands out.
“It’s my left side. I can drive still.” I feel in my pockets for my keys and show them to her, heading toward the door.
“Um… No, you can’t. Let me drive you.”
I walk out the door, pausing for a second to use both hands to put up my hood. Teegan does the same.
“I refuse to get in the car with you,” she says, her hands on her hips, her perfectly arched eyebrows raised.
“You’d rather walk?” I ask. “In the rain?”
“Leo. You’re being stubborn. It’s okay to be embarrassed. I was after we went surfing.”
I shake my head. “I’m not embarrassed. Yoga isn’t for men. We’re just not that flexible.”
As though the world has it out to prove me wrong, four guys walk by us with their mats hanging from their arms and head into the studio.
Teegan purses her lips.
I roll my eyes. “Fine. Here.” I hand over the keys. “We have to get Cooper from the shop though.”
“Sounds good. I’ll grab an Uber or something from your house back to my car after.”
“Nah. You can drop me at the store. I’ll get us home after that.”
She stops again and rain continues to spill down on us. “Leo. You’re going to struggle to get up your stairs. To walk Cooper. Stop being so stubborn.”
My shoulders deflate. “I’ll call my buddies to help.”
She laughs. “And tell them you injured yourself at yoga?”
She has a point. “Let’s just go.” I limp forward, my car seemingly miles away.
“Yes, let’s.”
14
Teegan
Cooper tugs on the leash and I almost fall flat on my face before getting my footing back on track
. At least it’s not raining anymore.
“I thought you were trained,” I mutter.
A man passing me on the path smiles with amusement at the huge dog pulling me down the walkway.
“Cooper!” I scold and he stops, looking back at me like he had no idea I was even there. “Good boy.” He prances a few steps. Well, prances isn’t quite the word when it comes to Cooper, maybe more like waddles since his back legs are bowed.
We find a good rhythm and I follow the directions Leo told me to take. It’s a short one, he said, but if Cooper doesn’t go out he tends to get antsy all night.
“You want to go a bit longer?” I say, thinking that will only help him rest so Leo can do the same.
Cooper licks his drooping lips and I’ll take that as a yes.
We head off the wooden planked path and onto the beach. Cooper sees a seagull and tugs again on the leash.
“I thought we had an agreement.”
Another seagull comes and lands on the water’s edge fifteen feet in front of us and Cooper uses his muscle to his advantage. The leash slips out of my hold and I fall face first onto the sand.
“Cooper!” I yell, but the sand he kicks up running away from me blinds me. “Cooper!” I scream, crawling up to my knees and trying to rub the wet sand away from my eyes.
“Are you okay?” a deep voice asks next to me.
Using my sweatshirt, I rub my eyes again and blink a few times. The man in front of me is in running pants and a t-shirt that’s covered in sweat and clinging to his abs.
“I’ll be fine.” I search the area where the seagull was for Cooper. He’s toying with the poor bird, chasing from one side to the other. “I just need to grab him.”
I trudge through the sand, but the man jogs in front of me, grabbing Cooper’s leash.
“Here you go. He doesn’t usually pull.” He holds the leash out for me to take, but I’m too busy trying to figure out how he knows Leo’s dog.
“You know Cooper?”
A sly smile crosses his lips. “I know Leo, so I know Cooper.” My stomach tightens wondering if this is another one of Leo’s conquests.
“Oh.”
“Can I ask who you are?” He tilts his head in a curious way.
“I’m his PR rep.”
He releases a breath and nods his head. “And dog walker?” He laughs.
“No, but he hurt himself today, so I’m doing him a favor.” I grab the leash. “Nice to meet you.” I head back toward Leo’s house and thankfully the guy doesn’t follow.
“Nice to meet you. I’m sure I’ll see you around,” he hollers at my back.
I lift my hand in a wave. “Cooper, not cool. No running.” The only response I get from Cooper is a bark. Whether he understands me, or he’s just exhausted from seagull hunting, I don’t know, but he stays by my side until we reach his condo.
I fish Leo’s mailbox key he gave me out of my pocket, but my eyes land on a brown package below the row of mailboxes. I bend down, and see Leo’s address on it, but it’s made out to Oscar. “Hmm.”
I pick up the box and grab the rest of the mail then head upstairs to Leo’s condo.
I open his apartment door and hear a light snoring when we get in. When I unleash Cooper, he hops up on the bed next to the couch and curls up, falling asleep beside his owner. I place the mail and package on the countertop. Debating if I should leave or not, I glance around as though there’s a sign somewhere to lead me in the right direction. Then I look down at myself and realize I trampled sand in with me.
On my way to the closet in search of a broom, I can’t help myself. I stop and watch Leo sleep like a pervy stalker. He truly is a gorgeous man and I’m not even sure he’s aware of it. His jaw is strong and defined, his eyes such a vibrant blue, and his sandy-blond hair always seems styled, though I’m fairly sure he uses nothing. And that’s just his face. His body is something a sculptor would covet as a muse, and when he smiles full-out? He has one of those smiles that bring a smile to your own face, there’s so much joy and peace in it.
Listen to me. I am such a loser.
Giving my head a shake, I continue to the closet and open the door. Leo’s scent wafts out immediately. Would it be bad to lock myself in and just absorb his scent? Yes. Yes, it would. There’s no broom or dustpan in there anyways. I slowly shut the door, the click echoing through the big room.
I walk down the hall, opening doors and shutting them. One bedroom is filled with a sewing machine, fabrics, different-colored spools of thread. A whole wall contains color-coded beads and sequins. I pick-up the garbage can and carry it with me around the room, throwing away a zillion mini-chocolate wrappers, chip bags, and gum wrappers.
My fingers graze across a few of the designs he’s finishing and for the first time it really hits me how talented a designer and tailor Leo is. Everything is top-quality, every stitch perfectly aligned. He may be designing outfits for customers of the four-legged variety, but his talent is on par with any New York or Paris designer. Then my gaze lingers on the closet. I set down the garbage can and reach out for a garment hanging inside with a lambs’ wool interior and corduroy exterior. Brown buttons are sewn to enclose the piece around the dog’s neck. It’s something I’d want to wrap around myself in the dead of winter back home.
“Hello?” a male voice says and I hear the front door shut.
Grabbing the garbage can and the coffee mug next to the sewing machine, I quickly leave the room, shutting the door behind me. I emerge into the hall to find Oscar looking through the mail, the package already under his arm. The dark lights of Manhole hid his own physical excellence. He’s not as tall as Leo, but he’s just as fit. No one would refer to him as lanky, that’s for sure.
“Oh.” His head inches back like I’m offending him by being here. “Teegan, right?”
I nod, going into the kitchen and setting the coffee cup on the counter and the garbage canon the floor before I start opening up the cabinets.
“It’s in there.” He points to a long thin cabinet in the corner.
“Thanks.” I open the cabinet door and sure as shit, the trash is in there.
He flips through the mail. “Did he hire you to clean the condo, too?” His chocolate-colored eyes sneak a peek and then dart back down to the mail.
“No. He hurt his leg. He’s knocked out on painkillers.”
Oscar glances over his shoulder and then nods. Clearly friendly Oscar only makes an appearance when he’s drinking.
“I was looking for a broom because I tracked in sand after taking Cooper out.”
Again, he looks up. “It’s in the laundry closet. End of the hall to your right.” He motions in the general direction.
I nod, and head down that way with the garbage can. I’ll clean up my mess and then I’m out of here. His boyfriend can nurse him back to health, not me. Lord knows I have my hands full doing the same for my mother anyway.
Cooper is sitting at Oscar’s feet when I return, staring up as though asking, Don’t you see me here? but Oscar is occupied opening the box now.
“Thank goodness, it’s about time.” He lifts out some silky material. “Can you believe I’ve waited three months for this fabric? I should just throw it out with how Leo was to me today.” He drops it in the box, his eyes moving over to Leo on the couch. Leo’s rolled over on his side now, the outline of his ass clear in his athletic shorts and the hem of his shirt revealing a small patch of skin right above the waistband.
I lean the broom next to the counter and grab the blanket off the chair, putting it over Leo. He doesn’t move. When I return to clean up the floor, Oscar’s staring at me. “You always take care of people?” he asks. The box is tucked under his arm.
I shrug, concentrating on brushing up the sand particles off the gleaming hardwood floor.
“You know he’s unavailable, right?”
I look up and he’s standing right in front of me now. Does he think we’ll be having some sort of fight over Leo?
“I
do.”
He nods. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t setting up that pretty little heart to be broken.”
“I’m his PR person. That’s all.” I cock my head in a way that says to go bother someone else, because he’s not going to get to me. Oscar’s obviously the jealous type and I want to scream, Hello? I have a hot dog bun and he only wants the hot dog.
“Good.” Oscar bypasses me to the door.
“You aren’t going to stay?” I ask, because I know Cooper will have to eat later and most likely go out again to go pee.
He gives Leo a fleeting look. “No. He was an asshole this morning. I just needed this.” He holds up the box in the air. “Tell him the Thailand fabric is in.”
Then he’s out the door. I go into the kitchen and throw the sand into the garbage can from ealier and since it’s pretty full now, I take the bag out.
I need to get the hell of this apartment before I make myself look like an even bigger lovesick fool than I already do.
15
Leo
The pilot comes on over the speaker to announce our approach into New York City. Thank God. For the past four hours, I’ve tried to keep my hands as busy as I could. When Teegan put the blanket over herself, it took everything in me not to slide my hand under it and help her really get her mind off of flying.
The plane dips.
“You okay?” I ask Teegan, who’s white-knuckling the armrest.
“I’m fine.” She cracks her neck back and forth.
“You want to hold my hand?” I place it up in front of us. She glances down at it and then up to my eyes.
“No. I’ll be fine.” A small bead of sweat is forming at her temple.
I tuck my hand back at my side. “Okay. Well, it’s here if you need it.” I wink.
She inhales a quick breath and nods a bunch of times.
“How was Oscar with you coming?” she asks, resting her head back and shutting her eyes.
“Jealous. He doesn’t like me doing things without him.” I should look away. I should look anywhere but at the soft bend of her neck, her small sapphire earrings on earlobes I want to suck and nibble on. I shouldn’t torture myself with thoughts of my tongue sliding up her neck until it swipes along the part of her lips, asking for permission to enter.