by Té Russ
"That completes the class for today," she said in a calm, quiet tone. "You are free to return to Savasana for as long as you need. Make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated."
She pressed her palms together and bowed her head. "Namaste."
The class mimicked her movement and repeated the closing statement.
Isaiah stood, gathered up his yoga mat that he'd rented and headed for the shower. Since people were still meditating in the classroom, he decided not to approach Tessa quite yet. Plus, he needed a shower to cool off. And not just because of the heated room.
As he stood underneath the shower, trying to hurry and finish, his mind once again drifted to Tessa. Watching how limber she was in all those moves made him wonder just how flexible she was in other areas.
After he finished washing, he quickly threw on his sweatpants and a t-shirt, followed by his socks and running shoes.
When he exited the men's locker room, the lobby area of the studio was buzzing with students from the final class of the evening. Isaiah's eyes squinted as he casually perused the area.
"She's at the juice bar across the street."
Isaiah turned and looked down to see Dana Everett, Tessa's sister, staring up at him with a mischievous grin on her face.
"Pardon?"
"My sister," Dana said. "The one you're obviously trying to find. She's at the juice bar across the street. She always goes there after this class."
And then Dana walked off.
"Thanks," he called out to her retreating back, which she responded with a simple wave of her hand.
A few moments later, Isaiah slung the long strap of his duffle bag onto his shoulder and headed toward the exit.
As he stepped outside, he looked up and down Main Street of historic Sweet Rapids. Over the last decade, the town had gone through a major expansion. With the city being the midway point between Tahoe and Reno, more and more people were moving to the area over the years because of its convenient location. The historic downtown area had been going through a revitalization period and Isaiah loved the modern shops housed in the older buildings that had undergone some renovations. The city had made improvements while keeping the rustic charm of the area.
It was indeed good to be home, Isaiah thought as he looked across the street and saw the object of his interest for the last few days.
Then he headed to the juice bar.
Chapter 7
"What's good here?"
Tessa's lip curled upward as she felt his warm breath brush her ear. He was ridiculously close. She was standing in line at the juice bar waiting to place her order. She turned around and took in Isaiah's casual attire.
"So, he wears more than suits," she teased.
"And less," he said with a wink.
Tessa threw her head back and laughed. From any other man's lips, she would have found that remark crude, but from Isaiah's mouth, all it did was arouse her even more than she already was.
As her laughter died down, she said, "The Papaya Protein Power juice."
"That's a mouthful," Isaiah chuckled.
Tessa's smile widened and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is. But I assure you that it's great."
"What can I get for you?" the juice bar barista asked.
Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but clamped it shut when Isaiah began to order.
"Two large Papaya Protein Powers, please," he said.
"Name?"
"Isaiah."
Tessa looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What?" he asked, with a shrug of his shoulders as they moved out of the line to wait for their drinks. "Can't a guy just do a friendly gesture?"
"I'm not one to turn down a free drink," Tessa said with a wink, as they sat down at a table.
"Two large Papaya Protein Powers for Isaiah," the barista called out.
Isaiah sat his bag under the table. "Don't go anywhere," he said as he walked over to pick up their drinks.
Tessa's head tilted to the side, and she bit her lip as she watched Isaiah walk off, checking him out in his sweatpants. He grabbed the drinks, smiled at the barista and turned back around to head to their table. Tessa quickly turned around, hoping he didn't catch her ogling him.
"Man, Sweet Rapids sure has grown. Hot yoga studios and juice bars. We have most certainly evolved," Isaiah said, sitting Tessa's juice down in front of her. She thanked him for the drink.
"Yes, we have," Tessa agreed. She took a long, refreshing sip of her juice. "I must say, I never figured Isaiah Noble for a yogi."
She watched as the corner of his lip lifted slightly.
He shook his head as he pulled the paper cover off of the top of his straw. "If you'd have told me three years ago that Isaiah Noble would be doing yoga, I never would have believed it either."
"So how'd you get in to it?"
"I had a skiing accident while on vacation with Ian. Nothing major, but my knee was jacked up. A friend suggested yoga."
"One of your hot shot L.A. buddies?" Tessa teased.
Isaiah laughed at her jest. "As a matter of fact, yes, it was." Shrugging, he added, "I thought she was crazy at first. I couldn't see myself doing anything like that. But I gave it a shot. And I've been hooked ever since."
"You were pretty good in there," she said.
"Were you checking me out during hot yoga, Miss Everett?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Try your drink," she ordered, trying to shift the topic.
"Nice way to deflect," he murmured.
Tessa watched with anticipation as Isaiah tried his drink.
"Well?" she asked. "What do you think?"
Isaiah's brows bunched in contemplation for a moment before saying, "I think I would have preferred having a slice of cake from you bakery."
Tessa's eyes grew wide.
"Oh come on! It's good," she insisted.
"Your cookies are good," he said, looking into her eyes. "This...tastes...healthy."
Tessa fell into a fit of laughter. "That's the point, Mr. Noble!"
"Okay," he said, finally smiling, as he looked down at his drink. "I'll concede. It's not terrible. It's actually quite good. However, I'd still prefer something from Everetts."
"Then why haven't you come back?"
Shit...
She hadn't meant to ask that out loud. Her eyes drifted closed in embarrassment.
"Missing me already, after just one encounter?"
Tessa's eyes flew open to find Isaiah staring at her, full smile on display.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Noble." She pulled the straw back to her lips to hide the grin on her lips.
"Isaiah," he corrected. "Please, call me Isaiah."
They sat there eyeing each other for a few moments with Tessa being the first to break contact. She grabbed her drink and stood. "As much as I've enjoyed chatting with you, I have to go. Got an early morning. But thanks again for buying me the drink."
He nodded before taking another sip of the juice. "It was my pleasure. Thanks for the recommendation. And have a good evening."
"You too."
She headed out the door, and down the street to her car.
"Hey, Tess!"
She froze at the sound of Isaiah's voice. He'd shortened her name and for some reason, the smooth way it spilled from his lips made her body shiver.
She turned around to find Isaiah standing outside the juice bar.
"Can I see you again?"
She smiled at him and after a moment, she shrugged as she said, "You know where to find me. Just remember that exception the other morning was a onetime thing."
Then she turned and continued walking down the sidewalk, with a giddy feeling spreading through her body as she felt his gaze sear her from behind.

"And did you know that arrogant son of a bitch had the nerve to be pissed because I went to yoga with you the other day!"
Tessa sat on the stool watching Dana beat a bowl of egg whites for a cake as if she
had a vendetta against them. "I told him he wasn't my damn daddy and he sure as hell wasn't my man."
Tessa hid her smirk as she asked, "What did Aiden say to that?"
Dana stopped whipping the frothy whites and looked up at Tessa with a glare, pointing the whisk in Tessa's direction. "That asshole had the nerve to say, 'Thank God for that'." She began beating the eggs again with even more force as she angrily rambled on. "Asshole. No one asked him to come and check on me. I told him I didn't want to see him. If he hadn't kissed me, I wouldn't have gotten this stupid cold in the first place."
Tessa's eyes bucked open.
"Wait...what?!"
Dana's stirring came to a slow halt and her mouth fell open when she realized what she'd let slip. She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head frantically. Tessa hopped off of the stool and came around to the other side of the commercial kitchen island.
"You...kissed...Aiden?!" she asked, when she was right in her sister's face.
"It's not what you think," she said quickly.
"All I'm thinking is...you...kissed...Aiden!" she said, punctuating the last three words by poking Dana in the shoulder. "Who's being the stingy heifer holding back details now?"
"There's nothing to tell," Dana snapped. "He's still the worst neighbor in the history of neighbors and I still can't stand his ass."
Tessa laughed, propping her hip against the island. "I can't believe this shit!" she said, feigning dejection as she clutched her hand to her chest. "I thought we were closer than that. Your best friend and your big sister! If it wasn't for me begging mom and dad for a little sibling when I was two, your ass wouldn't be here. And you're holding out on me."
Dana sighed. "You are not using the 'I begged mom and dad for you' card right now."
"You're damn right I am. Now spill it," Tessa ordered, eager to hear the story.
"Like I said, it was nothing," Dana started. "We were arguing about something. I don't remember what."
"Because you are always picking a fight with Aiden," Tessa supplied.
"Anyway," Dana continued. "He was calling me a spoiled brat, I was calling him an arrogant ass. The next thing I know, he's ramming his tongue down my throat."
Dana put on a front like she was pissed, but Tessa caught the ghost of a smile that crossed her younger sister's lips. The scowl returned when she added, "The shithead failed to mention that he was at the tail end of a cold when he pulled that stunt."
"Hence, you catching a cold."
"And that’s why he's been up my ass for the last week. He feels guilty. As he should."
Dana went back to working on the cake.
"I will say this," she sighed, as she folded the egg whites into the cake batter. "He may be an asshole and the worst neighbor in the history of neighbors, but he's a damn good kisser."
Tessa shook her head and looked at her watch. "It's almost closing time. I'm gonna go lock up," she said as Dana poured the cake batter into the pan before placing it in the oven.
As she stepped into the main area of the bakery, the door swung open and Tessa's heart rate kicked up a notch.
"You said you wouldn't make an exception for me in the mornings anymore," Isaiah said, walking in, with that drop-dead gorgeous smile. "What's your stance on after hours service?"
Chapter 8
"Isaiah..."
The sound of his name on her lips affected him more than he would have imagined. It was obvious she'd been in the kitchen baking with her apron tied around her waist, which was covered in flour. That wasn't the only thing covered in flour.
He held a finger up to his nose.
"You've uh...got a little something..."
Her eyes widened as her hand went to her nose. "Oh!" She wiped her nose and his amusement grew as she smeared more flour on her face.
Tessa looked down at her hands, then back at Isaiah and caught the amusement on his face. "I made it worse, didn't I?" she asked, exasperated.
"Just a little," he said, pinching his fingers together.
"Shit," she mumbled under her breath. "Will you excuse me? I'll be right back."
"Take your time."
She nodded and then disappeared to the back.
He stood in the middle of the bakery, looking around. When they'd briefly hung out at the juice bar after the yoga class, he'd mentioned that he wanted to see her again and she'd given him that teasing response of 'you know where to find me' before turning and walking off. He decided that he was done stalling, for no good reason. He wanted to get to know more about Tessa Everett and he could feel that the chemistry between them wasn't one-sided.
It was time to explore it.
Several minutes later, Tessa returned, looking refreshed. She'd left behind her apron, cleaned the flour off of her face and gotten rid of the hair net. Her long, tightly coiled curls now framed her gorgeous face, whose lips were covered in some kind of gloss that made them look incredibly kissable.
"Sorry about that," she said, this time moving closer to him. She smelled heavenly, her own scent of jasmine and citrus mixed with the bakery scents of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg; or was the vanilla part of her perfume?
He couldn't tell, and he didn't care. All he knew was that the combination made his mouth water.
"So..." Tessa said, interrupting his thoughts. "What brings you to my bakery?"
He smiled, remembering the bag he was holding in his hand. He took a step closer to her and he watched as her nostrils flared.
"I knew you were closing soon, so I took a presumptuous chance and figured you hadn't had dinner yet."
"It smells wonderful," Tessa said.
"Does that mean you'll join me for a meal?"
Those sweet looking lips of hers turned up into a smile as she said, "I'd love to. Why don't we eat at one of the tables outside? It's a gorgeous evening."
"That's a great idea."
Isaiah turned and opened the door for Tessa. After she stepped out, she turned and locked the door.
"So," she said eagerly as they sat down. "What great things did you bring me?"
He chuckled as he placed the bag on the table. "I hope you like Mediterranean food."
"I love it!"
"That's a relief," he joked. "There's a great restaurant in South Lake Tahoe. Their food is amazing. You're going to love it."
As he began pulling out take-out cartons from the bag, Tessa asked, "Tahoe?"
He stopped for a moment and looked up at her. "Yeah, that's where my place is. Well, when I'm not out in L.A., anyway."
"You have a place in South Lake Tahoe?"
"Zephyr Cove to be precise," he said. "But it's right on the lake. I couldn't pass the place up, and I got it at a steal. That's why I picked that location rather than something here in Sweet Rapids."
"I think it's beautiful out there."
"I'll have to take you out there one weekend."
Tessa smirked at him, propping her elbows on the table. "We haven't even started eating yet, and you're already planning weekend getaways? Now that's presumptuous."
He began popping the lids off of the food cartons, the exotic spices filling their nostrils.
"I assure you, once you taste this food, you'll be hooked and want to make the trip over there for more. And you'll probably be too full to drive back home. I'm just being hospitable," he said with a wink.
"Oh okay!" she giggled. "What's on the menu tonight?"
"Hummus, Patatas Bravas with pimentos sauce, lemon basil shrimp with pasta and Chicken Shawarma," he informed her, pointing to each one.
"It all looks wonderful," Tessa said.
"Take your pick," Isaiah offered.
He watched as she tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to decide which entrée she wanted.
"The shrimp and pasta," she decided, reaching for the bowl.
"Good choice," he replied, taking the Chicken Shawarma.
They shared the appetizers before starting on their own dishes.
"This is amazing," Tessa s
aid.
"Told you so. You wanna try the Shawarma too?"
"Yes!" she said quickly.
He lifted the pita stuffed with meat and held it up to her. She hesitated briefly as he pushed it closer to her mouth, encouraging her to take a bite. "Go on," he insisted. He watched as she attempted to take a delicate, yet large bite of the wrap and her eyes rolled back as she moaned.
"Okay," she said, covering her mouth. "This is great too."
"I can tell by the way you ate nearly half of my food."
Her eyes grew wide with embarrassment.
"Oh my. Isaiah, I'm so sor–"
His head fell back with laughter, cutting off her apology. "I'm just messing with you, Tess."
She threw a napkin at him, but was smiling as she did so.
They went back to eating in silence for a while before Tessa asked, "What are you doing home in Sweet Rapids?"
"It was supposed to be business," he said. "My dad called me, all in a fit over Chic and Sleek’s new natural hair care line."
"I heard about that. Saw the new products in a few stores."
"My dad wanted me to come and help strategize against the competition. He said he wanted me to direct some new commercials for the company."
"That's exciting!" Tessa said, looking at him.
"Yeah," he said, picking up a piece of chicken that had fallen out of the wrap. "It would have been, if there was an actual commercial to shoot."
"What do you mean?"
Isaiah blew out a frustrated breath. "They have nothing. No ideas, no concepts, nothing. My dad basically said what he needed to say to get me here. I changed my plans of going to Europe to visit my sisters in order to come here, thinking I'd be able to sit down, hear what needed to be done and get to work. Instead..."
"You're sitting here with me, eating Mediterranean food."
He looked up at Tessa, who had an empathetic smile on her face.
"I can't complain about the trade off," he murmured. He sat his food down. "I have to apologize. I didn't mean to complain like that."
"No, I get it," she said, reaching over to place her hand over his. The touch of her soft skin against his was stimulating. After another moment, she pulled her hand back and looked away. "Why didn't you go back to L.A. then?"