On the television screen, the perky blond yoga instructor finally broke the position and hopped to her feet. All three women sighed in relief and followed suit.
Lacey had found the Yoga for Beginners DVD in a grocery-store bargain bin, and after months of putting it off, the three roommates had finally found the time to watch it. Being on her feet at the restaurant every night and walking across campus on a daily basis, Skyler got enough of a workout, but she’d promised her friends she’d try yoga, and now they were holding her to it.
Didn’t mean she had to enjoy it, though. Because she wasn’t, not in the slightest. Yoga was hard. And it was too slow and motionless, which made it difficult to expend all her pent-up energy. She’d much rather run her frustrations off on a treadmill.
God, it wasn’t really over with Gage, was it?
Sure, he hadn’t responded to the three texts and two voicemails she’d left him, but maybe he was just…busy.
Oh, you silly, pathetic girl. Face the facts.
She bit her lip and moved her gaze back to the TV, hoping the next pose would distract her from the rush of disappointment that flooded her belly. It didn’t. Nope, her mind stayed focused on the intense, sexy man who’d rocked her world and then disappeared like Houdini from her life.
“I don’t know…I just don’t get it,” she blurted out. “I know he was into me.”
“You sure about that?” Lacey asked in a careful tone.
Skyler thought about the urgency of Gage’s kisses, his rough touch, the way his eyes burned when he’d moved inside her. Then she nodded. “I know it.” Her teeth dug into her lip again. “I think I scared him off by asking him about his life. I was trying to get to know him and—”
“Aha!” Lacey cut in triumphantly. “I told you you’d end up doing that! See? No-strings sex is impossible.”
“I guess it is,” she said glumly.
“Guys, mountain pose!” May chided. “You’re falling behind.”
Skyler and Lacey quickly refocused their attention on the yoga at hand. For the next five minutes, they dutifully followed instructions, but it was obvious none of them had a clue what they were doing.
“Now we’re going to transition into the pigeon pose,” the female instructor said serenely.
“I don’t know what that is!” Lacey yelled at the TV. “Why don’t you ever explain it to us?”
With that, yoga was over.
As a wave of laughter overtook her, Skyler collapsed on her back and waved her hand in surrender. “Screw this. I hate it. Let’s just buy a treadmill.”
“Deal,” Lacey chimed in.
“Yeah, I don’t have the discipline for yoga,” May grumbled. “Treadmill it is.”
Lacey shut off the TV, then flopped on the couch and glanced at the others. “You guys wanna order takeout and watch a movie or something?”
May was quick to nod, but Skyler hesitated.
“Uh-uh,” Lacey said instantly, wagging a finger. “You can’t go see him.”
“But I need closure,” she protested.
May sighed. “So you want to get dumped in person? Is that it?”
“If that’s what it takes, then yes.” Skyler undid her ponytail and ran her fingers through her hair. “I just want to know why he changed his mind, okay?”
She didn’t miss the concerned look her roommates exchanged. “What?” she muttered.
“Is this guy really worth it?” May asked in a gentle voice.
Skyler swallowed. She pictured Gage’s deep gray eyes, trying to pinpoint exactly what it was about him that fascinated her so damn much. What drew her to him like a moth to a flame. The night they’d met he’d told her she was playing with fire, acted like he was some scary, dangerous monster who would burn her alive.
But she wasn’t afraid of him, and she didn’t sense a lick of danger coming from him. If anything, his intensity only fueled the attraction.
It might have started out as a desperate need for change, for fun, but spending time with Gage had turned into something more than simply stepping out of her tedious rut. She liked the bold, confident woman she was when he was around, and she wasn’t ready to stop exploring that part of herself yet.
“Sky?” Lacey prompted. “So is he worth it?”
She exhaled in a slow rush. “I guess I’ll find out tonight.”
…
“If I catch one more motherfucker snorting coke in the bathroom, I’m going to lose my shit,” Gage snapped as he stormed into Reed’s office.
Two sets of eyebrows shot up, accompanied by a low curse of amazement from AJ. “Jeez. What the hell is up your ass?”
Gage scowled at his friends and made a beeline for the mini-fridge in the corner of the office. He yanked open the door and grabbed a beer, angrily twisting off the cap.
“And now you’re drinking on the job?” Reed piped up, equally astonished. “Seriously, man. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” he mumbled.
Everything, a voice corrected.
Fine, not everything. Just one thing. One person.
Skyler.