Page 55 of Late to Love

“Hey, gorgeous,” I say, propping the cell up so I can keep sanding.

“Come with me to yoga,” she answers. “You know it’s fun.”

I frown at the phone. “Define ‘fun.’”

“Come on. You owe me.”

Snorting, I put down the sheet of sandpaper and look around to be sure everything is turned off and safe for me to leave it. “And what, pray tell, do I owe you for?”

She grins. “Me getting wasted enough on July Fourth that you ended up hooking up with Anthony Hall.”

“You’re delusional,” I laugh. “But I’ll see you there.”

“Starts in an hour.”

We’re laying our mats out and Amanda waggles her eyebrows. “So…how are things going with Mr. Hall anyway?”

I sigh happily. “It’s so good.”

Amanda squeals with delight. “Yeah?” She leans closer and drops her voice to a whisper. “How’s the sex?”

“Better than any of the guys I’ve been with before. By infinity.” I practically swoon as I say it. “But seriously, I gotta give it to him. Maybe it’s an older guy thing? But there’s no drama, he’s so straight-forward and he lets me know exactly where we stand.”Except for the part where I want so much more than he’s willing to give.

Suddenly the tap of nails on hardwood has me turning around, and Killer, the most adorable cream chihuahua on the planet, is making his way mat to mat as we all get settled.

“Killer!” Amanda coos with a grin. Then she points. “And there’s Midnight.”

The black cat haughtily surveys the space as she picks her way through the mats. The pets’ owners, Goldie and Matty, and Willa and Reid, walk in behind them.

“Holy shit,” I whisper, because who comes in right behind them but Anthony.

Amanda looks to the front, then back at me, a delighted smile on her face. “Now youdefinitelyowe me. Did you tell him you’d be here?”

“Of course not. But I’m not mad about it.”

“Yeah, you owe me.”

There’s no room for him to put a mat out beside me, so I keep stretching and waiting to see if he’ll come over. Sure enough, he stalks over after unrolling a mat near his friends, his thigh muscles flexing with every step he takes. By the time I finish ogling his legs and raise my eyes to his, he’s in front of me.

“Hi.” The barest hint of a smile plays around his lips, the cocky bastard.

“Hi.” Of course, I sound like a breathless toddler.

He full-on smirks, and it’s sexy as hell. “Come here often?”

I swat his stomach without thinking, and he grabs it. “That’s a terrible line.”

Still holding my hand, he retorts, “And yet, you’re still talking to me.”

“Might have something to do with the fact that you’re holding my hand.”

A thick eyebrow raises. “And here I thought it was because I fucked you so well.”

I nearly choke on my tongue as he drops my hand with a wink and returns to his mat. Beside me, Amanda laughs outright.

“Damn, that man doesnotplay, does he?” she asks quietly, still grinning.

“No. No, he does not.” I fan my suddenly hot face.

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