Page 31 of Better When Shared
The room shifted as people paired up with their spouses, partners, or friends. Several women—and two men—remained alone, and all of them looked toward the British guy. Of course, they did. Even in loose joggers and a simple tank, his body was a goddamn masterpiece.
He caught me staring, and his lips quirked up. Fuck. I averted my gaze, suddenly fascinated by adjusting my already-perfect mat.
“Need a partner?”
I looked up into green eyes so bright they seemed almost unreal. Up close, I could see the faint stubble along his jaw, a tiny scar near his chin. I glanced towards the other singles, who were already pairing off, limiting my options.
“Uh, yeah.” Why was my voice so throaty and breathless? “Sure.”
“I’m Caleb.” He extended his hand, and I slid mine into it. His palm was warm, calloused in places that suggested he did more than yoga. The contact sent a ridiculous flutter through my stomach.
“Nisha.”
He nodded, giving me a cute, shy smile. “I hope you won’t judge my skill. I saw you murdering crow pose in last week’s class.”
Heat crawled up my neck at the idea that he’d been watching me, too. “Not murdering. Maybe maiming.”
His laugh was deep, genuine. He moved his mat next to mine, close enough that I caught his scent—something woodsy with a hint of citrus.
“All right, everyone,” Carly called out. “We’ll start with seated spinal twists. Partners, sit back-to-back.”
I settled against Caleb’s back, feeling the unyielding hardness of his muscles. His warmth seeped through my thin bra top, my body aching with unmet needs from my earlier flirtation with Julian.
Why hadn’t we made time for a quickie? Instead, Julian had put all kinds of ideas in my head.
We shifted until my spine aligned with his, the hard planes of his shoulder blades pressing against me.
“Inhale together,” Carly instructed. “On the exhale, partner A will twist right while partner B twists left.”
As we moved through the motion, Caleb’s muscles shifted against my back. I found myself hyper-focused on every point of contact—the press of his triceps, the brush of his elbow, the way his breathing synchronized with mine. Every inch of my skin was aware of his body.
“Now switch sides,” Carly said. “And remember to communicate with your partner—tell them if you need more or less pressure.”
As we twisted in the opposite direction, Caleb’s hand brushed mine. His fingers lingered for just a second too long.
“That’s nice. I’ve been flying a lot, so my back is killing me,” Caleb murmured.
I couldn’t remember how to make words, so I just made a vague affirmative sound. Fuck, why was this so sexy?
We flowed through several more poses, each more intimate than the last. For standing forward bends, Caleb stood behind me, his hands on my hips, guiding me deeper into the stretch. My ass pressed against his thighs, and I could have sworn I felt him harden. Or maybe that was just a daydream. Still, my skin felt tuned to his touch, aching for more.
Would Julian be turned on or angry if he saw us right now? He’d seemed excited by the concept of the hall pass, and I imagined him watching, rubbing his cock through his sweats as I ground back against Caleb’s crotch.
During a partnered warrior pose, Caleb stood behind me, one hand on my extended arm, the other on my waist, his breath hot against my neck. When his fingers tightened on my hip, liquid heat pooled between my legs, and I yelped, losing my balance. He caught me, hauling me closer as he steadied me.
“Careful, now,” he whispered.
For the final partner stretch, we faced each other in a wide-legged seated position, feet touching, hands clasped as we pulled each other forward in turn. When I leaned back, pulling him toward me, his gaze dropped to where my top had shifted, revealing more cleavage than I’d intended. I went to adjust it, then caught his eyes on me, and just… left it like that.
His eyes trailed down over my breasts and caught on my wedding ring. “I’m surprised your husband lets you out of his sight.”
A rush of guilt-laced excitement flooded through me. “It’s interesting you bring that up,” I heard myself say. “Because he’s been encouraging me to… explore my options.”
Caleb’s eyebrows shot up. “Has he now?”
“We, um...” I hesitated, then plunged ahead. “We have an arrangement. A hall pass.”
His pupils dilated, his eyes skimming down over my body. “Fascinating.”
