Page 24 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
She led the class through the basic Sun Salutations that she’d done last time, adding on a few new moves that she’d worked on yesterday at home. Her gaze flicked to the back of the room as she pulled her hands back to her chest.
Surprisingly, Lawson’s hands were also in front of his deeply defined chest. She could see the definition even in his loosely fitted T-shirt. His eyes were locked on her. She bent her front knee. He did the same. His arms went out to his sides in Warrior Two Pose just like her. He wasn’t laughing or rolling his eyes this time.
“Good,” she said to the class, looking around at the others and doing her best not to watch the cowboy in the back. His hat was gone, resting on the floor beside him. His teasing grin was replaced by a serious demeanor. Was he actually giving her his undivided attention? Doing his best?
After several sequences she led the class to the floor and got in a Bridge pose, resting her back on the floor, and pressing her shoulders into her mat. She lifted her pelvis up and toward the ceiling and held the movement. The class followed along.
Getting up, she began to walk around and inspect everyone’s position. “This is a gentle stretch for the back and the legs,” she said as she walked, her legs carrying her toward the back of the room where Lawson was lying. He had his pelvis lifted and his loosely fitted shorts were hanging down under his muscled thighs, giving her a view that led all the way up to the curve of his very fine ass. She couldn’t tear her eyes away. He had blond hair running over his legs, and perfect definition of every beautiful muscle.
“Am I doing this right?” he asked.
Caught.“Um. Well, actually you need to open your palms and press them into the floor.” She squatted near him and uncurled one of his fists, very aware that he still had the lower half of his body up and lifted toward her. “There.” She stayed for a second longer. What was wrong with her?
“Am I good now?” he asked. His gaze was teasing when she met his eyes.
“Yep. All good.” She stood and started walking quickly, sizzling with electricity from just being near him. This was going to be a tough month with him in her class.
Forty minutes later, she concluded her last sequence. “Namaste.”And thank the good Lord.
People collected their mats under their arms and headed to the door, thanking her on the way out.
“Great job,” someone said from the doorway.
Julie turned to the voice. Not one of her students. Nope. Mr. Banks stepped inside the room. “You were watching?” she asked. She hadn’t even noticed, too distracted by another.
“Just a little,” he said.
Julie stood and brushed her hair out of her face. It was better that she hadn’t known he’d been watching. That way she wasn’t nervous. Mr. Banks had gotten a true look at her class in action. “What’d you think?” she asked, fidgeting with her hands in front of her. There were still a few students lingering in the room, chatting with one another. And then there was Lawson.
Mr. Banks lifted a shoulder. “I think you did a good job,” he said.
“Thank you, Mr—”
He held up a hand. “It’s still going to be a tough sale to me, though, sweetheart. No offense, but I don’t see how what you just did can help anyone.”
Julie’s mouth fell open. “Yoga has been proven to—”
“I read your proposal. But this is a warm-up to real exercise. Marines can do this stuff in their sleep,” he continued.
Julie did her best not to let her feelings show.What an ignorant, egotistical jerk.This was only the second class. She’d been promised a month before he would make his decision. But it sounded to her like Mr. Banks had already decided.
“That was great exercise,” Lawson said, interrupting as Julie stared, speechless. “I feel so much better after that, Ms. Chandler. Thank you.” He turned to Mr. Banks. “Hello, sir. I’m Captain Phillips. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Mr. Banks puffed his chest. “Commander Banks. I own the center here.”
“Well, good job hiring Ms. Chandler. She’s going to do a lot of good things here.” Lawson turned back to Julie. “See you next Monday.”
“See you Monday,” she said, holding herself together.
“We’ll see.” Mr. Banks nodded at her. “Maybe I’ll take your class one day, too. See what it really does for me.”
She nodded, unable to produce words. Words might mean saying something she’d regret. Her self-composure was already frayed. First, she’d gone to a job from hell with dirty old Mr. Adams this morning, and now the man who determined whether her yoga program thrived or got laid to rest was stressing her out. She watched Mr. Banks walk out of the room. Then she collected her own mat, grabbed her car keys, and headed to the parking lot, wanting to go home and replenish the calories she’d just burned with a massive bowl of fudge ripple ice cream. Chocolate and ice cream made everything better.
She hesitated as she approached her car, where Lawson was leaning against her driver’s-side door, blocking her entry.
“I guess I should thank you again,” she said. It seemed like she was always swinging from apologizing to thanking him, hating him, and being attracted to him.
“Want me to beat his ass?” he asked.
