Page 20 of Her Filthy Mistake

“Yes, we’re here to support my brother and his wife and–”

“And to learn to get along in the same space so family events aren’t as uncomfortable for the rest of us.” My mom is snuggled in Landon’s lap with her head propped against his chest.

“Right,” I mutter more to myself than anyone else.

“Oh….” Elise claps her hands together with twinkling eyes. “I see. Well, this will be perfect for the two of you.” She turns on her heel while swaying her hips on the way back to the lectern. The woman’s movements are fluid and peaceful.

She speaks for a few more minutes on the importance of trust, giving and taking, and communication as the foundation of a solid relationship, and I zone out. It’s not like I disagree with her or don’t want that type of relationship, but it’s hard to listen to her talk about the sanctity of an intimate relationship when the only thing you’re intimate with are a vibrator, a box of chocolates, and a bottle of wine.

“So, our first couples’ activity is a trust fall.”

A trust fall? I cough and nearly swallow my tongue. I’m going to kill my mom. I glare at the back of her head as she and Landon hop up from the floor and kiss. As my stepfather trails his hand through her hair, I shake my head. Why are we here? There’s no way they’re having marital issues.

I plow my way up from the floor and cross my arms over my chest as Jace joins me.

“Well….” Clearly, he’s as impressed as I am with this idea.

“I’m not catching you.” I tap the toe of my sandal on the floor. “You’re too big. If you fell on top of me, you’d knock me down, and we’ll both land on the floor.”

The corners of his mouth rise. “That would be kind of funny.”

My stomach flops. It’s so rare when he meets my gaze, and even less often, he does so with a smile on his face. The man is stunning. No wonder women threw themselves at him when he was performing. Enormous blue eyes that gleam like the sun. A slight dimple on both cheeks. A strong chiseled jaw that’s covered with a 5 o’clock shadow. Muscles that go on for days. Tattoos…. He’s like catnip for sexually frustrated women.

I lick my lips and push back every awareness of him that I have. It hurts too much to go back to that place. Hurt. Alone. Awkward. Childish.

“Is everything okay?” He frowns as if sensing my discomfort.

“Yes, everything is fine.” I say the words more to myself than to him.

“Are you ready for this?” Jace’s silky voice snaps me back into reality.

I steal my back, and nod. “Yes, I’m ready.” To get this week over with and return home to my normal, boring existence.

Chapter Eleven

Jace

The question is. Am I ready? I can’t say I’ll ever be ready, but here goes. “Turn around.”

“If you insist.” She spins to face the wall. Her body is so tense if she fell to the ground, she’d shatter into a million pieces.

“Okay, beautiful couples.” Elise, our instructor, says in a breathy voice. “Our first step is to make sure the person catching their loved one is behind the person with their bodies straight, but with a little bounce in the knees and arms outstretched.”

I assume the position as she weaves in and out of us. “Wonderful job, Landon.” She pats my brother’s upper arm as he beams at her.

“Thank you.” The dimple on his left cheek pops. Kiss ass. He was always the straight A student.

“You’re welcome, dear.”

The longer I stand, the more uncomfortable it gets. I shift my head from side to side, causing my neck to pop. The instrumental music continues to fill the room, along with the flowery incense. It should be comforting and relaxing, but it’s not working.

Violet and her surfer boy laugh at something Elise says to them. Just get it over with. My jaw flexes as I try and steady my breathing. Getting irritated is not going to solve the problem. What was Landon thinking when he set this up? Trying to find a way to make my life miserable?

Get a free vacation on our dime. Sucker.

This is clearly punishment for all the years my actions caused him to stay up late worrying about my physical and mental well-being.

Elise approaches us and tsks. “That will never do.” She grabs my arm, yanking me forward. “You’re too far back. What do you want Zoe to do? Fall on her back and crack her head open?”

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