Page 21 of Love In The Air

Regrettably, Iz couldn’t deny the fact that she found Chance attractive. Her body reacted every time he was near. Her heart raced, nipples stiffened, heat and moisture gathered between her thighs, and it was all she could do to stop herself from grabbing the man and climbing him like a tree. A terrible option, considering they didn’t even like each other.

She sighed as she moved to the table and put her name on the sign-in sheet. Okay, so maybe they were starting to get along. A little. But that didn’t mean it was a good idea, or a wise one, to hop into bed with the guy. Hooking up with someone else wasn’t an option either. She’d tried to go out with Tori to the bar again, but no one caught her interest.

Damn you, Chance O’Brien!

This was all his fault somehow. He’d cast a sexy lust spell over her or something. That was ridiculous, but she didn’t have any other explanation for the sudden attraction to the man.

“Okay everyone, listen up,” Jen called from the center of the room. “We’re working on the duo acts today, so find your partner and warm up.”

Iz screamed internally. Yes, she knew from the schedule they were working on the duo acts, but she’d been hoping by some miracle of mix up she’d arrive to discover they were doing the groups acts. No such luck.

The hoop for her and Chance’s act was set up in the back of the studio. Iz stuffed her shoes and bag in a cubby, grabbing her water bottle, and headed over to the mat under the hoop where Chance was warming up.

“Hey, Dragon, how’s it going?”

She frowned, “Huh?”

“You know,” he winked, giving her a smart-ass grin. “Because you like to eat fire.”

She didn’t know whether to be annoyed or relieved that yesterday’s incident didn’t seem to have as much of an effect on him as it had on her. On the one hand, she was thankful there would be no weird tension between them today, but on the other she couldn’t squelch the irritation that she stayed up all last night having sexual fantasies about the man, and he appeared to have slept like a baby.

She glanced over her shoulder quickly to make sure Meg and Jen weren’t watching, then turned back to him and lifted a middle finger, kissing it and blowing it his way. Chance laughed.

Confidence calmed Iz’s nerves as they warmed up. The familiar routine of the exercises settling her. The weirdness she felt around Chance moved to the back of her mind as her body took over, stretching, bending, and prepping for the workout she was about to give it. Once warmups were done, Jen came over to their mat for instructions.

And that’s when everything fell apart.

As Jen took them through the routine, teaching them the first half, Iz’s body lost its calm. The moves weren’t difficult—most of them anyway—but every time she had to touch Chance her body went into overdrive. Sparks shot up her spine, heat burned her cheeks, tiny tremors danced along every muscle making her jerk, mess up the moves.

“Okay, hold up,” Jen said, as they messed up yet another move.

Iz dropped from the position she was in under the bar. It was a simple move. All she had to do was grab the bar, kick her foot up into Chance’s hold and rotate her body into Peter Pan pose. It wasn’t that hard! She’d done it a million times with Tori. So why was her body refusing to turn the right way?

She held back a frustrated scream as Jen came over to her side.

“You okay today, Iz?”

The tall woman was so nice. Yes, she was technically the boss, but Jen and Meg cared about the performers. Still, Iz wasn’t about to tell her boss she couldn’t get a basic ass move because she wanted to jump her partner’s bones.

“Yes, I’m sorry Jen. I…I didn’t sleep well last night, and I think it’s making my brain fuzzy. I’m so sorry. I promise I can get this.”

Jen grabbed her hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay, Iz. We all have off days. Besides, this is what rehearsal is for, to work out the kinks. Why don’t we call it for the night? You know the moves and can work on them next time. Have some chamomile tea before bed tonight. It’ll help you sleep.”

She nodded as the aerial show owner smiled and headed over to another duo act that was working with Meg. Iz sucked in a deep breath, frustrated tears threatening to fall, but she blinked them back. She hated failing. Even if it was inevitable in life, it still sucked.

A thump sounded beside her, and she turned to see Chance standing on the mat beside her. He must have hopped down from his position in the hoop. His face filled with the same frustration she felt. Arms crossing over his chest as he frowned at her.

“You’re turning the wrong way. You have to go right not left. Move toward the hand on the bar, rotate your shoulder.”

“I know that.” She glared at him. She didn’t need Mr. Know-it-all pointing out things she already knew.

He held up his hands huffing out an exasperated breath. “I’m just trying to help.”

No, he was bossing her around like always.

“What’s up, Iz?”

At the moment? Her ability to deal with him.

---