Page 25 of Vegas Baby

“We will be sitting on the mat, back to back for the partner seated spinal twist,” the instructor said.

Raina started to sit and wobbled a bit on the uneven ground. Howler caught her elbow, holding her arm while she settled onto the mat. Supple, buttery skin rested under his palm, the aroma of floral soap that clung to her teasing his nose.

Stop smelling Raina.

Releasing her arm, he plopped down, settling his back to her.

“You’ll start out in a cross-legged position. With your right hand, each person will place it on their partner’s left thigh above the knee. With your left hand, place it on your own right knee.” Howler clasped Raina’s thigh as instructed. Her fingers settled on his bare leg and he regretted not wearing something with more coverage than shorts.

“You will need to coordinate your breathing with your partner and on each inhale, you’ll lengthen your spine and on exhale, twist a bit more.”

“This isn’t bad,” he said, following the instructions. “I thought yoga was supposed to be hard.”

“It’s supposed to be silent,” she said, coming back through to the center and repeating the stretch on the other side. Over the years, Howler had found solace through silence but today, it seemed deafening. Learning to channel his energy saved him from being a delinquent and staying busy proved a lifeline.

“Now we’ll be moving onto our next pose. Touch the soles of your feet together. Keep your spines erect. Now husbands, or partners, lean forward while your partner pushes back against you, depending on your support.” Her husband, such an odd title for him and Raina. Never in a million years would he imagine himself in this place. Life had thrown a curveball his way and he’d never stopped trying to get out of the way before it slammed into him. Call it cowardly, or self-preservation, either way, he liked being single, loved the freedom of answering to nobody but himself.

“In this exercise, it is important to communicate what feels good and what hurts. Supporting your partners from the burdens in life is what marriage and relationships are all about.”

Howler followed the instructor’s directions and leaned in, his thighs protesting the awkward stretch. Raina pushed against his back; her weight not heavy but solid. He sucked in a sharp breath as his leg began to cramp. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Just a twinge from an old hamstring injury.” One of the main reasons he’d gotten out of football. While he liked playing the sport, he’d seen the physical damage years of football could do to a player’s body. He hadn’t loved it enough to risk permanent injury.

“You can stretch your legs out if it’s more comfortable,” Raina suggested. “Not everyone can do yoga straight out of the box. It takes time and practice.”

Positioning his left leg at a more comfortable angle, the pressure lessened somewhat. Regardless of her assurances, he’d refrain from committing to the exercise for the long haul.

“Better?” she asked, the sultry sound of her voice sending a thrill throughout his body he had no right to feel.

“Yes.” Now if he could only stop the gut reaction to her nearness, he’d be doing much better. She practically lay across his back, her head on his shoulder.

“Now let’s change positions. Men lean back against your partner. Since many of you outweigh her, it is important to talk and listen to her needs. But also know, she’s strong enough to take on your burdens.”

Howler began to lean back, careful not to put his entire weight against her. While everybody else seemed at ease in the exercise, it made him uncomfortable. To even contemplate baring his soul to a woman, freaked him out. There was a reason he was single. He clenched his stomach muscles to keep from flattening her.

“Relax, you’re as tense as a bow. This is supposed to be calming,” she said.

“I have a good forty pounds on you.”

“Breathe and let go. I can take it.”

Easier said than done. She might as well have asked him to fly to the moon. He’d never been good at letting go with women, always aware of what could happen if he let his guard down. If they found out about his past, there would be questions, ones too painful to answer. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“This is about trust. You need to trust I’m strong enough.”

Trust, the hardest thing a person could ask of him. The word meaningful and meaningless at the same time, a false equivalency. When life threw a punch, the sucker either got out of the way or was knocked out. He’d been there once and couldn’t go there again.

Raina could feel the tension in his frame, an innate refusal to let go and trust in another human being. She understood his struggle because she shared it every single day. To put your faith in someone scared her to death.

“And now we return to start position. Great job everyone. Now let’s face each other.”

Raina spun on the mat and met his inquiring caramel eyes, green flecks in their golden depths. She swallowed and shifted her attention to the instructor.

“Okay, we’ll be doing tandem boat. Bend your knees, aligning the bottom of your feet to each other’s. Men, clasp your partner’s hands and keeping your feet connected, slowly lean back and straighten your legs, feet stretched upward,” the instructor said.

Raina pressed her feet to Howler’s much bigger ones, unsure why she wanted to cajole a smile from him. “You need to get a pedicure for those callouses.

“Consider yourself fortunate my feet don’t smell.” Howler cocked his eyebrow at Raina as he leaned back, his fingers clasping hers. Strong, capable fingers that had cradled her breasts. Her nipples tightened of their own accord. Willing her mind to concentrate on anything but that impression, she wiggled her toes. He jerked his foot up. Off balance, she started to list to the right, until he corrected her, calves flexing. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were ticklish.”’

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