Page 5 of Unbound Boxset

God, she was gorgeous.

This woman knew who she was and her confidence shimmered from every facet of her body, from her long legs and determined stride, to the gleam of mystery in her jade-green eyes. Her dark hair swung silkily past her jaw, gleaming burgundy in the low light. Ariel Devlin would challenge a man on every level, and only the strong would survive. A pleasant buzz rang in his head at the thought of taking all that passion and channeling it. Her mind held a feminine strength which showed in her practices. Difficult postures usually frustrated beginner students. Ariel let her mind go and trusted her body to surrender. Her quick wit and honest conversation were a refreshing change from the women he usually met. His resolution to avoid her shattered into pieces when he’d put his hands on her today. Her flesh bent under his persuasion, and the heated resentment in her gaze only intrigued him. She obviously wanted him, but he held back. He sensed one word and she’d be in his bed.

One word.

She reached the table. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted to order,” he said, as she took her seat.

“Steak. Bloody. Steamed broccoli. Tito’s vodka martini, extra dry, shaken, not stirred, extra olives.”

He signaled the waiter with the order and leaned forward, intrigued. “Most of the women I know are vegetarians.”

She tilted her head in challenge. “I have no problems eating cows. I love bacon, vodka, and bread. I also balance my cravings with salads for lunch and yogurt for breakfast.”

“A woman in balance is someone I respect.”

“I’m glad.” She smiled, her face open. “I take pleasure very seriously. Life is too short.”

“I agree. So, tell me what drove you to my yoga class?”

She started on the dinner rolls and slathered the inner flesh with butter. “I work in an advertising agency. Fast pace, tons of stress. All the late hours and bad food finally caught up with me. I didn’t like the way I felt anymore, so I needed a change.”

“Most people never slow down to even assess why they aren’t happy. I give you credit.”

She took a bite of the roll. A drop of shiny butter gleamed in the corner of bee-stung lips. Her tongue slid out and licked the corner of her mouth with slow motions. Grant stared at her openly. His erection was immediate, imagining those same lips over his shaft, opening and sliding upward to receive him. Again, she didn’t pretend not to notice. She smiled the age-old smile of Eve and beckoned him over to her garden.

“Why don’t you want to go to bed with me?” she asked.

Her blunt question only made him want her more. Her body was dangerous, but her cleverness and companionship was deadly. Damn, he liked her. Grant reached for his red wine. “Would you like to hear my story?”

“Yes.”

He nodded and went back into the past. “I was married. She began as one of my students. I loved her and I was faithful. My following began to grow and instead of hopping to different locations, I decided to create my own yoga school. I wanted to develop something like the karate schools and train students to go deeper into the practice—much more than a class at the local gym. She supported my goal, and we built the school together.”

He paused and waited for her questions. She said nothing, just nodded her head for him to continue. “The school became successful, but my wife began to change. She became jealous of the female students. As you know, the practices sometimes morph into an intimate level. There are standards to follow, but a few women in class formed an attachment to me. Since that was the way my wife and I met, she was doubly suspicious it could occur with someone else.”

“Makes sense.”

“She accused me of having an affair and became irrational. Stalked me and the students. Began a chasm within the school until sides formed. Rumors started. I tried to talk to her and pulled back from my classes so we could fix it.” Grant kept his voice neutral though the old emotions still clawed at his gut. “During one of my classes, I was served with divorce papers. Things got nasty. She rallied the students against me and some females made accusations that weren’t true.”

Their food came. Silence settled over the table while he forked up his pasta. Then he continued. “She ended up getting the school. My reputation was ruined as a teacher. I walked away with nothing and had to start over. So, I moved to New York and made a fresh start.”

“I’m sorry.”

She offered no more, but he spotted an understanding in her gaze that soothed him. Grant realized he’d never told the story to anyone other than his close friends back in Florida. No one in New York had ever scaled the wall to learn his past. Somehow, Ariel had gotten past. On some strange level, he trusted her. So, he told her everything.

“She lied to me.”

Ariel blinked, seeming to realize the worst had not been told. “How did she lie, Grant?”

“She was having an affair with one of the students the whole time. While she accused me and took my school, she was screwing around with one of my senior aides.”

Her hands reached across the table and interlinked his fingers as he’d done back in the studio. The warmth and softness of her flesh closed around him and chased away the cold.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said softly. “One of the principles you teach is correct. It’s your own karma that you need to account for. You didn’t cheat. You didn’t do anything wrong. And another principle I’ve learned in this life.”

“What?”

Her sudden smile dazzled him. “Life sometimes sucks.”