Imperfectly Delicious (Imperfect Series #6) - Mary Frame Page 0,16

place. She’s setting up her mat near the front, her back to me.

People meander between us, settling in on brightly colored mats, talking to each other and stretching out. Cats circle the space, some laying around cleaning themselves, others playing with cat toys like a string on a stick.

The redhead turns, her profile exposed, and my stomach flips in awareness. My heart lurches and sets up a riotous rhythm.

There isn’t even a sliver of doubt now. It’s most definitely her.

She’s sitting cross-legged on a purple mat, petting an orange tabby while it rubs a head on her knee.

I put my mat down in the back of the room next to an elderly gentleman. There are at least a dozen more people sitting or loitering around the space, but my focus is entirely on the woman in the front.

Scarlett Jackson. My redhead is the cupcake woman who has been avoiding me for weeks. I mull over our interaction through a new lens. How she saw me and immediately almost choked to death. I thought it was embarrassment from being caught in such a weird situation, but she must have known who I was.

A blonde enters from a side door, someone else I recognize—Bethany Connell, from the charity event. She waves at Scarlett and sets up her mat next to her.

Mildred. I shake my head.

I’m an idiot.

Bethany is clearly the connection between Scarlett and Crawford and Company.

The instructor comes in, a short, thin man with messy dark hair and enough energy to power Upper Manhattan vibrating off him. “Hello friends!”

The room erupts into cheers while the instructor bounces around offering greetings and air kisses at random.

A small gray cat paws at my knee, and I surreptitiously push it away. The older gentleman next to me frowns in my direction.

“Alright cat lovers, let’s get warmed up. Now remember, be careful of the fur-babies roaming the room! Be aware of your surroundings and use gentle movements. If you need to stretch or kick behind you, make sure one of our paw-some friends isn’t in the way. You can follow along as I go through the routine, but at any time feel free to rest and pet our cat family. Now let’s get it started!”

I follow the instructions and guidance of the teacher and try not to stare at Scarlett too much. While I’m downward facing dogging, the small gray cat traces its tail around my leg and then collapses underneath me, rolling back and exposing its furry belly without any fear, like nothing in the world could hurt him.

I should be angry. All her blushing and fumbling and choking was because she expected me to recognize her. But instead she…she was interesting. And she kissed me.

“This all about joy and love and feeling purr-ific!”

Normally, I would find a way to use this to my advantage. Make her uncomfortable or find a way to use it against her to achieve my own ends.

But I’m not angry. When I stop to analyze the feelings making my heart race and my stomach flip, I’m more intrigued than anything else.

But still, I can’t let her ruin my plans. There is too much riding on it. I need to nip all this in the bud and get her truck away from my space. I can’t afford for Oliver to see another roadblock and use it as an excuse to kill our deal.

The gray cat rolls away just in time for me to follow along, moving from downward dog to cobra. I watch Scarlett going through the same motions, neatly avoiding the orange tabby lounging near her elbow.

Her body glides through the poses with ease and fluid movements and I want to run my hands along those same curves. I know what her body feels like, pressed against mine. The memory makes my temperature rise, and it isn’t the yoga getting me hot.

The rest of the class is interminable for me, but everyone else is having fun.

“Okay friends, it’s time to cool down with some light petting.” His grin is just on the other side of maniacal.

I clear my throat. Surely, he could have come up with a better turn of phrase.

“Follow my lead and stretch in place or pet a furry friend nearby. Scientific studies have shown petting our animal brethren can reduce blood pressure, release relaxation hormones, and cut your stress. Pet the pussies!”

I wince.

The gray tabby still lingering around my feet swats at my ankle.

The instructor bends over and hands him to me. “This little guy really