Free Losing the Ice (Ice Series #2) by Jennifer Comeaux

think it’ll be good to have something to occupy me. Less time to sit around stressing out about things.”
    “And you’ll be back on the ice Tuesday, so you’ll have even less down time.”
    He avoided my gaze and said, “Yeah,” sounding nowhere near as excited as I’d thought he’d be.
    “We should umm… we should get started.” He pointed his thumb at the TV. He’d already hooked up his laptop to it.
    He rolled out his mat in the small space between the TV and the couch, and he pulled his T-shirt over his head. I stopped while flattening my mat.
    “I thought we weren’t doing hot yoga,” I said.
    “We’re not. I can move better without the shirt.” A hint of a grin curled his lips, and he patted his ripped stomach. “Is this too distracting for you?”
    Distracting? I thought as I happily became visually reacquainted with his chiseled abs. More like, How I am going to keep my hands off you?
    “Not at all,” I said coolly, kicking off my sneakers and removing my hoodie. “Is this distracting for you ?”
    His grin spread to his eyes, which slowly took in my sports bra and fitted yoga pants. Goosebumps prickled the back of my neck.
    “I’m good,” he mimicked my cool delivery, but the lingering look he gave me said he totally wasn’t.
    I tightened my ponytail and did a few light stretches as Josh pulled up the video online. When the instructor began her warm-up directions, I closed my eyes and focused only on her soothing voice. I could see why Josh liked that particular video. The instructor had the most calming voice I’d ever heard.
    For the next hour I was completely in the zen zone, working my body into positions I never expected to feel good. It had been a long time since I’d done yoga, but I’d have to consider adding it to my workout regimen. During a few of the transitions, Josh and I almost touched since we were in such a small space, but I made sure to keep just out of reach. I didn’t want to risk knocking Josh out of his zone. Any physical contact with him and all his hotness would definitely take me out of mine.
    As we completed our final cool down position, sitting cross-legged with our hands folded near our hearts, I closed my eyes once again and inhaled the peaceful energy surrounding me. Josh and I continued to sit quietly until I heard him moving next to me. I opened my eyes and found him looking at me with the smile I’d expected at the door.
    “Did you enjoy it?” he asked.
    “Very much. I feel almost… weightless now.”
    He stood and offered his hand, and I took it. Standing eye-level to his glistening chest really made me feel like I was floating… on a bubble of desire that was about to burst. But I wasn’t going to make the first move. I had to let him come to me when he was ready. As torturous as it was to wait.
    “Are you hungry?” he asked. “I usually make a smoothie after I finish.”
    I was hungry alright. Starving. But not for food.
    “That sounds good.”
    Josh assembled the ingredients for the strawberry banana smoothies, and I took out a knife to slice the fruit. I started cutting, and he loaded the ice cubes into the blender and stole two strawberry slices from me.
    “Hey.” I swatted his hand.
    He smiled devilishly as he chewed, and he watched me with growing intensity. I quickly went back to cutting to busy my hands. Otherwise, who knew where they would end up.
    Josh moved behind me in the tiny kitchen, and I thought he was going to the fridge, but he stopped. So close his body heat mixed with mine. I sliced through a strawberry but froze when Josh’s hand closed around my hip. He squeezed gently and slid his fingers around to my stomach. They grazed my bare skin, and I drew in a breath.
    His lips left a hot path from my shoulder to my neck, and I dropped the knife and leaned back into him, needing all the support for my weightless body. He nipped at my earlobe and snaked his arm all the way around my waist.
    “I need you,” he said low