Page 109 of Serenity

“Heard my sister-in-love was breaking bank in one of my stores. I had to come and witness it for myself.”

“Not breaking my bank,” I scoffed. “And the bank connected to this particular piece of plastic might be unbreakable.”

“Ooh, shopping with Mr. Stepford’s money, are we? In that case, let me be of assistance.”

Tori slid the flapper dress from my hands and replaced it with a more stylish, much pricier number.

Where I thought I’d finished, she informed me I hadn’t. She went to work, pulling exclusive pieces from the back and grabbing from the display hooks to get me right. With her help, I was able to put together pieces I’d never dreamed of pairing, but it was fashionable, nonetheless. If there was one thing my sister-in-love knew how to do, it was step. Over a decade of creating clothes hadn’t changed her impeccable fashion sense.

I left Demure’s showroom with so many bags that Tori and her sales associate had to help me carry them to the car.

With my yoga class time approaching, I headed straight for Paramour Canyon. There would be no time to deposit the haul of clothing to my condo or Duke’s penthouse.

Already dressed in yoga leggings and a matching zip jacket, all that was left to do was set up the room. With ten minutes to spare before the start of the class, I pulled out the yoga mats, positioning them staggered throughout the room. As I worked to get everything situated, the shuffle of a presence announced itself.

Mya.

She made the fine hairs of my skin stand at attention with her presence. For several weeks, she’d gone missing from class after our awkward encounter at Gray Hotel. Following Duke’s revelation that she’d threatened to blackmail him, she’d really walked into the lion’s den. Her nonattendance led me to believe she’d dropped the class entirely. Beyond gorgeous, with legs that stretched for days and the face of America’s Next Top Model. You would never look at her and see her repulsiveness. No. Mya’s ugliness was skin-deep. I wondered why she’d fumbled Duke so terribly.

His dick was flawless.

His money was long.

His heart was massive.

His attentiveness and care were there.

What the fuck were you thinking?

Rising to my full height, I freed a stream of air as she approached.

“I was hoping to see you here today,” cordially, she smiled.

I wanted to snatch her skinny ass up and drag her by the hair off the cliff we were positioned on.

Deep breaths, Serenity.

Shifting slightly, I braced myself for more bullshit. Now was not the time. Neither was it the place. The class would soon be starting.

I needed to be in a serene mental space to teach adequately.

Deep breaths.

Somatic release was all about mind-body awareness. I was ready to release my hands on Mya. Cognizant that she’d heightened my body’s temperature, I drew in another deep breath. Concurrently, I willed myself to release the tension and anxiety she’d caused by her mere presence. Only after my nervous system settled did I speak.

“Okay.”

“I just wanted to first off apologize to you for my behavior during our last encounter. That’s not the person I’ve worked to become. I reverted to a version of myself that I’m ashamed of. So… Sorry.”

She said that last part with her hands.

“And secondly, I wish to speak with you about continuing the class. I hope to remain. I won’t bring up anything concerning me and my ex or you and him. Would that make things weird?

Yes.

“It’s not a problem,” I smiled. “Not a problem at all unless you make it one.”

“Thank you—”