11
“Areyou sure your back is going to be okay?” Audrey heard herself ask for probably the tenth time as she took a sip of water. As much as she was enjoying this, the one thing that was stopping her from completely allowing herself to fully bask in the glory of having Josh’s hands all over her was because she was so scared that she was hurting him.
The past hour had arguably been the best hour in her life. She and Josh’d had full body contact, but it was more than just the touching. They’d had to work together and use their body weight to balance each other. They’d managed to do every pose that Tiana had shown them and hold each one, which she was proud of considering the last time she’d worked out her age started with a two and not a three.
“I told you, yoga’s good for my back.”
It was the same answer he kept giving her, and she wanted to believe him, but she feared that he might just be white-knuckling through the pain for her. He seemed a little bit…tense.
“I know but this isn’t regular yoga. This is…I mean… all my body weight is on you.”
The look that flashed in Josh’s eyes heated Audrey from the inside out. But as fast as it flared, it was extinguished. It was replaced by a guarded look as he grabbed his own water bottle and took a sip. “You weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet.”
“Okay, next pose is supported back bow,” Tiana said, indicating their water break was over. “Josh you are going to be the base partner. I need you to lie down on the floor on your back and bend your knees in close to your ribs. And Audrey you are going back up to him and sit into the bottom of his feet, reach down and grip his ankles.”
Audrey moved into position and listened to the instructions as Tiana walked them through each step. When Josh straightened his legs Audrey’s feet lifted off the ground and she was in the air as Josh cradled her backside with his size fourteen feet. She’d never been so happy that he had big feet since she was packing a lot of junk in her trunk thanks to her mom. Just like the song, she got it from her mama.
“Okay, as soon as you feel steady, you can release Josh’s ankles and grab your own. Josh you can hold Audrey’s shoulders to help balance her.”
Before Tiana was able to finish getting the instruction out, Audrey felt Josh’s large hands on her shoulders. With his support she was able to release her left hand first and move it to her own ankle and then she repeated the same thing with her right.
“Breathe in and out.” Tiana demonstrated the breaths as Audrey held the pose. “Great job. And now Audrey, you can transition into dancer’s pose or backfly by releasing one of your legs and extending it in the air.”
Almost every time Tiana asked her to go into another pose it sounded impossible in Audrey’s mind, but Josh made it easy. He was the best base anyone could ever ask for. The second Audrey would start to feel shaky, or off balance, Josh would grip harder, change the position of his hands, or shift beneath her to steady her. If she hadn’t known any better, she’d be sure that he’d done this a million times before.
“Okay, breathe,” Tiana instructed when Audrey was in position. “And now we’re going to release the pose. Audrey you can lower your leg as Josh bends his knees lowering his legs and setting you gently on the ground.”
When her feet hit the mat, she grasped onto Josh’s ankles again for leverage so she could straighten to a standing position.
“Alright, guys we have one more pose to end class. This pose both of you will be standing so Josh if you can rise to your feet.”
Disappointment washed over Audrey that the class was over. She felt closer to Josh after this past hour than she had in the eight years they’d known each other as adults. It was amazing how much physical touch created bonding feelings between two people. Not just the touch, but also the breathing, the eye contact, it all worked together.
She would definitely be telling her sister that she should include this activity in the singles week itinerary. Although she wouldn’t personally feel comfortable doing this with a stranger, she could see how it would be a good experience to get to know someone, and at the very least see if there was chemistry in a safe environment.
Josh stood to his feet and Audrey looked up to check and make sure that there weren’t any hints of pain in his expression. As much as she wanted nothing more than for this class to never end, she would call it immediately if she saw any evidence that this was hurting Josh.
He grinned down at her, and she knew she’d been caught.
“I’m fine, worry wart.” He lifted his thumb and brushed it over the wrinkles that she hadn’t known had formed between her eyebrows.
A thrill chased down her spine. Josh’s hands weren’t just big and strong, they were also calloused thanks to his days spent doing manual labor. She loved the way the roughened pads of his fingers felt against her smooth skin. There was something innately sexy about his touch.
“Okay, we’re going to do a standing straddle bat. Josh, I’m going to need you to place your hands on Audrey’s hips.”
Josh stepped forward, closing the space between himself and Audrey and did as instructed. The second his hands gripped her sides, a tingle exploded between her legs.
“And now Audrey, lift your hands and place them around Josh’s neck.” Audrey felt her breathing grow shallower as she lifted her arms. She knew this wasn’t dancing, per se, but she’d always loved to dance and had fantasized about Josh pulling her out on the dance floor one of the hundred nights they’d hung out at JT’s bar. He never had. She’d actually never seen him dance with anyone.
Once her hands were in place Tiana continued,” Okay now Josh step your feet past hip distance apart and bend your knees.” When he did Tiana said, “Now Audrey you’re going to hop up and straddle him wrapping your feet around his waist.”
Audrey felt her cheeks flush as she felt Josh’s hands squeeze on her hips as she hopped up and wrapped her legs around him. She’d never been in this position with anyone before and it felt intimate to be hanging on him like this. Her breathing was coming in short pants, and it had nothing to do with the energy that she’d expended over the last hour.
“Okay now Josh you’re going to lean forward slightly as Audrey you relax your neck as you lean back and release your legs opening them up and straightening them out into a wide split. Once her legs are outstretched, Josh you can release her hips lift your arms out to the side and hold her ankles.”
They both followed the instruction and when Audrey’s head fell back, she was able to see their reflection in the mirror. Her eyes met Josh’s gaze in the mirror and for a moment, the world around Audrey disappeared. All that she saw was the two of them, in a very intimate looking pose. Heat swirled low in her belly causing a tingling sensation to build between her legs.
“Okay, great. Josh you can straighten back up, grip Audrey’s hips once again and gently lower her to the ground.”