‘I guess we should go home.’ Connor looked disappointed. ‘You’re cold.’
Madison checked her watch. ‘It’s only eight thirty. I’m not ready for tonight to finish,’ she confessed, feeling her cheeks heat. ‘But I’m not sure where we can go next. There are loads of people at The Hideaway and I don’t want to get in the way…’
‘Georgie’s at my house.’ Connor frowned. ‘The atmosphere there is bordering on hostile.’
‘What about my studio? I mean, the heating’s on and there’s a kitchen, mugs and a kettle. I could probably make us a hot drink – we could pick up milk and teabags on the way? It’ll be an excellent opportunity for us to compliment your paintwork again.’
‘No dragon pose?’ Connor teased, watching Madison. Like he was waiting for something – perhaps poised for them to take another brave step?
‘Are you ready for that?’ Her voice deepened. But she didn’t look away, even as Connor smiled suggestively.
‘After swimming under the stars, a massage and ice cream – who wouldn’t be? You’re changing my world, Madison Skylar – why stop now?’
Twenty-Three
What had possessed him to do this? Connor opened his eyes to find Madison beaming at him. There was some kind of hippy music playing in the background, and he could swear he smelled camomile tea brewing somewhere, even though they hadn’t put the kettle on.
‘We’ll begin sitting.’ Madison pointed at one of the dark blue mats on the floor before sinking smoothly into a cross-legged position. Her face looked serene and beautiful, in sharp contrast to the oozing mass of nerves that had taken up residence in Connor’s head. Despite that – or perhaps because of it – he found himself dropping to the floor so he could sit on the mat facing her. He crossed his legs, feeling a stretch through his calves.
‘I always like to start my sessions with a few deep breaths,’ Madison explained, watching Connor with an unreadable expression. ‘I’m guessing you’re going to think I’m crazy. But it’s surprising how many of the little things we don’t pay attention to in our lives.’
‘Workloads, schedules?’ Connor said, taking a deep breath in and filling his lungs.
‘Breathing.’ Madison smiled. She’d changed into a set of clothes she kept in one of the wardrobes upstairs. Now she wore a red vest top that followed the curves of her body, and black yoga leggings. Connor’s jeans were loose and he’d stripped down to his long-sleeved T-shirt. The outfit wasn’t perfect, but Madison had told him it would work. She took another deep breath in before letting it out, and Connor found himself doing the same. ‘Feel the tension leave your body with each breath,’ Madison encouraged softly. ‘Forget about what you’re supposed to be doing – put aside your to-do list. It’ll be easier to relax.’
Connor didn’t know about that. His shoulders felt tight and he was finding it difficult to concentrate, with her sitting on the floor opposite him and that incredible view of the stars outside the window framing her slim, strong body. But he did as he was told, relaxing a notch as the air slowly left his lungs.
‘We’re going to start with child’s pose – give it a try, don’t strain your shoulders and if anything hurts, stop.’ Connor watched as Madison knelt onto her knees before slumping forwards with her arms in front of her. She took a long breath in and let it out before turning her head to look at him and grinning. ‘This is great for grounding yourself. Can you try it?’
‘Not without feeling ridiculous,’ he murmured, moving onto all fours before sinking down and deciding he’d officially lost his mind. He could feel the stretch across his shoulders but it wasn’t unpleasant. Perhaps Madison was right and the constant ache there was due to tension rather than anything sinister?
‘Does it feel okay?’ Madison asked, sounding concerned.
‘Yes. Will this take long?’ Now he was here, back in The Hideaway, the reality of what he was doing was messing with his mind. He should be working in the cafe, or at the very least doing some paperwork.
‘Clear your mind,’ Madison soothed, placing a soft hand onto Connor’s shoulder, making the muscle under the surface go wild. ‘I can see the tension here despite all the relaxation this evening – this won’t take long, and it’ll work a lot better if you give in to it.’
‘I don’t know what that means,’ Connor said, feeling both confused and turned on.
‘It means stop thinking,’ Madison answered softly, taking another deep breath. ‘I love being here, knowing there’s nowhere else I need to be, nothing that needs doing. I’m not saying forever,’ she added quickly, so his impatient comment died on his tongue. ‘Just for the next few minutes. I’m at peace with the here and now. Try it: three breaths. See how it feels.’
Connor closed his eyes and filled his lungs before letting the breath out slowly. He could hear Madison next to him and ached to look. As he let out a breath, he found himself relaxing again as the air left his body, taking a little of the tension with it.
‘Now move upwards and get on all fours,’ Madison ordered quietly, as Connor sat back on his knees. ‘This is tabletop. Rise up, like this, see – we call this one cat.’ She curled her spine and moulded her body like an angry cat arching its back, then dipped it down again, doing the movement a couple of times in quick succession. Her arms were tanned and her slim body looked strong and agile. Connor let his gaze trace Madison’s skin. He’d never realised how flawless it was, or how sensual such slow, peaceful movements could be. Madison stopped suddenly and turned to look at him. Her face went bright red. ‘You were meant to copy me, do it at the same time.’
‘I…’ Connor cleared his throat. ‘Did you learn all this in Thailand?’ he asked, making conversation, trying to get his errant body back on track.
‘I learned in India, but I’ve done courses in a few other countries.’ She flashed a quick smile. ‘And you’re distracting me. This isn’t a spectator sport. To get the full benefit you need to participate.’
‘I feel ridiculous,’ Connor said, getting on all fours and mirroring the catlike movement. Despite that, the stretch across his back felt good. He could feel Madison’s eyes on him as he completed a few sets before pushing back onto his knees again. Her cheeks were still red, only now she looked flushed rather than embarrassed. Was he having the same effect on her as she’d been having on him?
‘That’s…’ Madison swallowed, waving a hand in front of her face. ‘It’s hot in here,’ she added. ‘Do your back and shoulders feel all right? There are a couple more warm-up exercises I’d like you to try before we move into some of the basic poses.’
‘It’s fine.’ Connor watched Madison as she nodded, looking strangely shy. She moved onto her hands and knees, then stretched her legs out behind her so her straightened torso was held up by her hands and toes.
‘This is a basic plank. From here you walk your hands backwards and stretch upwards.’ She stuck her bottom in the air and moved her hands towards her feet so her body moved into an upside-down V shape. ‘This is downward dog. You’ve probably heard of it – pedal your feet up and down like this to warm up your legs.’ Madison lifted her heels one after the other so she looked like she was walking. The movement was smooth and strangely graceful.
‘You look good,’ Connor admitted. Unused to offering compliments, the words felt odd on his tongue. ‘I can tell you’ve been doing this for a while.’
‘It’s the one thing I’ve stuck at through the years. Good thing too, as it turns out. It makes me feel peaceful and grounded. Whenever I feel like I don’t know what to do next, or if I’m lonely, I do a yoga session. It always helps.’ She turned to look at him, her head still upside down, her hair trailing like a waterfall past her ears, down towards the floor. ‘And I’ve no idea why I told you that, except I hope you have a similar experience. I know you need to find a place to escape to that doesn’t involve work. A place where you can let go and be happy.’
‘I escape when I run.’ From everything, except thoughts of his father. Connor
tore his eyes away from Madison and got himself into a plank position before moving his hands into the correct place. Now his head was pointing to the floor while he faced his knees. ‘I feel ridiculous,’ he murmured again.
‘You need to move your legs.’ Madison knelt beside Connor and he stilled, more aware of her than ever. She guided his leg into the correct position and sat watching while he tried to copy her. ‘How does that feel?’ she asked quietly. There was tension in her voice. Connor couldn’t tell why, but awareness skidded through him, making it hard to concentrate.
‘My legs feel odd, like they’re in the wrong place.’
‘You need to move this leg further to the left, here…’ Madison edged closer and tried to ease it into another position, bumping her shoulder against his arm, making his body tense as he reacted to her.
He cleared his throat. ‘Where exactly?’
‘Here.’ As Madison moved again, Connor did the same. Trying to read her mind, he let his leg slide towards her, feeling it shake as he held himself upright. ‘That’s a little too far,’ Madison said, coming even closer, pushing against Connor as she adjusted his arm.
‘Let me try,’ Connor grumbled, jerking his leg, beginning to lose his balance as Madison tried to adjust him again. ‘That’s not going to work…’ He didn’t have time to right himself as his leg went out from under him and he found himself falling sideways, losing his footing as gravity took over and he toppled.
‘I’m sorry,’ Madison shrieked, trying to grab Connor’s arm. But it was too late, and before she could help, he landed on his side in an untidy pile. ‘Are you okay?’ Madison leaned over as he rolled onto his back, her long brown hair trailing on his chest. The top of her T-shirt fell forwards, exposing the hint of a red lacy bra.
‘I’m fine. I didn’t hurt myself.’ Connor lay on the floor and looked upwards at the newly painted ceiling. ‘Well, this is relaxing, more like the massage. I might prefer it to yoga – perhaps you can add it to your routine?’
Madison looked into his eyes. Hers had deepened to a dark brown in the dim light. Combined with her hair, which had all but fallen out of the untidy knot on her head, she looked sexy, beautiful and a little dishevelled. ‘This is becoming a habit. Does anything hurt?’
‘Why, are you planning to kiss it better?’ Connor responded softly, wondering what the hell had got into him. Maybe it was just the result of this evening, spending so much time with Madison? Or perhaps he’d spent too long fighting this attraction – and was finally ready to give in to it?
‘If you like…’ Madison looked surprised, but her gaze stayed locked with his. Connor’s heart thumped. He should walk away now, he knew that. Get up off the floor, grab his shoes and run – from the dangerous feelings she was stirring inside him, the reckless wants and needs filling his heart. Because despite how he was feeling, there was still the small matter of him keeping the truth about The Hideaway being for sale from her, which made him feel dishonest. But instead of doing the right thing, he found himself reaching up and taking Madison’s hand so he could tug her down until their faces were almost touching.
‘My lips hurt,’ Connor said.
Madison laughed softly. ‘If you’re hurting, then it’s my fault. I really ought to make it better.’ She leaned over tentatively and traced her lips slowly across his mouth – just the merest of touches, but enough to set off a rocket in his body and head. ‘Enough?’ she asked, pulling back.
‘No,’ Connor replied, wondering if he’d ever get enough of this woman. He knew he was making a mistake, even as he placed a hand on the back of Madison’s head so he could gently pull her towards him. He knew deep in his heart he’d probably regret it. Despite those doubts, or perhaps because of them, he blanked his mind, desperate to be free of the guilt whispering to him about schedules and deadlines, of failing to live up to the legacy he’d been left. And he let himself fall, pulling Madison towards him again, until their lips met and he could barely think at all.
Twenty-Four
Connor Robertson was kissing her. That was all Madison could think as she let him pull her nearer, moving one leg up and over his torso until she straddled him, fulfilling a teenage fantasy that had begun to come true in the pool. She let her fingers run through Connor’s thick, brown hair as he kissed her, letting her body dip down so she could lie across his torso. Now they were chest to chest, she could feel his hard muscles through her vest, could feel the power of his arms as he wrapped them around her back.
Only they weren’t close enough. Not by a long shot.
Madison moved her arms lower to reach for the bottom of Connor’s T-shirt, surprising him – he broke off their kiss to stare into her eyes. ‘You sure about this?’ he asked, scanning her face.
‘Never surer.’ Madison lifted the T-shirt to the middle of Connor’s chest, exposing smooth, tanned skin and a trail of dark hair that travelled like an arrow from his belly button, before disappearing into the top of his jeans. She’d seen his body in the pool, but being here in her studio it felt more intimate.
‘I know you won’t want to answer but… is there anyone else?’ Connor asked, and Madison stopped tugging at his clothes.
‘No…’ She paused, thinking about Seth and the open relationship she was in the process of ending because there was no future in it. ‘Not really, not anymore, and in all honesty… it’s never been like this.’ She sat up, still straddling him, her eyes skimming the bottom of his chest. Was he going to change his mind? Throw her off, disappear back into the cafe to hide himself in work? Or would he give in? ‘In truth, I’ve never wanted to feel like this with anyone else.’ Her voice dropped as she tried to explain, tried to put into words her thoughts. The same ones she didn’t understand herself. ‘You know I’ve had… feelings for you since I was fifteen.’
‘I remember you from then.’ Connor’s eyes flickered across her face, his expression unreadable. ‘I’m not sure why. I noticed you, but you were too young… Besides, I didn’t have time for girlfriends – I was always at work.’
‘You’re not working now.’ Madison’s eyes lowered to Connor’s belly button again, dropping to the top of his jeans, where their bodies met.
‘I’m meant to be doing yoga.’ A slight smile lifted Connor’s face.
‘I’d rather do this.’ With that, she tugged at his T-shirt again, only this time he didn’t stop her. Instead he helped as she pulled it over his head. Madison stayed where she was and gave herself a chance to look at him, to take in the muscles and hard planes of his body, the breadth of his shoulders and chest. There wasn’t an ounce of excess flesh on him, just firm muscles and tanned skin that told of months toiling outside – and a long scar running across his shoulder, probably from a work injury. Madison grasped the belt on Connor’s jeans and began to undo it, before he stopped her by putting his hands over hers.
‘I may be out of practice, but I’m pretty sure this works better if we both get undressed,’ he said quietly. ‘If you let me move out from under you, I could even help?’
‘I’m happy to do it. The point of this session was for you to learn to let go and relax. There are no schedules here, no expectations for you to do the work.’ Madison grinned as she tugged at her vest before throwing it up and over her head, savouring the way Connor’s eyes lit up, then slowly dropped to her bra.
‘Red?’ he asked.
‘In China I learned the colour means good fortune and happiness. It may just be superstition, but I wear red a lot.’ Connor smiled as Madison reached slowly behind herself to unclip the bra, before throwing it onto the carpet. Her body tingled as his eyes darkened, skimming her skin.
‘Good fortune and happiness – I’m not superstitious, but tonight I’ll agree with that,’ Connor said, pulling Madison down to his chest again. This time it felt different: they were skin to skin. Closer even than when they’d been half naked in the pool. Connor kissed Madison again, the connection surprising her. Now their kiss wasn’t slow, studied or planned out as she�
��d come to expect from him. And it was no leisurely journey or meandering road either. This kiss felt urgent. As though Connor had decided they’d wasted enough time already.
Connor’s fingers slid down Madison’s back, the calluses on his hands rough against her skin. They stopped for a beat at the top of her yoga pants, before slowly sliding underneath the waistband. He continued to kiss her gently as he explored, taking full advantage of the roomy, stretchy Lycra as he skipped his fingers across her knickers, stroking further downwards across her bum cheeks. Madison moaned against Connor’s mouth, found herself squirming against his groin as he continued to explore, before he rolled suddenly onto his side, taking her with him, and laid her gently backwards.
‘Now the jeans have to go.’ Madison laughed, wasting no time as she tried to sit up and undo Connor’s belt, pushing his trousers and boxers over his bottom onto his thighs, where he took over, pulling them off. Then it was her turn. Connor peeled Madison’s yoga leggings down, taking her lacy red knickers with them. The fact that they matched her bra was clearly lost on him, as he tossed the bundle of clothes across the room into an untidy pile. Then he sat back down onto one of the mats, leaning against the wall before reaching for her.
This time when Madison straddled him, they were skin against skin with nothing in the way. She let herself sink down, looking into Connor’s eyes, feeling her heart judder as she found him watching her, seeming troubled – haunted, perhaps, by ghosts from the past?
‘Stop thinking,’ Madison demanded as she leaned forwards to kiss Connor again, and he seemed to wake up. He slid his hands slowly from her hips upwards, gently feathering the skin until everything pulsed.
‘You really want to do this?’ Connor trailed kisses downwards, hitting Madison’s collarbone in seconds before easing her backwards so he could continue tracing a slow, sensual path.
‘It’s not me who’s been holding back,’ Madison ground out. ‘And since I’m naked, sitting on your lap, I’m guessing you’ve got my answer. How about you?’
The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings: A gorgeously feel-good and heart-warming romance to escape with Page 16
