Noble Love (The Nobles of Sweet Rapids #1) (4 page)

"
S
ssss...haaah...
"

Tessa continued the relaxed inhale and exhale as she lay on her yoga mat in Savasana, also known as the dead body pose. The heat of the classroom seeped into her pores, loosening her muscles as she mentally prepared herself for the ninety minute Bikram yoga class.

Tessa liked to arrive to the room early so that she could snag her favorite spot for the hot yoga class. She also liked to take some time to clear her head of all of the stresses of the day.

He hasn't come back in two days.

Tessa blew out another breath; this one was more forceful than her previous ones. She'd tried not to think about Isaiah or the fact that he hadn't returned to the bakery. She tried not to think about how every time she heard the stupid bell over the door ring, she'd look up with anticipation, hoping to see him walk in with that sexy gait of his.

Maybe he went back to L.A. already...

Tessa shook her head. He said he'd be returning to the bakery, and for some reason, she believed him. His mother had come in for her regular bear claw order in the mornings and even came one evening for one of their cupcakes. But there was no sign of Isaiah Noble, much to Tessa's disappointment.

She let out a sigh as she decided to put the man out of her head, at least for the next hour and a half.

Class wouldn't be starting for another few minutes yet, but already her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She knew by the time the class was over, she'd be drenched, but she didn't care. She didn't come to class to look cute, she came to class because she enjoyed it and it helped her unwind. Already, she felt her body slipping into a tranquil state.

She blew out another slow, calming breath; her lip twitching as she felt the cool breeze of the door opening as other students entered. One of the reasons she enjoyed being near the door was occasionally during the class, the teacher would come to the back of the class, open the door and allow a burst of cool air to flow into the room, giving the class a brief reprieve from the heat that could go up to one hundred and four degrees.

Tessa recognized the shift in her atmosphere instantly. A familiar tingle began to slowly dance across her skin. As of late, only one thing had caused her body to react in such a way.

One person.

There was
no
way...

Slowly, Tessa opened her eyes and gasped when she found Isaiah Noble standing over her, holding a rolled up yoga mat under his arm, wearing compression shorts and nothing else.

"We meet again, Miss Everett," he said in a hushed tone, his head tilted slightly as he flashed a disarming grin.

She looked around and realized the other students had filed in during her moments of meditation. The classroom was now nearing capacity.

She noticed how he'd kept his voice low, out of respect for the other students who were in the Savasana pose preparing for class. Only people who attended the class on a regular basis knew to be courteous in that way.

She opened her mouth to respond, just as the door opened again and the yoga teacher entered.

"Good evening, yogis," she said. "Let's get ready to do some work tonight."

Isaiah grinned at her. "I'll catch you later," he whispered, before moving around the classroom to an empty spot. Which happened to be a few rows across from where she was.

"Shit, I barely made it!"

"
Ssssh!
"

Tessa smiled as Dana cut her eyes at one of the other patrons with a glare. Dana had decided to join Tessa at the hot yoga class in an attempt to 'sweat out' the rest of her cold. She wasn't a regular attendant like Tessa was. She'd asked Tessa to save her a spot, so Tessa brought one of her extra yoga mats from home for Dana.

Tessa sat up slightly as Dana sat down and it gave her the perfect vantage point to see Isaiah. The man was beyond gorgeous. His milk chocolate skin was smooth. His chest was broad, his abs were tight. She watched as his large biceps flexed as he unrolled his yoga mat. His defined calves made her wonder if he was a runner. His strong thighs sent her mind in a frenzied state. They were peppered with fine, wiry hairs. What they must feel like against soft skin...

Her skin...

"
Goddamn!
" Dana hissed, looking in Isaiah's direction then back to Tessa. Leaning toward Tessa, she whispered, "Isaiah Noble is
here
? In our hot yoga class."

He chose that moment to look in her direction and smile again, and all Tessa could do was swallow and nod.

"Well hell," Dana said with a sly grin on her face. "It's about to be off the charts hot in here."



Puppies...

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5's first movement is an allegro con brio...

The square root of four thousand seven hundred sixty-one is...sixty-nine...

Shit! Don't think of sixty-nine...

"Feel the twist in your spine," the yoga instructor advised as the class sat in a position with one leg crossed over the other, with their upper body twisted in the opposite direction as they looked over their shoulder.

Which happened to allow Isaiah to watch Tessa's lithe body in the second to the last pose of the class. All evening he'd been stealing glances of her from across the room, watching her with rapt curiosity. She did every move with ease, telling him that she was obviously a regular in the class.

And now, he was sitting here admiring the glossy curves of her cocoa kissed skin, trying to think of any and everything he could to avoid an erection he would be unable to hide in his compression shorts.

But he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Once again, he got an eyeful of those two round globes in her tight shorts. Her hips were wide, her tummy was toned and her breasts...

She picked that moment to peek over her shoulder in his direction. When she realized he caught her gazing in his direction, her eyes grew wide and her cheeks grew even more flushed than they'd been from the heat in the room. She quickly turned her face away from him.

"And now for the final pose: Kapalbhati in Vajrasana, the blowing in firm pose..."

Everyone moved to their knees, sitting back on their heels and placing their hands on the tops of their thighs. The yoga instructor began counting and clapping in a syncopated pace and everyone exhaled in time with the teacher. They repeated the exercise once more and then the instructor smiled.

"That completes the class for today," she said in a calm, quiet tone. "You are free to return to Savasana for as long as you need. Make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated."

She pressed her palms together and bowed her head. "
Namaste
."

The class mimicked her movement and repeated the closing statement.

Isaiah stood, gathered up his yoga mat that he'd rented and headed for the shower. Since people were still meditating in the classroom, he decided not to approach Tessa quite yet. Plus, he needed a shower to cool off. And not just because of the heated room.

As he stood underneath the shower, trying to hurry and finish, his mind once again drifted to Tessa. Watching how limber she was in all those moves made him wonder just how flexible she was in other areas.

After he finished washing, he quickly threw on his sweatpants and a t-shirt, followed by his socks and running shoes.

When he exited the men's locker room, the lobby area of the studio was buzzing with students from the final class of the evening. Isaiah's eyes squinted as he casually perused the area.

"She's at the juice bar across the street."

Isaiah turned and looked down to see Dana Everett, Tessa's sister, staring up at him with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Pardon?"

"My
sister
," Dana said. "The one you're obviously trying to find. She's at the juice bar across the street. She always goes there after this class."

And then Dana walked off.

"Thanks," he called out to her retreating back, which she responded with a simple wave of her hand.

A few moments later, Isaiah slung the long strap of his duffle bag onto his shoulder and headed toward the exit.

As he stepped outside, he looked up and down Main Street of historic Sweet Rapids. Over the last decade, the town had gone through a major expansion. With the city being the midway point between Tahoe and Reno, more and more people were moving to the area over the years because of its convenient location. The historic downtown area had been going through a revitalization period and Isaiah loved the modern shops housed in the older buildings that had undergone some renovations. The city had made improvements while keeping the rustic charm of the area.

It was indeed good to be home, Isaiah thought as he looked across the street and saw the object of his interest for the last few days.

Then he headed to the juice bar.

"
W
hat's good here?"

Tessa's lip curled upward as she felt his warm breath brush her ear. He was ridiculously close. She was standing in line at the juice bar waiting to place her order. She turned around and took in Isaiah's casual attire.

"So, he wears more than suits," she teased.

"And less," he said with a wink.

Tessa threw her head back and laughed. From any other man's lips, she would have found that remark crude, but from Isaiah's mouth, all it did was arouse her even more than she already was.

As her laughter died down, she said, "The Papaya Protein Power juice."

"That's a mouthful," Isaiah chuckled.

Tessa's smile widened and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is. But I assure you that it's great."

"What can I get for you?" the juice bar barista asked.

Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but clamped it shut when Isaiah began to order.

"Two large Papaya Protein Powers, please," he said.

"Name?"

"Isaiah."

Tessa looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" he asked, with a shrug of his shoulders as they moved out of the line to wait for their drinks. "Can't a guy just do a friendly gesture?"

"I'm not one to turn down a free drink," Tessa said with a wink, as they sat down at a table.

"Two large Papaya Protein Powers for Isaiah," the barista called out.

Isaiah sat his bag under the table. "Don't go anywhere," he said as he walked over to pick up their drinks.

Tessa's head tilted to the side, and she bit her lip as she watched Isaiah walk off, checking him out in his sweatpants. He grabbed the drinks, smiled at the barista and turned back around to head to their table. Tessa quickly turned around, hoping he didn't catch her ogling him.

"Man, Sweet Rapids sure has grown. Hot yoga studios and juice bars. We have most certainly evolved," Isaiah said, sitting Tessa's juice down in front of her. She thanked him for the drink.

"Yes, we have," Tessa agreed. She took a long, refreshing sip of her juice. "I must say, I never figured Isaiah Noble for a yogi."

She watched as the corner of his lip lifted slightly.

He shook his head as he pulled the paper cover off of the top of his straw. "If you'd have told me three years ago that Isaiah Noble would be doing yoga, I never would have believed it either."

"So how'd you get in to it?"

"I had a skiing accident while on vacation with Ian. Nothing major, but my knee was jacked up. A friend suggested yoga."

"One of your hot shot L.A. buddies?" Tessa teased.

Isaiah laughed at her jest. "As a matter of fact, yes, it was." Shrugging, he added, "I thought she was crazy at first. I couldn't see myself doing anything like that. But I gave it a shot. And I've been hooked ever since."

"You were pretty good in there," she said.

"Were you checking me out during hot yoga, Miss Everett?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Try your drink," she ordered, trying to shift the topic.

"Nice way to deflect," he murmured.

Tessa watched with anticipation as Isaiah tried his drink.

"Well?" she asked. "What do you think?"

Isaiah's brows bunched in contemplation for a moment before saying, "I think I would have preferred having a slice of cake from you bakery."

Tessa's eyes grew wide.

"Oh come on! It's good," she insisted.

"Your cookies are good," he said, looking into her eyes. "This...tastes...healthy."

Tessa fell into a fit of laughter. "That's the
point
, Mr. Noble!"

"Okay," he said, finally smiling, as he looked down at his drink. "I'll concede. It's not terrible. It's actually quite good.
However
, I'd still prefer something from Everetts."

"Then why haven't you come back?"

Shit...

She hadn't meant to ask that out loud. Her eyes drifted closed in embarrassment.

"Missing me already, after just one encounter?"

Tessa's eyes flew open to find Isaiah staring at her, full smile on display.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Noble." She pulled the straw back to her lips to hide the grin on her lips.

"Isaiah," he corrected. "Please, call me Isaiah."

They sat there eyeing each other for a few moments with Tessa being the first to break contact. She grabbed her drink and stood. "As much as I've enjoyed chatting with you, I have to go. Got an early morning. But thanks again for buying me the drink."

He nodded before taking another sip of the juice. "It was my pleasure. Thanks for the recommendation. And have a good evening."

"You too."

She headed out the door, and down the street to her car.

"Hey, Tess!"

She froze at the sound of Isaiah's voice. He'd shortened her name and for some reason, the smooth way it spilled from his lips made her body shiver.

She turned around to find Isaiah standing outside the juice bar.

"Can I see you again?"

She smiled at him and after a moment, she shrugged as she said, "You know where to find me. Just remember that exception the other morning was a onetime thing."

Then she turned and continued walking down the sidewalk, with a giddy feeling spreading through her body as she felt his gaze sear her from behind.



"And did you know that arrogant son of a bitch had the
nerve
to be pissed because I went to yoga with you the other day!"

Tessa sat on the stool watching Dana beat a bowl of egg whites for a cake as if she had a vendetta against them. "I told him he wasn't my damn daddy and he sure as hell wasn't my man."

Tessa hid her smirk as she asked, "What did Aiden say to that?"

Dana stopped whipping the frothy whites and looked up at Tessa with a glare, pointing the whisk in Tessa's direction. "That
asshole
had the nerve to say, 'Thank God for that'." She began beating the eggs again with even more force as she angrily rambled on. "Asshole. No one asked him to come and check on me. I told him I didn't want to see him. If he hadn't kissed me, I wouldn't have gotten this stupid cold in the first place."

Tessa's eyes bucked open.

"Wait...
what
?!"

Dana's stirring came to a slow halt and her mouth fell open when she realized what she'd let slip. She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head frantically. Tessa hopped off of the stool and came around to the other side of the commercial kitchen island.

"You...
kissed
...Aiden?!" she asked, when she was right in her sister's face.

"It's not what you think," she said quickly.

"All I'm thinking is...you...kissed...Aiden!" she said, punctuating the last three words by poking Dana in the shoulder. "Who's being the stingy heifer holding back details now?"

"There's nothing to tell," Dana snapped. "He's still the worst neighbor in the history of neighbors and I still can't stand his ass."

Tessa laughed, propping her hip against the island. "I can't believe this shit!" she said, feigning dejection as she clutched her hand to her chest. "I thought we were closer than that. Your best friend
and
your big sister! If it wasn't for me
begging
mom and dad for a little sibling when I was two, your ass wouldn't be here. And you're holding out on me."

Dana sighed. "You are not using the 'I begged mom and dad for you' card right now."

"You're damn right I am. Now spill it," Tessa ordered, eager to hear the story.

"Like I said, it was nothing," Dana started. "We were arguing about something. I don't remember what."

"Because you are
always
picking a fight with Aiden," Tessa supplied.

"
Anyway
," Dana continued. "He was calling me a spoiled brat, I was calling him an arrogant ass. The next thing I know, he's ramming his tongue down my throat."

Dana put on a front like she was pissed, but Tessa caught the ghost of a smile that crossed her younger sister's lips. The scowl returned when she added, "The shithead failed to mention that he was at the tail end of a cold when he pulled that stunt."

"Hence,
you
catching a cold."

"And that’s why he's been up my ass for the last week. He feels guilty. As he should."

Dana went back to working on the cake.

"I will say this," she sighed, as she folded the egg whites into the cake batter. "He may be an asshole and the worst neighbor in the history of neighbors, but he's a damn good kisser."

Tessa shook her head and looked at her watch. "It's almost closing time. I'm gonna go lock up," she said as Dana poured the cake batter into the pan before placing it in the oven.

As she stepped into the main area of the bakery, the door swung open and Tessa's heart rate kicked up a notch.

"You said you wouldn't make an exception for me in the mornings anymore," Isaiah said, walking in, with that drop-dead gorgeous smile. "What's your stance on after hours service?"