Sacred Serenity (Lotus House Book 2) Read Free Page B

to his swoon-factor.
    Our future. Good Lord above.
    A warm wave rose from my toes up through my body. My face had to be flaming red. He was hitting on me? Dash Alexander. The man who starred in all of my late-night fantasies was flirting. With me. Boring. Homely. OCD student. Girl next door. Amber St. James.
    “I’m sorry, Dash. I don’t believe I understand. What do you mean?” I had to ask. There was no getting around it. My mind would replay his words ad nauseam if I didn’t clarify his intent.
    He grinned, and that drop-dead sexy dimple appeared again. I wanted to kiss it. Lift up on my toes and press my lips to the small indentation.
    “You will. When the time is right.”
    Of course, as fate would have it, the line cleared and we stood at the counter.
    “What’s up, Doc?” Dara Jackson greeted me. Not only was she the daughter of the couple who owned the bakery, but she was also the meditation teacher at Lotus House. I’d taken her course during the dreaded finals weeks in college for my bachelor’s. She often helped me relax and find some perspective on my studies.
    “Doc?” Dash asked.
    I rolled my eyes. “Not yet. Only a few more years of medical school.”
    Dara’s brown sugar-colored skin shined right along with her smile. Her piercing blue eyes steadied on me. “Yes, but Genevieve has been going on and on about how you scored a full ride to that awesome medical school. Girl, bring it here!” She held up her hand, and I smacked it five. “Whoop! Now that’s what I’m talking about. We need a doctor running around here. With the new AcroYoga class going in, I’m certain we’ll need our own on-call doctor.”
    I laughed heartily. “Not that kind of doctor.”
    Her brows came together. “Any doctor is better than none. Those padded mats only go so far. And I hear the Italian stallion, Nick Salerno, can’t keep up with kissing his clientele’s boo-boos.” She made a sound best described as a snort and a laugh. On her, it worked. When a woman was God’s gift to mankind like Dara and Genevieve, they could make piggy noises and men would still fall at their feet.
    “All right, enough gabbing. What do you want to eat and drink so we can discuss the particulars of assisting the course?” Dash nosed his way into our chitchat.
    Dara’s eyes widened to the size of giant moons. “You’re going to assist the Tantric couples’ class?” Her smile turned into a knowing smirk. “This will be very interesting. You gonna behave?” She turned her attention to Dash.
    He frowned. “Why is it that you’re the second woman today that believes I’d dishonor or disrespect any assistant in my class?”
    Dara put her hand on Dash’s and smiled softly.
    Her gesture made the back of my neck prickle and itch.
    “Dash, honey, you’re one of the most sexual and sexy, available teachers we have. Every woman wants you to disrespect them in one of your hot, sweaty, tangled-up-in-one-another’s-bodies courses, but I thought you wouldn’t allow anyone that’s not serious about the practice to participate.” She turned to me. “Just surprised you’re the one he ended up with, Doc. You know, being a medical-type chick and not a yoga teacher.”
    I crossed my arms over my chest. Both Dash and Dara clocked the movement. “It’s for my human sexuality coursework.” Not that I needed to explain, but I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. I especially didn’t want Dash to think I had any concerns about assisting. Though it did worry me how many people had left the course. Something I’d definitely need to ask him about.
    “Oh, well, that makes sense. I’m sure you’ll have a very enlightening experience.” She grinned and finally took our order.
    Dash ordered a couple donuts and a peach Danish with a large Columbian coffee. I ordered an apple and a cinnamon Danish with a latte. He paid and refused repeatedly when I tried to pay for my half. Then he led me over to a table in the far corner where