Page 36 of Total Creative Control
A familiar urge to punch Charlie’s annoying face surged. Lewis ground his molars again.
“Well, it sounds like we’ve got quite a bit to do,” Toni said quickly, forcing a laugh. “We’d better get back to our rooms, Lewis.”
Charlie gave an indulgent chuckle. “By the time you’ve read the pack, done the meditation, and had some tea, you’ll probably be ready to sleep—we’re starting at seven sharp tomorrow morning. Hippolyta recommends getting a good night’s sleep tonight. These workshops are emotionallysodraining. You’ll be amazed how tired you feel after.”
“Seven o’clock,” Toni echoed in a hollow voice. She was not a morning person.
Charlie nodded. “And I’m sure you won’t mind, Toni, but I’ve paired you up with Geoff for the workshop.”
Toni frowned. “Geoff? But won’t he and Milly…”
Charlie shook his head. “I promised Mils that she and I would do this one together—we work so closely, and I feel like some of the energy between us has become a bitblockedrecently, you know? Besides, you got on well with Geoff last time.”
“Um, we had a chat about rugby, but that’s not really enough of a foundation for doing, you know,couples touch therapy.”
Charlie waved a dismissive hand. “It’s notcouplestouch therapy.”
Toni, who was finally beginning to look frayed, said tightly, “You just said we’d be working in couples.”
“Pairs, not couples,” Charlie said airily. “Besides, no one will be with alife-partner-partner. We’ll all be working with a colleague. Lewis will work with Andy.”
Toni opened her mouth again, maybe to point out that she and Geoff were not and never had been colleagues, or possibly that Charlie and Milly used to be fuck buddies—or maybe even that Aaron’s name wasn’t fucking Andy—but in the end she just gave a gusty exhale and said, “Fine, okay.”
“That’s the spirit,” Charlie said, beaming now that he’d got his own way, as usual.
Meanwhile, Lewis’s gut had begun to twist at the thought of being paired with Aaron tomorrow. Doingtouchtherapy with Aaron.Christ.What did that mean? What the fuck evenwastouch therapy? The thought of touching Aaron made him feel panicky and hot and excited and dismayed, all at once.
Lewis didn’t reallydotouching. He had two modes when it came to touching: fucking hot men in controlled environments and otherwise keeping his distance from everyone. He put up with his brother’s occasional hugs, but that was pretty much the sum total of the non-sexual physical affection in his life.
Lewis was not a hugger.
“All right then,” Charlie said, standing up and clapping his hands. He began to walk them towards the door. “Like I said, Paula will be emailing out the workshop packs and links to your tailored meditations. We’ll be meeting Hippolyta in the Long Gallery tomorrow morning at seven for some intentional movement exercises to get started, so don’t be late. Are you excited, guys?”
Lewis grunted.
“So much,” Toni said, faintly.
Once the door had closed and they were halfway down the corridor, Lewis muttered, “Nice save on the fasting thing. But even after that huge breakfast, I’m going to be seriously hungry later. Do you have any food?”
“Absolutely,” Toni said. “I never come here without a bunch of snacks.” She glanced at Lewis. “I’m going to do a quick flick of the workshop pack, watch the meditation on fast forward while I’m in the bath, and then it’s jim-jams and Netflix with a Pot noodle and a multipack of Monster Munch.”
Lewis groaned. “I might have to come and scavenge off you.”
They had reached Toni’s room now. She slowed to a halt and opened the door. “I can spare you a Pot Noodle if you get desperate.” She winked. “If I’m feeling kind, I might even let you have one of my Curly Wurlys.”
“I love you,” Lewis said, seriously.
Smiling, she slipped into her room. “I know.”
Lewis decided to go and update Aaron on the workshop debacle and dinner—or rather the lack of it—before heading for his own room. Aaron was not going to cope well with the idea of fasting. He was one of those naturally lean guys who could eat whatever they wanted and never put on a pound. It never ceased to amaze Lewis just how much food the guy packed away without it having any discernible effect on his tight, lightly muscled frame. Earlier, when he’d seen Aaron draped over that bathroom sink, his t-shirt riding up to expose a tempting slice of lean belly…
Lewis halted suddenly in the middle of the corridor, scowling. That image belonged in the ‘humorous’ box—he should be laughing at the memory of Aaron’s expression morphing from sultry to horrified as he’d jack-knifed upright from his ridiculous pose. But Lewis wasn’t thinking about that. He was remembering how Aaron had looked during those brief, thudding heartbeats of time when Lewis had been standing there, watching him, unnoticed. Watching as Aaron gazed at his phone screen with that half-amused, half-sexy expression, his long body all relaxed and inviting, and that slice of skin, just begging for…
Fuck.
Lewis squeezed his eyes closed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
What the hell was he thinking?