Page 28

As she walked toward the eastern beach where Serena would be waiting, Lila made herself a promise: She would be honest— with Serena and with herself. No matter how much those ice-blue eyes and commanding presence pulled at something deep within her, she wouldn't lose herself again.

The irony wasn't lost on her. She'd spent months helping others find balance, guiding them toward mindfulness and self-awareness. Now she needed to apply those same principles to her own heart before it carried her somewhere she might not be able to return from.

The path curved ahead, revealing glimpses of turquoise water and white sand beyond.

Somewhere on that beach, Serena waited—the woman who had slipped past her professional boundaries with a single midnight kiss.

Lila took a deep breath, centering herself in the moment rather than the possibilities swirling in her mind.

One step at a time. One breath at a time. Whatever happened next, she would meet it with clarity and presence, not the hungry anticipation currently sending her heart racing in a most unprofessional rhythm.

The secluded beach came into view as Lila rounded the final bend in the path. Whisper Cove looked different than it had during their first yoga session—the sand pristine after the night tide's cleansing sweep and the water a deeper turquoise beneath the brightening sky.

Lila's pace slowed as she approached, her practiced eye scanning the crescent of sand. She half-expected to find the beach empty, a silent message that Serena had reconsidered everything—the session, the connection, the sex. But there, at the far edge, a solitary figure stood facing the ocean.

Serena.

She'd come after all.

From this distance, Serena looked like she might have been carved from the dawn itself—tall and straight, her silver-streaked hair catching the light, her posture broadcasting the unmistakable presence of someone accustomed to commanding rooms and companies alike.

She wore expensive yoga pants and a fitted top in muted gray, designer labels disguised as simplicity.

Something tightened in Lila's chest at the sight. Even after last night—perhaps especially after last night—the woman had a gravitational pull that made her breath catch.

She forced herself to take measured steps across the sand, sliding her professional mask into place despite the butterflies swarming in her stomach. Whatever happened next needed to unfold naturally, not be pushed by her nervous energy.

Serena turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. For a brief, unguarded moment, something flickered across her face—some emotion too quick to identify but powerful enough to be visible. Then her composed expression returned, though her eyes remained alert.

"Good morning," Lila called, her voice carrying across the quiet cove. "You're early again."

"I didn't sleep much," Serena replied, the simple admission carrying layers of possible meaning.

Lila set down her bag, noting the careful distance Serena maintained between them—not rude, but deliberate. Professional.

So that was how they were playing it. Lila swallowed her disappointment, recognizing the retreat for what it was. Pushing would only drive Serena further behind her walls.

"The sunrise from this spot is worth a little lost sleep," Lila said, busying herself with unpacking her yoga mats.

She laid them out with practiced movements, maintaining the easy conversation as if nothing had shifted between them.

"The light changes the water from indigo to turquoise in the span of minutes. "

"I noticed." Serena's voice held none of the warmth it had carried last night, yet it lacked the dismissive edge from their first meeting. She stood with her arms loosely crossed, looking determinedly at the horizon rather than at Lila. "It's... quite remarkable."

Lila glanced up, catching the profile of Serena's face as she studied the ocean. The admission—minor as it was—represented a concession that the Serena from their first meeting would never have made. Progress, however small.

"Would you prefer the same mat as yesterday?" Lila asked, gesturing to the blue one.

Serena nodded, moving to stand beside it without fully approaching. The awkwardness between them hung palpable in the morning air, neither willing to acknowledge it.

Lila knelt to straighten the mats, using the moment to gather her thoughts.

She'd prepared herself for either possibility—that Serena might pretend nothing had happened or that she might want to discuss it.

She hadn't anticipated this strange middle ground of acknowledged tension without acknowledgment of its cause.

"I thought we'd focus on heart openers today," she said, looking up to find Serena watching her with an unreadable expression. "Unless you had something else in mind?"

Something flickered in Serena's eyes at the phrase "heart openers"—perhaps suspicion of metaphorical significance. "I defer to your expertise in this area."

The formality stung, but Lila kept her smile steady. Two could play at professional distance if that's what Serena needed right now.

"Let's begin seated then," she said, lowering herself onto her mat in a cross-legged position. "Eyes closed if you're comfortable or softly focus on the horizon."

Serena settled onto her mat with characteristic precision, back perfectly straight, hands resting on her knees. She kept her eyes open, gaze fixed on the ocean before them. The message was clear: she would participate but not surrender control.

Lila began guiding their breathing, keeping her voice steady and calm despite the churning beneath her professional demeanor. "Deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs completely. And exhale slowly through your mouth, releasing any tension you're carrying."

The sea breeze played with loose strands of her hair as they breathed together in the brightening light. Three feet of sand separated their mats—a careful, appropriate distance that felt like miles compared to the closeness they'd shared just last night.

"Notice any areas of tightness or resistance in your body," Lila continued, watching from her peripheral vision as Serena's shoulders gradually lowered from their defensive position. "Without judgment, just awareness."

As they moved through the initial stretches, Lila sensed Serena's focus shifting from deliberate avoidance to something more present.

Her movements, initially stiff and calculated, gradually flowed with more natural grace.

Whatever walls she'd rebuilt since last night, her body remembered the release it had found.

The sun cleared the horizon fully now, casting long golden rays across the cove and transforming the water into brilliant turquoise. Light surrounded them, making shadows impossible—a fitting metaphor for the moment, Lila thought.

"We'll move to standing poses now," she said, rising with fluid ease. "Mountain pose first. Feet grounded, spine tall, shoulders relaxed."

Serena followed, her expensive yoga attire catching the morning light as she stood. Despite her obvious reluctance to engage beyond the physical practice, her body had natural poise—the strength and flexibility of someone who demanded perfection in all things, even exercise.

Lila demonstrated the first proper heart opener—a gentle backbend with arms extended overhead. "Expand through your chest as you reach, creating space where we often hold tension."

She watched as Serena mirrored the movement, the curve of her back creating a graceful arc against the beachy backdrop.

Something tightened in Lila's chest at the sight—not just physical attraction, though that remained undeniable, but recognition of the trust implicit in Serena's willingness to continue these sessions despite last night's encounter.

"Now warrior two pose," Lila guided, stepping into the wide-legged stance with arms extended. "Strong foundation, open heart."

As they flowed through the sequence, Lila found her professional focus returning. This was familiar territory—guiding bodies through movement, creating space for release and renewal. Her training took over, helping her navigate the emotional complexity of the situation.

Serena moved with surprising grace for someone so naturally guarded.

Each pose revealed a different facet of her: strength in warrior, precision in balances, unexpected flexibility in forward folds.

Her face remained composed, but her body told a different story, gradually shedding the tension she'd arrived with.

"As we move, notice the rhythm of your breath," Lila instructed, demonstrating a twist that opened across the chest. "Often we hold our breath when facing a challenge, a physical response that creates more tension rather than less."

Serena's eyes flicked toward her at this observation, something like recognition flashing across her features before she returned her gaze to the horizon. Her breath visibly deepened in response, ribcage expanding more fully with each inhale.

Another small victory.

The practice continued as the sun climbed higher, warming their skin and casting shorter shadows across the sand.

Lila guided them through poses specifically designed to release the tension patterns she'd observed in Serena's body—the protective tightness across her chest, the habitual elevation of her shoulders, the subtle tucking of her pelvis that spoke of constant vigilance.

Throughout, neither mentioned last night. The silence around these subjects expanded until it became its own presence on the beach with them, a third party in their careful dance.