Page 121 of Game Plan

“I think Carson should be up soon, though.”

“Carson?”

“Bailey. All the guys use their last names around here, but I prefer to use their first names whenever I can. It feels more personal. Mason told me you were on the swim team. Are you hitting the gym later?”

I glanced at my calypso-teal leggings and the white racerback tank top I’d put on after I showered before coming downstairs. “Nah, I thought maybe Mase might wanna go for a run later. We used to go together back home.”

“Oh yes. He said something about you two being neighbors. Wanna join me? I keep Pilates DVDs here, and we have two mats because I sometimes talk Devin into doing a few moves with me. He hates it. Mason is usually easier to convince. He’s really a nice guy, by the way. You did good.”

I toyed with the mug’s handle. “I know. Our getting together was long overdue.”

“At the beginning of the semester, I wanted to match him with my roommate, but he was adamant he was unavailable. He really is a big fan of yours.”

The little fact pleased me a lot. It confirmed everything Mason had been telling me all along. “Let’s just say our relationship had a rocky start. I’m happy we finally put the past behind us.”

Amber passed me a yoga mat, and we laid them side by side. Soon enough, we lost ourselves in the flow.

We were kneeling in a single-leg-kick position when I heard chatter behind us. I lifted my eyes only to see who I assumed to be Rutherford—or Devin, as Amber called her boyfriend.

“I could get used to this view every morning,” Rutherford said, sipping from the coffee mug in his grip. “I’ve just developed a thing for girls kicking their legs.”

“Totally. We should ask them to move in. Morning exercise sessions would be mandatory.” Mason joined him, his hair still damp from the shower, wearing a pair of gray joggers and a white T-shirt.

“You wish,” Amber said, as we transitioned into a boat pose with our arms outstretched above our heads.

“Babe, a man would need to be blind not to enjoy the view first thing in the morning.”

Beside me, Amber tsk-tsked. “What would we get in exchange? We too deserve some eye candy when we wake up.”

He tapped his chin with a finger. “Pierce and I could make you breakfast shirtless. Would that count?”

“You’re driving a hard bargain, Dev,” Amber said, with a contagious smile. “What do you say, Mel?”

Before I could answer, Mason lifted me into the air and spun me so my front balanced on his feet while he lay on his back, legs stretched out in full airplane mode.

“Mase, what are you doing?”

“Joining your morning Pilates class. I can always use the exercise.” He grinned, and I mirrored the curl of his lips.

I moved into a surrender pose and transitioned into a bow pose seconds later.

“Shepard, we’re pretty good at this.”

“It’s the partner.” I winked. “It makes us better.”

He lowered his legs, and I tumbled into his arms. He kissed me like we hadn’t seen each other in a long-ass time instead of just hours.

Rutherford wolf-whistled at us, and we broke apart, laughing.

Recalling what we were talking about minutes ago, I said, “Amber, we should add foot massages once a day to the bare-chested cooking thing.”

I rose to my feet, and we high-fived.

Rutherford stepped between us and draped his arms over our shoulders. “You girls got yourselves a deal. So how long is this little Pilates session going on?”

I bent down and rolled up my mat after doing a few glute stretches. “We’re done, actually. And we’re starving, right, Amber?”

She winked at me. “Famished.”