Page 116 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

Ele was here too. Skye caught her eye and she came over.

‘I’ll miss this class when summer ends.’ Ele shook the sand from her towel and folded it into a neat square.

‘But Marta has a studio for the winter, doesn’t she?’ Skye said, gathering her own things together.

‘She does, but there’s a magic to sunrise yoga when it’s on the beach.’

‘I think this class will be magical wherever it takes place,’ Skye replied, watching as Marta said her goodbyes to members of the group. ‘I love the beach, but I’m quite looking forward to seeing the change of the seasons in Salcombe.’

‘Sounds like Marta has a new fan.’ Ele grinned.

‘This place has a new fan,’ Skye corrected her, trying not to blush as Marta joined them.

‘Hey, you two, thanks for coming to practise with me,’ she said, greeting them both with a kiss on the cheek.

‘Just what I needed.’ Skye pressed her hands to her lower back and stretched. ‘I didn’t sleep much last night.’

‘Same,’ said Ele, yawning. ‘Angel and Adam came over. He’s going back to Bath soon, so I cooked them dinner. May or may not have overdone the red wine.’ She grimaced.

Skye’s stomach dipped; he’d be finding out he had a child tonight. What a shame he wasn’t going to be around for long to get to know her.

Marta laughed. ‘You need some carbs to soak it up.’

For one awful moment, Skye thought Marta was going to invite Ele to come along with them.

Ele groaned. ‘Yes! A sesame bagel with peanut butter awaits at home. See you soon.’

She gave them both a hug and waved goodbye and then it was just the two of them.

‘Shall we go?’ Marta said, her brown eyes twinkling at her.

Skye nodded. ‘I’m starving.’

‘My scooter is just over there.’

‘I thought we’d be walking,’ Skye said, surprised.

‘Nope.’ Marta laughed at the look on her face. ‘I live inland; it would take me an hour to get here. Walking to the beach is fine for tourists, but we’re not tourists.’

‘We’re not,’ agreed Skye, feeling oddly proud of the fact.

‘This is my baby,’ Marta grinned, leading her to a blue scooter parked by the sea wall. ‘I’ve got a car too, as you know, but it’s much quicker to get around on this.’

She packed both of their belongings into the pannier at the back, handed Skye a helmet and leapt on. Skye climbed on behind her.

‘Scoot up a bit more,’ said Marta, turning her head to speak to her. ‘And hold on tight.’

Nerves fizzed through Skye as she inched forward and placed her hands on Marta’s hips. She could feel the heat of Marta’s skin through the Lycra of her yoga leggings, smell the scent of her hair, and she felt giddy with the nearness of her. She’d often gone on the back of scooters in Uganda and never once had she found it as intimate and intoxicating as this.

‘Ready?’ Marta asked before turning the key.

Skye took a deep breath and pressed herself closer to Marta’s body. ‘Ready.’

‘That was amazing.’ Skye’s eyes shone as she pulled her helmet off outside the coffee shop. ‘So fast compared to a car, and such a great view too.’

‘Glad you like it. I much prefer it to driving a car. I like to feel the sun on my face and the salty air on my skin. The throb of an engine between my thighs,’ she added cheekily.

‘I’m sold,’ Skye replied, feeling warm inside her yoga gear. ‘If I end up living here, I might treat myself.’