Sophie leans on her best friend Pete in the wake of her divorce, but what will happen when the line between friendship and romance begins to blur? Check out this exclusive excerpt from Ten Year Dance by Ara Grigorian!
About ‘Ten Year Dance’ by Ara Grigorian:
Best friends since sixth grade. A ten-year high school reunion. A truth they’ve danced around for a decade.
Unlucky-in-love Sophie Perez knows her divorce won’t be easy — but she doesn’t expect it to be dangerous. So when things get ugly, she agrees to move in with Pete Nicos, her commitment-phobic best friend since childhood. Pete has always been there for Sophie, just like she’s been there for him. At first, taking her in seems like the best option, but soon her tantalizing proximity blurs the lines of friendship. With their high school reunion on the horizon will they find closure, forgiveness, and new beginnings? Ten Year Dance is a contemporary love story, rich with engaging and relatable characters trying to find themselves and each other.
Ara Grigorian’s latest will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
‘Ten Year Dance’ by Ara Grigorian exclusive excerpt:
Twenty-Two
— Pete —
I DRAG MY bones out of bed and wash up. As I reach my door, I hear music, or something that sounds like music. I open the door and step out.
It is music. Spa music.
I take a few more steps and see Sophie. On a Yoga mat in the den. Looking hot and powerful.
I can’t help but stare at her. She’s holding a wide stance, her right knee is bent in front, the left straight back. Her left hand is reaching back, gently touching her calf, while her right hand is stretching straight up. Her eyes focus on the heavens.
Call a sculptor. Get the clay before it’s too late. She is a goddess.
When she transitions out of her pose, she notices me.
“Good morning,” she says as she graciously changes pose. She does something that looks like a push up, holds that position, then drops her lower body, her hips nearly touching the floor while she raises her upper body, arms straight. Her body is in a full stretch, like a cat.
“Does that hurt?” I ask.
She says nothing for a few moments then returns to the push-up pose again. Her feet leap toward her hands and she rises.
She grabs the towel and tosses it on her shoulder, then grabs the water bottle. She’s facing me, drinking the water greedily, but her perfectly-formed body doesn’t waver. She’s not tired. She looks like she’s just starting.
“Initially,” she starts, “but over time you’ll be able to sustain any type of physical activity.”
I grin. “I’m all for sustained physical activities.”
An eyebrow shoots up. She takes a couple of steps up to me and stands inches away. “Is that so?” she asks, a smile teases her lips.
My heart rate picks up. She’s sweating, blood is pumping through her veins, and her body has never looked more fit. “Uh-huh,” is what comes out of my mouth, but my throat is suddenly dry.
She places a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s find out,” she says, then grabs my arm and pulls me to the yoga mat.
“Oh, come on.”
“Don’t be such a wimp. Just a few movements.”
“I’m not dressed properly. I need yoga pants.”
She man-handles me, positioning me on the mat. “Okay, get on your knees.”
“I feel objectified,” I say just as she gets me on the floor.
“The first pose is called upward dog.”
This is the same one I saw her doing—head high, my crotch nearly touching the floor. I nail it.
“Good. Now we switch to downward dog.” She grabs my hips and starts pulling me up. “Lower your head as I move your hips upward. Don’t move your feet. You’ll take an upside down V pose.”
This is hard and getting harder. Not only because it takes strength and control, but because she’s holding my hips. Her strong hands have wrapped themselves completely around my waist. What the hell is going on with me? I feel the current. I feel things I shouldn’t be feeling with her.
I drop. “Okay, that was good.” I slide away from her.
“No way, Pete. We agreed we’ll get all purrty for the reunion. Put on sneakers and get hydrated. We’re going for a run.”
“What are we running away from?”
Ten Year Dance by Ara Grigorian is available now! Order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo! And don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads!
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