The Driven Snowe by Cathy Yardley Page B

paused when he saw her.
    â€œAngela?”
    She had already put her dress back on, and slipped on her shoes. It looked like she had her merry widow and stockings piled haphazardly over her clutch purse. She smiled. “I know this seems really abrupt,” she said, apologetically, grabbing her coat and putting it on. “But I have to go.”
    He didn’t know what hit him harder…knowing she was wearing nothing beneath that silky little dress, or knowing she was about to leave the house in that manner. “After what just happened…you’re going to just leave? ”
    She quickly ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down. “Unfortunately, I’ve signed up for an early morning yoga class at the community center, so I’ve got to get home, get some sleep, then get over there by six. ” She shuddered, then smiled. “I’ll call you tomorrow, though.”
    He frowned. “You mean that?”
    She walked up to him, and brushed a quick kiss over his lips. “After this, I’ve made my decision. I can handle the six months.”
    He was even more surprised. He supposed he oughtto feel happy—he’d gotten what he wanted, after all. She had agreed to see him again, the night had not been a complete disaster. But he was still feeling somewhat bereft. “Six months, definitely?”
    â€œDefinitely.” She kissed him again, then took a deep breath, and as he watched, she turned and walked out his front door. “I’ll see you,” she said, smiling, then shut the door behind her.
    After a few shocked moments, he heard her car start, then pull out of the driveway. The hum of the engine disappeared into the night.
    He was standing, stark naked in his living room, holding a hand towel and wondering when the hell he had lost control of the situation.

5
    S HE WAS IN COMPLETE control of the situation.
    â€œOkay. The next pose is Proud Warrior,” Angela heard the tranquil voice of the yoga instructor say over the tiny sounds of a murmuring brook and some sort of bells.
    Groaning, Angela pulled herself up from her inverted triangle position, where she was basically trying to bend at the waist while making her top half and bottom half point in completely opposite directions. She had always heard of the relaxing benefits of yoga. Maybe the people who had said that weren’t getting up at six in the morning. They certainly weren’t doing it after having a really rousing bout of sex the night before, either.
    She stretched and turned, feeling the soreness between her legs as yet another reminder of what had happened the previous evening.
    Angela twisted and reached for her feet. She also figured she shouldn’t have any problems keeping the situation firmly in hand. It would just depend on her setting a few guidelines for herself, that’s all.
    She remembered the look of shock on Josh’s face asshe left last night. Later, as she drove home, she realized that it had probably not happened to a man like Josh all that often. Not that that was why she was doing it, but she had to admit there was a certain power in walking away. And as much as she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, or make him feel cheap, she had a bigger responsibility to make sure she stayed safe. She felt sure he hadn’t worried about hurting people’s feelings when his brief affairs had run their course, even though she thought he was otherwise very considerate.
    Why should she sacrifice her peace of mind, just so he wouldn’t be upset with her?
    She needed to make it clear to herself: this was a sexual arrangement, not a relationship. She wasn’t going to be leaving a toothbrush at his house, or clearing out a drawer for her underwear and socks.
    Rule number one: no staying over at each other’s houses.
    She thought about it some more…the brook and bell combo the instructor was playing seemed to help clarify her thoughts, even if the