Excerpt of Offsetting Penalties by Ally Mathews

Isabelle plowed through the mess and snatched a cloth tape
measure off a table, then went to the desk and picked up a
pencil and a pad of paper. “Okay, I’ll warn you now. This is
going to be awkward. I’ll try not to manhandle you, but this
is gonna feel a lot like an airport pat down, so be prepared.”

“I’ve never been on an airplane.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t comment. “Well, just be
prepared.” She poked him between his shoulder blades. “I
need you to stand straight. You’re taller than most dancers,
so we need to be accurate about the length… Of…the costume
pieces…”

He stifled another laugh. The girl really needed to think
before she spoke. It was almost like she was nervous, but
there was nothing for her to be anxious about.

She put her hand on his left shoulder and held the tape
while stretching it over to his other side. Her fingers were
warm against him. A shiver slid up his neck. He wasn’t used
to being touched. Knocked down and stepped on, yes. But skin
to skin contact, no.

Something scratched his neck. “Ouch.”

“Sorry. I needed a solid surface to write the measurement.
This is quicker than going to the desk.”

“It’s nice to be useful.”

Next, she measured from his shoulder to his waist, and again
pressed the pad of paper against his back. “Put your arms
out straight, please.”

The tape tickled, but he held still, afraid of the
consequences if he fidgeted.Once that was done, she moved in
front of him to measure his neck. Though she was tall for a
girl, the top of her head barely reached his chin. Her
fingers skimmed across his neck and his stomach tightened.
Hopefully she was almost done. His was not a touchy-feely
sort of family, so the only kind of contact he usually had
with other people was either during school dances or on the
football field, and neither of those had ever made him crave
more.

“All right, here comes the awkward part.”

“That wasn’t it?” He closed his eyes and held his breath.

“I’m afraid not.”

She knelt next to him and measured from the top of his hip
to his shoe. That wasn’t so bad.

Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. “Um, I need to
measure the inseam now.”

“Let me hold the top of the tape measure.” Without waiting
for her response, he took it out of her hand and held it
against the inside of his thigh and dropped the rest so she
could pick up the slack down by his ankle and record the
measurement. Except it wasn’t flat against his leg.

Isabelle sucked in a deep breath and ran her fingers over
the tape, igniting every bit of skin from the inside of his
thigh down to his ankle.

“All done.”

He unclenched everything and let go of the tape, attempting
to collect what was left of his mojo.