Page 35 of Triggered By Love
She pulled her hair behind a sweatband and did her set of stretches along the side of her building. It was hot, so she wore shorts and a tank top, and she’d slathered sunscreen over her skin until it glistened.
Jason pretended to stretch. She could tell by the way he hardly held each position.
“You’re jerking your muscles and tightening them instead,” she criticized.
“Hey, just warming up.” He pumped his arms and jumped in place on the tips of his toes.
“This is running, not boxing. Why can’t you relax? You’re supposed to hold a position and count to ten.”
Instead of listening, he bent down and touched his toes ten times, bouncing up and down.
Since his back was turned, she gave him a push on the way down, touching his tight ass.
He stumbled but was agile enough to avoid face-planting. A roar of laughter emanated from the street toughs hanging out near the fire hydrant.
“Enough stretching.” He grabbed Avery by the arm and hustled her across the street to the park.
“Who made you so bossy?” She shrugged her arm aside and took off in a sprint down the asphalt-covered path lined with slate boulders, shade trees, ivy, and ferns.
He caught her easily. “What makes you so critical?”
Ugh. At least he wasn’t coming on to her. She didn’t know why she kissed him. Well, actually, she did, but it wasn’t pretty. She’d let her control slip, and he’d pressed forward so effectively. Then again, he was always in a ready, set, go position, on his toes.
At least his interest in her was clear. He was using the dead investigation as a way to get under her skin. She wasn’t going to consider whether it worked or not. Not with him chasing after her.
She pumped her arms harder and ran toward an ivy-covered tunnel. The sudden darkness made her blink, but the stench of urine and other dark matter had her trying not to gasp.
“Hey, don’t go down there,” Jason’s voice boomed behind her.
Since she was already halfway through the tunnel, she powered forward to the other end. Her thighs screamed, and her lungs ached. She didn’t want to, but she hunched over, propping her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
The sudden intake of air made her choke on her spit, and she doubled over in a fit of coughing.
Jason put his arm over her shoulders and drew her to the side of the path along the wall separating the city block from the greenery of the park.
“What are you running away from?” he asked as if he didn’t know.
Avery took her time coughing, super aware of his hand rubbing her back. At least he wasn’t slapping her or giving her the Heimlich—another excuse to put his arms around her.
When she was able to speak again, she shrugged him off and said, “I hope I’ve been clear with you. I’m not ready for another relationship.”
“Don’t worry, that’s not what I’m offering.” His words cut like a knife across her already clenching heart.
What had made her sound so needy? As if she wanted another man to take care of her? Not that he was offering more than pure physical exhilaration.
She gritted her teeth and turned her face sharply at him. “I’m not interested in sleaze.”
“Neither am I.” He let go of her and pointed with his chin down the rest of the trail. “Let’s keep moving.”
“No.” She dug in her heels and coughed. “You never want to talk. I want to make sure you understand where I’m coming from.”
He lifted an eyebrow, but other than that, he reminded her of a cat crouched in front of a mousehole.
She walked several steps and turned around, but he remained where he was, not chasing after her, so she lunged back to him and shook her fists.
“You’re trying to drive me nuts,” she said when it was obvious he was giving her the silent treatment. “What do you want? Why are you hanging around?”
“You like me hanging around.” His arrogance knew no bounds, and he added, “I’ll protect you, Avery. I promise.”
