Page 34 of Fractured Mind
He doesn’t answer straight away, like he’s thinking about the answer. I cross my arms as I wait. He raises a brow suggestively but slowly turns his back to me. I pause in case he chances a peek. Even though he’s seen me in a bikini, being alone in my room with him seems more intimate.
Once I’m dressed, I gather my hair and put it up into a ponytail. “All done.”
His gaze drifts up and down my body, making me shift from one foot to the other.
It all hits me at once when I reach for one of my running shoes. “I can’t do this,” I say under my breath. Although I love running, I’m afraid because I don’t know the details of what happened and who hit me.
“Yes, you can.” He crouches down, picks up one of my Nike shoes and holds it out for me. I grip his broad shoulder for balance as he touches the back of my leg near my ankle. His hand sensually slides up my calf. When I step into one shoe, he does the shoelace up.
“Other one,” he says, tapping my other leg.
My heart warms as I put my foot out and he follows through with the same caress up my leg before doing up the shoelace. When he stands, I give him a small, appreciative smile and grab my phone.
We go downstairs and start walking toward the doorway, but my anxiety spikes and my steps become hesitant. Once we’re outside, he turns back to me. “Stop thinking about it and just run. I’ll be with you the whole time.”
Having him with me makes me feel safe. He’s helping me face my demons. I start a light jog and concentrate on my breathing, then increase my pace.
“Did you enjoy yourself on the boat yesterday?” he asks.
When I think about how hot and flustered I was watching those two people have sex, I squeak, “It was fun.” As soon as thewords leave my mouth, I scold myself, and when I sneak a peek at him, his lips are pursed, like he’s holding back a laugh, and I want to disappear.
We hit the sidewalk and proceed down the steep hill.
“Is that why you wanted to go for a run in the first place? To tease me about yesterday?”
“I need to make sure you aren’t giving up something you love.”
My breath catches in my throat, and I tilt my head up while blinking rapidly, attempting to hold back tears. I’m not used to someone caring about me like that.
As we run farther along, the rush of endorphins increases, making me realize how much I’ve missed running. “Thank you for this. I needed it.”
After a few strides, I pick up the pace, my blood pumping as we pass by the beach. The breeze surges, cooling me down as it meets my damp skin. He remains by my side as we push forward.
“Are we racing each other?” Ashton asks.
I smirk. “No. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you.”
“Is that right?” His voice is tinged with a playful amusement.
I’m feeling confident. I think I could take him. “It sure is.”
He lifts his shirt, brings it over his head, and tucks it into his waistband with a smug expression. That was a sexy intended striptease.
“Frickin’ hell.”Is he trying to make me trip over my own feet?He knows he’ll win if we race now. I stare straight ahead, not daring to glance at him, but my mind wanders back to his ridiculously sculpted body.
“What?” he asks coyly.
I need a distraction, so I ask the first question that comes to mind. “What was our favorite thing to do together?”
He goes quiet. I give him a sideways glance to see a hot-as-hell smile on his face.
“We didn’t have one favorite thing. We were happy doing anything together. Well, I know I was.”
Grief strikes me first, for what we used to have, but then a wave of jealousy hits me at how happy we once were.Iwant that smile of pure happiness that our memories brought him. Instead of speaking, I keep running as the feelings churn my stomach.
The only thing I hear now is our breathing and our shoes hitting the path. Trees surround us. We keep jogging, farther than I’ve been before. People are exercising despite the early hour.
Ashton slows, his jog turning into a walk, so I do the same. He wipes the sweat off his forehead with his forearm, and I find myself captivated by the sexy movement.