Running Back to You (The Running Series, #1) (17 page)

“I didn’t leave anything out.  What do you think?”

“I think you’ve got a very sick individual latched onto you. Are you sure
you don’t want to call the police tonight?”

“No, I’m sure.  Can you put on a movie or something to distract me?  No
slasher movies.  Okay?”

“Sure, anything you want.  Let me get you something to change into.  I’ll
be right back.”  Evan slips away and returns with one of his t-shirts.  “I
don’t think I have any shorts that would fit you, so I grabbed the biggest
shirt I could find.  I hope it’s good enough.”

“This is fine, really.  I’ll be right back.”  I take his shirt to the
bathroom and I try to wash up a little.  I really wish I had a toothbrush. 
Auggie’s list of must-have’s sure would come in handy right now.

By the time I’m done, Evan is on the couch with a blanket, a couple of
pillows and a movie has started.  He peels back the blanket and I crawl back to
my spot on the couch with him.  “What’s playing?”

“Well, since I know you’re on an eighties kick, I thought I would put one
of my favorites, ‘Big’ with Tom Hanks.  Is that all right?”  He’s rubbing my
back and it feels so good.

About an hour into the movie, I’m finally calmed down enough to
appreciate and enjoy the closeness with Evan.  I yawn, then he yawns, and I
yawn again.  Yawning really is contagious.

“Let’s call it a night.  Come on, I’ll walk you to my room.  You can
sleep in my bed.  I’ll sleep here on the couch.”

“Why don’t I just sleep in the guest room?  I don’t mind.”  I know he has
a guest room because Adam stayed here for a short while.

“I stripped all the sheets and everything off the bed when Adam left. 
The cleaning lady comes on Friday and I was waiting for her to put the room
back together again.  I don’t mind.  I’ll be fine.  I can sleep anywhere.”

Since I can barely keep my eyes open, I grudgingly agree.  “Only if
you’re sure.”  Evan nods, turns off the television, and leads me to his room. 
He’s got a large room with simple furnishings and a huge bed.

“Please call if you need anything.  I’ll be right in the living room on
the couch.”  Suddenly, I feel uneasy.  I’m in an unfamiliar place and I’m still
a little nervous. 

He watches as I climb into bed and pull the covers up to my chin.  I
inhale deeply.  His bed smells just like him.  He walks over and kisses me good
night.  “Evan, wait.  Can you stay with me just until I fall asleep?  I feel
safer when you’re around.”

“Okay.”  Without another word, Evan slips into bed next to me under the
blankets.  He’s wearing a t-shirt and boxers.  I wonder what it would feel like
to have him here with me, flesh against flesh.

He snuggles up next to me and wraps one arm around my waist.  I lean into
him and pull his hand to my chest.  I kiss his knuckles and whisper, “Thank
you.”  Evan releases a slight groan as he weaves our fingers together. 

Our bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces.  I hear his breathing
slow and I know he’s fallen asleep.  His warm breath skims against my shoulder
and eventually, I drift off to sleep.

Sometime early the next morning, I wake to find Evan still beside me.  He
rolls towards me and pulls me closer.  I close my eyes and listen.  His breathing
is slow and steady.  He’s deeply asleep.  I glance at the clock on the
nightstand and it reads 5:41.  Just another hour of sleep and I’ll get up.  I
close my eyes and return to a blissful sleep.

When I wake again, I find myself resting in Evan’s arm with my face lying
on his chest.  He’s playing with my hair and when he finds a loose strand, he
tucks it behind my ear. 

“Good morning,” I whisper, looking up at him.  He looks down at me with
those bright blue eyes.  He smiles and those dimples make a return appearance.

“Mornin’,” he breathes.  He holds me tightly and I wrap by arms around
his waist.  His hands begin to explore, but never straying too far.  I lie in
bliss as he strokes my hip, my back, my backside.  As I hold him close, I can
feel his arousal as my own desire grows.  How nice it would be to wake this way
every day.

“I could stay here and hold you forever, but I have to get up.”  I watch
as he gets up from bed and walks to the bathroom.  I hear the shower running
and glance over at the clock.  It’s nearly eight thirty.  Slowly, memories of
the previous night’s events creep back into my mind.  Back to reality.

Just Desserts

I
take a deep breath and look at my surroundings in the daylight.  I am
pleased to see that Evan’s room is tidy.  I’ve been in boys’ rooms before and
most often, they live like slobs.  Evan lives alone, and I know how easy it
would be for him to just toss his things on the floor when he’s done.  His
dresser is uncluttered.  There are no stray socks floating around.  Everything is neat and in order. I still hear the
shower running.  I walk around, peeking in drawers and walk over to his closet.
 When I open it, my mouth drops!  His walk-in closet is amazing.  Hanging
neatly are suits, jeans, sweaters, dress shirts, and an assortment of football
jerseys and t-shirts. Before he catches me snooping, I quickly walk out of his
closet and shut the doors.

I make quick work of making the bed, occasionally glancing at the
bathroom door.  Behind it, I can envision Evan in all his glory, standing under
a steady stream of water, washing all his bits and pieces.  What I wouldn’t
give to be in there with him right now.  But since we’re in reality check mode,
I have to recognize the fact that there most likely have been many girls before
me who got to experience the pleasure of Evan’s finely sculptured body.  How
many have come before me?  And how long have they stayed before he moved onto
the next?  He’s been travelling with a football team since college.  If he
only
had one girl in each town he visited, the number would be incredibly high. 

My number is considerably lower.  Definitely in the single digits.  How
could I compare?  Would I even get a chance to ever find out?  After last
night’s fiasco, he must look at me like a frightened, pathetic waif.  I pride
myself on being strong and independent but last night, I was neither.  I was
needy and clingy.  How will he feel about that in the light of day?

I gather my clothes and head to the guest bath to shower.  The water is
hot, really hot, and it feels soothing as it washes over me.  I wash myself
from head to toe, but I still feel unclean, like there’s a film covering every
inch of my body.  I wash myself two more times, and finally, I begin to feel
cleansed. 

There is a bath mat on the floor, and I step lightly, trying not to get
the floor all wet.  I use one of the towels to dry myself, wrap a towel around
my hair, and dress in my clothes from last night.  I go through the drawers
searching for some toothpaste.  Bingo.  Not only am I rewarded with a new tube
of toothpaste, there are several brand new tooth brushes still in their
packaging.  Thank God. 

I reach into my bag and pull out a hairbrush and a hair tie.  I put my
hair up in a messy, wet bun, and I’m ready to face my day.

Standing in the kitchen, I find Evan in a pair of the same cargo shorts
he was wearing on my first visit to his home.  Today, he’s chosen a clean and
crisp white t-shirt that looks heavenly on him.  His feet are bare, and I don’t
know why, but there’s something intimate about a man’s bare feet.  He’s
drinking a cup of coffee and a huge grin spreads across his face when he sees
me emerge.

“Can I get you a cup of coffee, Juliette?”

“No, maybe just some water this morning.  I can feel a headache starting
and caffeine’s probably not a good idea.”  He brings me water and a bottle of
aspirin.  I uncap the water and wash down two tablets.

Standing at his kitchen sink, I am holding onto the counter and staring
out the window as the waves crash on the shore.  The surf is a little rough
today, matching my gloomy mood.

I can sense Evan walking toward me ... that familiar tingle running down my
spine and stopping right down there.  I feel his hands on my waist and his lips
on my neck.  His gentle kisses make their way up to my ear as he whispers, “I’m
so glad you called me.  It’s going to be Okay.  I won’t let anything like that
happen again.  I promise.”

“Can we just pretend this never happened?  Seriously?”  I turn and look
at him, pleading with my eyes.  “Please don’t make me call the police.  It was
probably just a silly prank.  You’ll see.”

“I don’t like it, but for now, yes.  We can let it drop, but on one
condition.  I’m going to insist that you call the manager and tell him what’s
going on.  The bouncers need to know and so does the DJ.  The minute some prick
tries something like that again, we’ll be prepared.”  He’s holding me by my
arms and I can tell by the look in his eye that he’s dead serious.

“I promise.  Thank you, Evan.”  I throw my arms around his neck and plant
a big kiss on his luscious lips.  He holds me tight and we just stand there in
his kitchen, holding on.  His hands wander to the small of my back, and then
venture a little lower to my posterior.  He gives an affectionate squeeze and
before I can process what is happening, he lifts me and places me on the
counter.  My legs automatically spread just enough to allow him in.

I release my arms from around his neck, and I grab his shirt, pulling him
closer.  His kisses grow as eager as mine.  It isn’t the sweet goodnight kisses
of last night.  It isn’t the exciting kiss of a new romance.  It is the kiss of
pure carnal frustration and lust.  Hunger.  Our lips and tongues dance in
desperation.  I need this man more than I need air to breathe.

Again, his hands find my ass and he pulls me nearer.  I am perched on the
edge of the counter, and I can feel his desire growing and pressing against me
in the most intimate and erotic way.  I wrap my legs around his waist as a soft
moan escapes my lips.  My heels press him closer to the spot where I need him
and he releases a groan as he throws his head back to appreciate the feeling of
our bodies rubbing and throbbing together.  My hands find his hair and I begin
twisting, turning, and pulling with my fingers.

Our trance is broken with a jolt when his cell phone rings.  Evan backs
up infinitesimally and looks at me with a smile, rewarding me with those
dimples that I never seem to get enough of.  He places his hands on my hips and
helps me off the counter and onto my feet.

“You have no idea what you do to me, Juliette.  No idea.”  He shakes his
head, trying to clear his mind.

“Oh, I think I have an idea, chief,” I retort, eyeing his obvious
enthusiasm.  “Are you going to see who called?”

“Yeah, do you mind?”  He grabs his phone from his pocket and checks for
missed calls.  “I have to take this.  Make yourself at home.  Feel free to
rummage through the kitchen if you’re hungry.  I’ll be right back.”

Evan slips into his office and shuts the door.  I’m more than happy to
give him some privacy.  This gives me a chance to get myself together and find
something to eat.  I quickly locate some strawberries and Greek yogurt hidden
in the refrigerator.  Two big glasses of orange juice complete our breakfast
menu for today.  Evan returns and sits across from me.  “I see you’ve scrounged
up some breakfast.”  He pops a few small berries into his mouth.  “So Juliette,
what are your plans for today?” 

“Well, first I’d like to go home and get changed.  Then I was hoping to
do a little baking.” 

“Sounds good.  Can you give me an hour?  I’d like to get a little work-out
in before we go.”

“Oh, what gym do you belong to?  I know the Atlantic Club has great facilities.” 
I can picture him on the free weights flexing his muscles and turning heads.

“I have my own equipment upstairs.  I don’t like to go to public gyms. 
Want to see?”  He takes me by the hand and leads me down the hallway and up a
set of stairs I never noticed before.

We reach the top of the stairs and there’s an impressive array of workout
equipment scattered throughout the room.  There are free weights, a rowing
machine, a treadmill, an elliptical, and some machine weights.  I even notice a
fitness ball and an inversion table.  “Wow.  This is awesome!  I’m completely
jealous.”