He stood for just a moment on the mountainside with the cool breeze rippling his hair, then shook his head to clear away the lingering arousal and followed after her, wondering just how the hell his best intentions had gone so wildly off the rails.
* * *
ALEX GRIPPED THE HANDLE of Leo’s leash so hard she was quite sure when she finally made it down to the trailhead, she would have an imprint on the skin of her palm that would last for days.
She was completely self-deluded to think she could keep things casual and friendly with Sam.
The only reason she had invited him along on this little walk with Leo was to convince herself she had the strength of will to resist this attraction that simmered between them. Ha. That certainly turned out well, didn’t it? A half hour into it, she was once more in his arms.
She couldn’t seem to help herself. Her brain warned her to keep a safe distance but the rest of her just wanted to grab hold and not let go.
Leo led her down the dark trail, easily dodging the small rocks and weedy growth along the way. He moved fast, probably eager for bed, and she followed right behind him, hoping she didn’t trip and go sprawling. Wouldn’t that be a lovely conclusion to the evening, if she ended up in the emergency room?
She was aware of Sam not far behind her. The beam of his flashlight cut ahead of all three of them, but he was silent, concentrating on the trail.
By the time the trailhead came into view, endorphins pumped through her and she could feel each beat of her heart.
“Why are you running so hard?” Sam asked when they reached their vehicles.
She caught her breath. “That wasn’t a run, soldier. That was just a little stroll down a mountainside. It’s not my fault you can’t keep up.”
“I wasn’t talking about the pace.”
Yeah. She figured that out. She hated feeling like a coward but she had a very powerful feeling it wouldn’t take long for her to fall head over heels for this strong, sexy man who’d raised his younger brother and nursed his dying wife and who made her feel as if she would catch fire in a dry wind. For some crazy reason, she suddenly remembered the phrase Frankie Beltran had said to Claire, telling her Sam was hotter than a two-sided firecracker.
She was the firecracker, at least where he was concerned. He only needed to look at her out of those big, long-lashed dark eyes and she wanted to explode across the sky in a big flash of heat and color and sparkles.
“I like you, Sam. A lot. But I told you I’m not going to sleep with you and I mean it. I don’t do relationships very well. Casual, flirty and fun I can handle but I’m not interested in more than that.”
“Nothing wrong with casual, flirty and fun. For now.”
She pounced on the last two words. “See, right there. That’s the problem. I only want the now. And actually, I don’t even want that in this particular now. Nothing personal, but I just don’t have the energy for you.”
He studied her in the moonlight and she felt exposed to the bone, as if he could sift through layers of skin and muscle and sinew to the very heart of her.
Oh, the wonders of self-delusion. She thought she could handle a man like Sam the same way she treated the fun-loving ski bums and river guides she usually dated. It was no coincidence they were usually a few years younger than she was and more than willing to let her set the terms and make up the rules.
Sam was different. With him, she felt extremely out of control, as if she were floating down level-five rapids with no life preserver, no raft, no helmet, no protection but her own wits. Flimsy help, there.
“This is an important time for me, preparing to open the restaurant after months—years, really—of planning. I just can’t afford the distraction.”
“Distraction.”
He spoke the word softly and it hovered between them like a pesky deerfly.
“Yes. What else would you call this?”
He was silent for a long moment. “You’re definitely distracting. I can’t seem to get you out of my head, try as I might. I thought seeing you again would help in that department but I think we’ve only made things worse.”
He sighed. “As much as I’m tempted to give you all the casual, flirty fun you can handle,” he went on, his voice low, “I think you’re probably right. This isn’t a good idea.”
She was so busy trying to ignore the burst of heat from his words, it took a moment for the second part of what he said to seep through.
“It’s not? I mean, no, it’s not. What a relief that you agree with me.”
“The timing isn’t great for either one of us.”
“Horrible,” she agreed.
“Neither of us is looking for a relationship right now.”