Tobin pulled out all the stops, using every seductive trick he’d learned, seen or wanted to try. He nibbled, licked, teased. Then he switched it up, interspersing bursts of tongue-tangling passion with lingering smooches.
And when she became perfectly pliant, he stopped.
She peered at him from beneath lowered lashes. “Now what?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
Made him feel ten feet tall when she answered that with no hesitation. “Did you go for a run today?”
She shook her head.
“Then that’s next. Get your gear on.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep.” Tobin grinned. “Go on. Get movin’ and get those endorphins riled up.”
That defiant chin came up. “And if I don’t?”
“You could go back to beating the rugs.”
“I’m done. They’re bug-free now.”
“What happened today that brought about this beatdown?”
“I saw a spider crawl under the rug in my room.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Really.”
“I really hate spiders.”
“So why are the rugs from the hallway and bathroom out here too?”
“Because I had to move them to vacuum. Then I got totally creeped out there were more spiders hiding under all the rugs so I decided to air them out.”
Tobin eyed the cans of Lysol and Febreze lying on the ground next to a large pair of tongs and an industrial-looking rubber apron. Maybe this was only about spiders. “How’d you get the rugs outside?”
She pointed. “I tossed them out the bathroom window and dragged them over here.”
“With the tongs.”
“I wasn’t going to carry them out and take a chance one of those sneaky hairy buggers would make a break for it.”
They’d gotten offtrack. “If you’re done, then quit stalling and get ready.”
“Why are you making me run?”
“Because your grandma is home.”
She frowned. “That matters . . . why?”
He crushed a handful of her hair in his fist and clamped a hand on her ass. “Because if we were alone I’d fuck you until your body was covered in sweat, your legs went weak and you couldn’t breathe. Then you’d forget all about the spiders.”
“Oh.”
“Running or sex. Same results, different actions. I prefer one action over the other but it ain’t like we have a choice tonight.”
“True.” She backed away from him. “But you’d probably fall asleep anyway.”
He stared at her. “Was that a shot at me for last night?”
“Do you think?”
Smart-ass. “I had a long damn day plus I’d woken up with a hangover that morning.”
“You were snoring.”
“That just means bein’ with you is the most natural thing in the world and I relaxed enough to let my guard down.”
She laughed. “Right. I wanted to get your pants down.”
Fucking hell. Could his untimely nap have factored into her anxiety today? “Jade—”
“No time to talk, cowboy. I’ve gotta work up a hard, hot sweat. Too bad you can’t watch and learn.”
Her sassy little ass twitched at him as she walked away.
Now she’d done it.
It was on.
Ten minutes later, Jade stepped outside in a pair of running shorts and a matching spandex tank top. She jogged to the end of the driveway and turned left.
Watch and learn, my ass.
Since he had access to a fitness facility at the Split Rock, he had a duffel bag of workout clothes in his truck. He told Miz G he forgot something at work and he had to run back there. He hopped in his truck and took a right at the end of the driveway. He parked in the pullout and changed into his running gear.
He paced on the gravel road for another ten minutes before setting the fitness program on his watch and heading out.
Tobin caught up to her about a mile and a half into the run. He didn’t smile, or wave, or stop to chat; he just blew past her as if she’d been standing still.
Of course Miss Competitive kicked up her pace to try to match his.
Good luck with that.
But he did slow down slightly, allowing her to almost catch him.
Almost.
Then he put on a burst of speed, leaving her in the dust.
When he hit the two-mile mark, he slowed and ran backward, watching her huff and puff as she tried to keep up. This time he did let her reach him. “Nice evening, isn’t it?”
She was so winded she just grunted.
And he could tell it annoyed her that he didn’t seem out of breath at all.
“How far do you usually run?” he asked.
She held up four fingers.
“You’re at the halfway point.”
Jade braced her hands on her knees, leaning over to catch her breath. “How. Far. Do. You. Run.”