She snuck a second look, and lost her rhythm. He looked incredibly sexy. More than one female jogger did a double take. Even after he’d beaten the path for three miles, his breath came evenly, his gaze straight ahead.
Her stolen glance caused a collision at the next curve in the path. She’d been so busy staring at Chaser, she hadn’t seen Dane Maxin approach. They caught shoulders with enough impact that he knocked her into Chaser and she started to go down.
Chaser’s reflexes saved her from a scraped knee. One strong arm looped around her waist until she was steady on her feet.
He pulled her against his chest and hissed in her ear, “Damn, Legs, no need to fall at the man’s feet.”
She jerked free, about to tell him she’d been staring at him, not Dane, but caught herself just in time. Such a statement would prove embarrassing. Especially following their brief, yet incredible, kiss. She hadn’t expected that kiss, but it had left her wondering how he’d taste if she’d slipped her tongue into his mouth. Curiosity stroked her like a slow hand.
Before her now, Dane Maxin jogged in place. She took in his tawny hair and copper eyes. His lean body beneath the Nike sweats.
Dane ran his gaze over her, looking intimate and expectant, before nodding toward the big man at her side. His lip curled. “You know Chaser?”
“We’re old friends,” Jen told him.
Dane and Chaser exchanged a look, the kind of look in which a man either marked his territory or backed away.
Chaser marginally shifted his stance and Dane stopped jogging. “Glad you could make it to the park, I was hoping for some company,” Dane said.
Jen wiped her terry cloth wristband across her forehead. “Chaser’s going to jog with us as far as the turn off to the parking lot.”
“Lucky us.” Dane took off ahead of them, only to be brought up short by twin blondes with large, bouncy, barely contained breasts. Black spandex outlined nipple rings.
Jen looked down at her B-cups. If Dane was a breast man, this would be their first and last date. She wasn’t into piercing.
“Implants can’t compare to what’s natural,” Chaser said at her side. He nudged her forward. “Let’s catch up to Maxin.”
Their approach caught Dane memorizing the blondes’ phone numbers. Unabashed, he smiled at her. Jen smiled back. Chaser frowned darkly.
They jogged one mile, then walked the second. She and Dane were two abreast, with Chaser breathing down her neck. Her friend was an ominous presence and hard to ignore.
Dane was a touchy-feely kind of guy. He casually brushed her shoulder as they walked and talked. Bumped her hip more than once. Flattened his hand on her lower back. Then took her hand.
That was when Chaser crowded her further. His low growl forced Dane to let her go. Jen spun about, smacked her palm on Chaser’s chest, and held him back. His muscles bunched and rippled and he gave less than an inch. The man was an unmovable force.
Dane looked over his shoulder more than once. He walked a little faster when Chaser replied to questions Dane directed to Jen. It was obvious Dane wanted to shake Chaser. But Chaser wasn’t a man to be shaken.
Another half mile and Dane pointed to a sign. “There’s the parking lot path. Get lost.”
Chaser didn’t turn off. He slowed his pace and allowed them to draw ahead, but never let them out of his sight.
“How do you like Richmond?” Jen asked Dane.
His gaze slid over her. “I’m liking it better by the moment. Maybe you could show me the city.”
“Maybe you could buy a road map and drive yourself,” Chaser muttered, closing in on them once again. “Tourist attractions are marked red on most maps.”
“Nightlife.” Dane pressed closer to Jen as they continued down the path. “What’s your favorite club? I’ve heard Jimmy Mack’s draws a crowd.”
“Mack’s promotes hard rock.” Chaser knew the clubs. “Jen prefers jazz. Billie Holiday. Eva Taylor.”
“Chinese, Mexican, Thai? How about dinner tonight?” Dane inquired.
“The lady’s a vegetarian.”
A muscle jumped in Dane’s jaw. “Damn, is there anything Chaser doesn’t know about you, Jen?”
Chaser didn’t know her body. He’d never seen her naked. Jen chose not to share that fact with Dane. She, however, had seen Chaser’s bare backside. She’d snuck a peek one afternoon when he’d stepped from the outdoor Jacuzzi. She’d been in his pool, swimming laps. He hadn’t expected her to break her stroke and track his ass. The tightest ass in Major League Baseball. Wrangler had him signed to advertise their line of jeans. No one showcased low-slung denim like Chaser.
“We grew up together,” Jen was quick to explain. “Chaser’s my friend and—”
“Freakin’ watchdog,” Dane finished. “Get lost, Barky.”
Chaser’s snarl was lost in the commotion of a group of female joggers. All of them became giggly once they’d spotted him.
“Can we get your autograph?” All four women stood wide-eyed and adoring. “Can’t wait for Opening Day.”
Dane was too new to the team to be recognized. Snagging Jen’s hand, he drew her outside the circle, leaving Chaser to fend for himself.
While Jen felt guilty, Dane didn’t give a damn. Free of Chaser, he came on strong. Jogging became foreplay. Their bodies moved with a rhythm he planned to duplicate in bed.
Within fifteen minutes they’d retraced their steps, reaching the parking lot. She spotted his red Corvette, slanted diagonally across two spaces. He opened the door, then looked at her. His gaze was scrutinizing, sexual. “Your eyes are bright and your body’s flushed and languid. You’ve the look of a satisfied woman.”
“Exercise pleases me.”
“I could please you.”
“I’d prefer a towel and a bottle of water.”
“I can give you both.” Pulling his car door wide, he ducked inside and retrieved an iced Fiji and a white hand towel. Rounding the sleek hood, he came to stand before her. He topped her by only an inch. She’d never be able to wear high heels with this man. She was a fan of thick cork wedgies and peep-toe pumps.
All around them, deep shadows pushed dusk to darkness. The guard gate stood deserted. Chaser’s GTO was no more than a black shadow in the corner of the lot. Set on timers, the streetlights flickered on. In their fluorescence, Dane’s gaze glinted cougar gold.