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Code disappeared upstairs. I wandered into the living room, looking at the family photos covering the walls. Jase and Bonnie on their wedding day. The twins as babies, as toddlers, at various ages and stages. A large framed photo showed all the Drakos siblings at what looked like a reunion. Eighteen faces, all different ethnicities, all wearing matching smiles.

"Ready."

I turned. Code had changed into running shorts and an Army t-shirt that had seen better days. The fabric stretched across his chest and shoulders, worn soft from years of use.

My mouth went dry.

"We should stay close to the Inn." He grabbed two water bottles from the fridge. "There are trails through the forest behind the property. Private enough that we won't run into many people, but close enough that we're not isolated."

"Because of the stranger."

"Because I'm cautious by nature."

We drove back in comfortable silence. The tension from earlier had shifted, transformed into something else. Anticipation, maybe. Or awareness.

The forest trails behind Whispering Pines Inn wound through old-growth trees, the path well-maintained but quiet. Code set a moderate pace, testing me. I matched him easily.

After the first mile, he picked up speed. I stayed with him.

His breathing evened out, found its rhythm. Mine did too. We moved through dappled sunlight, our footfalls synchronized on the packed dirt trail.

"How often do you run?" he asked.

"Four times a week when I'm not filming. Five or six when I am." I jumped over a root. "Helps with stamina for the physical scenes. Plus, it clears my head."

"Same."

We ran in silence for another mile. The forest smelled of pine and earth, clean and fresh. Sweat gathered at the small of my back, between my shoulder blades. My ponytail bounced with each stride.

Code's pace increased again. I pushed harder to keep up, but he looked over at me, making sure I was handling the pace. Of course, he did.

“You good to speed up?”

I nodded.

We ran harder. My muscles burned, my breath came faster, but I refused to fall behind. This wasn't about winning. It was about showing him we were well matched.

The trail opened into a small clearing with a view of the mountains. Code slowed to a stop. I pulled up beside him, breathing hard.

"You're fast." He grabbed one of the water bottles from his pocket and handed it to me. Then pulled out one for himself.

I drank, grateful for the cool liquid. "How far do you think we went?"

"About five miles."

"In what, thirty-five minutes?"

"Thirty-three."

I laughed, breathless. "Show off."

We stood there in the clearing, both breathing hard, sweat soaking through our shirts. The late afternoon sun painted everything gold. Code's eyes caught the light, turning them almost silver.

He was looking at me. Really looking. Not the careful, controlled observation from before. This was raw, unguarded. His gaze dropped to my mouth.

My heart hammered. Not from the run.

"Katherine." His voice came out rough.