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It was dawn when she woke, the room growing lighter by degrees as the sun began to peek over the horizon. Ainsley stretched, then froze as she remembered she wasn’t alone.
She turned her head, expecting to see Santiago sleeping next to her. But the bed was empty, the rumpled sheets the only evidence of his presence.
Ignoring the ache in her heart, Ainsley slipped out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and brushed her teeth, pushing down her disappointment. What did she expect? They’d made no promises to each other last night. Both of them had known the score—the sex was a one-off, not the start of something new. Of course Santiago had returned to his own bed to sleep last night.
Still, she couldn’t ignore the slight pang in her chest as she washed the last of his scent from her skin. Logically, she understood their encounter had been a moment out of time, a temporary respite they’d created for themselves. But her emotional side wished it could have lasted a little longer. Was a few more hours away from the real world too much to ask? Apparently so.
She toweled off and pulled her still-wet hair back into a ponytail. Then she dressed in running clothes and stepped out of her bedroom suite.
The light in the kitchenette was on. She frowned; Santiago must have left it on last night before he’d come to check on her in the bath. But as she walked down the hall, she smelled coffee...
She stepped into the kitchenette, surprised to find Santiago standing at the counter, his back to her. He was dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants, and he was wearing an old pair of sneakers. Ainsley drew up short, frowning. Santiago was not a morning person. What was he doing here, and wearing something other than a bathrobe?
He must have heard her, because he turned around and handed her a cup of coffee. “Good morning.” His tone made it sound like he met her all the time at dawn with coffee in hand.
“Morning,” Ainsley replied, taking a sip from the mug. “I’m surprised you’re up so early.”
He shrugged. “I told you, we’re sticking together from here on out. That means if you go for a run, so do I.”
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Truth be told, she’d forgotten about his promise to accompany her. “I didn’t think you were serious about that.”
“Oh yes. I’m not about to risk you getting attacked again.”
The mention of yesterday’s events made the back of her head ache, and she reached up to touch the still-tender spot. The swelling was almost completely gone, but she was certain the bruise would linger for a while. “I appreciate it.”
He nodded. “I wasn’t sure you were going to get up this morning, after...” he trailed off, his cheeks going pink. He cleared his throat and continued. “Anyway, I got up early and took a shower in my bathroom so as not to disturb you. Then I went to the car and dug out an old gym bag I had in the trunk.” He gestured to his clothes. “Now I’m dressed for the occasion.”
The hurt and disappointment she’d felt at waking to find him gone melted away. He hadn’t left because the sex was over and he’d wanted to sleep alone. No, he’d left to get ready to go running with her, if that’s what she wanted to do. Santiago might not realize it, but given his dislike of both mornings and running, Ainsley recognized his efforts as a gesture of love.
Warmth filled her chest, suffusing through her body until she thought she might actually be glowing. “We don’t have to go.” The offer was enough—she didn’t want to torture him.
“No, no, I want to,” he assured her. “Though we might need to do more walking than running. I don’t know if I can match your pace.”
“That’s okay,” she told him. “It’ll be nice to just be outdoors.”
“I agree.” He reached for her cup and put it on the counter. “I usually stick to the rowing machine at the gym, and since there’s a shortage of rivers in Phoenix, I never get to row outside. This will be a nice change of scenery for me.”
They walked out of the cabin together, and she led him through her usual stretching routine. “Did you row in New York?” He’d enjoyed racquetball when they’d been together, but it sounded like he’d found a new exercise in the time they’d been apart.
“Yes,” he said. “There was a club at my firm that I joined shortly after moving there. Seemed like a good way to make new friends, and I actually enjoyed it.”
He told her about it as they set off. Ainsley deliberately slowed her pace, prioritizing conversation over aerobic achievements. They fell into an easy flow, the time passing quickly as they ran in unison.
After what seemed like only a few minutes, they were back at the cabin, having finished the main trail loop. In silent agreement, they slowed to a walk as soon as they came out of the woods.
“How’d you like it?” Ainsley asked. Santiago hadn’t had any trouble keeping up, thanks to his long legs and his rowing habit. If he wanted to join her again in the morning, she’d push him to go a little faster.
He grinned, sweat gleaming on his forehead. “It was good,” he said. “But I think I need different shoes if this is going to be a regular thing.”
Ainsley smiled, but inside, she felt a pang at his mention of the future. It was nice to think they could remain like this, lovers who went running together every morning. But that wasn’t going to happen. As soon as this retreat was over, she’d go back to her offices in Mustang Valley and he’d go back to Phoenix. Even though the two cities weren’t that far apart, they might as well be in different galaxies.
Still, she wasn’t
going to let future pain rob her of her current joy. So she pasted on a smile and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I packed a few bandages. With a little TLC, your blisters won’t last more than a few days.”
“Does this mean we can take the morning off tomorrow?” He sounded so hopeful Ainsley couldn’t help but laugh.
“Not a chance,” she told him.
