AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As she passed them, she said, “Pace me.”
Fifteen seconds later, they carefully pulled up beside her on the trail wide enough for two golf carts to pass. Made from recycled tires, she loved running on it to lower the shock to her joints.
James kept their speed and course steady as Bennett rode in the passenger seat. He wore slacks, a polo, and sunglasses. From her peripheral vision, Rowan could see him watching her.
She took several deep breaths. “Feel the wind on your face, the warmth of the air.” Running was something her body had always loved. “Freedom, Bennett. Since I was a girl, running represented a freedom that was hard to find anywhere else. It makes me feel strong, tuned in to myself.”
A few minutes later, she arrived at the rear of the mansion and walked off the run. Then she went through a series of stretches before approaching Bennett.
“Did you like it?” she asked him quietly.
He reached out and stroked his hand over her ponytail. She was drenched in sweat. “How powerful you are, Rowan. I see why you like it. Thank you for showing me.”
“You can run with me anytime you want.”
Cupping the nape of her neck, he pressed a kiss to her sweaty temple. “I won’t intrude. I wished only to see it up close.”
She circled his wrist with her fingers. “You don’t intrude, Bennett. I always enjoy your company.”
His fingers flexed on her skin before he let his hand fall away. “Go do what you do and I’ll see you in a while.”
Crossing her eyes to diffuse a moment that felt strangely heavy, she said, “My brain is hungry.”
“I hope your body is as well. The kitchen is working on a dish they want you to try.”
“Starved. See you in half an hour.”
With that, she saluted James and jogged into the house. Moving quickly to keep from running into anyone who might want to chat, she went straight to the bathroom in her room.
Leaning on the counter, she lifted her face and met her own eyes in the mirror. The brighter blue, the flush of her skin, and her breathlessness wasn’t because of the run.
Every day she spent in Bennett’s orbit, the more she wanted to stay there. He loved books as much as she did, enjoyed in-depth conversations about any topic they stumbled on, and stimulated her mind as much as her body.
Most nights, she dreamed about him and it was strange to have another man walk through her most private thoughts.
A place only Gage had ever occupied.
From almost the very beginning, Rowan felt herself falling in love with Bennett and nothing short of never seeing him again would have stopped it.
Walking away was thelastthing she wanted.
She thought four weeks in the company of such a fascinating man would likely have the same effect on most women. His life experiences and their age difference were the source of many long talks. She asked him deeply personal questions and he never hesitated to answer them.
No one had ever shared so much of themselves with her so openly and honestly. The more he told her, the more she wanted to know.
Stepping into the shower, she quickly scrubbed her hair and body. Leaning against the wall, she imagined Bennett behind her, touching her, and closed her eyes. Pretending the hand on her skin belonged to him, she moved slowly over her breasts, her torso, and between her legs.
Gently stroking her folds, she focused on the way it felt when Bennett held her hand, stroked her hair, or hugged her. Their touches were limited, careful, to keep his blood pressure from climbing. All she wanted to do was touch him.
He represented a future she never imagined but it had nothing to do with money.
Warmth, protection, love.
Bringing herself to climax, she whispered Bennett’s name into the steamy bathroom. Her orgasms were stronger than they’d been in years.
Preparing for lunch in a casual dress and heels, she laughed at herself as she took in her reflection. Bennett’s eyes seemed to stay on her longer when she gave in to the feminine clothing she secretly loved but rarely wore.
She loved the way he looked at her.
