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DAMIEN
The morning after eating out with the guys, I was up early and in the shower, eager for a new day and ready to forget all the achingly impossible dreams that had kept me tossing and turning throughout the night about dark hair gripped between my fingers, soft moans of pleasure under me, and generous curves pressed right up against me.
I turned the water colder, determined not to let my mind go there, and I finished rinsing at top speed before cutting off the spray and stepping out to grab a towel.
But as I dried myself, I could hear heated moans through the wall.
I must’ve woken Hudson and hisguest.
“You gotta be kidding me,” I muttered. “Again?”
Not in the mood to listen to them carrying on through one more round, I tossed the towel down as soon as I was dry…enough…and hurried back into my room.
There, I shoved my way into some running clothes, cursing as my fingers fumbled over the laces on my shoes, and then thankfully, I was out of the house and heading toward Bridleway, which was only a few blocks away.
A nip in the air reminded me that the Gulf was drawing in a storm, so I was glad I’d put on thin pants instead of shorts. Keeping my shirt on as well, I stretched as I walked, pivoting my torso and holding onto each forearm as I high-stepped along to loosen my thighs.
Being that it was late September, hurricane season was basically over, which meant I didn’t need to prep any of my rentals for that, but there was still a chance of severe winds being in this little squall line, so I should probably still check in with all my tenants after the rain passed to make sure no one had suffered any damage.
Which got me thinking about Oaklynn again. Maybe I wouldn’t have to callher. I could just glance over at the apartment during my run to make sure the place looked fine.
Because I wasn’t ready for that call yet.
At Bridleway, I turned south and started my jog. I always went five miles when I ran, two-and-a-half one way and then two-and-a-half back with my aunt’s brownstone as the turnaround point. That used to be because I was always hoping to catch some kind of sighting from my sister.
But since meeting Oaklynn, I’d kind of forgotten about Thalia. And now, I looked for glossy, dark hair, brown eyes, and deep dimples.
Except I hadn’t caught my new tenant at the front downstairs window again, peeking out at me.
Probably for the best.
Working my legs harder as I jogged up the steps that led onto a skywalk over a busy street, I puffed air from my cheeks and concentrated on nothing but moving my legs.
But the sunrise coming in through the glass walls forced me to squint and bow my head a little to see better, which drew my attention down to the view below.
Morning traffic seemed to crawl along lazily as if it needed to wake up some more before it really got flowing. I watched a garbage truck backing slowly toward a large trash bin. And then Bridleway descended again, taking me away from the view before it spat me out on ground-level at the start of a park.
I ran through that next, enjoying the variety of joggers and different types of dogs that were being exercised.
As I neared campus, school pride seemed to sweep across the landscape, taking over the colors and decor, turning everything brown and yellow and horse-themed. A bronze sculpture of a prancing stallion with its tail lifted marked the opening of the path through the historic, yet remodeled, brownstone apartments.
My aunt’s place was about three blocks down, and the closer I got to it, the more my blood seemed to pump in anticipation.
But when I reached the lamppost that I always turned around at, just outside her front door, no familiar face peeked out the window.
Disappointed, I slowed to a walk around the pole and set my hands on my hips to catch my breath.
Sweat trailed through my hair, and oxygen heaved through my lungs, but I was ready to keep going today. So I turned back in the direction of home, only to send one last glance to the brownstone…just as Oaklynn walked past to the refrigerator.
I pulled up short, unable to keep from watching. And as she opened the door, she glanced over, only to do a double take when she saw me. Suddenly, she slapped the refrigerator shut and turned to face me fully, holding up her index finger as if instructing me to wait.
I straightened and blinked as she disappeared briefly from view.
A moment later, my phone buzzed from my pocket.
Frowning in confusion, I pulled it up and sucked in a breath when I saw Oaklynn’s name.
Thalia’s here now, if you really want to see her.
