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breakfast. Don’t want to get fat.”
    This is about breakfast? She thinks she needs to run off her breakfast? What the fuck? This girl is gorgeous and has no clue.
    Slowing down his pace, he gently pulled on her arm until she slowed her pace down as well. Afraid of making her skittish, he pretended to limp a little. “Sorry, my calf is sore.”
    Immediately contrite, she slowed to a stop. Her nurse’s training had her leaning down to wrap her delicate hands around his lower leg. “I’m so sorry! You should have stopped a long time ago.”
    He loved the feel of her hands on his leg. He had only pretended to have a leg cramp to get her to slow down, but quickly realized that the feel of her touch sent sparks through him just as it did when he had the accident. Looking down at the top of her halo of yellow hair, he hated to stop her ministrations but knew he had to discontinue the charade.
    Gently taking her by the arms he pulled her to a standing position just in front of him. Bodies almost touching, she rested her hands on his waist while his fingers stroked her shoulders. Blue eyes gazing at blue eyes. He found himself drawn to her like a magnet, leaning down as she rose on her tiptoes, moving her lips closer to his.
    “Whoa, move off the trail you two!” came a shout from two teenage boys rounding the path as they ran by.
    Startled out of her trance Carol jumped back, embarrassment crossing her beautiful face.
    Damn! What fucked up timing! Tom started to move forward, but she quickly stepped back again.
    “I really need to get back. I have to get ready for work,” she said, reluctance in her voice.
    As they walked the short distance to her building, he asked, “So do you always run that far and that fast? Are you training for a marathon?” Taking her silence into consideration, he continued, “Angel, you said something about running off your breakfast. Was that what you were trying to do?”
    Jerking her head toward him her blue eyes grew large as she sucked in her lips in contemplation. Shrugging her shoulders, she simply replied, “No. Not really. I just felt… full and thought a run would help.”
    Not trusting that she was telling the whole truth he decided not to pursue the point, which went against everything he was trained to do. As a detective, as soon as he found a discrepancy in a witness’ statement he went in for the tough questioning. Back off. Let this one slide. Wait until she trusts. And. She. Will. Trust.
    At the door of her apartment building he took her hand once again and raised it for a kiss. “I am glad I came running with you. I didn’t want you to think I was stalking, but I just really wanted to see you again.”
    Smiling up into his eyes, she was struck with how handsome he was. Even the sweat running down his body only made her want to pull him in for a kiss. “I had a good time too, Tom.” Starting to pull her hand away as she turned toward the door, she felt herself gently tugged back. Looking up in question, she found herself staring into his lowered face as his eyes bore into hers. His lips touched hers in the softest kiss before he pulled away. So gentle. So kind. A whisper of a kiss that spoke volumes. The spark that she felt every time they touched made her lips tingle where his had been.
    “See you soon, angel,” he said, smiling.
    She watched him turn and move to his truck parked across the street. Walking up the stairs of her building, she realized she felt happy. Hopeful. Out of control. Pulling out her cell phone she called Ronda.
    *
    “You seem unusually stressed, Carol,” Ronda commented.
    “I was just feeling out of control and felt the need to talk.” Shaking her head, she looked down at her hands. “I haven’t thought about my childhood in a long time and yet I found myself thinking about it more and more recently.”
    “Does this have anything to do with the someone that you met a while back?”
    Carol blushed and nodded. “Yes, I suppose it does.