Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(42)

“I do when it counts.”

“Mm hmm.”

This was really making me look bad. I decided I was going to keep up with her, even if it killed me.

Ten minutes later, I thought it might.

I gave up all attempts at conversation when we hit our first hill. Okay, hill was too dramatic of a word for the slight incline. But my legs and lungs claimed otherwise. It felt like I was running up a mountain.

The road descended again and stayed flat for a while. I started to get into a groove, my breathing becoming more regular. At least I didn’t feel like I was going to die anymore. Nora ran easily, like it was effortless, although I could see the sheen of sweat forming on her forehead and neck.

It made me want to lick it off. Taste the salt on her smooth skin.

Get her naked and find out if she really didn’t have any tattoos.

How my mind could still fixate on sex when I was struggling to survive, I had no idea.

She knew the route, so I let her lead the way. She turned down another residential street. A dog barked from a window and a gray cat ran across the road in front of us. A guy who could have been Phil’s brother stood in a yard, hand watering his lawn. He even wore crocs, although his were a more subdued shade of navy blue.

We turned down another street and I figured we were well past the halfway point. And I wasn’t dead. Felt pretty good about that.

Until a sharp pain in my calf made me pull up short.

“Shit.” I hobbled a few steps but my lower leg had suddenly contracted into a giant ball of pain.

Nora stopped and looked back. “Are you okay?”

I reached down to rub my calf. It hurt like hell. “Cramp in my leg. It’s fine, I’ll just walk it off.”

“We should probably stop and massage it out.”

“No, I’ve got it. We can keep going.”

She rested her hands on her hips and tilted her head. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” I was already scoring way behind on man points. I wasn’t about to admit to any more weakness and make this worse. “You keep going. I’ll walk a little and catch up.”

Gritting my teeth, I took a few steps. The knot in my calf was so tight, it felt like I couldn’t bend my ankle. Nora didn’t run ahead. She stayed with me while I limped forward, trying not to groan in pain.

“Stay here. I’ll run home and come back to pick you up.”

“No.” My voice was strained as I tried to take another step. “I’m fine.”

“Dex, you can barely walk. You’re not fine.”

I reached down to knead my knotted muscle again. “Just a cramp. No big deal.”

She sighed and came alongside me, slipping her arm around my waist. “Come on, big guy. I think if we turn left here it’ll get us home faster.”

I put my arm over her shoulders but I certainly wasn’t going to lean on her. I’d break her like a twig. “I’ll be okay if I—ow.”

There was no point in pretending this didn’t hurt like hell. Especially when I couldn’t walk without limping. Heavily.

This was not making me look good.

Then again, why was I worried about how I looked to Nora? She didn’t need to be impressed with me.

She kept her arm around me and I only leaned on her a little as I limped home, hoping Phil wouldn’t be outside. That was the last thing I needed.

“Still hanging in there?” she asked as we turned onto our street.

The sight of my house, and the promise of sitting down, was enough to help me power through. “Yeah.”

But damn, it hurt.

She walked me all the way up my driveway, the knot in my leg still burning with every hobbling step. We went inside and I flopped onto the couch, breathing out my relief.

“Well, that was embarrassing.” I hoisted my leg onto the couch to stretch it out.

She lowered herself onto the floor next to me and took my calf in her hands. “Here, let me.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to—” I stopped short, groaning as she dug her fingers into my aching muscle.

Fuck that felt good.

It hurt, but it was a good hurt. Necessary. She kneaded the muscle, stroking it up and down, digging in with her fingers. I winced and breathed hard but I didn’t want her to stop. I could feel the fibers loosening, the tension easing.

Plus there was something about her hands on my skin, even though it was just my calf.

I did not need an erection right now, but apparently my body was going there.

Breathing through the pain, I flexed and extended my foot while she kept massaging. Her touch was like magic, easing not only the tension in my leg, but in the rest of my body as well.

Except my dick. I just hoped she wouldn’t notice that.

Encircling my calf with her hands, she rubbed up and down a few more times. “Is that helping?”

“Yeah.” My voice was rough and low. “So good.”

Her lips twitched in a smile and I saw her eyes flick to my crotch.

So much for her not noticing.

Thankfully, she did me the favor of pretending she didn’t see it.

“You should drink some water.” She stood. “Dehydration can cause muscle cramps.”

“So can being an idiot who lifts but skips cardio,” I grumbled to myself.

She went into the kitchen and came back with a tall glass of water. I downed it like I’d just spent a month in the desert.