Page 12 of Pure Temptation

The music began and he was there, at the base, tracing his path up the mountain, seeing it, feeling the rock with his fingertips. The route drew and redrew itself as he moved, one foot at a time, one crevice at a time, one hand at a time as he made his way up. He thought through all possible routes as he ran, focusing on each challenge as it came, problem-solving it in different ways, just to be certain. Daxon saw the mountain, not the sand and the ocean in front of him. The first track ended, and he turned back down the empty beach, back toward the resort, and focused on the last stretch of mountain terrain, factoring in the sun and his thirst and the tingle in his muscles, craving energy.

And then...there she was.

Daxon might have missed Kendall entirely if the audio track hadn’t ended. He had seen two figures, but he hadn’t really registered them. Now all he could do was stare. His steps slowed as he approached her, and he felt a strange twist in the pit of his stomach. What the hell was that? It felt almost like...loneliness? Nah. More likely hunger.

But damn, Kendall looked hot. She was lounging on the beach in shorts and a T-shirt, her feet in the water, and another woman was next to her, with purple hair and a string bikini. And they were both looking at him. The other woman’s smile sparkled with amusement, but there was no trace of humor on Kendall’s face. She sat up, brushing the sand off her hands. Half of his body, the lower half, was thrilled to see her. The upper half had a little more sense than that. He could guess what would come out of her mouth before she even said it.

“What the hell, Daxon?”

That wasn’t quite the tone he was hoping for.

“Good morning, Kendall,” he tried, flashing her his camera-ready smile. “Lovely to see you, too.”

Purple Hair chuckled, but Kendall didn’t look pleased.

“I’m supposed to help you, and you’re actively countering my efforts.” It wasn’t a question.

He slowed to a stop in front of her. “That’s not what I’m doing. I just needed to get out and go for a run. To clear my head.”

Kendall stood up and put her hands on her hips. His gaze traveled down as she moved, to her hips, then farther to her bare, toned legs...but this really wasn’t the time to get distracted. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up again. Her eyebrows were raised, and she was frowning. “You didn’t hear when I told you to take it easy on your calf yesterday? Or you just ignored me?”

That wasn’t really a question either, but he ran his hand through his hair and attempted to answer it anyway. “Iwastaking it easy. I could have done this run in half the time.”

Kendall rolled her eyes. “Bullshit. You know exactly what I would’ve said if you had floated the idea of going out on a jog while your calf is recovering. So now you’re ignoring my professional opinion after we...”

She let the sentence drift off and looked away as the weight of her accusation sank in.Shit. That wasn’t a connection he had consciously made, but he could see why it would really sting from her perspective.

He stared down at the sand, trying to think, but his eyes caught something in the sand next to Kendall’s friend. A heart and an arrow and... D + K? Daxon covered his mouth to hide his smile. Had they been discussing him? God, he hoped so.

Purple Hair caught where his gaze was and quickly brushed it away, then stood up. “Time for me to stop eavesdropping. I’ll catch you later.”

“Later, Alana,” said Kendall, not looking in her friend’s direction. She kept her glare steady on Daxon, and the last of his smile faded. She shook her head. “I’m feeling like an idiot right now.”

Daxon grimaced. “Why? I’m the idiot who went running, not you.”

“And I’m the physical therapist that got distracted by all this—” She gestured up and down his body.

His shirtless state had been in deference to the climate, but he couldn’t deny he liked hearing that Kendall was enjoying the view...

She shook her head. “Daxon, I don’t think this is going to work.”

Whoa. His thoughts screeched to a halt.

“What’s not going to work?” he asked carefully.

“Me as your physical therapist,” she said. “I can arrange to get you someone else, someone good.”

“No.”His answer came out louder than he meant it to, but the idea that he wouldn’t see Kendall...well, the thought was like a kick in the stomach, and he wasn’t about to sort out why. He took a deep breath and softened his tone. “Please don’t back out. I don’t want anyone else.”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “That’s just because you haven’t gotten your happy ending yet.”

“No. That’s not why.”Shit, shit, shit.This run was shaping up to be the worst idea he had had in a long time. He tried to stanch the feeling of panic that was rising up in him. He couldn’t let her leave. “If you want the after-hours part of this to stop, that’s your call. But please don’t quit. I’ll do exactly what you say. I promise.”

They were standing close together, and Daxon had no idea who had stepped forward or when it had happened. All he knew was that Kendall looked upset. He was dying to close that last distance, to comfort her in ways he had no business doing right now. Her hair was back in a ponytail again, and her cheeks were flushed. In her eyes, behind everything else, he could see the stubborn wall of determination. If he promised to do exactly what she said, she’d hold him to his promise, no exceptions. And she seemed to be considering it. She raised her eyebrows skeptically. “Exactly as I say?”

He nodded.

“Like—” her expression brightened “—if I said dive in the ocean right now with your clothes on, you’d do it?” She gestured out into the turquoise water.