“In your dreams,” he says with a lopsided smirk. I watch his eyes unexpectedly smolder as he takes in my appearance.

I look like I always do when running. No make-up, my long hair secured in a high ponytail, and my clothes hardly flattering, but there’s no denying that he’s blatantly checking me out. Maybe he does like me.

My insides warm at the idea, but squashing down my immature fantasies, I quickly say, “So, you ready to get your ass whipped?”

Dixon grins and, thankfully, his eyes return to their normal beautiful blue. “Give it your best shot, little girl.” His cockiness titillates me.

“So, what are the rules?” I ask, lunging forward into a hamstring stretch.

Dixon programs his fancy watch. “I’d say the zoo is roughly two miles from here.”

I nod in agreement.

“Well, the first person to reach the zoo is the winner. Oh, and we have to run the same route,” he adds with a smirk, just in case I thought about taking a shortcut.

“That’s it?” I ask, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“That’s it,” Dixon confirms with a smile.

He stands by my side and looks over, grinning. “Just a word of warning, I don’t like to lose,” he confesses as he eyes me up and down.

“Well, isn’t that funny, ’cause neither do I. See you on the other side…loser.” I take off in a quick sprint, leaving Dixon at our makeshift start line.

I hear him following in quick pursuit, and his chase only has me increasing my speed to an even pace. The first few yards are always the hardest for me, but once I find my rhythm, I can run for miles. I guess you could say I started running to escape my demons, but no matter how hard I ran, they were always biting at my heels.

“Just so you know,” Dixon huffs, catching up to me. “I let you have a head start.”

We both keep a steady pace, our breaths the only thing sounding between us, and that’s good because if we spoke, I would lose myself in his deep, rough voice. I focus on the way my body feels alive, the blood pumping through my veins and animating my every move.

We jog in silence, side by side for a few minutes, until Dixon pushes forward, taking the lead. I stay back, as I’ll save my energy and pull out the big guns on the last half a mile. And besides, back here, I can totally check out Dixon’s muscular legs and taut butt. He is a work of art, and I can’t help but feel slightly curious to know what that tight butt would feel like in the flesh.

“Tired already?” Dixon teases as he turns around and begins running backward, watching amusedly as I flip him off.

“I’m just being generous. I don’t want to show you up too early. That would be kinda embarrassing,” I say, puffing.

Dixon laughs and turns back around, thankfully watching where he’s going. I decide to catch up to him, as he’s gaining a steady lead because I’m lagging behind, distracted by his hot ass.

“So,” Dixon pants, his eyes focused ahead. “How long you been running?”

“About nine years,” I confess, leaving out why.

“You’re quite good,” he admits. I turn toward him with a smirk.

“And you’re surprised?”

Dixon shakes his head. “Not at all. My mother taught me never to assume anything when it came to women.”

I can’t stop the laugh that breaks free from my winded chest. “Your mother sounds like a smart lady.”

“She was,” Dixon says, and I don’t fail to pick up on his use of the past tense. “She passed,” he explains. “Six months ago to breast cancer.”

“Oh, Dixon. I’m really sorry.” I frown, as the thought of losing my mother tears a big hole in my chest.

“Thank you,” he says with a sad smile.

“So it’s just you and your dad?”

“Um, yeah,” he replies with a pause, which confuses me, but I let it slide as I know uncomfortable when I see it.

“How about you?” he innocently asks, not realizing how a simple question such as this is my worst nightmare.

But I casually reply, “What about me?”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“Yeah, I have an older brother. But it’s just me and my mom.”

“Where’s your dad?”

“Oh, um, he left when I was five. I don’t really remember him,” I disclose, keeping my eyes focused ahead.

“That must’ve been tough.”

“It was okay—my mom is the best. She was my mom and my dad. I really am lucky to have her as my mother. We’re close,” I share, happy to divulge this information about my past.

“She sounds like an amazing lady,” Dixon says, and I nod.

“She really is,” I reply with sincerity, because before my mom remarried, we were doing it tough.

“But I’m sure your big brother looked after his little sister, right?” Dixon randomly says, and I know it’s meant to be an innocent question, but the mere mention of my brother has me suddenly losing my footing and I trip, my forehead and wrists breaking the fall.

“Holy shit! Are you okay?” he asks. His voice mingles with the loud ringing in my ears.

I’m pretty sure I’m not okay, but I nod, which has my brain rolling around my head like marbles.

I fell flat on my stomach, and I’m beyond embarrassed to be sprawled out on the ground, so I try and lift myself up, but Dixon quickly warns, “No, no, don’t get up too quickly, you’ve hit your head pretty hard.”

“I’m fine,” I say, waving him off, as I’m more worried about how I’m going to face him, rather than my injured head.

As I lift myself into a half-sitting position, I see Dixon crouching near me. I watch as his eyes widen, and he gasps, “Fuck, you’re bleeding.” Before I can protest, he’s yanking off his shirt and pressing the amazing-smelling garment to my forehead.

I whine the moment it touches my sore brow, and Dixon flinches, easing the pressure.

“Sorry.” He frowns, his intense eyes focused on my temple.

“It’s okay,” I whisper, mesmerized by being so close to him, and also mesmerized by the fact I’m so close to him while he’s topless.

I try my absolute hardest not to stare, but it’s extremely hard not to as he’s simply stunning.

A totally hair-free, well-defined chest is inches away from my face. As I lower my eyes, I see the only hair visible is the fine dusting of darkened curls painting his navel, which leads into his low-slung shorts. His washboard abs should be illegal, and I won’t even touch on his sculptured V-muscle, which has my eyes bulging at its pure perfection.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Dixon kindly asks, and I snap out of my trance.

“Ye-yeah,” I stutter, raising my eyes to meet his.

His strong features express nothing but concern, and just when I thought I couldn’t fall deeper into obsession with this man, I fall harder than ever before.

I watch as Dixon removes his soiled T-shirt from my brow, his intense eyes examining my wound. “I don’t think you’ll need stitches, but I dare say you’ll have a nasty headache for the next couple of days.”

“Nothing a little Advil won’t fix,” I say with a smile, and attempt to shift so I’m sitting up taller.

Dixon places his hands on my upper arms to help steady me, and I appreciate the support as my head is still spinning.

“So, looks like I’m buying,” I declare, trying to ignore the way my body is responding to Dixon’s touch.

“Well, from where I stood, you were definitely the winner.”

“How’d you figure that?” I ask, not quite following.

“Before you so elegantly swan-dived into the asphalt—” I lunge out to playfully smack him on his arm, but he dodges my attack “—I was going to forfeit,” he explains.

“You were not, you liar.” I chuckle in disbelief.

Dixon grins, placing a hand over his heart, attempting to appear genuine. “Oh, but I was. This old body is obviously no match for your youthful spirit. You won fair and square, Madison.”

I’m not buying his story for a second, but he looks too adorable and I can’t argue with him.

“Well, I would still feel wrong, as it kinda feels like I’m cheating. So how about you buy dinner and I’ll buy dessert?” I suggest, hoping he says yes, as I’m desperate to draw out any time spent with him.