Page 7 of Dreams on the Ice

And I’m really not that strong, at least when it comes to physical relationships.

When I’m rounding the corner to the neighborhood, my feet falter at the sight of Forrest leaning against the side of his car, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes focused on me.

God.

Yeah, I am not going to be able to refrain from jumping him.

I slow down and stop in front of him. I’m not sure why, maybe because he was silently willing me to make my way over to him, maybe because I’d been running for a while, and the entire time, all I could think about was him.

Jesus. I’m a whole-ass mess.

Tilting my head back, I look into his eyes, giving him a smile as I take my headphones off to hear whatever it is he has to say.

“You went out running?” he asks.

Although I think it’s pretty obvious, I’m not sure why I feel the need to answer the question. I glance down at my watch, and my brows rise at the distance I put in before I shift my gaze back to meet his.

“Six miles,” I say. “I only planned on three.”

“You ran by yourself for six miles?” he asks.

Pressing my lips together, I roll them a few times before I tilt my head to the side. I’m confused, not only by his question but also by his obvious irritation. I can’t imagine that he would be irritated with the fact that I was running.

“I did. Usually, I do three miles, but I got lost in my head, so it ended up being six.”

Forrest clears his throat and dips his chin slightly, his gaze searching mine. “Alone.”

“Do you have a problem with me running alone, Forrest?” I chance asking when it’s clear that he does indeed have a problem.

I want clarification, though. We’ve been neighbors for a while, and he’s just now realizing that I go for runs alone. Which is crazy to me, considering he’s always watching me. Maybe I’ve gone when he’s been working or training. I’ve never really paid attention.

“It’s not safe, Brook. I don’t think you should run alone.”

Sweet. Really, it is. But at the same time… just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t do something alone. It’s not likeI’m running at three o’clock in the morning, in the dark, with no phone. I’m being completely safe.

“Is this how you start being my fake boyfriend?” I ask. “By telling me what and how to do things?”

He snorts, dropping his arms to his sides. Then he lifts his hand and cups my cheek. His thumb slides across my bottom lip, his eyes never shifting from my own. They’re connected to mine.

“No, Brook. I just want to keep you safe.” His hand drops from my face, and he slides his fingers through his hair, tugging on the ends. “You know, as a friend,” he says, finishing his thought.

A friend.

“Thanks, but I’ll be good. Make sure you text me the exact dates I need to move my schedule around.”

Without another word, I turn my back to him and walk away.

FORREST

I watch her ass as she walks away from me and moves toward her driveway. It’s a great fucking view, even if she pissed me off a bit. I know she’s all about being an independent woman, but I still don’t want anything to happen to her.

“Brook,” I call out when she reaches her driveway.

She looks over her shoulder at me. Her eyes are narrowed, and I know she’s annoyed, which only makes me smile. She’s sexy as fuck when she’s irritated. I might continue keeping her this way just because it’s adorable.

“Forrest?” she says in response.

“You want to go for a run? Ask me to go with you. Just for safety. I run all the time.”

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