Chapter 7

Dawson

The last personI ever thought I'd see on Jasper Springs Tower's trail was Nolan. For starters, I ran the track every day, rain or shine, and I'd seen a hell of a lot of people either in passing or because I'd responded to a call, or just because Jasper Springs was the smallest town on the fucking planet.

But I'd never seen Nolan anywhere outside of work until the other night at M's Place, and it seemed like ever since then I couldn't escape the infuriating adjuster who...

Looks kind of hot in that tight Under Armour tank... even with the glasses.

Especially with the glasses.

Fuck!

"Uh... I live here," he deadpanned, as if such a thing were common knowledge.

I closed my eyes immediately as I realized how dumb I must have looked, because of course he lived there. The property was private for residents of the Towers, which meant...

Nolan Harding lived in my damn complex and I had no freaking idea.

What were the odds?

I decided to make up for my stupid ass comment by covering up with some good old-fashioned competition, something I was far more comfortable with than talking.

Not to mention, I came to run, to feel the hard earth of the trail beneath my feet and the heat of the sun on my skin until I couldn't focus on anything else. Because that weird moment earlier, at my brother's house... left me feeling more worked up than I wanted to admit at the moment, especially to Nolan.

"Small town, small world, I guess," I grunted as I took a well-needed stop to breathe and take a drink from my water bottle.

Nolan gave me the cold shoulder, turning away from me to continue his sexy stretching, showcasing the actual definition in his arms like I was insignificant to him or his little yoga show, like he was better than me.

How dare he.

"You gonna stretch all day or you actually going to hit the pavement?" I taunted him.

Nolan turned, looking at me with dark eyes, his expression something between surprised and enticed, and I can't say it was a bad look for him.

"I would already be hitting the pavement, if you hadn't distracted me," he said with that laissez faire attitude of his that caused my insides to burn.

"Then by all means, Harding, don't let me get in your way," I said as I cast him a sly grin. "Race me."

I watched Nolan raise his eyebrows before sliding his hands on his hips, shaking his head. The sunlight streamed through the trees, lighting up his skin and casting shadows in all the right places.

"Dawson..."

"What? Unless you think you can't beat me..." I said as I capped my water bottle, hooking it back on my belt.

Nolan just smirked. He fucking smirked at me!

"Oh, I'm not worried I won't beat you. I just don't want to damage your reputation," he said darkly. "Or your ego."

"Quite sure of yourself, aren't you?" I said as I took a step closer, leaving a hair's breadth between us as I looked down at his smirking face.

I expected to see his expression falter, for him to flip whatever switch it was that had turned him into that someone I got a glimpse of earlier, over the phone.

Cocky.

Self-assured.

Hot.

"Like I said, Dawson, you don't know what I'm capable of."

It's on, champ.

"Then let's sweeten the incentive. One race, loser buys the winner dinner."

Nolan licked his lips, shaking his head.

"You won't take no for an answer, will you?" he asked with a dark chuckle.

I shook my head, shifting my weight so I could loom over him ominously. I can't explain why, but I just felt like it would shake him. Throw him off his game, or whatever it was that was happening between us.

"I never do," I said as I started to bounce from foot to foot, readying for takeoff.

"Fine. But it's your funeral," he said as he walked away from me, taking his position at what I assumed to be our starting line, and I followed.

"Get ready to eat my dust, Harding," I said with a grin.

"Ready, set..." he called.

"Go," I snapped, taking off within seconds.

Nolan sprinted, his legs tightening as he built his rhythm, as he caught up to me, staying beside me. But I couldn't have that.

I sucked in a breath as I willed my legs to move faster, outrunning him. The breeze against my already heated skin was like a balm, and I chased that feeling; the cool air, my racing heart, and the burn in my muscles, like it was my salvation.

And maybe in a way, it was.

I smiled as we turned the bend, satisfied with my lead until Nolan caught up to me... again. His face was red and flushed, and I could see sweat starting to form on his brow, his heavy breath like an echo in the secluded space between us.

He ran a hand back through his hair, sucking in his own breath as he pushed past me.

The little fucker!

My heartbeat raced, thudding loudly in my chest as I mustered up my speed a bit, focusing intently on catching up to him.

On catching him.

Just a few more feet and we'd be homeward bound. I was beside him within seconds, focusing on my breath...

Nolan never looked at me. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on his target, our finish line.

Keeping with his pace, I knew it wouldn't be long until I hit that finish, until I claimed my prize.

Yet, I was more than surprised when Nolan pulled out a wicked sprint, taking off like a bat out of hell for the finish line, leaving me in his dust.

Literally, because his shoes kicked up a cloud of dirt on the trail as he all but leaped to the finish line. When he got there, he hunched over quickly, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

He fucking beat me!

I wanted to snap, make some douchey comment, after all I'd always been a competitive man, but something about the reality of the moment left me feeling not only surprised, but proud.

Because he fucking beat me.

I huffed out a breath as I snatched my water bottle again for a drink, the only sound between us Nolan's labored breathing. He stood upright, face all flushed as he removed his shirt, using it to wipe the sweat from his face.

My gaze roved over his form, my cock stiffening at the sight of his abs.

Nolan has fucking abs?

Who would have thought?

His pale skin caught the sunlight streaming through the trees, the sweat on his very delicious, very pronounced Adonis belt that dipped into his shorts like a glowing sign.

The sudden image of me running my tongue along those groves, tasting the salt of his sweat, pushed to the forefront of my mind, and I mindlessly adjusted myself as I watched him wipe the sweat from his forehand.

I offered him my water bottle.

"You look a little thirsty, there Nolan," I said, much darker than I'd intended.

Nolan looked back at me with fiery amber eyes, licking his pouty lips in thirst.

Fuuuuck.

Why is that so hot right now?

Nolan shuffled his weight as he shook his head. "I'm good, thanks."

"I promise I don't have cooties. Clean as a whistle in all ways that count," I said with a wink.

What the fuck?

Where did that come from?

"Seriously," I said, covering up my creepy ass comment as I took a step closer.

Nolan looked at my water bottle like it was a snake about to bite him. He took a deep breath, before grabbing it from me, his eyes never leaving mine.

"That makes two of us." He grunted as he took a long pull, and I half worried he'd drain the whole thing, but I didn't mind as I watched him guzzle my water down his throat, little streams pouring out the sides of his pretty little mouth.

Do not think sexy thoughts.

Do not think...

I hadn't had a race like that in a long time, and something about the sweat, the sunlight... a shirtless Nolan and his cocky attitude… had me feeling off my game.

"Looks like I'm buying you dinner," I said as he handed me back my water, using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth of any remaining streams of liquid.

"You don't have to..."

"A deal is a deal, Harding. And I'm a man of my word." I hooked the near empty bottle back onto my belt.

"Not going to take no for an answer, I take it?"

"Got somewhere you want to go tonight?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Tonight?" Nolan asked, his eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, I didn't—"

"You got plans I don't know about?" I taunted him.

Nolan shrugged.

"I mean, I was going to catch up on the latest episode of 911 Lone Star," he said, clearing his throat. "But, uh..."

"Ouch. You really know how to dig the blade in, don't you?" I said, shaking my head.

"I didn't mean..."

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven. Be ready," I said.

"But I—"

I smirked at him as I made my way off the trail, and just as I expected, he followed me like a good little lamb.

"Wouldn't want to get in the way of your TK and Carlos marathon," I said with a wink, which caused a blush to spread across Nolan's nose and into his cheeks.

He does that a lot, it's kind of... cute.

Though he couldn't see the grin on my face, I couldn't help myself.

Sometimes he just made things so easy.