Love Thy Neighbor by Sophie Wintner Page B

front door, he gazed across the hall, thinking about Nikki, as he bent down and grabbed the Chicago Tribune on his doorstep. He pictured her lying in bed, still asleep, her body all warm and welcoming. Stop it, man. He grabbed his newspaper and went back inside and upstairs to his deck.
    It was a beautiful morning, still cool with a cloudless sky and a crisp breeze coming in off the lake. It was perfect weather for running. And that morning there was only one person he wanted to go with. Hey, it’s just a run . There was nothing wrong with that, right?
    …
    Nikki luxuriated in the memory of dancing with Dallas, being in his strong arms, and reliving his kisses. She reached up and touched her lips, still plump and swollen from it all. A ripple of heat pulsed through her body before settling in between her legs. She’d almost forgotten the stunned look on Matthew’s face when she’d glanced up and saw him staring at the two of them. When she was in Dallas’s embrace, she’d forgotten all about the plan to make Matthew jealous. She’d forgotten that it was all an act. And that was the point she’d kept forcing herself to come back to.
    If Nikki thought for one minute that she and Dallas could have had something real, she’d have pursued it. But her pretend date couldn’t have made it clearer. He’d told her himself, he didn’t want to be tied down. He was traveling light. And he’d kissed her on the top of the head, like a father kissed a daughter. It was one of those protective, there, there kisses. A kiss on the head was not an I want to take you right here, right now kind of kiss.
    There was a knock on her door followed by that sexy accent. “Hey, you up? It’s me.”
    “Dallas?” She opened the door and found him in a pair of running shorts and a Boston Marathon T-shirt. Of course he ran the Boston Marathon. Of course he did.
    “It’s a beautiful morning. I was going to head out for a run. Thought you might like to join me.”
    She knew she probably shouldn’t. The more time she spent with him, the more time she wanted to spend with him. But it was just a run, right? She’d do that later anyway, so why not have a little company in the process?
    “Um, I’m not dressed yet,” she said, looking down at her yoga pants and oversize T-shirt. “Can you wait?”
    “Sure, I can wait for you.” He smiled and she came unglued.
    “Ah, make yourself at home, I’ll be right out.” She scurried off to her bedroom and pulled her hair up in a high ponytail and slipped into a pair of old baggy shorts. She hoped they wouldn’t fall down halfway through her run.
    Coming out from her bedroom with her running shoes hooked on her fingers, she said, “I have to warn you, I’m no Boston Marathoner. I’m not very fast.”
    “Not to worry. We’ll take it slow.” He smiled and she wasn’t sure they were talking about running anymore.
    “You know,” she said, lacing up her shoes, “I wouldn’t have made it through that wedding last night without you.”
    “Glad I could be of service.”
    She looked at his biceps and envisioned his buff abs through his T-shirt.
    “You okay?” he asked.
    “Oh, yeah. Sure.” God, she was practically drooling. She stood up and dropped her key in her shorts pocket. “Shall we go?”
    Not risking the freight elevator again, they headed down the stairs and out the side door in the direction of the lakefront. It was a perfect day for a run, with a gentle breeze coming off the lake. In no time they were at the underpass that led to the water and heading south. Running had never felt so easy and effortless to Nikki before.
    Off to the east, the lake was calm, the waves rolling rhythmically onto the shore. Seagulls swooped down as dogs chased Frisbees soaring through the air. The sky was a brilliant blue and the running path was alive with joggers, bikers, and people strolling along. She could see the Museum Campus coming into view.
    “How you holding up?” he asked.
    “So far so