The trail curved to the left, and I kept my focus on the pounding of my feet and my steady breathing.
“Syd?”
That voice. That voice. It was the voice from the night before, coming up from behind me. Officer Murphy. Oh shit. I had been a complete idiot last night. And I’d pushed the incident to the far recesses of my mind, hoping to never have to think of how I must have come off in my mute state while he’d talked to me like a normal person.
What do I say to him?
Oh shit. I was doing the same thing I’d done the night before.
“Syd?” The voice was closer and slightly out of breath.
Do I pretend I can’t hear him? I kept my pace steady, my breathing even.
There was a cough behind me, and it sounded like he was right behind me.
Is he sweaty? Will I be able to put a face to the amazing voice?
On that thought, my feet got caught up in invisible strings, and I toppled to the ground. I threw out my hands to take the brunt of the impact.
“Ouch!” I hit the ground and quickly rolled to a sitting position.
“Hell, are you okay?”
I closed my eyes and dropped my forehead to my knees in humiliation. “Yes, I’m okay.”
A shadow fell over me as I mentally gathered myself. Peering up, I saw concern in his deep blue eyes.
I gulped. I seriously gulped. “Officer Murphy. Nice to see you again.”
Nice to see you again?
Okay, it had apparently been a while since my lady parts had gotten a workout from the opposite sex. A good, long while. Longer than I cared to admit after my last breakup. And even in my nonbreakup state, said lady parts had not been satisfied.
“You sure you’re okay? That was a nasty fall.”
I felt his hand on my elbow, and the tingles near
ly had me gasping in shock. “I’m sure. Probably still tired.”
Hell, Sydney, how many times can you use the tired excuse?
“Let me see your palms.”
The Adonis in front of me squatted to my level, popping out his calf muscles in the process. I only imagined what his thighs looked like. And those abs. Oh, and that ass. I would have bet he had one of those asses that curved inward at just the right spot.
Oh my gosh! Get a grip, Sydney! Get. A. Grip!
With gentle hands, he turned mine over. “Nothing too serious. You didn’t break the skin.”