And then the song ended.
Mark rolled off her, lying by her side. Amy’s body touched his. He didn’t want to move, to break this moment.
Amy sat up, crossing her legs in front of her. His fingers brushed her thigh, his body still craving a physical connection as he watched her. She raised her arms up, her fingers pulling at the knot in the blindfold.
“Can I take this off now?”
“Of course.” He sat up, helping her undo the fabric.
Lowering the scarf he’d pulled from her hall closet down to her lap, she turned to him, blinking as her eyes adjusted. “Hi,” she said softly.
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Hi.”
“What is this? The music?”
“Not sure what it’s called. I use it for running sprints.” Though he doubted he’d ever be able to hear it again without remembering her.
“That was quite a workout.” She slid off the bed and began pulling on her clothes. “Thank you.”
“You’re leaving?” Mark swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Every muscle in his body begged him to stop her, keep her here with him.
“I need to follow my rules, Mark.” She picked up his cell phone and held it out to him. “I know you said one night would never be enough, but it has to be.”
Mark took the phone, silencing the track. “I get it.”
He wanted to say to hell with the rules, but she was right. One night of comfort—a way for her to reclaim a lost part of her life—that’s all this was.
The door closed behind her, and he fought back the urge to go after her. Because knowing it was only one night didn’t change the unsettling sensation in his gut that what they’d shared was so much more.
11
AMY OPENED ONE EYE and stared at the Belgian Malinois sitting on his haunches, his tail thumping the ground.
She rolled to her side. “I’m getting up. I promise.”
Tossing back the covers, she sat up and stretched. Every inch of her body hummed with the memory of last night. She waited for guilt to descend. She’d made love to Darren’s best friend. Blindfolded. And she felt...happy.
Would he feel the same? Her fingers drummed on the sheets. She should talk to him before the madness of opening day began—
Woof! Woof!
“Okay, okay. You need to go out. I hear you.” She stood, stripping out of her pajamas and pulling on her work clothes. After she’d taken care of the dogs and finished setting up, she’d change into the red dress she’d ordered for today.
Downstairs, Amy opened the front door, letting Jango race past her to find a tree. Knowing he’d come around to the back, she headed for the kitchen. She found Mark leaning against the counter and eating fries from the to-go container he’d brought home last night.
She paused in the entryway. With the long-sleeved flannel thrown over a white T-shirt, the carg
o pants and work boots, he looked exactly the same. But now she knew what lay beneath his ordinary clothes. She knew how his skin felt. She knew how he moved.
A flood of wanting replaced her happy morning-after glow. Seeing Mark, she wished they could slip away and hide in her spare bedroom, blocking out the rest of the world with a blindfold and mind-numbing pleasure.
“Morning.” His smile was warm and welcoming, drawing her into the room.
“Cold fries, the breakfast of champions?” she teased, moving to the closet where she kept Jango’s food.
“Hey, I heated them up,” he said. “And it was this or dog food. Your cabinets are bare.”
“I haven’t had time for grocery shopping lately,” she said, scooping the food into the dog bowl.