for now, he hoped to get to know her better.
“You live around here?”
“Lower East Side.” She fidgeted with her hoodie zipper.
“City life what you expected?”
“Love it.” Now she was playing with the end of her ponytail. “You?”
“Westchester, north of here.”
She nodded. “How’s the commute?”
It sucks. “Could be worse.” He’d much rather talk about her.
She pointed at the Chinese restaurant on the far corner. “I’ll have to check out their specials. Ever eaten there?”
“Nah.” Come on, Lexie, talk to me. “The new job’s treating you okay, aside from today?”
Her smile tightened. “Work is great. My coworkers are terrific and my boss is, well, like a boss. I’m learning a lot.”
He mulled that over. “Chinese is good, but ice cream’s always been more my style.”
“You sound like my roommate, Sam.”
His heart skipped a beat. “Sam?”
“She’s all about the maple walnut. I’m more of a chocolate kind of girl. What’s your favorite?”
Ah, Samantha. His heart resumed its natural rhythm. “Black cherry.”
“I think there’s a shop on the next corner. We could get waffle cones.”
The thought of her licking an ice cream cone did funny things to his insides. “Wouldn’t that kind of defeat the purpose behind our walk?”
She rolled her eyes.
“C’mon. Let’s keep going.” Turning the conversation back to nutrition and exercise, he slipped in questions about her job or personal life here and there as they walked, but before he knew it, they were a block from J&C. Damnit. The sun had sunk low in the sky, and he hadn’t learned much at all. Lots of people were private, but Lexie made it an art form.
Running his hands through his hair, he snuck another glance.
She was so beautiful—pink cheeks and a nose to match, thanks to the chill, and long hair the same rich brown as his dining room table. Was her skin as velvety soft as it looked? Would her lips taste as delicious as she smelled?
Velvet? Delicious? What?
He had to stop. Should’ve known that co-teaching Classic Love Letters and Poetry last semester would have lasting side effects.
“Our street’s here, right?” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and shivered. Sadness crept into her eyes, and a sudden gust of air lifted her silky bangs, revealing tiny, tired creases in her forehead.
He nodded. “We’re almost there.” What had happened? She’d seemed so upbeat the entire walk. Was she sad about returning to the gym?
“The light.” She pointed to the walk sign. “You coming?” Stepping off the curb into the crosswalk without checking first, she glanced back at him when she should’ve been paying attention to the oncoming traffic—
A black blur barreled down the avenue, and she was directly in its path.
“Watch out!” He reached out, adrenaline spurring his muscles into action and rocketing him forward. He caught her sleeve and yanked her toward him.
Air whistled between them and the SUV as the vehicle zoomed past with its horn blaring.
He held her tight, his heart pounding in his ears. She felt…right. Matthew inhaled her scent, alive and warm.
“Wow. You saved me.” She shook her head, her expression a mix of confusion and gratitude as she looked down at his arms around her.
I don’t want to let go.
What if something had happened to her?
His protective instincts kicked in, and he squeezed her a little tighter as he closed his eyes to breathe her in.
“Matthew?”
Cursing, he snapped his eyes open.
“We need to go.” She pushed against him.
He dropped his arms and walked next to her, the light having changed again. “You sure you’re okay?”
She nodded stiffly, her polite smile in place.
Way to go, Hennessey. You’ve been around her a total of three hours? Get a grip, already. No wonder she looks scared. She doesn’t even know you.
He mentally kicked his ass the rest of the way to J&C Associates.
“I’d say that counted as warm-up, cardio, and cool down,” she joked when they’d reached their destination. But the humor didn’t reach her eyes. She pulled a MetroCard from her purse. “I’m going to head home from here, okay?”
She wasn’t even going to return to the gym with him? He scrubbed a hand over his face and cursed. Any headway he’d thought he’d made with her had been erased with one dumbass move. “Hey, I’m sorry about what happened back there. I guess it scared me a little, too.” He waited for her response, but she didn’t say anything, so he went on. “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Walk you to the subway?”
She shook her head, staring at a point somewhere over