Spark by Brooke Cumberland Page A

his hand and open up to see a bagel sandwich and a small bag of chips. He continues to sit with me and watch the game as I hand out beer bottles and pour shots. His eyes wander between the game and me for the next few hours. The way he watches me sends tingles from my stomach to my thighs. His hefty smile is so darn charming, I almost want to jump over the bar and climb into his arms.
    “Ready?” he asks, offering me his hand to pull me up. I simpl y nod, not at all prepared to stare at his amazing toned muscles. I decide I need to run in front of him, or at least next to him. But I definitely can’t run behind him. The way his shorts hug his butt is just too much for me.
    We start with an easy pace, letting the wind blow into us. I start to huff as he increases his pace, making me increase mine as well. I can see that he’s pushing me, which is exactly what I need. I need to run off my frustrations, my past, and my built up anger. Running erases it all, even if just for a little while, but it certainly helps.
    “Doing okay?” He looks over and all I can do is nod. My breathing is quick , and I’m dripping with sweat. “We can break,” he suggests. I nod again, relieved.
    “So how’s work going?” I ask vaguely as we slow to walk.
    “Great. Been working out a lot to pass the time when we don’t get calls.” I can tell. “How’s the bar?”
    “Oh, ya know, the usual. Drunk men and sports.” He huffs a laugh as we round the next street toward our building.
    We continue walking in silence and my mind is boggled with thoughts of him. It takes all my energy to not wrap my arms around him and take his mouth in mine. That would confuse the tartar sauce out of him. And me.
    I trip on a crack in the sidewalk and I’m so deep in my thoughts I don’t even react in putting my hands out in front of me. Eric quickly catches me, but my body continues to fall making me land right on top of him. His body lays flat on the sidewalk with my legs straddling over him as his body acts as a human shield.
    “Oh god, I’m so sorry!” I bury my head in his chest, embarrassed as I keep falling around him, literally.
    “You can crash into me any day of the week, sweetheart.” Clearly, he’s enjoying this. He stares at me intently, not willing to make me move off him. Part of me contemplates leaning in, but the reality part of me tells me to get a grip.
    I push my hands against his chest as I stable myself to my feet. I hold my hand out to pull him up, but instead he grabs my hand forcefully pulling me down to him once again.
    “Eric,” I breathe. “What are you doing?” I’m curled up next to his side, his arms wrapped around me. It feels so safe, so right.
    “ I’m just securing you. It’s not my fault you keep falling head over heels around me.” He chuckles, tilting his head more toward mine as I see the amusement in his eyes.
    “Very funny. There was a crack in the sidewalk. Tell your ego down boy ,” I tease, pushing against him once again. “You can get yourself up this time. I don’t trust you,” I pout, teasing him.
    “You don’t trust me? ” he asks, pretending to be offended by clenching his hand to his chest. I roll my eyes at his awful attempt to look hurt.
    “Come on, Sally . I’ll race ya.” I take off for the building before I finish, not letting him catch up to me. I sprint the next block and don’t turn around to see where he is.
    I slam my hands into the building, trying to even my breathing as Eric slams right into my back. “You’re a cheater,” he whispers against my ear, closing the gap between us. His palms are flat against the wall next to mine, making me feel that spark he’s always talking about. I can’t help but enjoy the way his body feels against mine. His sweaty chest rubs against me, making me inhale the sweet scent of his body wash and shampoo. “Next time, I might not be so willing to let you win,” he whispers again, rubbing his lips against the outside of my ear. A