Free Tessa's Temptation by Ella Jade

didn’t want to leave. She liked being there. Having May in her life gave her a sense of peace she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. She finally had a woman she felt close enough to share things with.  Before May, she never realized how much she’d missed by not having a mother around.
    Of course the real reason she wanted to stay had nothing to do with the kind older woman. Even if Chase didn’t want her, she was still drawn to him. There was this connection they had both felt over the past few weeks and she wasn’t willing to give up on it. She just had to figure out another way to get through to him.
    “Tessa.” He squinted as he made his way to her. “I didn’t expect to see you down here this morning.”
    “Can I run with you today?”
    “Of course.”
    “Cool.” She headed down the path keeping pace with him. “I haven’t seen you much lately.”
    “I’ve been busy at the office.”
    “I thought maybe you were keeping your distance from me again.” She focused on the trail in front of her as the peaceful sounds of nature embraced them. She’d been trying all week to work up the nerve to run with him but after their talk she’d mostly stayed out of his way. Things seemed to go back to how they’d been when she first came to live with him. He worked late into the evening and she ate dinner alone. She’d hear him come in after she had already crawled into bed.
    “Sorry, Tessa,” he finally spoke. “I’ve been avoiding you and I feel like a major prick.”
    “Why?”
    “Why am I avoiding you?”
    “I know why you’re avoiding me, but why do you feel like a prick?”
    “You wanted to stay here because you said you were lonely.” He picked up his pace, so she did her best to keep up with him. “I haven’t done much this week to keep you company.”
    “I understand.” She got where he was coming from. How could they be around one another after what had happened in the study? “Shit got awkward.”
    “Yeah.” He laughed. “I’d say so.”
    She stole a quick glance at him as he ran. His strong jaw tensed as he spoke.
    “This isn’t how I wanted things between us,” he continued. “I don’t want it to be awkward.”
    “Me either.” She gave him a playful shove, throwing them both off balance. “We’re cool.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Totally.” Her ponytail bounced ahead of him and she yelled over her shoulder. “Now let me kick your ass in this race.”
    “Race?” he called after her. “Who said this was a race?”
    “I did,” she giggled as she increased her lead, “and I’m winning!”
     
    ***
     
    Chase followed Tessa through the trails, keeping close but letting her think she was winning. He didn’t mind since the view of her tight, little behind kept his mind off the run. Everything she did, unknowingly or not, enticed him. How could he resist what was right in front of him?
    “I’m going to win,” she shouted as they cleared the tree line and saw the house in the distance.
    “Do you really think so?” He chuckled as he sprinted by her, passing her with little effort.
    “Hey!” she said. “That’s not fair.”
    When he reached the porch steps he turned and grinned at her. She tried her hardest to sprint toward him but he saw how exhausted she was.
    He met her on the lawn. She stopped and rested her hands on his chest, trying to catch her breath. “That was… invigorating.”
    “You look a little tired.” He picked her up around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. “Let me help you out.”
    “Caveman!” She smacked the back of his thighs as she bounced against his back.
    “Put that sweet girl down,” May hollered from the back porch. “What’s wrong with you?”
    Sweet girl? Oh, May, if you only knew the thoughts she provokes within me.
    From the way she glared at him, it looked as if May knew what Chase had been thinking about Tessa.
    “You heard her,” Tessa said. “The blood is rushing to my head.”
    He slid her down his