“Mostly health reasons.”
“Mostly?”
“After Shannon died, I indulged in a lot of things that were bad for me. I realized I’d been consoling myself with a lot of rum. Getting wasted was never my thing, but being numb was.”
Dana understood that temptation.
“Being in the public eye, with so much scrutiny coming at me, I knew I had to maintain some sort of control over my behavior. But I kept to myself a lot, drank a lot. One day, I grew tired of looking at my sad face in the mirror. I cut down on my drinking, started eating different foods, and hired a personal trainer to help me work out. My trainer suggested the vegan diet, so I tried it. I function better this way. With my work, I need a lot of energy and this helps.”
“That’s great. I admire you for making such a big change.”
He smiled, sipped his coffee, and polished off his own vegan eggs. “Thanks. If you don’t mind, I’m going to change into some shorts. I’m hot in these jeans.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll be right back.” He disappeared through a doorway. Within seconds, she heard his footfall above her.
Dana finished her breakfast, marveling at the egg-like texture and taste. She typed out a couple of notes on her document but the floor creaked above her as Alex moved around his bedroom.
Somewhere over her head, Alex was stripping out of his clothes.
He would be unzipping his jeans, dragging them over his hips, stepping out of them. His gorgeous thigh muscles would be on display as he chose a pair of shorts.
Cruel memories pounced. Specifically, one of him tied to his bed, his legs splayed. She’d run her fingers up those long legs as she’d nestled between them…
Dana groaned.
This day might not end up being so relaxing, after all.
When she heard Alex’s footsteps coming down the stairs again, she held her breath and stared at her computer screen. As he entered the kitchen, she glanced up.
Why was it that the sight of him in workout gear should stimulate her just as much as the sight of him in one of his sexy suits?
He wore a simple outfit consisting of black gym shorts and a sleeveless shirt, along with a pair of running shoes. Everything about him was long and lean and hard. His biceps flexed as he scratched his back. His strong thighs gave way to solid calves.
You might want to stop staring at his muscles now.
“How was the omelette?”
“Great, thank you.”
“Can I get you some more coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.” She let out the breath she was holding and it sounded a lot like a sigh.
Alex walked over and passed a hand over her hair. “You look shattered.”
“I am. It’s hard to concentrate.”
“You need to rest.”
“You’re probably right.”
His half grin made her belly flip-flop. “Wanna see my bed? You know, for sleeping purposes?”
“I can rest on the couch.”
“Don’t be a martyr. If you want to get any real work done today, you need some sleep.”
