Curveball by Kate Angell

Chaser now sported a black eye. As her best friend, he had her back. He’d always looked out for her best interests. He’d agreed to keep her company until she located Maxin among dozens of runners.
    “Where the hell is Dane?” Chaser muttered.
    “He said to meet him by the water fountain.”
    “There are twenty fountains at the park. He could have been more specific.” Tugging at the front of his T-shirt, he pulled it free of his gym shorts. In the gap between elastic waistband and skin, Jen caught a flash of his Slidin’ Home tattoo right before he said, “I hadn’t planned to break a sweat. I’ll need a shower before I head out for the evening.”
    A shower…Her heart beat a little faster, and it wasn’t from the run. She’d always admired Chaser’s body. Wide chest and thick thighs. The man had muscle.
    She snuck a second look, and lost her rhythm. He looked incredibly sexy. More than one female jogger did a double take. Even after he’d beaten the path for three miles, his breath came evenly, his gaze straight ahead.
    Her stolen glance caused a collision at the next curve in the path. She’d been so busy staring at Chaser, she hadn’t seen Dane Maxin approach.They caught shoulders with enough impact that he knocked her into Chaser and she started to go down.
    Chaser’s reflexes saved her from a scraped knee. One strong arm looped around her waist until she was steady on her feet.
    He pulled her against his chest and hissed in her ear, “Damn, Legs, no need to fall at the man’s feet.”
    She jerked free, about to tell him she’d been staring at him, not Dane, but caught herself just in time. Such a statement would prove embarrassing. Especially following their brief, yet incredible, kiss. She hadn’t expected that kiss, but it had left her wondering how he’d taste if she’d slipped her tongue into his mouth. Curiosity stroked her like a slow hand.
    Before her now, Dane Maxin jogged in place. She took in his tawny hair and copper eyes. His lean body beneath the Nike sweats.
    Dane ran his gaze over her, looking intimate and expectant, before nodding toward the big man at her side. His lip curled. “You know Chaser?”
    “We’re old friends,” Jen told him.
    Dane and Chaser exchanged a look, the kind of look in which a man either marked his territory or backed away.
    Chaser marginally shifted his stance and Dane stopped jogging. “Glad you could make it to the park, I was hoping for some company,” Dane said.
    Jen wiped her terry cloth wristband across herforehead. “Chaser’s going to jog with us as far as the turn off to the parking lot.”
    “Lucky us.” Dane took off ahead of them, only to be brought up short by twin blondes with large, bouncy, barely contained breasts. Black spandex outlined nipple rings.
    Jen looked down at her B-cups. If Dane was a breast man, this would be their first and last date. She wasn’t into piercing.
    “Implants can’t compare to what’s natural,” Chaser said at her side. He nudged her forward. “Let’s catch up to Maxin.”
    Their approach caught Dane memorizing the blondes’ phone numbers. Unabashed, he smiled at her. Jen smiled back. Chaser frowned darkly.
    They jogged one mile, then walked the second. She and Dane were two abreast, with Chaser breathing down her neck. Her friend was an ominous presence and hard to ignore.
    Dane was a touchy-feely kind of guy. He casually brushed her shoulder as they walked and talked. Bumped her hip more than once. Flattened his hand on her lower back. Then took her hand.
    That was when Chaser crowded her further. His low growl forced Dane to let her go. Jen spun about, smacked her palm on Chaser’s chest, and held him back. His muscles bunched and rippled and he gave less than an inch. The man was an unmovable force.
    Dane looked over his shoulder more than once. He walked a little faster when Chaser replied to questions Dane directed to Jen. It was obviousDane wanted to shake Chaser. But Chaser wasn’t a