Taking the Heat (20 page)

Oh, God. She turned in to the rough granite and clung there, letting her forehead rest on the sun-warmed rock. She saw the movement of a tiny spider out of the corner of her eye and didn't even care. This cliff was her friend. She was safe here. Maybe she could live here. Gabe could climb up every few days and bring her food and water. She could curl up in the little hollow of stone at her feet and sleep at night. It would be beautiful and she'd never have to let go of the granite.

She whispered, “Okay.”

“Feel good?” he asked.

“Yes,” she lied. “Let's go.”

He showed her how to disengage the anchor once he'd called down, explaining that he was safely attached now and even if he fell, he'd fall only so far. She felt a tiny bit more secure as he headed up to the permanent anchor at the top.

“Thirty-five feet,” she whispered to herself. “No big deal.”

Famous last words. It seemed as if only seconds passed before he called down to her again. She concentrated on disengaging the anchor and checking all her lines, then called up that she was climbing.

Her little cliff was blessed gravity trying to hold her down, but she forced her shaking knee to bend and found a good foothold for her toes. She only had to climb three feet up to get a glimpse of Gabe again.

He was locked in to a short tether at the very top of the rock, feet spread wide for balance and leaning his whole body back as if he were relaxing into a recliner instead of a hundred-foot void. He had complete confidence in the equipment, and she had almost complete confidence in him. Her legs felt a little stronger as she hoisted herself up.

Then the rock turned suddenly smooth. One minute there were a dozen handholds to choose from, and the next there was nothing but a shiny expanse of gray striation climbing six feet above her.

Her gaze flew up to Gabe.

“Take your time,” he said. “You'll figure it out. Just make your way toward me.”

Figure it out?
What was there to figure out? There was nothing for her to hold on to. No purchase at all for her feet. Her ears buzzed, adding a high note to the ragged sound of her breathing. She knew there must be a way to traverse this because Gabe was up above her.

She looked left and then right, wondering if she was supposed to edge sideways before going up, but no, the edges of rock that she held on to didn't continue much farther than five inches on either side.

She was going to be stuck here. There was no way she could feel her way back down to her safe cliff, and there was no way to move up. Her fingertips went numb and she saw that she'd pressed them so hard into the rock that they'd gone white at the tips.

Gabe waited silently above. He didn't offer instruction or reassurance and she wasn't sure if she was grateful or not.

Her heart beat too hard as her eyes swept back and forth over the smooth rock. She forced herself to draw a deep breath and heard her heartbeat slow as the seconds ticked past. Her eyes locked on an incongruous sight: a tiny white flower emerging on a grass-like stem from a crack in the rock. She watched that little round-petaled flower bob in the wind and tried to let her brain work.

Okay. Gabe had told her to move toward him and he wasn't directly above her—he was a few feet toward the right. She looked down at her feet and saw that even though there was no step-like foothold, there was a slight concavity in the rock that eased up at an angle toward Gabe.

She moved her left foot carefully up and pressed down. It wasn't flat, but the soft sole of the climbing shoe seemed to stick to the curve. Her eyes rose to the flower emerging from the tiny crack. With a silent apology to the plant, she placed her fingers on top of it and clung tight as she put her full weight on that tentative foothold.

Stop being afraid.

She lifted her other foot and slid herself along the mountain, keeping her body as close to the rock as possible.

It took an eternity to ease herself up six feet of rock. She had to smother every instinct her body had in order to keep going. She wanted to stop and weep and beg for help, but she didn't. And finally, the smooth expanse of rock ended in one last sweep of amber granite and the jagged handholds were back. She put her knee against a solid lip of rock and surged up.

Twenty feet later and she was even with Gabe. He grinned at her. “You did it,” he said, waving his hand toward an edge of rock a foot above her head.

Veronica couldn't speak, and she couldn't return his smile, but she nodded and climbed past him to the most beautiful sight she'd ever laid eyes on: a wide expanse of flat rock that seemed to go on for a hundred feet. She hoisted herself up and collapsed onto the ground, eyes closed against the bright sun that beat down on her face.

When she heard the clink of Gabe's gear, she opened her eyes to see him kneeling next to her.

“Okay?” he asked.

She nodded.

“You did it. On your own.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she nodded again.

He lay down next to her and reached for her hand. She was embarrassed at the way her whole arm trembled but thankful for the way his fingers wrapped around hers. They stared up at the clouds together for a while. The sun soaked into her.

“It's quiet, isn't it?” he murmured.

It was, just as he'd promised, the quietest place she'd ever been. The only sound up here was the occasional whisper of breeze against her ear.

She turned her head to the side and looked out over sky and mountains. “It's beautiful.”

He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it, drawing her attention back to him. He was beautiful, too, watching her as though he had all the time in the world, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm that settled her own pulse. His sweet eyes and cute beard and muscled shoulders were framed so perfectly by the mountain peaks behind him, as if this was his natural place in the world.

If they'd only been dating a little longer, she'd have told him that she loved him. Loved him for bringing her up here and forcing her to be brave. Loved him for looking at her as if she was as beautiful as these mountains. She did love him a little, just for this moment, but she didn't say it. She just tipped her head back toward the sky and closed her eyes.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

E
VEN
 
FROM
 
NINETY
-
FIVE
feet up, Gabe could see Veronica's wide grin when she touched down on solid ground. He checked the rope one last time, started the easy rappel down and hit the ground thirty seconds later.

“Rope!” he called, tugging it free of the loop above, then stepping aside to let it fall. He turned to see her sitting on a boulder behind him, grin still in place.

“So, did you like it?” he asked.

Her laugh was soft and breathless. “It was kind of amazing.”

“Only kind of?” he teased.

“Yes. And kind of awful. I need a drink, a shower and an orgasm.”

“In that order?”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath and rubbed her hands over her face, laughing again.

“What?” he asked.

“I really like having someone I can finally say that kind of thing to.”

Jesus, he was in deep. He'd gone climbing with a couple of girls before, but watching Veronica set her jaw and conquer that last stretch had made his heart swell and ache. He wanted to tell her he was proud of her, but you couldn't say that to a woman you'd known for only a couple of weeks. He had nothing to do with how strong she was. And “You're fucking awesome” wasn't quite the sentiment he was going for.

So he bit the words back and winked. “You've been saving up a lot of filthy thoughts, have you?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, funny enough, I have all those things in my apartment right now. Booze.” He ticked them off on one hand. “A shower. And an orgasm. Maybe even several.”

“All for me?” she squealed.

“I'm seriously hoping you'll share.”

“Okay, but you'd better not be lying about the liquor. I'm not kidding. And if you have a sippy cup so I can take it in the shower with me, even better.”

He grabbed her hand and tugged her up, giving in to the urge to kiss her beautiful smile. “I've got vodka,” he murmured between kisses. “And orange juice. And maybe a thermos.”

“I can work with that.”

Her neck was slick with sweat when he trailed his hand along her skin, and Gabe's cock started to thicken. He wanted to lick her there. Lick her everywhere.

Someday, if she wanted to climb a few more times, he'd fuck her on the highest rock, under the sun and sky. He wanted that the way he wanted life. To be so utterly alone with her, inside her, the sun and breeze the only thing on their skin.

Someday. Before all the months left to him disappeared.

She got out her phone to take a few pictures of the wall they'd just rappelled down, and Gabe went to go coil ropes. He wasn't smiling anymore. He didn't know what to do. He'd meant to tell her the truth today, but it scared him. She'd probably break it off. At the very least, they'd have to have a discussion about where this was heading, and it was heading nowhere. Could he even ask her to be exclusive when it would last for only a few months?

The idea made his muscles tight. He rolled his neck, trying to ease out the knots. He didn't want to stand by while she dated other guys. Hell, he didn't even want to imagine moving back to New York and leaving her to have new experiences with other men. Sex. Sex on a hike. Sex and camping. Sex at the top of a climb.

Maybe they could date a little while longer before they had to talk about it at all. Was that manipulating her or just taking it slow? He couldn't tell anymore.

He finished gathering the rope and they headed back to the rock face where they'd started, then packed up their gear and set off down the trail. Halfway to the trailhead, they passed a rock wall that had been empty during their hike up, but it was swarming with people now. Some stood on the ground controlling ropes that led up to anchors and then down to novice climbers.

“Wait,” Veronica said, “What's that?”

“Top roping,” he answered.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at the scene for a moment, her eyes widening as each second passed.
“What?”
she finally gasped. “You mean we could have done
that
? It's, like, thirty feet up at the most!”

“Oh, come on. You don't want to do that. You did a full belay climb! Aren't you proud of yourself?”

She stared bug-eyed at him, then looked back to the top ropers. “But I could have done that instead!”

“We can do it now if you want.”

“Fuck you!” she yelped.

Gabe tried to look contrite, but he couldn't quite pull it off when he was laughing. “I'm sorry,” he gasped.

“Liar! You're not sorry at all!”

“I told you I'd take you climbing, not to what amounts to a climbing
gym
. You did a real climb and you were a natural, just like I said.”

She glared at him, but all Gabe noticed was that the breeze had finally cooled her off and her nipples were hard beneath her tank top. She shook her head, drawing his gaze back up. “You're not sorry and you're ogling my breasts!”

“Okay, you're right. I'm sorry, but they're
right there
!” He gestured toward her nipples, then forced his hand down when he realized that probably wasn't her point.

She spun and started down the trail, not looking at the climbers as she passed them. Gabe grimaced and hurried to catch up. He really should have kept his eyes above her neck. Especially when she was
maybe
justifiably angry.

“I'm sorry, Veronica. Really.” The trail widened and he jogged to get even with her.

She shrugged. “Yeah, well. I guess I was pretty amazing.”

“Climbing? Hell, yes, you were.”

“And maybe my breasts are too pretty to resist.”

A heartbeat passed before he realized that the corners of her mouth were tight because she was trying to hide a smile. “Are you screwing with me?”

Her grin was wicked. “Only a little. But you really should have told me about the top roping.”

“I still would've talked you into a real climb.”

“Maybe. But since you didn't ask, you'll have to make it up to me.”

Lust dropped into his blood with just that one flirtatious sentence. Oh, he was going to make it up to her, all right.

Thank God he'd brought her to the one climb that was close to town. He couldn't bear a long hike and an even longer drive before he got her alone. He wanted her naked and in his shower right now. She could sip from a drink while he slid soap all over her body. She could soak in the tub while he stroked her cunt. Anything she wanted, just
soon
.

She got into his truck and crossed her arms tight, smiling at the road as he pulled onto the highway toward town. Gabe's phone beeped, and he glanced down to see that his dad had sent a text. Shit. He flipped the phone over before she could see it. If she asked about his father, Gabe would have to explain a lot of things that he didn't want to talk about today. Or tomorrow.

Maybe he could make her understand. They weren't strangers anymore. They shared secrets and pleasure and trust.

He rolled his shoulders and tried to set the idea aside. He owed her something good tonight; he'd think about all this other shit some other time.

“Do you want to grab something to eat?” he asked.

“Drinks. Shower. Orgasm,” she replied. “I don't have time for food.”

“Maybe we could order a pizza later?” he suggested.

“That sounds perfect. You're really good at this whole seduction thing.”

“Hmm.” He shot her a doubtful look, trying to cover that he'd felt a shock of guilt at her words. “I'm not sure it can be called a seduction when I'm being ordered to sex you up.”

“Right. Just shut up and drive.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he said with complete enthusiasm. “Anything new you want to learn tonight?”

He glanced over just in time to catch the blush that stole over her cheeks. She didn't look at him. Her crossed arms tightened against her chest. “I want to suck your cock again,” she said.

Gabe nearly groaned. His foot pressed more firmly to the accelerator.

“Other than that,” she said softly, “I'll leave it up to you.”

His hands went a little numb on the steering wheel, so he forced himself to loosen his grip. He was hard as a rock already. “I want you to suck my cock,” he said, lust shooting through him as he said vulgar words to this sweet girl. “And then I want you on top of me. I want to watch you ride me.”

She drew a deep breath before she nodded. “Yes. I'll do that.”

He rolled his shoulders again, trying to get control of his body. They'd be in town in five minutes and at his place in ten. He couldn't get out of the car this way, not at four in the afternoon.

He wasn't sure what it was about her that turned him on like crazy. It wasn't her inexperience. He didn't give a shit about that kind of thing. Maybe it was her enthusiasm. Her strange mix of self-consciousness and knowledge. It made him want to show her every wicked thing. To watch her lick her lips in anticipation even as her face turned pink.

His line of thought wasn't helping. He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. Veronica glanced at him, mouth curving into a naughty smile.

“Shut up,” he growled. “This is your fault.”

“Good.”

He laughed despite the ache in his cock, but his laughter ended when her hand slid onto his thigh.

“Don't,” he groaned.

“Don't what?” she asked as her fingers slipped up to stroke over the bulge in his shorts.

He didn't have the heart to tell her to stop.

“I've written plenty of times that women shouldn't feel flattered about this kind of thing, but...I love how hard you get for me. It thrills me. Don't tell anyone I said that.” Her hand pressed harder against his cock, the pleasure both a relief and a torment.

“I won't,” he promised.

“I love it,” she whispered. He slid a little farther down in his seat and her fingers tightened around him as much as they could through the shorts.

“Me, too,” he moaned.

She laughed and let him go, and he desperately wanted to pull over and make her do it some more. He wanted to tell her to take it out and stroke it, right there in the car. Wanted to watch her bright eyes spark with wickedness as she told him they shouldn't and then she did it, anyway.

But now they were at the outskirts of town, and she probably didn't want her name in the paper quite like that.
Local Advice Columnist Arrested for Public Indecency
. Though it would destroy any doubts about her sexual experience.

Gabe concentrated on navigating through town. Veronica smiled out at the streets. It was a close call, but by the time he pulled into his parking space, he was calm enough to get out of the car and unload the gear.

She stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Thank you. For today.”

“You're welcome.”

“I was really scared, but I wanted to do it, anyway.”

He set down the bag he'd picked up and turned to give her a hug. “It's supposed to be scary,” he said. “That's why climbers do harder and harder climbs. To feel that adrenaline again. To push past their fear and instincts.”

“Really?” she breathed against his chest.

“Really.”

She nodded and he let her go, but she still looked uncertain. “I got a letter yesterday that scared me.”

Gabe's hackles rose. “Threatening?”

“No, not like that. It was from a high school kid who felt like he didn't want to live anymore.”

“Jesus,” Gabe breathed, alarm spiking through his body. “What did you do?”

She shrugged. “The only thing I could do. He'd used a temporary email address, so I consulted with a therapist and then posted an answer on my site. I hope he sees it.”

“He'll see it. He wrote to you because he wanted help.”

“Do you think so?” she whispered.

He touched her face, but she didn't look up at him. “I told you about yesterday. My first rescue situation.”

“Yeah.”

“I was fine until I got down there and saw how scared those people were. In pain and freezing and terrified. That was when it hit me that I could really help them, and that if I screwed up, I'd make everything so much worse.”

She shook her head. “I don't know how you do that.”

He shrugged. “It was scary, but it was what I was there for. It's what you're there for, too. And I think what you deal with is a hell of a lot more frightening than a broken ankle. You're scared because you're taking it seriously and you care.”

She laughed. “Is that why I'm scared? I thought it was because I was scared of everything.”

“You do a good job of hiding it.”

“Yeah,” she breathed. “I'm good at that.”

“You're good at a lot of things,” he said, not meaning it as a flirtation, but she looked up at him with a wicked smile and his mind immediately turned toward the shower that was only a few dozen feet away.

“I'm a quick learner,” she promised.

“Then let's get your ass inside.”

She grabbed one of the bags and held out a hand. “Lead the way.” He did.

Some part of his brain was aware that the knob turned too easily under his key, but he was too distracted by Veronica's naughty smile to be alarmed. The shower was only a dozen feet away now, and—

The door swung open. Someone rushed at him. And suddenly the wrong woman was in his arms.

“Gabe!” she shrieked, jumping up and hitting him with her full weight as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. He stumbled back under the assault, twisting to avoid bodychecking Veronica. His assailant's bright red hair swung into his eyes.

“Naomi?” he gasped.

“Surprise!” she yelled as another woman stepped out of his apartment and waved.