Page 31 of Let’s Be Real

I sat up too, my back to the headboard. “I believe you think you know what you’re talking about.”

She sputtered, tossing her pillow at me. “Okay, enough of that. We could go round and round all day, and that doesn’t sound like fun.”

“What shall we do instead? More alpine sliding?”

She pulled her leg up on the bed, twisting around to face me. For a woman who’d just woken up, she was awfully bright eyed. “Who knew Nate Wells would become addicted to sliding down a mountain?” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “We’ll probably have time for that. But first, maybe we could try out the ropes course?”

Maybe it was the sleep. Maybe it was Samantha’s influence.

Maybe it didn’t matter.

Without an ounce of hesitation, I said, “I’m in.”

Chapter Twelve

Samantha

The muscles in Nate’s arms rippled as he traversed a rope suspended thirty feet over the forest floor. His jaw was clenched, eyes narrowed as he concentrated on each step.

My hands were covering my mouth, and it was all I could do to hold myself back from cheering for him. He looked like a master climber out there. I knew I hadn’t been half as smooth when I crossed. I’d just been glad I hadn’t fallen. But Nate…wow.

The rope swayed under him, a subtle reminder of just how high up he was, but Nate didn’t hesitate. If I hadn’t known he’d never done this before, I would have thought this was his favorite hobby. He adjusted, compensated, moved forward like his body already knew exactly what to do.

I snuck my phone out of my pocket and snapped a few pictures. Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling along his helmet and the golden skin of his arms.

I shot the picture off to Adrian with a message.

Me: Look at your brother. One day with me, and I’ve turned him into Tarzan.

It didn’t take Adrian long to reply.

Adrian: Who the hell is that, and why is he wearing Nate’s skin?

Me: That’s Nate in the mountains. I’ll tell you all about his alpine sliding addiction when I get home.

Adrian: wtf?

Me: Shhh…I’m concentrating so Nate won’t fall. Stop bugging me.

I put my phone away and pressed my lips together, forcing myself to stay quiet. The last thing I wanted was to distract him, not when one wrong step could send him swinging. Still, my fingers curled against my cheeks, barely containing the urge to shout his name and tell him he was a climbing rock star.

He was close to the platform.

A few more careful steps, and he’d be within reach.

His gaze flicked up, locking on mine. His mouth tipped at the corner, not quite a smile, but enough to make my pulse stutter.

“Don’t you dare fall,” I whispered under my breath.

The rope dipped once more beneath his weight.

Then—

He made it!

Nate stepped onto the platform with me, the tension in his body releasing. Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as I collided with his chest. The impact knocked a surprised laugh out of him as he staggered back into the railing. He was warm and solid beneath my hands, his heart hammering as hard as mine.

“You did it!” I burst out, my words tumbling over each other. “I have to show you the pictures I took. I think you set a record. No one’s ever climbed faster than you.”