“Up there,” she said as her cheeks warmed. “Take me up there.”
“Planning on it.”
Okay, now everything sounded dirty, but maybe that was just because her hormones were still dangerously out of control from their kiss. She fell into step behind him, panting from the climb.
He led her up what might have been considered a path or could have just been a scrape of dirt between some rocks. Together, they scrambled toward the summit of the bluffs. Her blood was pumping, her adrenaline flowing. Hiking was fun, but heading for the one place that had been off limits throughout her childhood with the man who’d occupied her teenage fantasies? Now,thatwas exciting.
Ryan took her hand, hoisting her up beside him. They stood on a big rock as the world fell away in every direction. It was dizzying and thrilling and amazing.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“Forgot how much I dig this place.” Ryan had a blissed-out look on his face as he took in their surroundings.
She peered over the edge toward the lake, glittering in the sunshine so impossibly far below. “You really jump from up here?”
“Oh yeah.” He said it with the cocky confidence of a man who’d done this and so much more. “Your brother and I have scaled every inch of these cliffs and jumped off every available surface. It’s a rush.”
“I can see why.” She tightened her grip on his hand as she looked down. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but…whoa. “Maybe I’ll try it this summer once the water’s warm.”
“Em—” His brow bunched.
“Will you stop with the overprotective act?” She gave him a friendly nudge.
He captured her fist with his free hand, drawing it against his chest. “Can’t.”
Her breath caught in her throat as the low rumble of his voice vibrated through her fingertips. “I’m going to jump.”
He groaned, casting his eyes toward the cloudless sky above. “You’re killing me here. Okay, but just know I’m going to try my damndest to talk some sense into you between now and then, and don’t you dare jump without me if I don’t succeed.”
“I’d rather jump with you anyway.”
He looked down and met her eyes, scorching her with the heat of his gaze. She gulped.
“It’s time for us to have that talk,” he said.
She scrunched her nose. “I’m trying to have fun, Ryan, and this doesnotsound fun.”
He chuckled. “Maybe not. Look, I have no idea what’s going on between us all of a sudden, but here’s what I do know: I fuck up relationships. I sleep with women, but I don’t date them. And you’re too important to me to risk losing you when I inevitably fuck it up.”
She fought to keep her face impassive. “Are you always this romantic?”
He groaned. “Hell, Emma. I’m just trying to be honest.”
Her inner hopeless romantic wrestled with the new, cooler, more adventurous Emma. “Chill out, Ryan. I never asked you for a relationship. I just wanted you to help me have a little fun this summer.” And now that she’d made out with him, she knew exactly what kind of fun she wanted, but she’d had enough rejection from him to last a lifetime.
“I am totally down with that.” He grinned. “As yourfriend, you’re welcome to go for a ride with me anytime you like.”
“Okay.” Except her hand was still on his chest, and nothing she was feeling toward him at that moment could be defined as friendly. But whatever happened next between them, it had to come from him.
* * *
Ryan desperately needed to get his hands off Emma before he completely lost his mind and kissed her again, but to let go of her now would make him look like even more of an ass than he already did. “I’m just trying to do the right thing. For Derek. For you, and for me.”
She gave him a long look then stepped backward out of his grasp. He’d been half expecting her to sucker punch him the way she’d been looking at him a minute ago so it caught him completely by surprise when she smiled. “I know.”
Huh. That was easier than he thought it was going to be.
Emma looked down at the lake sparkling below them. She let out a little laugh and twirled around on the rock, making his breath catch in his throat.
“This summer,” she said, pointing a finger at him, “we’re jumping. Or I am anyway. You can suit yourself.”
“If you jump, I’m jumping with you.” In the meantime, he was just glad to be back on semi-solid ground with her. He wouldn’t put it past her brother to come back from the grave and give his sorry ass a ghostly kicking if he ever hurt her.
She shimmied down the rocks ahead of him to the path below. “Thanks for bringing me,” she said when he’d joined her.
“I have a feeling you’re going to make me regret it.”
She grinned at him over her shoulder. “Oh, I fully intend to.”
