A thought occurred to her suddenly.
“But if I’m all strapped in here, how are you going to get down?”
Ethan grinned, holding up his hands. “The old-fashioned way.”
Chloe’s heart dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“A little, yeah.” He pulled out the final rope from the bag and looped it around another tree, then started looping the ends around himself in a much less tantalizingly sexy and much more bare-bones manner than he’d done with her. The way he was arranging the ropes was definitely different to hers, and much less secure.
At her horrified look, he said reassuringly, “There are ways that you can go down without harnesses. Not recommended, but it’s only a short way, and desperate times call for desperate measures.” He made a face. “Though it does chafe like hell.”
Clearly she still looked confused, because he relented. “There’s a rock climbing wall at my gym. I’ve learned a few tricks over the years.”
She was glad, at least, that there was an explanation that made sense for once, instead of being some kind of mystical mumbo-jumbo. It was good to know that people still had to work at things within the real world, even if theyweremagical.
Still, she couldn’t resist needling him just a bit.
“So, this isn’t arcane pegasus knowledge? You just actually climb rocks? You have a normal hobby?”
He smiled. “I guess I do, yeah.” The smile faltered a little. “When I get the time, anyway.”
“Well, I hope you’re going to make more time for it in the future. Fated mate’s orders.”
Ethan flipped a little salute. “Aye-aye, ma’am.”
“That’s more like it.”
Chloe looked down at the rope contraption around her waist, and sighed. “I guess we’d better get on with it.”
“Like I said, I’ll be waiting on the ledge for you,” Ethan said. “Nothing will go wrong – but even if it did, I’ll catch you. Shifters have enhanced strength and reflexes, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Chloe nodded, somewhat reassured. “Okay. Lead the way.”
Without any further ado Ethan popped over the side, lowering himself with an easy, athletic grace that didn’t really fit with his snooty corporate persona. He could’ve been doing this all his life, going by the way he moved.
He disappeared from view, and Chloe edged closer, heart in her mouth, watching as he lowered himself smoothly like a pro. She didn’t know what kind of magic he was doing with the rope, but she was pretty sure that she would be a distant speck at the bottom of the gorge if she tried it herself.
It was a matter of mere seconds before he completed the descent and arrived safely at the ledge, having barely even broken a sweat – the bastard.
He looked up at her, and there must’ve been something in her face that showed her apprehension, because his face softened.
“You’re sure you want to come down?” he called up, concern in his eyes.
“No way am I letting you take all the glory!” she snapped back.
He smiled. “Okay, then. Just come down slowly. Take your time. I’ll be here.”
And she knew he would be.
Knowing that Ethan was there gave her confidence. She could readily believe that his strength and reflexes were beyond those of any mere human.
It really isn’t so far,she thought as she looked over the ledge.Now that he’s there, it looks really close.
And it did – honestly it did. Knowing that he was there and ready to catch her if she fell took an awful lot of the fear out of it.
Not all of it, though!
She took a deep breath, exhaled it, and eased herself down until her feet found a small ridge.
