“Shit, what?” Nash whispered.
“The stairs are destroyed.”
“What do you mean,destroyed?”
Bee let out an annoyed huff. “Like,not there.We’re going to have to rope down.”
My gaze locked on Nash, my eyes wide with excitement. A huge grin stretched across my face, pulling at the corners of my mouth. “You mean I get to rappel?”
He shook his head, rolling his eyes.
We’d practiced this, and not because we planned for it, but because I wanted to know how to rappel like a movie thief would, likeThe Rat Mandid. I had visions of Marvel’s Black Widow swinging through a glass window to save the day.
He’d taught me in the townhouse’s stairwell, starting from the second floor, and working my way up to the top. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.
Bee had watched, sipping her wine and sitting below on the floor with Mr. Beans, a smile plastered on her face. I’d marked up their walls with my shoes, but Nash promised it was worth it to see me that happy. There was even mention of installing a rock-climbing wall in the future.
We set up the rope, securing it to a sturdy pole on the roof. Bee went first, repelling into the warehouse with expert grace and silence. The darkness sucked her in; the rope taut for several minutes as she descended, then loosened, then tugged twice to signal it was our turn.
To make it quick, Nash hooked himself up to the ropebefore picking me up, as though I were nothing, and securing me to his front. I wrapped my legs around him and locked my ankles behind his back. He buckled a tandem strap around my waist for added support.
We navigated through the door and into the darkness. After getting over the ledge and against the wall, Nash slowly lowered us one hand at a time, arms strained. We had what I estimated to be ten stories to descend. Our feet pushed us away from the wall and back, creating a gentle swinging motion.
“You look so sexy right now,” I whispered.
His arms glistened with sweat, veins popping with effort. His jaw was clenched in concentration, and the hat. God, I loved hats on him. I could just make out his eyes in the dim light under the bill, and it was delicious.
He found my gaze, smirking. I wrapped my arms further around his neck. I could feel his sweat as I ran my hand down the back of his head. Admiring every detail of his face, I cataloged the way it looked in this moment. He had a few gray hairs in his goatee, reminding me of stars in the night sky. My fingers trailed over his ear, holding his attention.
“I lov—”
The rope released, dropping us two feet. Then halted.
I shrieked.
He’d done it on purpose to stop me from talking. I smacked his chest in annoyance, making us swing.
He chuckled, shushing me.“Don’t scream.”
I pressed my forehead into his chest, breathing hard. “Don’tdo that!”
We hung suspended for a moment, gasping for air. We werehalfway down. I knew holding us there was hard for him, but it was the perfect moment. If I kept trying, he’d be too tired to stop me again.
I looked up at him, pleading. “Would you quit stopping me? I love you, okay?” I rushed out.
He searched my eyes, pupils blown large at the words.
I placed my hand on his chest, saying it again, “I love you so much, Nash. It hurts.” Emotion choked me, tears immediately forming. “I’m so glad you found me. I’m so—”
He swung himself forward around the rope, his breath fanning across my face before he took my mouth in his and kissed me. The kiss was feverish and desperate, lasting as long as it could before breathing took precedence.
I held the back of his head with one hand, the other on his chest, feeling his breaths rise and fall. Pulling away, I noticed a lump under his shirt, against his chest. I fingered it through the cotton, my brow furrowed. “What is this?”
“Pull it out,” he struggled to say, nearly gassed, with sweat glistening down his cheek.
I followed his instructions, fumbling to pull the chain from his shirt in the awkward position. As it came free, light exploded across the stairwell, like a miniature disco. A diamond caught and scattered the faint light, sparkling all around us.
I gasped, my legs clenching tighter around him.
