Three hundred feet below them, the Pacific Ocean thundered against the rocky shoreline, misting water fifty feet into the air before it showered down over the reef, the massive breakers rolling out before surging forward, again. Gulls cried overhead, the faint echo of a ship’s horn merging with the crashing waves.
He steadied his stance, ran through his usual sweep of the cliff — their anchor, her footing, the tension on the rope. How the gusting wind could affect her route. If her next handhold was more illusion than substance.
Satisfied she wasn’t in imminent danger, he moved to the entry and exit lines along the crag. Charting anything that suggested they weren’t alone. Looking at any minute detail that could escalate into a serious issue. While the chances were low, he knew better than to get complacent.
The threat level could change in a heartbeat.
He sucked in a deep breath as he studied the rock above Tierney when she paused to dip one hand into the chalk, looking as if she could hang on the side of the mountain all day without breaking a sweat. The woman never ceased to amaze him. Whether hiking a treacherous route or confronting rogue agents armed with only a knife and her quick wit, she always seemed at ease. Completely in control.
That switched whenever she moved inside. Shifted to a mix of extreme paranoia and hyper-vigilance. Confined spaces triggered her the most, along with large crowds — hell, anyone other than him, it seemed. She’d gotten better over the past few months from hanging with him and his teammates from Raven’s Security. Not that she truly trusted anyone else, but she’d been gradually coming out of her shell — helping them out without holding anyone at gunpoint, first.
He smiled. His teammate and boss, Bodie Page, had been the reason Buck hadn’t faded into the shadows. Given him a reason to work through the trauma that had held his brain hostage for years — to find a way to make sense of his new normal. While Buck didn’t consider himself anywhere close to normal, he’d made peace with most of his ghosts. Found a way to matter, again. Which was exactly what Tierney needed.
She’d made significant strides, but it didn’t take a psychic to see that she hadn’t dealt with whatever had happened inside that camp.
That a part of her had never come back.
He shook away the thoughts, running through his checks again as he fed her more rope. “That section above your right hand’s undercut. I wouldn’t trust it to hold your weight.”
Tierney glanced down at him, her mass of chestnut hair pulled into a high ponytail, her form-fitting tights and hoodie accentuating every curve. She wasn’t short, more average at five-five, but he easily had several inches and eighty pounds on her. “Are you saying that because you think it’s actually sketchy, or are you still pissed that I won the last cookie at lunch?”
He grinned. “I think you mean, you cheated.”
“It was rock, paper, scissors.”
“I know. But then you smiled at me, and I got distracted.”
She laughed, the lilting sound sending shivers down his spine. It had taken him months to get her to smile. Nearly a year before she’d trusted him enough to fully engage.
She moved her hand to another rocky outcrop, avoiding the one he’d flagged. “I can’t help it if you’re an easy mark, Landry.”
She continued, making the rough section look simple before reaching a small shelf. It took some unique balancing maneuvers to brace her weight while anchoring one of her wedges in a narrow crack, but in just over a minute, she had the rope clipped in, the line secured enough that he followed her up.
He moved in beside her, their shoulders bumping as he settled on the ledge. The casual contact hitched his breath before he finally inhaled, drinking in the sweet scent of floral shampoo and something delicate he attributed to being uniquely her. He performed another sweep, studying the anchor and surrounding area before focusing on her face. She arched a brow, and his damn heart skipped. Her flushed skin, the hint of a smile. How her blue eyes gleamed in the setting sun — the woman was stunning.
She motioned to the wedged nut she’d secured in the crevice. “Did you seriously just doublecheck how I placed the anchor?”
He leaned closer, drawn to the way she pressed her lips together. “Isn’t that why you brought me along?”
“I brought you along to have my six.”
“Which includes ensuring the pro’s been secured properly.” He nudged her. “No one would hire me or Raven’s Security if I let you fall.”
“I might occasionally misread the best route, but I never fall.”
“At least, not off the side of the mountain.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Are you implying I might fall in other ways?”
“God, I hope so.”
The words slipped out before he could crush them, bury them the way he’d buried his feelings for her. Locked away until she gave him some kind of indication she might want more.
Tierney stared at him, the flush deepening before she tilted her head, looking as if she wasn’t sure whether to call his bluff or just cut his line. “Careful, Buck. You might get more than you bargained for.”
“If that’s supposed to scare me, you’ll have to try harder.” He tapped his head. “That car bomb left me with a pretty high bar when it comes to surprises.”
She eased back, dusted on more chalk. “I’ll keep that in mind. Ready?”
