Page 44 of Burnin' For You

He frowned but seemed to consider it. “Okay, maybe that’s best. Then I can catch you should—”

“You will not catch me! I can rappel just fine.”

She might have put too muchoomphinto her words, because he recoiled, tilted his head as if surprised.

“Ho-kay.” He climbed into his jump harness and clipped himself into the rope. Re-shouldered the pack and walked to the edge of the cliff. “Are you sure you shouldn’t go first?”

“Just go.”

He made a face and put on his gloves. He backed out and leaned over the edge, letting his feet find position.

Then he looked up and met her eyes.

Smiled.

It was the smile that drew her to the edge of the cliff to watch him descend.

As if he might be a billy goat, born to scale the rocks. He flew down the rope, letting it slide through his braking hand, barely slowing until he hit the river.

He stepped into water up to his shins.

She’d always known Reuben was a strong man, the kind who knew his way around the wilderness. Seeing it in action stirred up a new feeling.

They just might make it out, save the rest of their crew.

Ifshe could get over the edge and down the cliff.

He unstrapped his harness, stepped out of it, took off his gloves, and shoved them into the elastic straps on the harness. Then he knotted the rope around the figure eight rappeller, gave the rope a tug, and let it go. Gilly brought it up hand over hand.

He was a big man—when she stepped into the harness, it could wrap around her twice. She had to cinch down the legs and waist almost to nothing to make it fit. But she removed the slack from the rope, donned the gloves, and then reached for the excess rope.

“Coming down!”

She threw the pouch containing the excess rope over the side, watching to make sure it landed. He caught it, but let it dangle.

If he pulled on the rope in the pouch, the knot would give, releasing the tension, and she’d plummet to the bottom.

She swallowed down the swirl in her gut—

“Just take it nice and slow. One step at a time!”

Gilly wanted to ignore him, to shout down that she could handle this, but the words glued inside.

Don’t look down.She remembered her training—those first few days in the letdown area, learning how to get out of a tree. Kate was such a master, she’d taught that part of the course this summer when she took over the new recruits.

Maybe Gilly could have done with a refresher. She leaned back, her hands slick inside the gloves, trying not to let her stomach rebel. She let the rope hold her, her entire weight sinking into the harness, burning her legs, her waist, with the pull. She shuffled her feet down the side of the cliff, her backside out.

Reuben had made it look so easy.

Her feet scraped against the rock, one foothold slipping.

“Just go slow—”

“I am going slow!”

“Fine. Well, if you fall, I’ll catch you.”

He wasn’t serious, was he? Because the last thing—