Page 45 of Burnin' For You

Her feet slipped again, and pebbles washed down the face of the cliff.

“Rock!”

“Thanks for that,” he said.

And now she was sweating. Rivulets of heat ran down her back, her arms shook with the strain of holding herself, and her knee decided to stop working. To top it off, her braking hand was shoved up too tight behind her, almost in a submissive position.

“I’m coming up to get you—”

“Stay where you are! I’m fine!”

“Pull yourself up with your guide hand, just a little. It will release your brake— Whoa!”

She’d been following his instructions and suddenly her brake hand gave way, and she slid down the cliff face, falling forwards, slamming her face against the rock.

She bounced off and put up her knees as she fell another five feet. Her brake hand lodged at her waist, barely holding her, wrenched and burning.

Her knees dug into the side of the rock, the jagged granite tearing through her pants.

She could admit it—maybe she should have let him belay her.

Don’t scream.Because then, yeah, Reuben would probably start climbing up the forty-some feet...

She tried to breathe as she glanced below, but her lungs were closing up—

“Gilly! Listen to me!”

Reuben stood below her, his arms out as if he really might try and catch her, his feet braced, his expression calm. But his eyes held just enough worry to betray him.

“There are a couple of footholds just below you. Put your feet down, get yourself settled.”

His low voice held no edge of panic, and she leaned into it, taking long, even breaths as she lowered one foot, found the ledge, then the other. She let her weight settle on her feet.

“Now, steady yourself with your guide hand and move your brake hand down.”

He waited as she moved her right hand down.

“Tuck it just below your hip, but don’t get your hand too far back.”

Like before? But she listened and repositioned.

“Now, let out slack, slowly, and lean back. Remember, use your hip as a brake, a lever.”

She let out rope, leaned back, and found herself resting again on the harness.

“Let it out slowly. Walk down the face of the cliff.”

One foot, then another. She began to descend, her heart in her throat.

Don’t look down.

Her foot slipped again, but she caught herself and for a second dangled free of the rock—

“Lean back, not forward!”

But she was too far back and—

Her guide hand broke free, almost on reflex, to grab something—anything. It found purchase again on the rope, and she yanked hard to right herself.