Heartbreaker (Unbreakable #1)(19)

By the time I finally paced a few strides behind her again, we’d almost reached the summit. Not a great distance, but the perfect challenging beginner’s trail run: thickly forested, a mix of undulating straightaways coupled with several steady climbs.

“WhooHooo!” She held her arms up in a V above her head at the summit viewpoint area and sucked in big gulps of air. Then she broke into a broad smile.

I grinned. Couldn’t help it.

“C’mon, join me!” She relaxed her arms halfway, then shot them straight up into a V again. “Be the tree!”

I snorted out a short laugh, then pressed my lips together. I forced my tone comically flat. “Be the tree.” I slowly raised my arms to join her.

“Yep. Be the tree. In the moment. One with nature. Be. The. Tree.” Her eyes widened as she punctuated each word. “I’m gonna make T-shirts.”

Before I had a chance to weigh in, she was on the move again, energy in motion.

“Damn, Flash.” I walked closer to where she paced a wide circle in the dirt of the flattened overlook. “Endorphins are your brand of drug.”

“I feel amazing!” She burst her arms upward again.

“Thought you might like this better than a pavement run. You and nature.”

“My art.” Her smile softened.

“Exactly.” Although it surprised me she hadn’t made that leap before. I’d have thought nature would’ve been her second home.

“I never want to leave here,” she announced with a hard nod. “That’s it. Screw a 5K. I’m trail running.”

Had no idea why her statement filled me with pride, but it did. Maybe because she’d found her element in a sport she’d been lured in by. And I’d guided her the rest of the way there.

In a sudden rush of energy, she charged toward the edge, angling toward a small flattened boulder. She coiled down as she approached, then sprang up, leaping onto it.

“WhooHooo…Hooo…Hooo…” Her excitement echoed through the canyon.

A squeak pierced out. Then she jumped straight up right as the boulder rattled, then gave way.

I lunged forward, but the distance was too great.

“Darren!” She clutched a pine branch, facing outward. About two feet beyond the edge.

Fuck.

Panic surged through me. “Hold tight, Kiki.”

“Not going anywhere.” Her tone turned somber.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Can you turn around?” Adrenaline fired into my veins, sharpening what I needed to focus on.

Instead of answering, she tightened her grip. A couple of seconds later, she released her left handhold, and, in one quick motion, twisted her arm, crossed her wrists, then released her other hand and spun around.

Her eyes were wide with terror.

“You’re okay, Kiki. Just look at me. You’re almost there. Trust me.”

She replied with a curt nod, then took a deep breath.

“Can you swing toward me?”

She frowned. “Not sure. The branch is bending. I feel like I’m dropping.”

I’d noticed. Hadn’t wanted to mention it. The newer wood hadn’t gained enough tensile strength to bear her weight for long.

“Focus on me. Give me a hard swing. Then a second one. On the third, let go.” I inched as close to the edge as I dared with the unstable soil.

She immediately flexed her upper arms, then swung halfway toward me. On the backswing, her eyes widened and she sucked in a panicked breath, legs dangling over greater open air. When she swung forward the second time, a loud crack happened from the force; the branch began to break.

Shit!

“Let go!” I shouted. Instinct had me dart toward the right at the last second so I could launch at her from the side. As I planted a foot, I crouched, sprang forward, and aimed for her legs. I wrapped an arm behind her knees and jerked forcefully toward solid ground.

We tumbled sideways in a tangle of arms and legs before landing in a heap on the dirt.

“Fuck.” I huffed out a relieved breath. “That was close.”

The only thing that saved us—saved her—was a split-second reaction. A blink of time later and…I didn’t even want to think about it.

Her body covered mine, hands clinging tightly to my shoulders, legs clamped to my hips. Her chest pressed against mine, amplifying how hard our hearts pounded.

With every lengthening breath, she began to ease her death grip on me.

Then her body began to tremble.

“Hey, it’s okay.” I murmured. “You’re okay.” I rubbed her back with an unpinned arm.

“Thank you.” She spoke in the barest whisper. The louder-than-life girl who’d been shouting from a mountaintop seconds ago had been humbled by nature.

“No worries. Just another day running.”

She didn’t laugh at my dry humor. Made no move to get off me.

Adrenaline began to seep from my veins with the danger gone.

Then blood flooded elsewhere.

Her hold on my shoulders tightened. She pushed her body up enough to look me in the eye. “Ummm…are you growing hard for me?”

“Yes.” No point denying it. The evidence emerged right there between us. “Can’t help it. You are laying on top of me.”

Her first smile since we’d landed on the ground slowly appeared. “You put me here.” Teasing edged her voice.