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“I would not let you get hurt.” The muscle in his jaw flexed. “That being said, the trick is to keep your body close to the rock and climb with you feet. You’ll wear yourself out if you use your arms too much.”
Her gaze wandered, taking in the natural beauty around her, and she looked up Everest before she turned to him with a nod. “Okay, gotcha.”
With little heat in his gaze, he closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. His touch burned into her from head to toe. He leaned down, making eye contact with her. “I’ll pull the rope to keep it snug in case you slip. If you’re about to fall, yell ‘take.’ I’ll tighten the rope to take up the slack.” He winked, giving her shoulder a playful pinch. “If that happens, lean back and relax.”
She shivered at the slight bite of pain, held his gaze, and said in a serious voice, “If I think I’m going to fall, I’ll probably yell ‘holy shit.’ And you’ll know—Everest tossed me off its mountain.”
He moved closer into her personal space and dipped his head, gazing into her eyes. “I’m there to hold and support you.”
If that wasn’t a double entendre, she didn’t know what was. The outright show of her trusting him was maybe something he needed—maybe something he felt was lacking. Perhaps with Porter’s return he needed it even more. Through all that had happened recently, she realized she needed it, too.
She needed to depend on him. She needed him to catch her if she fell. Her chest tightened, removing all traces of heat. Apparently, when Aidan went to Porter it had caused more damage than only crushing his manhood.
Cora looked away, unable to accept that she had broken the sense of trust between them that he’d have to go to these extremes. That he needed this moment to correct his feelings. She absently rubbed her arms as she asked, “All right, what else?”
His firm finger pressed under her chin, forcing her to meet his stare. “Once you’re at the top and done, give me two thumbs up.” His voice became flat with his emotionless expression. “Don’t hold the rope, walk backwards down the rock and I’ll let you down.”
She heaved a sigh, wishing he’d show a deeper part of himself. Not only arousal, but the real him. When would he finally let her in? With a long, slow breath through her nose, she looked to the dirt below her running shoes. She pulled on the strength she used in scenes when her nerves started to get the best of her.
“All right?” he asked, dragging his fingers down her arm.
He doesn’t share because he’s reminding you he’s only your Dom. Don’t make it personal. She blew out her breath and slid into comfortable distance, and then she lifted her head. “Yep, I’m ready to climb this bitch!”
To avoid his searching gaze, she glanced to the half-full backpack. While she knew Aidan would think of her safety, for her own sanity, she needed to ask, “What else is in the bag?”
Aidan gazed at her with focus before he looked to the backpack. With a voice containing wonder, he turned to her. “A tent and blankets.”
She scrunched her nose. “A tent?”
“We’re camping tonight.” He arched a brow. “Did I forget to mention that?”
Camping? “Together?”
“No, I plan to sleep in the tent and you have to stay outside.” At the drop of her mouth, he chuckled. “Of course together.” With a dark gaze and clever smirk, he grabbed the front of her harness and tugged her forward toward the rock. “Don’t look so scared. The only things that bite out here are the deadly snakes.”
Cora exhaled slowly, contemplating what unsettled her more: the climb, the snakes, or spending the night with Aidan. “Oh, fudge.”
Chapter Fifteen
Trust.
Not everyone understood its value.
Though Aidan experienced the weight of Cora’s trust in the dungeon, he hadn’t realized how tight the bonds of trust had woven between them. In the moments before her climb, he’d spotted Cora’s fear. He’d noticed her trembling hands and the shortness of her breath. Under his stare, he’d watched those fears wash away.
Her feet bounced against the rock face on her way down, and as he held the rope tight, her trust splintered something cold inside him. Yet it confused him all the same. If she held that level of trust, what caused this distance between them?
After her feet hit the ground, she turned to him and rocked on her heels, throwing her hands in the air. With bright red cheeks from exertion, her chest heaved and eyes sparkled. “Holy shit, I freaking did it!”
He smiled, as the desire to investigate her consumed him. What lay beneath the woman’s shields? “I never doubted you would.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” she retorted with a slight curve to her mouth. “Because I sure as shit thought that once I got to the top, I was going to refuse to come down.”
He chuckled, and with a click, the rope dropped free from harness. “I’m proud of you.”
She gave a satisfied smile. “Thanks.” Standing tall, she looked to the rope in his hand and shifted her feet. Her gaze roamed over his bare chest, and the examination was nothing less than pure desire.
Under the promise of her heated look, his cock twitched. More so that he caused her reaction. With a lingering glance, she lifted her eyes to him and her pupils were enlarged. He slid the rope through his fingers, greedy to experience more, and the coarse rope burned across his hand.
