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As we climb, my legs begin to ache as I race after her, a titter escaping her lips as she realizes I’m trying to catch up to her. She glances back at me but doesn’t slow down, her sexy legsbeckoning me higher up the side of the rocks until we’re both at the mesa, panting slightly.
She’s a quick learner,I think, impressed as I stare at her. I’ve never met a woman so willing to try before. I was sure she would be a blubbering, whining mess when we arrived, but Stella is proving me wrong.
She’s looking out at the view, her brow creasing upward, and her slender form turns to release the ropes in her gloved hands. Too fast, she spins around to see if I’m looking, too, but the altitude takes her by surprise, and she stumbles, falling back. Instinctively, I catch her, arms encircling her ribs as I accidentally brush against the fullness of her breasts. For half a second, our eyes lock, lips inches from each other, and I have half a mind to brush my mouth against hers, but the buzz of a drone kills the specialness, the sincerity of what is happening.
I grit my teeth, suddenly wanting to smash the studio’s mobile camera as Stella collects herself. Her cheeks are on fire as she straightens, gesturing wildly at the view in front of us, the lower peaks capturing our attention as I continue to sneak peeks at her beautiful face.
“This is…” she trails off, still scanning the landscape. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It’s nice,” I agree.
She gawks at me, tearing her eyes away from the spectacular view. “Nice?” she repeats. “It’s breathtaking!”
I raise my shoulders with some indifference. “I’ve seen better in Europe,” I answer honestly.
Stella rolls her eyes. “Well, I think it’s gorgeous.”
I think she’s gorgeous. I wonder how she’ll do on the open water—my favorite place to be.
We remain on the mesa for a while, Stella snapping photos as the drone records us, and she’s disappointed when it’s time to descend for our meal, where we’re met by the camera crew.
Over lunch, she can’t stop talking about the climb. “It was exhilarating! I can’t believe I’ve never had the guts to do anything like that before!”
Chuckling, I stab at my salad with my fork. “Well, I’m glad your first experience was such a good one. Maybe I can convince you to do it again on another date.”
I give her one of my teasing winks, and she blushes, much to my amusement.
“Is that what we’re doing?” she asks coyly, leaning in playfully to take my hand as the camera zooms in. “Dating?”
I smirk, knowing this is all for the audience, but I can’t help but enjoy it all the same. The softness of her hand warms me.
“I’m not sure yet. Let’s see how you do in the kayak,” I reply, licking my lips.
Her good mood fades before my eyes. “Kayak?”
If Stella was pale at the rocks, she is opaque at the docks.
“Why do we need to do so much today?” she murmurs, more to herself than me.
“Are you going to be sick?” I ask, straining forward to peer at her face worriedly.
Her eyes almost pop out of her head as she again looks toward the camera crew, who are supposed to be following after us on a rowboat. But she doesn’t know that I have a plan to lose them as soon as we’re in the open water.
“N-no,” she stutters unconvincingly.
Pushing the two-person kayak into the water, I reassure her with soothing words. “You didn’t think you could do the rock climbing, either,” I remind her. “But here you are—showing me up.”
“This isn’t really the same. Aren’t there sharks out here?”
I start to laugh, but she’s not amused in the least. “No, Stella. No sharks in Montana,” I promise. “I haven’t been eaten yet in California, either.”
“Yetbeing the operative word.”
I jump into the boat with her and begin to paddle as the rowboat follows behind us, extended mics casting out toward us.
“Can they hear us?” Stella whispers, leaning in.
I shrug. “You’re the actress. You tell me.”
