Page 1 of Falling

one

PETER

“Come on,G. You know you want to do it.” I’ve been whining at Geneva since we made it back from Texas. I think it’s starting to work. We only have a day before we leave if she’s going to agree.

“Why would I want to be stuck in your car driving cross-country when I can sit in first class and be there in a few hours?”

I bet you thought I’d been trying to convince her to have sex with me. Get your mind out of the gutter. Although I’m definitely on board with that idea, but, no. I’ve been trying to convince her to road trip with me from sunny San Francisco to even more sunny Austin.

We both took a leap of faith when we resigned from her father’s real estate development business to join her brother in Texas. He fell in love with a one-night stand and never returned to California.

I wholeheartedly approve of the choice he made. He’s now married with a beautiful baby boy to fuss over. We agreed quickly that a struggling new business in Texas was better than dealing with her abusive father, even if it was lucrative.

I’ve been friends with Rand since boarding school. We were thrown together in middle school as roommates. The first time I met his sister, Geneva, she was tall, thin, and had a look that could freeze water.

Not much has changed. Except now, I really like when her icy gaze is turned on me. But she’s my best friend’s sister. She’s off limits, but that doesn’t mean she’s not always on my mind.

“Think about it. We could stop by Yosemite and Zion. You know you’ve always wanted to ride the rims.” It’s a wild guess. Honestly, I don’t know that much about either park. I don’t know a thing about riding a horse either, but whatever. It’s just been a long time since I’ve done anything other than work. I want an adventure. And I don’t want to go alone.

“I do like horses,” she admits.

“There you go.”

“And rims.” She smiles wickedly. Don’t read anything into it. We’ve been doing this barely civil sexual innuendo thing for years. I think we started it in an effort to freak her brother the fuck out. It worked, so we kept doing it. Now, I wonder if we even notice what we say to each other anymore.

“We could raft the Grand Canyon,” I dangle.

Her eyes narrow at me. That means that she’s either seriously considering going or I’m going to wake up in the hospital in several days. Did I mention the woman has a black belt in some sort of martial arts? She can probably raft like a demon too. I might be getting in over my head.

“Fine,” she says.

She’s sitting on my couch among the boxes waiting to be moved to Austin tomorrow. Her long legs stretch to the coffee table, where she wiggles her toes. Luscious, suckable toes. Jesus. I need to get laid. Not that Geneva’s not all kinds of hot, but she’s still my best friend’s sister. Although I get a kick out of telling him she’s hot all the time.

“Stop staring at my feet, perv.”

“Yes or no, Geneva.”

“Fine.”

Something inside me is doing a little cheer over spending a week on the road with this sex goddess. Probably the cheerleaders of Boner U.

“But we’re hiking in Yosemite, riding in Zion, and rafting the Grand Canyon.”

I’m going to die.

“And…”

I wait for more demands.

“Shopping in Santa Fe.”

“Seriously?” I ask. I’m not that worried about being dragged around the shops in Santa Fe. I doubt I’ll still be alive at that point.

“Yes, seriously. I want to check out the art galleries.”

“Fine.” Who cares? I really will already be dead.

“Fine.” She glares at me, seeing if she can call my bluff. I’ve known Geneva since her family came to deliver her brother to boarding school. She was eleven at the time and just as obstinate. Her mother fussed over Rand’s side of the room while Geneva stared at me with the same glare she’s giving me now.

---