Page 50 of Through The Woods

Or a last will and testament typed up and ready.

He grinned and began walking toward the hiking trail. I called out after him, “I wasn’t agreeing!”

He continued and I had to run to keep up, which then made me realize how out of shape I was. The trail began to inch upwards and I could see the river on the other side of the cliff. The rapids swirled violently and I resisted the urge to cling to the back of Charm’s cut-off.

One misstep and I’d be at the mercy of unforgiving waters. I shivered and looked away. When we reached the top, Charm stripped off his vest and shirt. Dark ink connected in swirls across his muscular body—obliviating everything around us, and leaving me gasping for breath as if I’d already gone under.

“Um, is that necessary?” I squeaked out.

His head cocked to the side. “You wanna ride home in wet clothes?”

I shook my head slowly. “I sort of thought I’d just stay up here and watch you do it. I wasn’t planning on getting in though.”

He laughed, showing nearly all of his teeth. “Oh, Sweetheart. You’re going in.”

Most men could say sweetheart in a complimentary way; with Charm, there was always this condescending undertone.

I shook my head vehemently and took a tentative step backward.

He moved toward me. “How about this? You jump and I let you start doing the shopping on your own. That would include a budget for new clothes.”

I almost agreed, until I remembered the reaction I’d gotten before when the other bikers had seen my thighs. “I—I can’t.”

His gaze dropped down and I cringed. One of the guys must’ve already told him. “How about this? I go first and then you. I’ll come back up and get your clothes right after and you can stay in the water.”

He unfastened his jeans and then stopped, clearly waiting for me to answer. I forced my gaze away from his hands. “Okay. You have to go first though.”

Charm nodded and took off his boots and socks before sliding the jeans down his hips. He kicked them into a small pile and then grinned wickedly at me. I was just contemplating what his reaction would be if I threw caution to the wind and fell into his arms as he stepped to the edge and jumped off.

Holy hell.

He didn’t even give me a warning. I was lost in thoughts of him being an underwear model in another life and then he was gone. I stepped over to the edge and he waved up at me. “Your turn, Sweetheart!”

I turned away and raised my middle finger in the air, resisting the urge to scream in frustration. I’d made the mistake of looking down…all the way down.

That was only twenty feet?

With shaking hands, I pulled Charm’s jacket and my Juicy t-shirt off and then reluctantly removed the rest. Here I was—standing in my underwear on the edge of a cliff during the last week of August.

I stepped to the edge and took a deep breath. I could do this.

“Neve! I’m freezing my ass off down here! Hurry up!”

One.

Two.

Three.

I prayed that I didn’t land on Charm or any sharp rocks and stepped off. My stomach jumped into my chest, giving me the same sensation I’d had on the bike of being on a roller coaster. It was terrifying, but as icy water flooded my nose and jolted my system, I suddenly wanted very much to do it again.

As I pushed my body up to the surface, coughing and spluttering, I realized that I’d experienced the same feelings as when I was high.

I’d felt something while sober that I would’ve thought impossible.

Happiness.

“I did it,” I breathed.

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