Page 60 of Take Me to the Wedding

The makeshift harness was made of rope and knots, and I fretted as I tried to figure out how to get him to climb into it. I was afraid that he would refuse and say something ridiculous, like he was climbing up himself or something I couldn’t even predict. Anyway, I braced myself for an argument.

Figures that the first great kiss I’d gotten in I-don’t-remember-how-long was from someone dehydrated, concussed, and in shock. Oh, and let’s not forget to add “out of his mind.” No one should go around kissing people in that state, because someone could actually believe it was real.

“Let me see that.” By this time, he was standing on one leg, leaning against the cliff. He reached over me and took the harness from my hands. I could feel the shade from his big body, the heat, smell the scent of his soap and the smell of warm sun on skin. I made sure not to look him in the eye because honestly, I was feeling so many things.

How could this be happening? Maybe I was the one with a concussion. My heart was pounding, I felt flushed (but to be fair, it was sunny and very hot), and I felt an impossible rush of awareness. He’d said he wasn’t into Lilly. But could I believe that?

I needed to get both of us out of here ASAP and get this entire weekend to end. Then, with a little luck, I’d go back to work and start hating him again and things would go back to normal. Easy peasy.

Caleb figured out the ins and outs of the harness and held it in a ready-to-go position. Then he nudged his head at it. “Get in.”

“Excuse me?” Was therenothinghe wouldn’t fight me on?

“You heard me.” He sounded a little out of breath from the pain. “Get in.”

“Um, no.” I grabbed hold of the harness. “You’re going up first.”

“I’m not.” He cupped his hands over his mouth. “Sam’s coming up. You guys ready?”

Maybe he wanted me to go first to be the guinea pig, but I didn’t think so. This appeared to totally be a Caleb-being-protective move.

He said, “Thank you for trying to save me. But I want you to go up first. If something happens, I’ll be here to break your fall. And that might not make sense, but you can’t change my mind, so just do as I’m asking. Please. Okay?”

He wanted to make sure I was safe. Not only that, but this was alsoimportantto him. I could see it in his eyes. This astounded me, someone hurt who put himself second. And me first. Had that ever happened in my life? It nearly brought me to tears, but I didn’t have time for tears now. I had to help us both out of here.

His expression was unyielding and formidable. I seemed to be learning when there was no point arguing. “If you insist,” I said, then shoved a leg through the leg opening, then a second. I ended up with a bunch of ropes supporting my legs and my ass.

“One more thing.” He was holding on to the rope above my head and on my leg. His face was very close, a little flushed from the heat, a little sweaty. But his eyes were urgent, demanding me to listen. “One more kiss—a goodbye one.”

“Youaredelirious.” I was afraid, because getting him up was going to be challenging—not to mention painful. I was pumped full of adrenaline, shaky and lightheaded, and I wasn’t sure how much of it was from this harrowing experience or from being so close to him and from everything he’d just said.

“Maybe. But you’ll regret it if you don’t. I mean, anything could happen.” He gave me a crooked, winning smile that I know took effort.

“Don’t make light of this.” I felt elated and close to tears. Dizzy, hot and clammy, all at once.

“You ready, Samantha?” Brax again. “I can’t see you. You’re going to have to move over a few feet.”

“One—one second,” I said.

Caleb was standing there, holding on to the side of the cliff for support, vulnerable, expectant.

I started to cry.

“Women don’t usually cry when I ask to kiss them.”

“This isn’t a joke to me.”

He pushed himself off from the cliff and grabbed me for support. Yet he steadied me with his hands on my arms. “It’s going to be okay.”

Somehow I sensed he wasn’t talking about his health or my health or getting us both back to safety. I was almost sure he was talking aboutus.

He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead.

I reached over and held his face in my hands. His precious face. I was teary, my emotions overcoming me. I kissed him on the lips quickly, intending to pull back, but he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me again, softly, pulling me closer, then kissing me deeply.

If I was dizzy before, I was positively vertiginous now.

The kiss was sweet and earnest and confident, expert and deep and promising. And it was over way too soon. Caleb drew back, and then he spoke. Which was more than I was capable of.

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