Page 17 of Personal Disaster

Always in control, Ibet.

I want to mess him up. I want to make him growl. Would he? What sounds would he make if I licked my way down his corded throat and tasted the skin at the edge of his uniform collar?

Before I get a chance to find out, he sets me down. His eyes are dark and serious as he steps back. “Good morning.”

I cross my arms over my chest. Not now, nipples. Later. “Good morning.”

“I should let you get dressed.” He clears his throat, and jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll wait in the hallway.”

“Five minutes,” I say breathlessly.

Once he’s outside, I look at the name and phone number in my hand. Climbers. Okay.

From my suitcase, I pull my jeans, and a long-sleeved t-shirt, and after I get dressed, I tug on my running shoes and brush my hair back into a ponytail.

I find Marcus in the hallway, scrolling through his phone. He tucks it away and stands up, giving me a once-over that lingers on my shoes. “So you do own sensible footwear.”

“Of course Ido.”

“Those are the fourth pair of shoes I’ve seen you in, and the first that are appropriate for the mountains.”

I grin. He’s counting my shoes. That’s adorable. “But these look ridiculous with a dress. And I love dresses. You see the bind I’min.”

He hesitates. “Fair point.”

I bump my shoulder against his arm as we walk down the hallway. “But I’m glad you approve of my footwear choice today.”

He doesn’t say anything, but the side of his mouth twitches up into a smile.

As he opens his truck door for me, he sets his hand in the small of my back and leans in, pressing his lips against my temple. “I love your dresses, too.”

I finish drinking the coffee he brought me and catalog my thoughts about everything that has happened over the last twenty hours while he drives me out to a popular climbingspot.

“Don’t blast this kid with a lot of questions.”

“I won’t.” I’m not sure what the angle is on this story, but it’s not deep investigative anything, I’m sure of that. I’m not even sure I can sell it, but something is better than nothing. “I’ll bekind.”

“Just be yourself. That goes a long way out here. And…” He gives me a sideways glance. “You do that well. I’m not trying to tell you how to be. Promise.”

I take a deep breath. “I appreciateit.”

“It’ll help that I’m dropping youoff.”

Inod.

“And I’ll be back in a few hours.”

I’m pretty sure he’s set this up deliberately, so I need to take my time or spend a few hours sitting in the dust all by myself. But it’ll take me that long to get a good story anyway, so I’m not complaining.

As promised, Kaden is waiting for us there. He looks wary of me—a look I’m starting to get used to—but Marcus introduces us and smooths out the introduction.

We stick to climbing talk for the first hour. He takes me to a spot where people are taking turns doing quick ascents, and when it’s his turn, his friends are happy to chat with me, too.

“How many of you have previously worked for the National Park Service?” Iask.

Half of them put up their hands.

“So what are you doing thisyear?”

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