Page 8 of Beyond the Summer

Ben

Istoodafewfeet away from the rock climbing wall, arms crossed as I watched Sutton instruct the campers.It was really irritating how good he was at the camp counselor stuff — far better than I’d ever been.Where I’d expected an obnoxious ass, he was outgoing, cheerful, and kind.And sure, he was a little cocky, but the kids in our group weren’t bothered by it.They gobbled it up.

And even worse, he seemed to already know how to do a lot of things.He’d been an expert at setting up tents and starting fires, and now he was deftly showing the boys how to tie a figure eight knot to their harness, walking them through the steps with a calm patience that didn’t fit my image of him.

"Alright boys, safety first!"Sutton called out cheerfully."Always check your harness is secure before starting your climb.And remember, the auto belay system will catch you if you fall — it can be a little daunting to put your trust in a machine, but it's totally safe."

His confident tone and easy smile put most of the kids at ease, though a few still eyed the tall wall nervously.I had to admit, Sutton was good with them.Dammit.I didn't want to be impressed by anything about Sutton Holm.The guy was an arrogant jerk who'd broken Parker's heart.He was the enemy, and he was an arrogant jerk.

"Use your legs to push yourself up," Sutton explained, reaching for one of the rocks."Your arms are just for balance and grip."

“What if it doesn’t catch us?”one of the boys asked, eying the auto belay suspiciously.

Sutton didn’t mock the kid; instead, he smiled kindly, reaching for the rope and tying off his own harness.“Would it make you all feel better if I give it a test run?If this equipment can handle my bulk, it can surely handle any of you, right?”

The boy nodded, his cheeks turning pink.“But what if you fall?”

“I’ll be okay,” Sutton said.“They keep the camp equipment in top condition.”

The boys all turned to me, forcing me to agree with Sutton.“We check the auto belay system regularly.”

Sutton began to climb, and I couldn't help but notice how Sutton's muscles flexed as he ascended the wall with practiced ease.His shorts rode up slightly, giving me an eyeful of his toned thighs and — and shit, was I really checking out his ass right now?I forced my gaze away, but it kept drifting back as if magnetized.His muscles were round and powerful, flexing with every movement.

"See how I'm using my legs to push up?"Sutton called down to the campers as he pushed through a technical big move that could only be achieved by an expert climber, leaping for a grip near the top of the wall, and dangling for a second before he kicked his feet into footholds and settled back in his harness, comfortable and secure.

“Show off,” I muttered.

As he sat back in his harness and kicked off the wall, the belay system slowly lowered him down."See?Nothing to worry about with the auto-belay.If it can handle a big guy like me, you'll be just fine!"

He flashed a cocky grin, and I rolled my eyes.Of course he'd find a way to brag about his size.But as much as I hated to admit it, he had a point.From his thick thighs to his beefy biceps, he probably had a hundred pounds of muscle on any of the kids in the camp.As his feet landed softly on the ground, he glanced at me, shooting me a smile that looked almost nervous, then turned back to the campers, helping them gear up so they could climb three at a time, each on a different section of the wall.

"Ben!Ben!"one of the campers called from the wall."Can you watch me try?I think I've got it now!"

I felt a flush creep up my neck.The last thing I wanted was to get closer to Sutton and his irritatingly cheerful energy.

"Actually," I lied, clearing my throat, "one of the counselors is required to watch from a distance.You know, to get a big-picture view and make sure everyone's doing well."

Tommy's face fell slightly, but he nodded."Oh, okay.I guess that makes sense.You can watch me from there."

I silently cursed myself.What the hell was wrong with me?I was letting my stupid attraction to Sutton interfere with my job.But the thought of standing next to him, smelling his sunscreen and sweat, hearing that deep laugh up close...it was too much.I caught his eyes on me, but did nothing, focusing on watching the campers and cheering them on — from a distance.

I'd just have to keep reminding myself what an asshole he really was.No matter how sexy he looked scaling that damn wall.

As the last of the campers finished their climbs and headed off for lunch, Sutton sauntered over to me, a cocky grin plastered on his face.I tried to keep my eyes focused on his face, but they kept betraying me, darting down to his muscular legs exposed by his shorts.

"So, Torres," he drawled."Why didn't you want to climb?Afraid of heights?"

I scoffed, crossing my arms."Please.I was just following protocol.Someone needs to keep an eye on things from up here."

Sutton's eyebrow quirked up, clearly not buying my bullshit."Uh-huh.And it has nothing to do with not wanting to make a fool of yourself in front of the kids?"Ah, there was the asshole side of him.

"Fuck off, Holm," I snapped.I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure."I grew up here, remember?I’ve been climbing that wall since I was a toddler.”

“I didn’t know that, actually,” Sutton said.“Must have been an interesting childhood for someone like you.”

“Someone like me?”I snapped.

“Yeah, you know.An introvert who loves books.”

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