Page 18 of Bear In A Boutique
“We are, but I need you to watch your foot placement carefully. Don’t rely on the logs to support you. They won’t and you’ll fall. Anchor your heel in front of each log and step up.”
“Got it.”
Ryker climbed the first three steps, then turned to check on her. Olive carefully placed her boots on the ground as he’d instructed, and they began the ascent. She was breathing heavily by the time they reached the last few steps. The incline made a sharp angle upwards. The soil was slippery from the rain, and large chunks of earth had eroded.
“These last three are treacherous. Take my hand.”
He planted his feet, swiveled at the waist, and held his hand to her. She grabbed ahold of him, her fingers making a death grip around him as he all but pulled her up.
“I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall.”
Ryker added his other hand to hers, supporting her, guiding her, and keeping her safe as they cleared the last steps.
“Wow!” She bent over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. “That was nuts. My legs are burning.”
Ryker cracked his water bottle and handed it to her. She hesitated before accepting and taking a drink.
“We’ve got eighty-six steps to go. You up for it?”
She straightened and handed him the bottle. “I’m up for it.”
He thumbed behind him, grinning when she followed the movement and realized what was ahead.
The fire watch station towered over them. Built at the top of a peak, it was one of the only remaining fire towers still using manpower and not tech to detect wildfires. The walk-up wasn’t for the lighthearted.
“That’s impressive.”
“Wait until you see the view from the top. Ready?”
She walked beside him. “How far would you say we just hiked?”
“It’s a mile and a half from the parking lot to the tower.”
He didn’t like the smug look on her face.
“So, essentially I just went for a hike.”
Ryker pressed his lips into a line. He knew where this was going.
“Did I encounter any dangerous bears? No. So I would say that, once again, I have won this bet and you, Ryker Mitchell, are once again a loser.”
He scoffed. “A mile isn’t a hike. That’s a stroll.”
“Excuse me, but we never negotiated the terms of what did or did not constitute a hike. We hiked a mile through the woods, and nothing terrible happened to me, therefore I won.”
“You didn’t win.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Fine, what do you want?”
She tugged her lower lip between her teeth while observing him thoughtfully.
“I’ll think about it and let you know.”
Knowing he’d been outmaneuvered, Ryker gestured for her to begin climbing the metal steps leading up the fire tower. He waited until she’d gone up a few before following suit. His eyes tracked upward, his heart slamming against his chest.
Damn it. He should have gone up ahead of her, but he’d wanted to follow in case she ran into trouble, never considering that he would have a perfect view of her tight, round ass the entire way up.
