Page 75 of Love Undercover
She nodded, but her mind still didn’t quite compute.
He sighed then reached for the hem of her shirt, asking permission with his eyes.
She nodded again, and he was lifting it over her head, leaving her bare except for her bra. Goosebumps rippled along her skin immediately. He wrapped the fabric around her hands, then rushed to pull his own skin-tight shirt off and did the same.
“I’ll go first. Come right after me. Okay?”
Her head bobbed again.
He stepped onto the ledge, lowering himself down and taking hold of a rope. That must have been what he’d been doing a moment before—securing a rope for them to use. He put his feet against the wall and walked himself down a couple of feet.
“Come on, Sadie.”
His voice was soothing like he was talking to a scared child.
She followed his example, crawling onto the sill and turning around so that she could climb out. Gripping the rope and bracing herself against the wall, she sucked in a breath as the breeze and raindrops bit at her exposed skin. A little bit of clarity returned. Which was probably not a good thing as she saw how high up they were.
“Just walk yourself down.”
She felt his hand on her hip as she did what he said, lowering herself into his arms.
“Okay.” His breath tickled against her ear. “Wrap your legs around the rope.”
She whimpered, looking down.
“I’ve got you,” he assured her.
She took her feet from the wall and wrapped her legs around the rope, letting her weight settle into Chase’s big body.
“Good. Now we’ll loosen our grip just a little so we can slide down. Your hands will get hot, but hopefully, the shirt will protect them.”
“Okay,” she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. She heard the tremor in the word.
His hand squeezed her hip. “All right. Let’s go.”
The heat of his body behind her disappeared and a gasp shot out of her. The rope trembled in her hands, but she didn’t loosen her grip even as her muscles strained to hold her weight.
“Let go, Sadie,” Chase called from below her. “Just a little bit.”
She glanced down to see he was already at the bottom, a shadow on the ground.
Lightning illuminated his face, which was tipped up.
“Okay,” she whispered again, taking several puffs of air.
Then she released her grip. The feeling of being out of control ripped a scream from her throat as she slid down, the heat building like a fire in her palms.
And then she felt him there, catching her with a grunt, and his arms went around her, the heat and dampness of his chest against her bare back. He pried her hands from the rope, then pulled her into a full sprint toward the trees as the rain pelted them from above. She tripped, dropping her shirt, but he dragged her forward.
“Leave it,” he commanded when she tried to turn back, and she stumbled along, trying to get back up to pace with him.
They flew into the trees just as a pair of headlights cut through the darkness where they’d been only moments before, and he halted their progress to watch and let her catch her breath.
“Here,” he said, panting. He held out his shirt to her, his eyes turned to the dark vehicle as it pulled past them toward the warehouse.
She didn’t hesitate long as shivers wracked her body, setting her teeth chattering. She pulled the shirt on, and because it was so form-fitting, it wasn’t that big on her. Long, yes. But it immediately helped with warmth, though the rain started to fall harder and faster. It probably wouldn’t do much for long.
“Come on,” Chase said, taking her hand again. “Move quickly, but watch your feet. We can’t run full-on in here. My car is parked on the other side.”
