half a second from batting his body away from mine. “It’s the roaring winds, the torrential downpour, the wild beasts roaming around that I don’t trust.”
Knox’s brows create a perfect line over his eyes, a neat trick if you ask me, but more than that, they’re conveying the fact he’s a little disappointed in me.
“There’s no breeze today. The sky is blue.” He glances behind him at a couple of girls walking a Chihuahua on a leash. “And if that’s your definition of a beast, then I think we’ll be just fine. What do you say?” That devilish grin returns to his face.
“Okay”—I hear myself say it, but I still don’t believe it—“but just this once. And lucky for the Grim Reaper, that’s all he needs to kill me.”
Knox barks out a laugh as he pulls me by his side. “I promise I will deliver you safely off this mountain, to my bed where I will hand-feed you all the pie you can eat.”
“You better keep your promise because my mouth is already watering.” I bite down on my lip as I pierce his gaze with mine. “But it’s not for the pie you’ll be doling out later. It’s for the boy who’ll be hand-feeding me.”
“Sounds like you’d better keep your promise too.” He takes a quick bite out of my neck as we start on the trailhead.
My heart starts to race, and it has nothing to do with the fact my boyfriend is munching on me as if I’m his new favorite snack. The railing between us and eternity comes up as the road narrows considerably. Out in the distance, I see the sun shining off tiny reflective specs that I can only assume are the mirrored windows of the skyscrapers in downtown Jepson. The wind picks up and it feels as if I’m about to turn into a balloon and get taken right along with it.
“I can’t do this.” My legs shake as I brace myself against him. “Take me back, please.” I bury my face in his chest just willing myself to die. This is far beyond the normal realms of terror. I’m petrified, worse yet, paralyzed from taking another step.
“Just a few more feet, and you got this.” His arms warm my back as he lands a hot kiss next to my ear. “You’ve conquered your fear. There isn’t a thing you can’t do. You are Harper Kick-Ass Shelton, afraid of nothing or no one.” My legs inch along with him as he leads us farther down the trail. “Remember what you did when that bastard tried to break your heart?”
“Which one?” I slap my hand playfully over his chest.
“Technically both. You said screw getting mad—I’m getting even. Well, that’s what you’re doing here right now. You’re saying screw you to this phobia that’s been ruling your life for far too long.” He scoots us toward the cliff side and wraps his arms around my chest like a human seat belt with me facing the world at this horrible vantage point, but I don’t dare look down. My gaze is still on the boy I love. “Hold on tight.”
“Why? Is this the part where we jump?” My body shakes so hard I can hardly take my next breath.
“Not on your life—or mine. Nope. We’ve got too much to live for.” Knox trails his hot kisses to my ear, and the wind licks a cool line right behind him. “We’ve got each other, and that’s enough. Don’t you think?”
I keep my gaze fixed on his no matter how hard the city campaigns for my attention.
“I think you’re right.” My hands slide up his body as they make their way around the back of his neck. “I think I might be ready to look, but you’ll have to hold me extra tight.”
“You bet.” He dots a quick kiss to my nose. “On three.” Knox counts it out slowly, and on three we both give our attention to the overlook, and my heart leaps to the top of my skull before passing out.
“Oh my God.” The earth pulsates with a heartbeat of its own. My adrenaline hits its zenith, and for a blissful moment my body goes numb. On the bright side, if the wind does pick up and decide to hurl me to an early death, I won’t feel a damn thing.
“Look at the way the sky meets the city”—he whispers warm into my ear—“the cool blue kissing the gray skyline.”
“I believe they call that pollution.”
His chest bucks