Page 17 of The Hang Up
“Ooof!”
“Sorry,” he said as he spun around and caught her by the elbows to hold her steady. “I should have warned you I was stopping.”
“No problem,” she said, kinda hoping he didn’t take his hands off her anytime soon.
“I wanted to show you something.”
“I already saw it back in my bathroom.” She grinned in spite of herself.
“Very funny. Here, look up.”
She did as he told her and craned her neck to aim her headlamp overhead. She gasped as the bright beam caught the twinkle of a million sparkling stars. No, not stars, they were in a cave. Gemstones? Silver?
“What is that?” she breathed.
“Condensation,” he said. “Water seeping through tiny fissures in the lava tube.”
“It’s incredible.” She turned in a slow circle to take in the view from different angles. The tiny droplets flashed and sparkled, making her a little dizzy. Jason didn’t say anything at first, and when she dropped her gaze to look at him, she saw him studying her with a surprised smile.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re beautiful. Especially when you’re all full of wonder and excitement.”
She felt herself flushing at his words, but she kept her own words casual. “I’d be full of wonder and excitement over a sale at Nordy’s, too.”
But even she had to admit she’d never seen anything quite like this.
“Look down at the ground,” he said, and Miriam obeyed. Her gaze landed on several rounded humps of ice stuck to the floor of the cave and a few scattered boulders around them.
“What are they?” she asked, stepping closer to one for a better look at the unusual ice formations.
“Ice boobs.”
She laughed. “That’s the technical term?”
“No, but that’s what a lot of people call them.”
“I can see why,” she said, and rubbed a gloved hand over one.
“Stop doing that.”
“Why?” She frowned. “Will it disrupt the ecological systems of the cave?”
“Well, that, and you’re turning me on.”
She rolled her eyes and drew her hand back. “You’re such a guy.”
“Guilty as charged.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s keep going. I want to show you the next room.”
He trudged ahead of her, letting go of her hand, and Miriam tried not to feel disappointed. At least from this angle she could stare at his ass again, which was becoming deliciously familiar.
He led her down a narrow corridor that got progressively smaller. He had to duck his head to continue, though she was still able to walk upright. The guy had to be six two or six three, in contrast to herself, at closer to five three without her heels.
Soon, though, she was ducking as well. She kept following him, tamping down the panic she felt as the space grew narrower and narrower. She ordered herself to breathe, not to think about creepy-crawlies or closed spaces or anything but the awe-inspiring backside of the man walking in front of her. She ran her fingers over the cave walls, reassuring herself with the solidness of the rock.
“You doing okay?” he called over his shoulder. “I think so,” she murmured.
He stopped moving and turned to look at her, probably making sure she wasn’t bleeding to death or missing a limb. She tried to give him a smile, but she could tell it was weak. His smile was more reassuring. “A little claustrophobic?”
