Page 14 of First Bride to Fall
“Nice going,” he said. “You’re almost there.”
She followed his instructions, her pulse thudding in her ears. She felt dizzy but fought it.
Grant was there. Right there beneath her. Things would be fine.
Nooo.Things wereslipperyandwet.
One of her boots lost its grip on a rock; then the other did, too.
Her legs shot out from under her, and Nell spun sideways, clinging to the rope. It burned through her grip, stinging her palms—
She yelped and let go.
“Nell!”
But it was too late to stop it.
She was falling.
Chapter Five
Grant seized Nell around her middle with one strong arm, and her back slammed into his chest, taking the backward tumble.
Oomph!
They hit the ground with athudin a curtain of rain.
Pain spread across his back and shoulders as her body weight crushed into him. Since she was barely half his size, he could take it. He’d still pay for it later with some bruising.
It was good they’d landed on soft earth versus rock, which is why he and Jordan had positioned the rope where they had as a safety measure. The ground was even softer now thanks to the rain, with huge puddles spreading everywhere.
“Hey,” he asked hoarsely. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m…fine.” She squirmed in his embrace, flipping around, and suddenly they were face to face, her chest bearing down on his.
A blush swept her cheeks, and his heart stuttered.
“Good,” Grant rasped. “That’s good. I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
Her breathing went rough and ragged, pulsing through her kissable lips, and he nearly lost his mind. She was so soft and smelled like…heaven. All sweet and summery like a honeysuckle vine. And she was tangled around him.
Heat coursed through his veins, despite the drowning rain. He hadn’t been with a woman in a while, and everything about Nell was hitting him hard. Who knew what had possessed her to come on this hike, but even laying in a puddle and covered in mud, he was grateful for it. He wanted to kiss her.
Which, considering their circumstances, meant he needed to get a grip.Immediately.He came to his senses with a jolt. “Should we, uh…?”
Apparently so did she. “Ah, yep!” Right. You couldn’t get more awkward than that.
She blinked and scrambled off him, standing too fast. Her right foot slid, and her knee buckled. “Argh!Oooh.Oh nooo.”
Grant sat bolt upright, regaining his focus. Raindrops raced down his face and streaked from his hair. He frowned. “What happened?”
She placed her right foot on the ground, then picked it up again. She moaned. “My ankle. I think I did something to it.”
“Hang on, I’ll take a look.”
“What?”
“I’m a certified Wilderness First Responder.”
