Page 37 of Miss Behaved
But Monica’s eyes move to the zip line, and instead of fear, there’s determination in her gaze.
“That.” She points.
“You sure?” I ask, folding my hands into my pockets to stop them from doing what they want—grabbing her and stripping her down to her soft, warm skin.
She squares her shoulders and rolls them back. “I guess if I’m already standing on the ledge, might as well jump.”
Monica’s eyes move down to the bulge in my pants, and for a moment I hope she’ll drag me to a hidden corner and undress me, but instead she walks away. Hypnotizing me with her hips, which tick like a pendulum from one side to the other with every step. When she reaches the rest of the group, she dips her chin to the side and shoots me a grin over her shoulder.
My feet might still be on the ground, but one thing’s for sure: my heart is already shooting across that canyon.
15
Monica
Myfeetarebackon solid ground before reality floods in. What the heck was I thinking,all in good fun. Like I couldn’t still feel his lips on mine the entire time my feet were hanging in the air. I was drowning in fear, but my heart hammered in my chest for another reason entirely.
It wanted more of his lips, his taste. Of him. My dirty little heart dug me farther and farther down. Six feet just wasn’t enough. Might as well keep going.
“Fuck yes!” Carson yells as his feet hit the platform shortly after mine do.
He insisted I go before him, swearing it was because he wanted to be last. His eyes told me different. He was worried, and I don’t blame him. If it hadn’t been for the kiss I shouldn’t have taken, stepping off that ledge would probably rank as the most terrifying part of my day.
Scratch that—my year.
But even if Carson was being surprisingly sweet and kind of worried, I got the impression there was another reason he waited around: to keep tabs on Ry, the hottie guide who was not-so- subtly checking me out all morning.
“Enjoy yourself?” I ask Carson as a woman works to undo my harness.
Carson brushes his thick blonde hair off his forehead, and his smile widens. “Fuck yeah, I did,” he says, then he leans down until I feel his breath on my ear. “But I could still think of things I’d rather be doing.”
The pulse between my thighs begs for him to make good on that, but I cannot be thinking those things, so I ignore his blatant flirting and change the subject.
“It was fun,” I say. “But I’m ready to eat. Bring on the pancakes, Bloody Marys, and mimosas.”
His smile drops at my mention of breakfast. “I’m gonna have to pass. I have a few business calls to make. That’s why I drove separately.”
I’m surprised at the disappointment that fills me. As much as I’ve tried to tell myself I need to avoid him this week, I don’t mind that he ignores me pushing him away and sticks around.
Carson steps out of his harness, and it moves him closer, our bodies almost flush on the small platform. But his face hardens when he looks over my shoulder, and I turn to see Ry lingering on the edge of the group, watching me.
Ry is definitely my type: dark hair, dark eyes, wicked smile. He’s got “Heartbreaker” stamped across his forehead. This good girl definitely loves her bad boys, and a week ago, I’d be all over it. But I look back to Carson’s cool blue eyes, and it might be pathetic after all these years, but he’s the only one I see.
Laughter bursts from the group, and it snaps Carson’s gaze back to me. “Enjoy your fun,” he says with a sting before walking away.
Every step is a reminder hammering in my chest.
He left once.
He’ll leave again.
You can’t love a man who won’t love you back.
“Honey, you did amazing!” Nadine rushes up to me, her blazing red hair a fire against the desert around us. “Taking that fear by the balls and riding it.”
Fear’s not the only thing I’d like to be riding.
“You headed back?” Agnes slips up beside us and watches Carson in the distance, climbing into a truck.
