Smash_ A Stepbrother MMA Romance(105)

I didn’t believe his story. I didn’t believe that he was out leading some locals around, as much as I wanted to. Lindsey’s little hints kept making me wonder what Reid was really doing with his time.

“You going to just stand there?” he grunted.

“No. Just thinking.” I moved around and sat down across from him at the table, taking another sip of my drink.

“What about?”

“Trying to decide what I want to do today. I’m sick of just sitting around.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve only been home for a few days and you already managed to get in some trouble. What else do you need?”

“I want to do something active.”

He looked at me without speaking for a second. “How about you come climbing with me this afternoon?”

“I don’t think I could keep up.”

He put the paper down and grinned at me. “Why not? The girl I remember was pretty damn good at that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, well, the girl you remember has been too busy with school to hike or climb stuff.”

“Come on. It’s like riding a bike. We’ll go somewhere easy.”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to hold you back.”

He leaned forward, his smile breaking through my uncertainty. “You don’t hold me back,” he said.

“Okay, fine. But you have to take it easy on me.”

He leaned back, smirking.

“I don’t think you ever want it easy, Becca.”

I stared up at the cliff face and my jaw hung open.

It looked like a sheer face made of glass with no possible way up. To Reid, it was probably as easy as a ladder, but to me it looked like a terrifying and smooth piece of icy glass that was impossible to handle.

“This is easy?” I exclaimed.

Reid laughed. “Trust me. This wall is the easiest climb in the whole area.”

The sun was high and hot in the sky as we stood at the base of the cliff. Reid drove us in his pickup, and I was quiet most of the time. We chatted about his mom and her recovery, and my dad and his job, but we kept it to safe topics. I didn’t ask about whatever he did out in the woods, and he kept his dirty comments to a minimum.

I watched as Reid began to set up the gear, stepping into his harness and checking the ropes and the knots.

“I’ll lead, you just follow. I’ll do all the hard parts. All you need to do is climb.”

I frowned. I almost felt dizzy from staring up at the top. “I don’t know, Reid.”

He stood in front of me. “Trust me. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. This is going to be easy.”

I nodded, feeling a sudden surge of resolve. Reid’s confidence was contagious.

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

He laughed. “That’s my girl.” I watched as he untangled the second harness and held it out to me. “Let’s get you in this.”

“I got it,” I said, but he was already grabbing my hips and pulling me toward him.

I felt a thrill run through my spine as his hands unbuckled and moved the straps around my legs and hips. His breath was warm against my neck as he fit it around me, tightening what needed tightening. I felt helpless letting him dress me like that, but part of me enjoyed it. He was so firm and sure of himself. Ever since we’d gotten near the cliff, it was like he’d suddenly switched into a new person, and he owned everything around him.

“Okay, you’re good,” he said, straightening up.

“Thanks. I guess.”

He tossed me a helmet and I buckled it on. He put his own helmet on and slipped on a pair of gloves, tossing me my own. Once we were dressed, he took the lead lines and nodded at me.

“Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He stepped up to the wall and became exactly who he was supposed to be.

I watched as he climbed the first ten feet without any issue. It was almost like he was walking along the ground, his feet and hands moving in tandem. One second he was held down by gravity, and the next he was up in the air, clinging to the rock face.

“Come on, follow me,” he called down as he began to set the safety lines.

“You can do this,” I mumbled to myself as I stepped up to the wall.

“First handhold is a foot to your right,” he called down.

I looked up and spotted the deep divot. I reached up and grabbed it and then found spots for my feet. With a lunge, I pulled myself up, keeping my hips flush to the wall.

“There you go,” he called down.

I pulled myself up, following his path. A thick, blue rope hung between us, connecting our harnesses. I knew that if I fell, he would be able to catch and hold me. Years ago I had been a pretty strong climber, though I mostly stuck to indoor courses. Still, he was right, it was a lot like riding a bike. All those hours of practice came flooding back as I began to feel more confident.