Page 76 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars
“No, I want to do it,” I say, not believing what I’m saying.
His eyes widen with shock. “Seriously?”
I nod. Then I grin, and his eyes light up with a beautiful joy that’s worth every ounce of terror I’m feeling.
“Cool,” Brandon says, “come on then, let’s get you strapped up.”
We step into the waist harnesses, which are clipped and tightened and checked by several different people. Then we move toward the platform and put on the ankle harnesses, which are also tightened securely. Someone attaches the bungee to us, and then Brandon comes and double checks everything.
Finally, he says, “Okay, let’s strap you together.” He looks at me. “Which way would you like to face—away from him so he can hug you from behind, or facing him? He can lift you up, if you like.”
“Okay.” I’m trembling, and I know they can both see it, but I’m determined not to back out.
We move toward each other, and Brandon begins to buckle and then tighten the straps that will hold us together. “Lift her up,” he instructs Linc, and Linc bends and lifts me easily, wrapping my legs around his waist.
I put my arms around his neck and bury my face there, clinging to him like a limpet. Over on the bank, I hear the crowd go, “Awwww.”
“You all right?” Brandon asks me.
“Yep,” I squeak. My heart is pounding so hard I’m convinced it’s going to break its way through my ribs and do its own bungee jump.
Brandon laughs. “Okay. Here we go, then.” He helps Linc move onto the platform, where he turns and stands with his back to the edge, still holding me. I daren’t look up, because I’d be looking over his shoulder into the abyss. My face remains buried in his neck, breathing in the scent of his cologne. The pulse in his throat races against my cheek, which reassures me. He’s not immune to the fear. I remember then what he said: Courage isn’t not being scared. It’s doing something in spite of being scared. The courage comes afterward.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Brandon says. “Enjoy!”
I can hear the crowd cheering, and the whistles from the crew who are all watching. But suddenly, all I’m aware of is Linc—his arms so tight around me, his breath warming my ear.
“You okay?” he whispers.
I nod, not lifting my head, absolutely terrified.
“Lora,” he says.
I tremble.
“Lora,” he repeats. “Look at me.”
I lift my head and look at him.
He smiles. His eyes are blazing. He looks absolutely magnificent. “Do you trust me?” he asks.
I nod. “Of course.”
His brows draw together as if surprised, but then he smiles. “Shall we do this?”
I nod and bury my face back in his neck.
He waits for a moment, and I feel him take several deep breaths. His arms tighten even more around me. And then he murmurs, “I got you, baby girl,” before he tips backward off the ledge.
There’s a scary moment where I wish with every fiber of my being that I hadn’t done it. I shout something like, “Oh my God, nooooo,” but it’s too late. We’re upside down and freefalling, and my stomach flips, and it’s absolutely terrifying, but Linc doesn’t let go of me, he keeps holding me, and we’re falling, falling… I scream, and he yells…
And then I feel the bungee tighten, and we slow dramatically. We both look up at the river approaching at a scary rate, but we chose not to be dipped into it, and so even though Linc lifts one hand, it doesn’t even brush the water before we feel an enormous tug as the bungee retracts, pulling us part of the way back toward the platform.
Oh my God—we did it! An electrifying excitement shoots through me, and I laugh and loosen my grip around his neck so I can look at him. We’re both still upside down, and the wind is tugging his hair, but his eyes are like wildfire, blazing through me.
And then, before I can say anything, he grabs my face in his hands and kisses me. A huge, long smacker that makes me laugh before he releases me to wrap his arms around me again.
“You’re fucking amazing,” he yells in my ear against the wind, and I bury my face in his neck, enjoying being so close to him, having him tight against me like this. Now we’ve done it, I wish it could go on forever, feeling the wind whipping my face, that lurch in my stomach as the bungee tightens, just like the lurch I get every time I look at him. I want to stay this way, bound to him, having his arms around my waist, having him between my thighs, and I never, ever want to let him go.
