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“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re concerned about me,” he teased.
“I’m concerned about your grip, yes. I don’t need you falling to your death.” God, just the thought made her stomach fill with dread. She needed to get them off this cliff without further incident.
“Is this your sweet side I’m seeing?”
“I don’t have a sweet side,” she insisted.
He lifted his opposite hand and cupped her face. “I think you do.”
Leaning in, he kissed her softly, slowly. A kiss of gratitude and something else. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. He was stirring up so many feelings inside of her and she wanted to bolt. Run for the hills and leave him stranded there on the cliff.
Because it was so much easier to not feel. To just focus on the current job and go through the motions on a day-to-day basis. But Lucas was forcing her to acknowledge all the crazy butterflies fluttering around in her stomach.
And she wasn’t sure if she was ready to do that.
Chapter Seventeen
Getting them off that cliff safely became Inda’s first priority and she stuffed all her feelings into a mental box and slammed it shut. Right now, she had to focus one hundred percent of her attention on the task at hand.
“Stay here,” she said, a plan forming in her head.
“I’m going with you.” Lucas grabbed her arm, but she shook her head.
“No, you can’t climb with that hand. At least not without some help. I’ll scout the situation out first—see if Selma left—then go back to the SUV and grab my bag. There’s rope in there. I’ll toss it down and, after you get it securely tied around your waist, I’ll help guide you up. That way, in case you slip, you won’t fall. At least not very far.”
She wasn’t taking no for an answer and he must’ve realized it because he clamped his jaw shut then gave her a sharp nod. “Fine,” he grated out, then reeled her in for a quick, hard kiss. “Stay safe. I’ve got plans for you tonight.”
She arched a brow. “Hold that thought.”
Turning, she stepped out from beneath the shadow of the overhang and looked up. There was no sign of Selma and Indahoped she was long gone. Otherwise, there was going to be a problem real fast. But, at this point, her best option was up.
Studying the rocks, she quickly picked out a path then reached out, grabbed hold of a crevice, tested its hold, then swung over.
Focusing on finding the best places to hold onto, Inda quickly began to ascend. It was an easy climb, but she kept expecting Selma to appear. Luckily, she didn’t, and Inda made it up to the top in no time.
Selma’s car was gone.Thank God.Inda still couldn’t believe the woman had killed her husband point-blank. Sure, she’d been having an affair with Cross Mills, but the move had caught Inda completely off-guard. It had been unexpected and reckless, which made Inda think the assholes behind The Agency were slipping. That maybe things weren’t quite so hunky-dory on their end.
Good. She hoped her team was getting under their skin, shaking things up. If they were resorting to acts of murder within their own organization, they could be getting desperate to tie up loose ends. That could make them sloppy, but also even more dangerous.
Inda jogged back to where they’d stashed their rental, opened the back and unzipped her small duffel bag. She always liked to be prepared and brought it with her on every mission, regardless of the purpose. It held all of her favorite gadgets, plus an array of other things she might need—from her nunchucks to a pair of handcuffs to a First Aid kit. Digging to the bottom of the bag, she plucked the neatly coiled length of rope out, slung it over her shoulder and headed back to the cliff’s edge.
Getting Lucas up went more smoothly than she anticipated, but she kept her head on a swivel, eyes and ears open in case Selma came back. He was a quick learner and listened closely as she directed his every step back up the side and to safety. Once his feet were on solid ground again, a look of relief filled his face. The fact that he’d been so close to falling, that she’d almost lost him, made a lump form in her throat.
“I think that’s enough excitement for one day,” he said.
The sun had set, Selma was long gone and Inda needed to report back to her team about all that had happened.
“Agreed.”I’m just glad you’re safe.She didn’t say the words, but she felt them down to the marrow in her bones.
???
Once they were back at the resort, Lucas looked down at his hand, which Inda had carefully cleaned and wrapped for him. She’d also given him a couple of painkillers to help manage the burn and now it was a low, steady throb. Nothing he couldn’t manage. He was just damn grateful he hadn’t ended up smashed against the ground beside Marcus. That would’ve really been tragic. Especially since he had plans for the amazing spitfire who had saved his life. Plans for tonight, tomorrow and the next day. He just hoped Inda was on board.
Nearly dying had a way of opening one’s eyes. And right now, Lucas’ eyes were wide open and he could see more clearly than he ever had before. Long, wavy, dark hair, caramel-colored eyes and a small, curvy body filled his vision. Hell, it was all he could see, and he was ready to do anything to make that sassy warrior all his.
He just had to convince her of two very important things—she could trust him and he was a chance worth taking.
While Inda hopped on a conference call with her team, Lucas headed into the bathroom. It was one of those dream bathrooms that looked like it should be in a celebrity home. Double sinks with tons of marble counter space ran along one wall beneath a huge, ornate mirror. A sunken tub in front of a large picture window offered a serene place to soak and admire the mountain view. And, his favorite part, a luxurious walk-in shower, completely open and surrounded by rocks, boasted a waterfall shower head.
