It must do the job because his expression relaxes and he smiles back. “I’ll go first, and when you jump, I’ll be there waiting. Don’t worry; I’ll catch you.” The way he whispered those last words as if he were sharing a deep secret to the meaning of life, settles my nerves. “You ready?”
I nod for fear that speaking may give away the emotion I’m feeling.
We walk out together, hand in hand, to the jump platform. He doesn’t look at me, only releases my hand and follows instructions. They hook a large cable on to the back of Rex’s harness and motion for him to the edge. He turns to look at me from over his shoulder and mouths, “See you at the bottom.” Then he’s gone.
On instinct, I rush forward, hands outstretched to snatch him back to solid ground.
The attendant pulls me back by my harness. “Whoa! Not yet. Wait ’til he’s on the ground.”
Seconds pass before I hear the static voice over the attendant’s walkie-talkie, saying that Rex is safely on the ground.
“All right, you’re up.”
I walk to the edge so that the toes of my boots are hanging off of a 1,000-foot drop. Every ounce of fear dissolves. Not a single wave of nerves or flutter of a butterfly. My mind is zeroed in one thing, getting to Rex.
And knowing he’ll catch me.
With the final okay from the attendant, I close my eyes. I open my arms wide and tilt my face toward the warm desert sun. With a deep breath, I bend my knees and push off. Swan diving forward, I free fall into nothing. My stomach rockets into my chest, igniting a furious rush of adrenaline. Madness unfurls within my body, but outside is quiet save for the rushing wind as it whips through my hair. Dropping, dropping, dropping in a peaceful descent.
He was right. It’s like flying.
I’m tugged down to the earth by gravity and the pull on my heart toward the one person who’s ever owned it. The tension on the cord slows my descent, but before I can open my eyes to see how close I am to the ground, I hit solid muscle, and two arms wrap tightly around my body.
I absorb the shock of his strength, and my arms lock around his shoulders as tight as they can. My hold on him is equal to his on me, and I vow right then that I’ll never let him be taken away from me again.
“You caught me,” I say, out of breath from the rush and the feelings that are strangling me.
“I told you I would.” His lips are so close I feel his lip ring against the shell of my ear.
The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow them back along with a rush of emotion that’s threatening to burst the floodgates.
I love you, Rex.
Eleven
It’s like grasping at the unattainable.
Harnessing the wind.
Wanting you is impossible.
Your love, my greatest sin.
--Ataxia
Mac
It’s a quiet ride back to Jonah’s house after our date at the Stratosphere, but the silence between us isn’t awkward. I can’t speak for what’s got his lips on lockdown, but for me it’s my all-consuming thoughts of having his arms around me and his breath at my ear, reminding me that he kept to his word and caught me, that with him, I’m safe.
We walked into that casino divided and walked out joined, brought together by a shared experience and so much more. At least, that’s how it feels on my end. And his lack of chit-chat leads me to believe it may be the same on his.
I gaze into the side mirror and watch the Stratosphere slowly fade into the distance. The sun setting behind the mountains bathes everything in purple and orange, the color of contentment.
He let me in. It may not seem like much, but his taking me there was important. I knew from the way those who knew him looked surprised to see me that he opened part of himself to me. And that, for a guy like Rex, is not insignificant.
His truck turns down the long expanse of the Slade’s driveway and stops at my bike, which is parked where I left it. He parks but leaves the engine running. It’s over. Time to go home.
With a deep breath, I turn toward him and almost gasp.
He’s gripping the steering wheel, eyes fixed on me with predatory intensity. But, he’s smiling. “I’m not ready to go home.”
I shrug a shoulder and fight the urge to smile. “Then don’t.”
“Where should I go?”
“Come over to my place.” Rex in my house? Dammit, did I leave my dirty clothes on the floor? That’s all I need is to invite him into my room only to see my dirty panties.
His eyebrows drop low. “Tubby there?”
“Shouldn’t be. Last I heard he was gone on MC business.” Probably killing people. “We could hang out by the pool.”
“You have a pool?”
The boyish excitement in his question has me grinning. “Yeah.”
“I’ll follow you.” He throws the truck into drive, and I catch myself from leaning across to give him a kiss on the cheek.
Instead, I scurry out of the truck to my bike. I zip up my leather jacket and push the key into the ignition.
“Mac, what the fuck?” Rex says from his open window.
I swing my gaze to him and—why does he look mad?
“What?”
“You fuckin’ kidding me?”
“Um . . . no? Er, I don’t know. What?”