Page 43 of Mountain Impact

Drake groaned as Isolde chewed on what clearly must be her favorite maki roll.

He stood up and took her in his arms. Her hair smelled of something flowery and fresh, like her. He worried he might be squeezing her too hard but, the moment he attempted to release her, she pulled him back.

“Hold on to me,” she whispered.

“I’m not letting you go.”

No matter what.

“Come to bed,” she said, taking his hand in her smaller one.

For the first time in his life, he wished he had a different kind of job.

“Not tonight. I’m on duty again in an hour. I just needed to see you for first.”

“Okay,” she said. “Tomorrow is Saturday. How about we―”

Fuck.

“I can’t. I have a date with Jamie―Damien’s son. We’re going bouldering.”

Her lips stretched into a small smile. “You’re still doing that.”

He nodded. “He’s less interested in me now that school has started again, but we go out once every few weeks.” Then he had a sudden inspiration. “Why don’t you join us?”

“Bouldering?” she asked, looking at herself. “I’m not sure my physique is really suited―”

“Two legs and two arms,” Drake said. “That’s all you need. And I’ve seen people boulder successfully with less than that.”

“Easy for you to say, when you’re made of muscle. Fine. Tomorrow afternoon it is.”

“I’ll pick you up at two.”

#

Isolde

So that’s how Isolde found herself stuck to a rock on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Or rather, attempting to stick to a rock. Like a limpet. Or a leech.

“I’m going to fall,” Isolde said. And if fear colored her words, well, that was only to be expected.

Jamie laughed. “You’re really close to the ground, Dr. Durant.”

Isolde sneaked a look down―and blushed. In her mind she’d climbed much further, but she was still only a couple feet off the ground.

And there’s a climbing mat right beneath you.

“Call me Isolde,” she told the boy for the tenth time, speaking through gritted teeth.

To be fair, Jamie had been nothing but supportive all afternoon. The boy couldn’t have been more excited to find someone who so clearly needed his help.

And Drake―Drake looked like he was enjoying himself tremendously.

He was wearing climbing shorts and a black T-shirt that wrapped itself around his abs and chest muscles. It didn’t help that she knew exactly what was under the T-shirt. Flexing his powerful arms, he’d shown her the basics of bouldering as soon as they’d arrived―apparently there wasn’t much technique involved, at least not at her level.

It was just a question of dragging herself up the wall and coming back down again.

Easier said than done.