Slowly, he put more weight on the line, eyeing the horse, but Cassidy didn’t budge. Satisfied, he slowly leaned out and back, placing his faith in a horse.
Dani hovered just a few feet down.
“I’m at the top and coming down. You may feel some rock come loose. I’m to your left. Just don’t move.”
“Okay.” Her fingers clutched at the bare earth, digging tiny trenches into the soil.
He leaned all the way back, placing all of his weight on the line and planting his feet on the edge of the cliff. Normally, he would bounce down. It was the quickest way to the bottom, but that would place excess stress on Cassidy as his weight came off the line then back on.
He walked himself down to Dani, breathing easier as he drew alongside of her. Now, for the tricky part. He needed to get her on the line without her falling.
“I’m here, hun. Just a little more and we’ll get you down. How are you doing?”
Her eyes pinched tight. “Can I open my eyes?”
He hovered beside her. “In a second. What I’m going to do is straddle you.” He would place his body over hers, caging her between him and the rock.
He kicked out from the wall, spread his boots wide and swung into position over top of his girl. When he did, she let out a deep sob, and almost broke down completely. He only had one hand free, the other held the rope and secured him in place. He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek.
“Open your eyes, Dani. You’re safe. I have you.”
They were close. Terribly close. The floral scent of her shampoo mingled with her fear-sweat and he felt like he had found a slice of Heaven.
His large frame completely bracketed her small form, obliterating nearly all the space between them. He thought she would break down completely, but his girl had a head on her shoulders.
She cracked open one eye, but her hands didn’t move. She pressed them hard against the dirt, along with her head, her shoulders, her back, her hips and every incredible inch of the rest of her body.
The heaving of her chest brought her perky tits into view and it was all he could do not to focus on them. He forced himself to look into the depths of her eyes, losing a part of his soul in the process.
“Wrap your arms around my neck. I’m going to tie you to me.”
Tying a makeshift harness around her proved difficult. Normally, he would tie a victim to his back, but this situation required a little creativity. It wouldn’t be ideal, but he’d make it work.
When her arms wrapped around his neck, electricity shot down his spine, jolting his cock with a sudden rush of pleasure.
Unexpected, it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. He kept a check on his belay line with one hand while he wrapped the last length of rope around her waist, over her shoulders, then around his waist. Not a Swiss Seat, the contraption acted more like a harness. It pulled him close, obliterating all the space between them.
Her pillowy soft breasts pressed against his chest and her terrified breaths fluttered across his neck. She buried her face against his neck and the wetness of her tears did something strange to him. They freed a constricting band from around his chest he didn’t realize had been there. It gave him a start and he fumbled with the last knot.
With the strange pulsations zinging down his spine, and her wet tears doing strange things to his chest, he gave a groan as he asked her to do the unthinkable.
All he had to do was get her down thirty-some-odd feet.
“Dani, I need you to wrap your legs around my waist. I’ve got you. You’re tied to me. You’re safe.”
She gave a tight nod, but didn’t move her legs. He shifted away from the wall and cupped his hand around the back of her thigh. Her entire body tensed, but he gave firm pressure, and slowly forced her to lift her leg and wrap it around his hip. She balanced on the heel of her other foot. Every instinct in her head would scream not to lift that leg, but it was the only way to get them down.
“Grip my neck.”
He kept his tone calm and smooth, and tried to imagine she was nothing other than any of the hundreds he’d helped in combat. The truth was she was nothing like those battle-hardened soldiers. She was soft, fragile, and wonderfully female.
Remaining professional took an act of God, but he managed. He put his hand on the small of her back, ran it down the curve of her ass, to where the crease between her butt cheek and thigh would be. Leaning out, he lifted her leg, and bore the entirety of her weight.
“Close your eyes, luv.”
Not willing to waste another second, and unsure about Cassidy’s strength to bear both their weights, Dax pushed outward with his legs and let the length of the line run through the leather of his glove.
They swung out, and Dani’s entire body squeezed around his. He bit back a groan as the heat of her pussy pressed against his belly. This was not the time to get hard, but blood rushed to his dick anyway. It didn’t care about the life and death situation.
They dropped about ten feet before slowly swinging back. On his own, he would have dropped much further, but he had her and Cassidy to consider. He planted his legs on the wall, absorbed their momentum, and kicked out again. After another two bounces, he landed on the ground at the base of the bluff.
“We’re down.” He released the rope and wrapped his hand around the small of her back. Dani didn’t climb down, but squeezed her legs around him instead. Her entire body shuddered with her cries.
Not knowing what to do, he simply held her in his arms.
Chapter 12
Dani
Some life experiences shaped the soul. Clinging to the side of a cliff would be one of those moments Dani would never forget. It changed her forever.
Dax held her, soothing her with low murmurs she didn’t understand. She didn’t need to, because the deep rumble of his voice tunneled deep into her soul, wrapping itself around her heart, and releasing something inside.
She clung to him, knowing she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help herself, and didn’t want to let go.
He didn’t force her down, and seemed to carry her weight with ease. A whistle pierced the air, blowing past her ear and making her jump. The high-pitched tone warbled through the air and was answered by a bark from the top of the bluff.
She squeezed her eyes shut and took in a breath. Clutching at Dax, she snuggled against his chest, seeking reassurance in the steady beat of his heart and the deep draws of his breath.
Bigger up close, his size made her feel tiny and delicate, nearly inconsequential as he walked them away from the cliff. There was a tugging at her side, then the rasping draw of rope as he unraveled the makeshift harness which tied her to him.
More barking sounded, along with the distinct sound of hooves.
“Good boy, ‘Mo,” he called out. “You even brought Cassidy down.”
Dani cracked open one eye and lifted her head. The dog and a horse trotted down the sloping hill to the edge of the river. A long length of rope trailed behind the horse, and she gave a start.
Dax lifted a hand up to the horse, calling it in, which left only one arm wrapped under her butt. He continued to hold her, as if her weight meant nothing, and walked up to the horse.
As he did, he continued to slide the rope tying her to him off her shoulders and dragged it from around her waist. The rope dropped to the ground, and she suddenly found herself lifted into the air as he set her in the saddle.
“Grab hold.”
He waited until she steadied herself, then began tugging and pulling at more rope tied around his waist and legs. After he freed himself, he wandered off a short distance and retrieved his rifle and her pistol which had fallen to the base of the bluff.
Securing his rifle in the holster attached to his saddle, he vaulted on the back of the stallion, and settled in behind her on the saddle.
The earthy scent of loam and springtime grass filled her senses. A light wind tickled her cheek. Billowy clouds filled the sky and a strong arm wrapped around her waist.
&n
bsp; She tensed as Dax kicked the horse’s flanks and made a series of clicks and clucks with his mouth. The horse responded, turning around and angling toward the bull standing beneath the shade of a tree.
Dax leaned forward and the entire expanse of his broad chest pressed against her back. She couldn’t help the sharp inhale of breath and hoped he didn’t notice. He worked at a knot on the pommel, loosening the long length of rope.
It was dangerous to tie a rope like that and let it drag on the ground. A horse could step on it, get tangled, and foul its legs.
Dax’s actions were fluid movements as if he and the horse were one. It took a lot of skill to move like that. Before she realized what was happening, he coiled the rope and tied it to the side of the saddle.
“Let’s get you home.” The warmth of his breath whispered against her cheek and she couldn’t help but shiver. He yanked the rope keeping the bull in place and tied it to the saddle.
With another series of clicks and the slightest pressure on the reins, the horse headed up the rise. The bull ambled behind them, huffing as they went. He made a beeline to where she left Honey and in another fluid series of movements, soon had Honey’s reins secured as well.
“I can ride.” She shifted in front of him, intensely aware of his proximity.
“I know, but you’re shaking like a leaf. Try not to argue with me about this.”
“But…”
“Stop. I’m not putting you in the saddle. Not after what you went through. Just sit back, relax, and take a moment to breathe. You’re alive.”
“I know. It’s just…”
“Breathe, Dani. There’s no reason to talk.” The bar of his arm tightened around her waist and he tugged her tight, soft and snug against his chest.
What she should do was argue. Although, it seemed as if he wasn’t going to have any of that. There was no reason for her not to ride Honey, except tremors shook her body, her nerves felt like they were crawling under her skin, and her legs felt like jelly.
He was right. She’d probably fall off.
She gripped his wrist, using it to steady herself in the saddle and leaned against him. Tilting her head back, she took in a deep breath and blew it out as slow as possible.
The horse twitched its powerful muscles between her legs as he headed home. Come summer, the trails would be dusty, but this early in the morning, springtime dew clung to the grass and kept the dirt where it belonged.
The ride out had taken well over an hour, at this pace it would take nearly half again as long to get home. That was an hour and a half of Dax’s arm wrapped around her waist. His chest pressed against her back. His muscular legs wrapped around hers, and she didn’t want to think about the hard length pressing against the crack of her ass.
She took another breath and blew it out.
“How are you feeling?” His thick Texas drawl shivered across her skin, making her squirm with a restlessness she didn’t understand.
“Better.” She swallowed against a thickness in her throat. “I didn’t say thank you.”
“You just did.” His arm flexed, tugging her tight.
“I should have said something sooner. Thank you for saving my life.”
He pressed his lips against her ear. “You’re welcome.”
One touch. The whispered heat of his words was like a lancing shard of heat, spearing her in the heart. He sniffed her hair and pulled the long lengths over her shoulder.
“I’m not sure how you’re used to getting a fella’s attention, but how about we knock flat tires, guns, and dangling from cliffs from the list?” The low rumble of his laughter rolled down her spine bringing devastating warmth with it. “I’m really not that hard to get. A bite of pie and some coffee is usually enough to peak my interest.”
Her spine stiffened at that comment.
“Why you…”
“Ah, there’s your spirit. I thought you were going into shock there for a minute.”
She dug her fingernails into his wrist. “You don’t have to squeeze me to death.”
“I know.” Instead of releasing her, he gave a sharp yank, until there was nothing separating her ass from what lie between his legs. “Maybe I like it?”
“Maybe I don’t.”
“Do you find me repulsive?” He stiffened and pulled back.
“Why would you say that?”
“I didn’t. You did.”
“I didn’t say I found you repulsive.” Where was that coming from?
The man was drop dead gorgeous, every woman’s fantasy, and he was a bona fide hero. He saved her life, and from one of his comments earlier, it seemed he saved lives for a living.
“You said you didn’t like me holding you.”
She loved everything about him holding her, not that she would admit it out loud.
Leaning back, she folded into the contours of his body. Hard and lean, that proved difficult, but she wasn’t wasting this opportunity as they covered the rolling terrain of the ranch on horseback.
She never rode with anyone. Like ever. From the moment she wore boots, she’d been on the back of a pony, then a horse. Her father took her trail riding when she was a little girl. That had been the only time she shared a saddle with another person.
Her father encouraged her independence, nurtured it, and always told her she could do anything she wanted.
“I take it this is your land?”
She gave a tight nod.
“For the record, I’m not stealing the bull.”
“Excuse me?”
“The bull. You know, the two-thousand pounds of choice beef plodding along behind us. He doesn’t seem particularly thrilled about it either. I think he’s interested in checking out the heifers in the next pasture.”
In the excitement of falling over a cliff, she’d forgotten about what brought her out this way.
“What are you doing with the bull? And was that you last night?”
“You’ll have to be more specific? I did a lot of things last night.” A deep rumble of laughter vibrated through his chest.
“I’m not sure I want to know everything you did last night, but I was talking about the campfire. Was that you?”
“Hard to know for sure.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know where you were last night. You could’ve seen any campfire.”
“I was sitting on the back porch of my house, looking out at the pasture.”
“Ah, yeah, that was me.”
“What were you doing out there?”
“I was minding the campfire.”
His short, clipped answers infuriated her, but she kept her anger in check because she was one-hundred percent certain he was having fun at her expense. She held in an exasperated sigh and bit her lower lip while she counted to three.
“Why did you build the fire last night?”
“You may not know this, but it gets chilly outside at night.”
“I know it gets chilly.” She suppressed a growl. Bastard was having fun with her. “You know what I meant.”
“I actually have no idea what you meant. I’m not a mind reader.”
“You’re teasing me and being purposefully obtuse.”
“Obtuse? That’s a big word.”
“You need me to use small words?”
He laughed. This time it was a full belly laugh, a deep rumble which took over his entire body, and easily the sexiest thing she’d ever felt.
And she did feel it.
She felt it in the sweep of his breath against her cheeks, in the tightening of her hand over his wrist, and in the flutter sweeping through her belly.
“No need for small words, Dani. I can handle the big ones too. How about you?”
“How about you answer my questions?”
“Is this an interrogation? Because I have to warn you, I’m trained to resist interrogation.”
She jabbed her elbow back, poking him in the ribs. “Is that so?”
“Actually, it is.”
“Well, I don’t care about that.”
“But you do care about why I was out last night?”
And the truth was, she not only cared, but it fascinated her. In fact, everything about him intrigued her, but how to dig for information when he wouldn’t answer the simplest questions? Time to be direct.
“If you weren’t stealing the bull, what were you doing with it?”
While she couldn’t see him, she could feel the twitch of his smile.
“He broke through the fence last night and wandered through my campsite. When I woke and saw the tracks, I went to fetch him and bring him back.”
“Bring him back where? Do you work for my dad?” She wasn’t normally this dense, and realized how stupid she sounded. Why couldn’t she think straight?
“Looks like you’re starting to connect the dots. Dax Kingston, at your service.”
“You were returning the bull.”
“Ring a ding, another point for stating the obvious.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of stating the very obvious. Somewhere along the way, she managed to misplace about fifty IQ points.
Come on Dani, you’re not this dumb.
“If you work for my dad, then you have a bunk in the bunk house. Why would you sleep outside?”
“I don’t like people.”
“You don’t?”
“Well, I might be convinced to like certain people, but sometimes I like my space.”
“Camping outside?”
“If the weather’s not too bad. We had good weather last night.”
“How many nights have you slept outside?”
“You have a lot of questions.”
“I’m curious.”
“About me?”
She didn’t want to admit it, but it was the simple truth. There was something about Dax she found insanely attractive. Granted, it probably had something to do with him saving her life, but from the first moment they met, she hadn’t been able to get him out of her head.
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ve answered quite a few of your questions. How about we turn things around?”
“How’s that?”
Dax: Military Heroes (The One I Want Series Book 4) Page 9