A thinner but still prickly layer of blackberry thorns pressed into my skin from the other side. The stupid things were painful. They were cutting into Brody’s shirt too. Fresh bloody streaks smeared his arms.
“We’re tied pretty tight,” he said. “On the count of three, I’m going to push us away from the cliff. Hang on. One, two, three.”
I squeezed my arms around his torso, refusing to look down. When Brody pushed us away from the brambles, I screamed.
“Climb,” Brody ordered. “The rope is holding us. Loosen your grip on me; you’re squeezing the breath out of me. I’m no good to either of us unconscious.”
Dimly I was aware that I was gradually drawing closer to the bluff’s ledge.
“Careful climbing out. Crawl on your belly so the edge doesn’t collapse.”
I heaved myself over the top, then slithered away from the edge on my gashed-up belly. I wanted to gasp but it hurt too much. My whole body ached. Jagged welts oozed blood.
“Slide over.” Brody huffed. “I’m coming up.” He hauled himself over the ledge. I tried to pull his arms to help, but mine felt like rubber.
“You okay?” Brody asked.
“Outstanding.” I was too sore to move. My heart thumped. Naturally, this was only from the stressful situation I found myself in had nothing to do with Brody’s proximity.
“You need to drink some water. Let me help you sit up.”
I waved at him. “I’ll rest here a minute. Thanks.”
“I always wanted you on your back.”
I laughed, glancing over at him. His cuts only made him look more manly and handsome; like he was used to rescuing stylists dangling from cliff sides. “Ouch. That hurt. Don’t make me laugh again.”
He pulled us both to our feet.
I was lucky to have him as a friend.
That should be enough.
It had to be enough.
Without warning, he enveloped me in his arms and landed a searing kiss on my lips. He started to pull away, but my hands were in his hair, holding him to me. He parted my lips, slipping his tongue inside.
A swooping hawk startled us apart.
“I’m not going to apologize,” Brody said. He ran his hands through his already ruffled hair. “You scared the hell out of me, dangling off that cliff. I thought I’d lost you.”
“I don’t want you to apologize.” I stepped closer to him, shivering partly from standing around naked in forty-degree weather but also because of him.
“I thought you only liked me as a friend?”
“That was eons ago.”
“But your marriage to Taylor—”
“Over before he died,” I said quickly.
Brody’s head pulled back in surprise. My stomach clenched. I knew how close he was to Taylor, at one time. They were like brothers. Would Brody see any chance of “us” as a betrayal to my dead husband?
“I wish I’d known that... earlier.”
My heart rate accelerated. I tried so hard not to hope. I could never tell him that he was who I wished to be with now.
Brody bent his head again to kiss me. My eyelids dropped in anticipation. And then his lips were crushing mine again.