Liam

Time slows as I watch Ella lose her grip and gravity takes hold. She squeaks, and I tighten my grip on the anchor rope, keeping her from hitting the ground.

"You good?" I ask, not hiding my concern.

Ella lets out a shaky breath and nods. "Yes." The ledge was only about eight feet off the ground, but the drop no doubt startled her. Thankfully, the anchor kept her about four feet off the ground, where she currently hovers.

"I'm going to let you down now, okay?" She nods in response, so I carefully let the rope out, inching her down. As her tippy toes barely brush the ground, the rope binds in her harness, halting her just short of the ground.

"Umph," she grunts as she struggles to make contact with the ground. I can't suppress my chuckle at the way she looks, half like a ballerina and half... like something else. It takes every ounce of willpower to keep my mind on track.

"Liam," she groans, flashing me an irritated pout.

"It's not me. The rope must be caught," I say, fighting a grin.

"This is not funny!" Ella grumbles, narrowing her gaze at me and clearly not believing me.

"It's not me," I say again, toying with her. Her glare falters as I drop the rope and show her my empty palms.

Ella clutches her harness like she fully expects to fall out of the sky, not the mere inches it is to the ground. "Liam," she whines in a way that makes my palms itch.

"Yes?" I reply smugly, walking towards her.

"Get me down!" She orders, earning a raised brow. The itching in my palm is getting worse and worse by the second as she glares at me.

"Ask nicely," I practically growl, unable to keep my dominance in check. She huffs stubbornly and starts to wriggle, trying to shake herself free. The way her body moves has my irritation calming right back down.

"That won't work. You need to get the tension off the rope," I say, toying with her once more.

"And how am I supposed to do that?!" she snaps defiantly.

I step closer, just an arm's length away, locking my eyes with hers. Her cheeks are flushed and breathing flustered as she stops fighting and just stares back at me.

"Take your hands, grip the rope above your head and lift yourself up," I command.

Her breathing becomes even more shallow, but she reaches up, gripping the rope with both hands and pulls as hard as she can. She shifts her hips and struggles once more to shake herself free. Frustration wells in her as she realizes she's still stuck.

I close my eyes, trying to block out the vision of her essentially bound right in front of me, but it's seared into my mind and feeds a tightening in my jeans. Her grunts and sighs aren't helping matters one bit as she strains against her bonds.

"Liam," she whines once more. I raise a brow, clenching my jaw at her sassy tone.

"Fine! Sir, can I call upon your assistance in my hour of need?" she calls out, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead. Her tone drips with sarcasm, but that breathy 'Sir' sends all the blood in me rushing south.

Fuck! Here, I thought she'd just say please.

Shaking my head to hide my reaction, I snap out of my euphoric high. "Seeing as you asked so nicely, I'd be happy to."

Her breath hitches as I slip my hand around her back, sliding up to the ring as I feel for the bind. Once I find the spot, I give the rope a sharp tug, but it's bunched too hard now. I need to get her weight off of it to get it unstuck.

I swallow hard, knowing what I have to do now. "Wrap your legs around my waist," I say, making her eyes shoot wide. "I need to have your weight off the line to get it off."

She nods, giving me the green light. I hoist her up against me, wrapping an arm firmly around her hips to keep her high on my waist. Ella instantly wraps both arms around my neck, pulling herself flush like she's afraid to fall.

"I've got you," I whisper hoarsely, trying to reassure her. She relaxes slightly, but the feel of her wrapped so tightly around me makes my jeans incredibly uncomfortable.

As quickly as I can, I fight with the rope, trying with one hand to unbind the twisted layers. Her breath fans across my ear and the feel of her racing heart against my chest are turning a straightforward job into a challenge.

Finally, with one last tug, the rope comes free and I pull Ella with me away from the rock face. Her eyes lock with me briefly before she tries to unwrap her legs.

"My hero," she says breathlessly, before licking her lips and swallowing hard.

"Don't heroes deserve a reward?" I tease, not letting her go.

Her eyes drop, and she blushes but quickly recovers and presses her lips gently into my left cheek. Her bold move catches me off guard and I let her slide down but catch her waist before she runs off.

"Sorry Liam," she blurts out, turning scarlet and dropping her gaze. "I shouldn't have done that! What was I thinking!"

My hand tangles in her hair, stopping her mid-meltdown as I bring my lips to hers, silencing any doubt. Her plush lips feel warm and soft against mine and the contact sends a rush of heat through me. She freezes only for a second before quickly returning the kiss. Ella melts into me, sliding her hands up my chest as I deepen the kiss. Such an innocent kiss quickly turns heated, lighting a fire in me as my blood rushes once again south.

Feeling Ella flush against me, her hand slides up to hook around the back of my neck. The press of her fingers encourages me further, but I don't want to rush this. Not wanting to push my luck, I reluctantly pull back, leaving her breathless.

"Never apologize for that," I say in a voice that sounds as strained as I feel inside. She flashes me a sheepish smile before biting her bottom lip, as if asking for another.

Thunder cracks in the sky and I know our time is up. A moment later, the climbing attendant comes over to grab the last rope and flashes me a quick wink.

"Hate to cut things short, but the storm is here. Want a lift?" he asks, nodding to the ATV.

The first fat raindrop hits the ground with an obvious sound, making the choice for us. He quickly jumps into the driver's seat, but the cab is only designed for two.

"Just sit on his lap." His suggestion makes me hesitate.

"Quick, get in!" Ella squeals as the first raindrops hit her. I jump in and hold my arm up for her as she shimmies onto my lap. The seat space is limited and the bulky harnesses don't help. I get an instant breath of her fruity scent as her back presses into my chest which, along with her ass on my pelvis, does nothing to quell the urges ignited by our kiss. We get the door shut just in time as the skies open.

"Gonna be a slow trip back, but it beats walking in the rain, eh?" the attendant starts with small talk.

"We appreciate it, man," I reply. He definitely earned a big tip for giving us some time and a lift.

Ella shifts on my lap, and I take the opportunity to guide her to a safer spot on my thigh. She fits against me so perfectly that you'd think she was made for me.

"So, how was your first time?" he asks Ella. His tone is far more relaxed and lighthearted than Bradley from the outfitter shack, which I appreciate.

"Amazing!" Ella turns her head sideways and I see her beaming smile. "I wish I got a picture, though. Soph is never gonna believe this!"

"Give me your phone," he says, bringing the ATV to a stop. I quickly pass him mine and Ella shifts, throwing her arm over my shoulder to get me in the picture, too. Her cheek is practically against mine as she grins and looks at the camera.

"Smile!" he says before blinding us with the flash. He takes two more for good measure and hands me back my phone. El quickly grabs it and leans back against my chest, showing me the picture, but all I can focus on is the way she feels flush up against me.

In the picture Ella is beaming, happier than I've ever seen her before. I'm smiling, but a blind man could see I'm completely distracted. Once again, El is oblivious to the effect she has on me, or men in general.

My thoughts are cut short as we hit a rut and Ella lurches forward. In an instant, I have my arms wrapped tightly around her waist like a seatbelt and pull her safely back against me where she belongs.

Where she belongs...

"Hang on guys, I'm afraid it's going to be a bumpy ride," the instructor says, flashing us an apologetic smile.

Ella looks over her shoulder at me and smiles. She relaxes against me and lays her hands over my arms, completely at ease.

I'm so fucked...