Barely Breathing (Colorado High Country #1)

by Pamela Clare

  He started to say that he wouldn’t have a chance to get used to it because she’d be leaving soon. But the words died on his tongue, the thought turning to lead in his chest. Then he noticed the large bandage on her shin. “What happened to you?”

  “Oh, I wasn’t watching where I was going and hit my shin against the side of one of those metal litters. Lucky for me everyone at The Cave knows first aid. Eric bandaged it. He says he thinks I bruised the bone.”

  Austin knelt down to examine it. “I think he’s right. You’re getting a hematoma. You should elevate and ice it.”

  He scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the sofa, moving the coffee table close so she’d have a place to rest her foot.

  “What about dinner?”

  “I’ll finish it.” He walked back into the kitchen to get an ice pack. “Who the hell left a litter where someone could trip over it? I bet Megs blew a gasket. She’s got zero tolerance for workplace accidents.”

  “It was my fault. I’m a klutz.”

  This from the woman who danced like a dream. “You are not a klutz.”

  He sat down on the coffee table, placed the ice bag gently on her shin. Then he saw a fresh bruise on her inner arm. “Did I do this?”

  He hadn’t exactly been gentle in bed lately.

  “No! No, I just … I fell. I guess I’m a little more banged up than I thought.” She winced as she settled onto the sofa. “I’m a little sore.”

  “You know what you’re doing after dinner?”

  “Dishes?”

  He laughed. “Wrong. You’re going to take off your clothes, lie down on my bed, and let me give you a massage with cannabis oil.”

  She stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “Will it make me high? I don’t want to be stoned.”

  “It’s great for relaxing stuff muscles. Hey, trust me.”

  Lexi lay face down on Austin’s bed, moaning as his hands moved over her back, taking the stiffness out of muscles she hadn’t known she had. Rock climbing, as it turned out, was a lot of hard work. She’d hit the steep part of the learning curve today.

  Though she’d made it to the top of the rock wall once, it hadn’t been graceful. She’d fallen at least a dozen times, banging herself up and finally striking her shin hard against a large foothold called a jug.

  Eric had ended her lesson there and then, bandaging and putting ice on her shin. “Live to climb another day.”

  She hated lying to Austin about it, but if she were to tell him the truth, her surprise would be ruined. Now she needed to make sure the Team was in on her fib.

  “Hey, relax.” Austin’s voice was deep and soothing.

  Lexi drew a deep breath and let her worries go. She’d done something today that she’d never done before, and she was proud of that.

  She lost track of time, Austin’s hands working wonders on her neck, her shoulders, her quads, her back, and her aching arms.

  “Man, the muscles of your forearms are tight. You must have reached out to stop your fall or something.”

  “Mmm,” she said. “Where did you learn to do this? Was it part of your paramedic training or something?”

  He laughed. “No. I learned it from a friend.”

  It was the tone of his voice that roused her suspicions.

  “Was that friend by any chance a woman?”

  “Jealous?”

  “Yes.” She was jealous. She didn’t want to think about the other women Austin had been with over the past twelve years.

  Warm lips kissed her temple. “Don’t be. There’s not a woman in the world who matters to me the way you do.”

  “Really?” Maybe Cheyenne was right. Maybe he was in love with her.

  “Really.” He kissed her again.

  “Watch out, or you’ll get high from kissing me.”

  “That happens all the time anyway.” His words hit her right in the heart, unleashed a strange ache behind her breastbone.

  Confused by her own emotions, she tried to think it through, but couldn’t, her thoughts unraveling before they could form, chased away by the magic of Austin’s hands. But this was no therapeutic massage he was giving her now, his touch becoming decidedly sensual, callused fingers tracing the ticklish skin of her sides, a big hand cupping her ass, a knee nudging her thighs wider. Her body responded, desire for him flooding her.

  “I want to be inside you.” His breath was hot against her cheek.

  “Yes.” She started to roll over, but he stopped her.

  “You don’t have to move a muscle.”

  Oh, she liked that idea, given that most of her muscles were sore.

  She heard his fly unzip and felt a shiver of anticipation, his hands coming down on either side of her shoulders, his hips pressing against her buttocks, the head of his cock nudging against her until it found its way home.

  He buried himself with one slow thrust, then rocked into her until she was panting against the pillow. He filled her so perfectly, filled her as if he’d been made for her. She came, her aches and pains carried away in a wave of bliss.

  Chapter 19

  Lexi rushed around her bedroom trying to find her sports bra, cell phone in one hand, Vic on the line. “I can’t talk long. Eric will be here any minute to pick me up to take me to the rock gym.”

  “The rock gym?” Vic sounded horrified.

  “I’ve been taking climbing lessons for two and a half weeks now.” Had she left her bra at Austin’s house? No, she’d never worn it there.

  “Why in God’s name would you do that?”

  “I thought it would be a fun way to surprise Austin.”

  Today was the day.

  It was Saturday, so he would be getting off work soon. Megs had asked him to stop by The Cave to discuss something urgent. When he got there, she would drive him to the rock gym, where Lexi, Eric, and most of the rest of the Team would be waiting for him. Then, with Eric or Sasha on belay, Lexi would climb the 5.9 route she’d climbed two days ago—hopefully without falling.

  “You’re still sleeping with him.”

  It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes.” She tossed dirty clothes around, looked beneath the covers of her unmade bed, glanced inside the closet.

  Where the hell was her damned sports bra?

  “Austin is the guy who broke your teenage heart into little pieces, remember?”

  Lexi wasn’t surprised by Vic’s reaction. She’d had an almost identical conversation with Britta yesterday when she’d been doing laundry.

  Laundry! Her bra was in the dryer. She’d thrown it in the dryer yesterday while talking with her sister.

  She rushed down the hallway. “That’s how it started anyway, but I really like it. My muscles are sore all the time now, and I banged my shin up pretty badly the first day. It left a huge bruise that still hasn’t gone away.”

  “What’s not to like about that?” Vic’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

  Lexi bent down and dug through the dryer—towels, socks, panties. “It’s exciting to do something I’ve never done before.”

  It was even more exciting to discover that she didn’t suck at it. She’d never thought of herself as athletic, and no sport had ever held her interest. But climbing, with its complicated movement problems, was a lot like dancing—figuring out which moves went next so she could climb smoothly up the rock.

  She couldn’t say why, exactly, but something about climbing made her feel more confident. When she’d finished that 5.9 route two days ago, she’d stood there at the top of the wall with her fist in the air, feeling like a hero.

  “Apart from beating yourself up to impress a guy, how are things?”

  Lexi found her sports bra—thank God!—and hurried back to her bedroom. “I’m doing well. My dad and I have been getting along pretty well the past couple of weeks.”

  “That’s new. How about the audit?”

  “I’m almost done.” She could have finished more than a week ago, but she kept finding little ways to help Megs
, each of them nothing more than an excuse to spend the afternoon at The Cave.

  “I bet you’ll be glad to have that out of your hair.”

  From outside, came the honk of Eric’s horn.

  Shit.

  “Actually, I’m really going to miss working there. Hang on just a sec.” Lexi put the phone down, stripped off her T-shirt and bra, then wriggled into her sports bra and pulled on her yellow Team T-shirt. She picked up the phone again. “I’ve discovered that I really love doing pro bono work.”

  “I hear it’s not very lucrative.”

  “Very funny.” Lexi tried to explain. “My work at Price and Crane involved doing tax preparation for wealthy clients. Whom did that help?”

  “Wealthy clients who paid your very nice salary.”

  “But I’m really making a difference here. I’m helping the Team to do its job, and they save lives. They show me a lot more respect than my Chicago clients did.”

  That was true about Winona and the volunteers at the wildlife sanctuary, too.

  When it came down to it, Lexi was having a great time here.

  Whoa. That was a strange thought.

  She grabbed her handbag and headed for the back door, waving to her dad as she breezed through the kitchen.

  Vic changed the subject. “I know you’re in a hurry. I just called to let you know I bought my plane tickets.”

  “Plane tickets?” Lexi hurried toward Eric’s Silverado. “You’re really coming?”

  She’d thought Vic had been joking.

  “I took Friday and Monday off, so I’ll be there next Friday. I’m not sure how I’ll survive without lattes for four days, but someone has to be there to watch out for you. I’m afraid Scarlet Springs has sunk its claws into you. I know how much you hate that place. I don’t want to see you unhappy.”

  Lexi didn’t know what to say.

  “Don’t sound so excited.”

  “Oh, I am!” But she wasn’t, not the way she should be. Vic’s arrival would mean spending less time with Austin, and she had only two weeks left here.

  “I’ll send my itinerary so you can pick me up at the airport.”

  “Great. See you Friday.” Lexi ended the call, sadness stealing over her.

  Her precious time here was coming to an end.

  She opened the passenger door and climbed into the front seat of Eric’s truck. “Sorry. I couldn’t find my bra.”

  Eric grinned. “I’m sure none of us would mind if you climbed braless.”

  She glared at him. “Right.”

  Austin parked at The Cave, sweaty, tired, and ready for a shower. Megs had said she needed to see him right away, so she was just going to have to deal with him the way he was. He was late getting off work because he’d gone to visit the county attorney about Bear, looking for a way to let the old man stay in his cabin. If it had been up to Austin, he’d have let Bear stay where he was. But it wasn’t up to Austin.

  He walked in through the bay doors to find the place all but deserted, Rescue One and Rescue Two parked and plugged in.

  Megs sat at the ops desk, keys in her hand. She glanced at her watch when he walked in. “It’s about time. Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” He followed her toward her car.

  She smiled. “Please shut up, and get in the vehicle—and don’t ask any questions.”

  “Okay.” What the hell?

  She started up her Subaru and headed toward the highway. “Some of us were talking about having a surprise going-away party for Lexi. She’s leaving two weeks from today, which doesn’t give us a lot of time to plan.”

  Megs went on about dates and cakes, but Austin barely heard her, his stomach knotted. He’d been trying not to think about it, trying not to count the days, trying not to let what was going to happen down the road ruin the time he had with her now. But the closer he got to saying goodbye, the harder it became.

  “Are you listening to anything I’ve said?”

  “Sorry. Long day.” It was then he realized where they were. “The rock gym? What the hell are we doing here?”

  “I said no questions.”

  They finished the drive in silence, as Megs turned into the enormous lot and parked her Subaru.

  She fired off a text message to someone, then looked over at Austin. “Inside.”

  He climbed out and walked toward the entrance, wracking his brain to figure out what planning a surprise party for Lexi had to do with the rock gym. He came up with precisely nothing. Then he noticed Hawke’s truck. Harrison’s and Moretti’s vehicles were here, too. And Ahearn’s. And Herrera’s. “What the—”

  “Shut your trap.” Megs opened the door for him, then followed him inside.

  Nicole was standing by the front desk, talking with Sasha. She glanced over her shoulder as they walked in, and both women smiled. “Hey, Megs. Hey, Taylor.”

  Sasha, who was wearing a climbing harness, hurried onto the climbing floor.

  “Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?”

  Nicole just smiled and followed Sasha.

  “This way.” Megs walked after them.

  Austin followed. And then he saw her.

  Lexi stood together with most of the Team members, wearing a climbing harness climbing shoes, and her yellow Team T-shirt. She smiled when she saw him, her eyes holding both excitement and nervousness. She didn’t walk over to him. Instead, she turned to Sasha. “Shall we?”

  Sasha smiled. “We sure as hell shall.”

  And it clicked.

  Conspiring with Hawke. Bruises. Her battered shin. Sore muscles and fatigue.

  He gaped at her. “You’ve been learning to climb?”

  She flashed him that lethal smile, the one that made his heart constrict and turned his brain to mush. “Surprise!”

  Around them, Team members laughed.

  Lexi walked over to the wall, Hawke and Sasha standing close to her, offering her advice as if they were her coaches. She nodded, took a few deep breaths, and shook out her hands, her brow furrowed in concentration.

  “Nervous?” Herrera asked Austin.

  “Nah,” he lied. “Why would I be? I know she’s in good hands.”

  He could just make out what Lexi was saying.

  “What if I mess up? My stomach is full of butterflies.”

  Hawke rested his hand in the center of her back, leaned down. “Hey, don’t psych yourself out. You can do this. Really, you can.”

  He was a good friend to her. Austin liked that.

  “Tell those butterflies to fuck off,” Sasha said. “You are going to crush this.”

  Lexi nodded, took another deep breath.

  Then Hawke and Sasha stepped back, and Sasha took up the slack.

  “On belay,” she called out.

  “Climbing,” Lexi replied.

  “Climb on, girlfriend!”

  Megs looked over at Austin. “Hang on to your nuts.”

  Austin could see the colored strips of tape that marked the various routes. He expected her to climb the rainbow—ignoring the colors and using any foothold or handhold she could to get to the top—so when her first handhold was marked with red tape, he didn’t think much of it. But her next handhold was a red, too, and that little peanut hold she caught with her left toe—that was also a red.

  What was she climbing—a 5.8? No, a 5.9. Okay. Wow.

  She kept her weight over her feet, her hips pushed in toward the rock face, her movements graceful.

  Holy shit.

  Lexi wasn’t just trying to climb. She was climbing.

  Lexi had worried that she’d be too nervous to climb with Austin and the entire Team watching her, but after the first few moves, the only person she was aware of was Sasha, who shouted encouragement up to her.

  “You got it. Crimper to your left.”

  Lexi found the crimper, caught it with the fingertips of her left hand, then stemmed to the right, reaching for a bigger handhold. She had climbed this route so many times in the past week tha
t she almost had it memorized. She did her best to keep her weight on her legs, her pelvis “fucking the rock,” as Sasha liked to say. But the muscles in her forearms were already pumped, her hands sweating.

  She put her foot on a nice fat jug and took advantage of the stability to shake out her arms and chalk her hands one at a time, letting the muscles rest while her gaze traveled up the route, picking out her next move and the next.

  She reached up again, caught a pocket with two fingers, then slapped her open palm against a sloper, sweat and chalk helping her to stick the move so that she could lunge up and catch another crimper. Her feet dangled, and for a moment she thought it was over. Then one of her toes caught. There it was—that little edge.

  Her heart, which was already pounding, started to race, adrenaline shooting through her. She’d made it past the sloper. She’d stuck the crux move. She could do this.

  From the ground below, a dozen voices cheered her on.

  “Take it easy. Don’t rush it.” That was Sasha.

  “You nailed it.” That was Eric.

  “You’ve got this, babe. Just shake it out.” That was Austin.

  She dug into an undercling, leaned back, and shook her hands out one at a time, as much to give the adrenaline time to pass as to rest her muscles. From there, she moved at a steady pace. When she reached the top of the wall a few minutes later, she raised both arms over her head, let out a whoop, a cheer rising from below. She looked down to see her friends smiling up at her, Austin most of all.

  Heart still thrumming, she sat in the harness as Sasha lowered her to the mat.

  The moment her feet touched the floor, Sasha gave her a high five and followed it with a hug. “Way to kick ass. I knew you could do it.”

  Then Austin was there, sweat stains on his uniform, a wide grin on his face. He reached out to untie the rope from her harness. “So this is what you’ve been up to. I’m betting you didn’t trip over a litter after all.”

  “Sorry I lied to you.” She hadn’t liked that part of it.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll get even.” He drew her against him, kissed her forehead. “My Lexi is a badass climber. That was … amazing.”