by Beverly Rae
But Jack squashed her hopes. “Uh-uh. No way. We don’t do tandem jumps. They’re much too dangerous for inexperienced jumpers.”
Cara dipped her head at Jack, trying to decide whether to flirt him into reconsidering or let it go. But the temptation of hanging─literally─with Josh was too good to pass up. “Are you sure? I mean, we signed the release. If we’re willing to take the risk, why not let us? Come on, Jacky, bend the rules a little.”
He scowled at her and, not for the first time, added an edge to his tone. “Why not, you ask? Because our liability insurance costs too much all ready. Because I’d get fired. That’s why. Sorry. Tandem jumping is not happening on my watch.”
Oh, look, everyone. We lucked out and got a jump master with a superiority complex. Sensing it would do no good to keep arguing with the Little General, Cara sighed and renewed her focus on Josh. “Okay, we get the message. No tandem jumps. Although, the idea sounded like a good one to me. Personally,” she batted her eyelashes at Josh—”I’d love the company on the way down. You know. Someone to cling to as I scream.” Man, would I love to scream for this guy. Scream as I creamed.
Josh’s soulful eyes sent a flame to her abdomen, stoking the fire of lust. “Me, too.”
“I’m sorry, guys, but, as I said, tandem jumping is out. Heads tend to bang together or cords get tangled.” Jack clapped two helmets together to demonstrate the crack of two heads bashing together and nearly sent Tilly into a dead faint.
After steadying her friend, Cara shrugged at Josh, hoping he was as disappointed as she. “Looks like it’s a no-go. Maybe some other time, huh?”
“I’d love to.”
Holy shit, if those are his everyday eyes, what do his bedroom eyes look like? But she didn’t have time to dwell on the image as one of Jumper Jack’s helpers placed his hand on her shoulder, shifting her attention away from Josh’s sultry gaze. She studied the harnesses he held up, decided she didn’t know which part went where—yeah, I should’ve paid more attention—and stuck out her arms. “Okay. I’m ready. Hook me up.”
Cara tried to follow the directions of the representative as he slung the shoulder and seat harness around her lean athletic form. Once he’d fastened everything to his satisfaction, the assistant squatted and started attaching jump cords to her legs. She ignored the fear inching into her mind and caught Jack’s attention. “Why so many harnesses, Jump Master Jack?” Tilting her head forward, Jack positioned her head and shoved the protective headgear into place.
He pointed to the straps wrapped tightly around her legs. “The legs take the bulk of the strain from the rope. Although, remember, the cord will make the tug gradual which means there won’t be a big yank on your body at the end of the drop. The other harnesses are secondary and have their own attachment to the cord. However, the body harness is what makes the ride back to the bridge nicer since you’ll be right side up when you’re pulled up to the platform.”
“Oh, yeah. I remember now. Yep, head’s up would be nicer.”
After checking the weight on her hand again, along with the bindings and hooks, Jack tapped her on the shoulder. “You’re all set. Ready to fly?”
Cara grinned at the teary-eyed Tilly and shot her a thumbs up. “Don’t start with the waterworks Til. I’ll be fine. You’ll see.” Tipping her head in Josh’s direction, she couldn’t help but add, “Too bad someone hard and firm couldn’t take the ride with me.”
Josh’s eyes lit up as he opened his mouth to speak, but Jack headed him off at the pass. “Again. Sorry, but no can do. Here Cara, let me help you up on the railing.”
Tilly’s squeak brought another round of nervous titters from the group. “Cara, are you sure? Please reconsider.”
Walter took her hand in a show of comfort. “I’ve been trying to get Josh to reconsider all day. Do something more, uh, normal. But, of course, he doesn’t have anything to lose considering—”
“Walter.” Josh’s growl of warning sent shivers down Cara’s spine. Yet his low tone didn’t frighten her. Instead, the baritone rumble made her panties wet thinking about him growling at her in passion.
“Take it easy, buddy. I wouldn’t have revealed your secret.”
He has a secret? As in a secret in the closet? She studied Josh in a fresh light, but couldn’t believe the older guy’s statement meant the handsome hunk was gay. No way was Josh gay. Sure, she’d known great looking homosexuals, but she had pretty good gaydar and her gaydar didn’t beep once at Josh.
Walter patted Tilly’s hand in comfort. “She’ll be safe. Don’t worry.”
With Jack’s help, Cara gripped the railing and hoisted her body up and onto the foot wide plank. As instructed, she made fists for a person on either side of her to grasp and keep her steady. Jack took her left hand while another strong grip steadied her right side. Glancing sideways, she noted with a surge of delight how Josh had taken the other position.
“Cara. Think about what you’re doing.”
“Damn, Tilly. You’re not my mother so stop acting like her.” Cara’s nerves jangled as only Tilly could rattle them. Still, she loved her friend and knew Tilly’s nagging was out of real concern. “Seriously, girlfriend, I don’t have a death wish. This is all perfectly safe. Right, Jack?” Yet Cara couldn’t help but gulp as she gazed over the vast expense of nothingness between the bridge and the water below.
But it was Josh’s calm voice, not Jack’s, soothing her irritation and her friend’s fear. “I promise you. Cara won’t get hurt. Trust me.”
Cara glanced at him and saw the absolute belief in his eyes. “I trust him, Til, and you should, too.” A serene silence followed as she exchanged a look and silently connected with him.
Jack cleared his throat, interrupting their moment and breaking their bond. “Cara, I’ll count backward from five. On the count of one, you swan dive outward. Remember to breathe. Oh, and try to relax and enjoy the flight.”
Her nerves twisted inside her stomach and Cara swallowed, forcing the lump forming in her throat to dissolve. “Got it. I’m ready. Start counting.”
Jack called to his crew. “Ready, everyone. Five. Four. Three.”
Cara rolled her head and took a deep breath.
“Two. One!”
On the count of one, Cara bent her knees, pushed off the railing and positioned her body into a perfect swan dive.
“Bungee!”
Seconds passed before she realized the shout wasn’t her own.
Cara’s heart pounded as the air whipped through her hair and her body gathered momentum, escalating from zero to breakneck speed in seconds. Adrenaline rushed through her and she cried out in exhilaration.
She laughed, joy sending a tingle through her body. But her laugh ended abruptly when a weight hit her, knocking the air from her and accelerating her dive toward the water below.
What the hell?
At first, stunned confusion kept her from recognizing the heavy form attached to her. With her face pressed firmly against the hard chest, she had to take two quick breaths before she dared lift her head and look. Astonishment overshadowed her quick delight as she gaped at Josh. His arms squeezed her in a death grip as he bent his head and pressed his nose to hers. Even with the thrill of having him close to her, she couldn’t shut out the horrified surprise crippling her thoughts. The huge grin covering his face did nothing to relieve the panic flooding into her. She folded her arms around him and forced herself to keep her eyes open.
“Wow, oh, wow!”
As the water rushed up to greet them, a gentle pull from the bungee cord counteracted their descent. The chest and waist harness cradled her as Josh’s legs wrapped around her own. Their downward spiral slowed.
Cara and Josh touched the water, dipping the top part of their heads below the surface. Her breathing jerked through her in ragged pants. But her relief was short lived as their rope recoiled, heading for the bridge. Rocketing through the air, she closed her eyes and laid her head against Josh’s wide shoulder. The wind wh
ipped her wet hair into her face as they reached the zenith of their ascent, paused suspended in air for a moment, then started downward in the second drop.
“Don’t worry, Cara.”
But his words did nothing to ease her fright as they continued to bounce into a few more rebounds. So much for being the brave show-me-what-you’ve-got kind of gal. All she wanted was to touch firm ground again—preferably in one piece and away from the crazy person clinging to her. Sexy was good. But sexy and crazy? Not the best combination.
At long last, the cord straightened out, leaving them with the tops of their heads a few feet from the water. Daring to peek, she found Josh watching her. Anger replaced fear in a flash as she spat out her words. “Are you out of your frickin’ mind?” She glanced down at the water before craning her head up to see the people on the bridge hanging over the railing. “What did you do? How did you—”
“You said you wanted to jump together. So I jumped a couple of seconds after you.”
She gaped at him, unable to believe what he’d done. “But you aren’t wearing a harness!” Had he jumped with only a cord tied to him? Whipping her head around, she gasped and dropped her jaw wider. “Where’s your cord?”
“I jumped without one.”
The smirk he gave her sent shivers zipping down her spine. Correction. This guy is sexy, crazy and suicidal. “Shit. You are a full-blown wacko. You could have been killed.”
“But you said you wanted me to jump with you.”
She studied him closer, unable to believe what he’d said. “Good God, don’t you know flirting when you hear it? Yeah, I said I wanted to tandem jump. But I’m not stupid. When a professional tells you not to do something because it’s dangerous, you don’t do it.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
He genuinely looked apologetic, but she didn’t care as another thought struck her. She leaned away from him, drew back her arm and stuck him across the cheek. “Forget about you! You could have killed me!”
He stared at her, confusion in his eyes. “Not a chance, Cara. I told you. You’re safe with me.” Glancing at the harness holding her, he queried, “But I wonder why we’re still upside down? Wasn’t the cord supposed to seat you right side up?”
This guy’s out of his mind. “Do you think maybe you screwed up the harness with your extra unexpected weight?” She shook her head at him in disbelief. “You almost get us killed and you wonder why the equipment isn’t working the way it should? Are you frickin’ for real?”
She couldn’t think of what to say next, leaving her grappling for words until the sound of an outboard motor tore her attention away from the nutty stranger clinging to her. Racing from the middle of the lake, a speedboat with two men aboard skimmed over the water’s surface, making a beeline straight for them. She pointed toward the boat and prayed her guess was right. “I hope the park ranger’s coming to haul your ass to jail.”
“To where? I know you think I did something wrong, but I don’t understand why. What did I do?”
Could this nutcase not comprehend the seriousness of what he’d done? Did he have some sort of mental problem? Yet who cared when his problems caused her problems? And to think she’d imagined them sharing a special connection. Cara shook her head and leveled her best weapon at her target. She gritted her words at him and tried to keep her voice low, yet forceful. “Are you mentally challenged or what? Do you not get it? You jumped without a cord and endangered my life along with yours. I can’t imagine how you did it and, frankly, I’m not sure I want to know.” She darted her view from the bridge to the water and back to him. “Still, the whole thing was damned amazing. Stupid beyond belief, but amazing.” Am I actually starting to think what he did was cool? Okay, now I’m going nuts.
Was it hurt she saw in his eyes? Had he truly jumped because she’d said she’d wanted someone with her? Or was this some macho jackass move to impress her? Unwilling to comprehend such a flattering, albeit asinine action, she turned her head toward the approaching boat.
“I did it to help you.”
The pain in his voice had her searching his face for sincerity. For her? How was she supposed to respond to that?
“Are you two all right?”
Cara nodded her head, not willing to trust her voice any longer. The ranger floated the boat next to them, getting the second ranger close enough to reach out and pull them aboard. They half-fell, half-crawled into the bottom of the craft. Waving at the people above, the ranger gawked at Josh’s lack of equipment and unhooked the bungee cord from her harness as she unfastened the rest of the gear.
“Why did you jump, man?” He scanned Josh again, obviously looking for an answer to the mystery. “And how’d you catch her?” Again, he checked Josh’s body and, failing to find anything, shrugged at his partner before turning to check Cara. She waved him off.
Josh glanced at her as a soft smile filtered onto his lips. “Someone’s looking out for me, I guess.” He ran a hand through his hair and slipped onto a nearby seat. “For us.”
“I’ll say. And you’re damned lucky, too. I’ve never seen anything like this. You scared the hell out of the folks running the bungee operation. They’re freaked out big time, along with some woman named Tilly.”
Cara’s legs gave out at the mention of Tilly and she collapsed on the seat opposite Josh. “You must be the luckiest man in the world.”
“Because I caught you?” The smile he tossed her would’ve melted ice cream in a freezer. In fact, it almost melted her stone-cold furious heart.
Cara’s breath caught in her chest again, although this time her lack of breath had nothing to do with freefalling to her possible death. “No. Because I’ve decided not to kill you.”
* * * *
“Ohmigod, are you all right?” With tears streaming down her face, Tilly ran her hands over Cara’s body. “I can’t believe you’re standing here in front of me. Shoot, I can’t believe you weren’t killed.”
Keeping an eye on Josh, Cara brushed away Tilley’s hands. The terror she’d experienced earlier had dissipated, giving away to curiosity and not a little embarrassment, along with a desire to feel the sensation she’d experienced earlier. She’d waited her entire life to find a kindred thrill-seeking man and, when she finally had, she’d lost her cool and ended up yelling at him. Could she recover the loss of her cool factor? And why did this guy seem to have a hold on her?
How had Josh pulled off such an astounding feat? She didn’t even care about Jumping Jack barring them from bungee jumping ever again. Not as long as she found out Josh’s secret. Was he a stunt man? An expert magician who performed extraordinary acts like the ones Houdini had done? She winced as she recalled how Houdini had died in his infamous water chamber trick. If Josh was a magician, he’d better watch out or he’d end up like Houdini—famous and dead. Yet could she help it if she had a thing for dangerous men? Especially dangerous mysterious men?
Pushing her worrisome friend aside, Cara strode over to Josh and Walter as they finished dealing with the rangers. “Josh? How about coming home with me?”
Jaws dropped all around her. All, except for his. Instead, his lips stretched wide, sending corresponding shockwaves into her. “Come home with you?”
Calling for Lust. Oh, Lusty-boy, are you tapping on Josh’s shoulder like you’re tapping on mine? She reached out and took his hand, noting the sudden zing speeding up her arm. “Yeah. You know. For a celebration. We need to celebrate not dying from your amazing, yet insane stunt.”
Walter whipped his glance between them. “Uh, sorry, but no can do. He can’t.”
“Why not, Walter?”
Something in Josh’s tone made Cara think of a parent-child relationship. But Walter wasn’t old enough to be his father. “Yeah. Why not, Walter?” When he opened his mouth to respond, she added an incentive he couldn’t refuse and closed the deal. “Tilly’s coming.”
Walter’s face lit up, happier than a child with a new puppy. “Oh, well, I guess we could visit for a
short while.”
Not waiting for him to change his mind, Cara snagged Walter’s arm and linked her other one through Josh’s. “Good deal. It’s party time, people. Let’s go.” She led the way to the parking lot, stopping beside her cranberry red convertible Mustang. “Ya’ll want to follow along in your car?”
“We don’t have one.” Josh slid his hands over the car’s sleek exterior, rapture written on his face. “This is beautiful. You drive this, right?”
“Well, sure. What else would I do with it?” Cara giggled, not sure if he’d meant the question as a joke or not. “But if you don’t have a car, how’d you get here? Friends?”
The joy written on his face increased even as his brow furrowed, then smoothed. “I’d love to be your friend. Both of you.” His brown eyes twinkled as he returned to inspecting the car.
Huh? He’d totally not grabbed her meaning. “No, uh, I mean, yeah. We’re friends. But I was asking if friends brought you.”
Once again, Walter answered for them. “No. No friends. We sort of dropped in out of the blue.”
Did he mean they’d walked all the way from town? The whole seven miles? From Walter’s appearance, she’d bet he hadn’t walked farther than from the couch to the refrigerator in years. “Uh-huh.” Right. “But if you’d rather not hike home, you can hitch a ride with us.”
Josh almost knocked Walter out of the way in his haste to get into the car. He hurled his body over the passenger’s door, landing on the cream-colored leather seat. “Wonderful. Let’s go.”
Cara waited as Tilly pushed the driver’s seat forward, motioned for Walter to get in first, and crawled into the backseat after him. Once they were settled and buckled—hey, she liked excitement, but riding without seat belts was just plain dumb—she slid behind the wheel, strapped in and started the motor. “Home, sweet home we go. Buckle up, people.”
Josh studied the seatbelt a bit before snapping it into place. With a satisfied grin, he flipped open his visor and checked his reflection in the mirror. “Will you look at me? Not bad.”
