Chapter 53
Chapter fifty-three
Tabitha
“Tabby cat. What . . .?” Zac’s words fell away as he spotted her. He stood frozen at the beginning of the bridge while she’d been waiting at the halfway point, anxiously bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“Hi.” Real smooth. Perfect opening line. But honestly that was all she could muster because with his hands clenching and unclenching the shoulder straps of those crash pads all she could think about was what those fingers were capable of.
“What are you doing here?” he finally managed, taking a tentative step closer as though afraid she’d run at the sight of him.
Tabitha held up both hands, climbing shoes and chalk bag hanging off her fingers. “I’m here to climb.”
“For”—he swallowed—“for work?”
“For fun.”
His shoulders slumped as though she couldn’t possibly be there for him. “Frankie got a flat. So you get me instead.” He strode a little closer. “Is that ok? Shit, I just realized that must be why you wanted her to meet you out here.”
“And why is that?”
He rubbed at his beard. “To avoid me.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Tabitha closed the distance. Standing toe to toe with him she laid a hand at the middle of his chest. His heart quickened against her fingertips and that sexy smile returned to his lips.
“You knifed Frankie’s tire to get me here?”
She laughed, glad that he was finally catching on. “No. We took the easy way and set the whole thing up. She doesn’t have a flat.”
His smile widened, lighting up his eyes. “You’re here for me?”
“I’m here for you—” she barely uttered the words before Zac’s arms snaked around her and pulled her in for a demanding kiss.
He tongued the seam of her lips and she happily let him in as tears welled in her eyes.
She’d missed him, craved him. But this time around, the separation had been nearly unbearable.
Fingers pressed into her lower back, crushing her against him while the other hand toyed with her tidy ponytail.
He tugged her head back and kissed a smoldering line down her jaw. She was lost and happy to be.
A cheeky whistle sounded from the path and Zac finally pulled away, wearing an oops expression. He gripped Tabitha’s wrist and pulled her toward his work truck.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Really? You invited me in your letter.”
He grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Took you long enough.”
“I had to sort some things out back home.”
Tabitha explained how the day after reading his letter, she'd marched into Claudia’s office and asked for a week off.
To which her boss wholeheartedly denied.
Said she had to leave for Red River Gorge that night for her next assignment.
Tabitha began to argue, but Claudia stopped her.
“Let’s put it this way, Handcock. The second that next article hits my inbox you’ve got your week off. But I got a deadline, you see . . .”
“You could have called.” Zac kissed her cheekbone. “Put me out of my misery.” He kissed the other. “But I have to say this surprise is fitting.” He captured her mouth, spreading her wide to his passionate exploration.
“Thank you for being patient with me.” She gasped as he found his way to her clavicle and slid a hand up her waist to toy with her sports bra.
“I knew you’d fight back if I hadn’t been. You’ve never responded well to anyone pressuring you. Figured it was safer to wait you out.”
The crackle of approaching shoes on gravel had Zac turning his body so the crash pads blocked the top half of them from view.
“So, tabby cat.” She arched her back as he slid his hand beneath her ass. “What’s the plan for today? I’m your knowledgeable guide until three.”
“We do what I paid for,” she responded and almost whined as he pulled away and looked down at her with curiosity. “We climb.”
“Oh, uh. Yeah. Of course.” Zac allowed an inch between them and adjusted his pants with a grimace. “Gimme a minute to uh, decompress and I’ll be—”
“But maybe you could show me some of the more secluded boulder fields?” Tabitha did her best eyebrow waggle.
She shrieked as he hauled her in his arms, wrenched open the truck door, and hurled her onto the bench seat. Then with lightning speed he stowed the crash pads and hopped in the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life.
“Hey,” Tabitha soothed while also settling a hand on Zac’s thigh. His muscle clenched beneath her touch. “There’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere.”