CHAPTER TEN

SIERRA

Once we gave her the okay, Luna called her contractor friends over at Wilson-Covington Construction, who added us to their booked schedule as a favor to her, and the plan for Crossing’s Cups Cakes was put into motion.

“I’m really proud of you.” Shannon sorts through a rack of wedding dresses in preparation for her next bridal appointment as I lounge on one of the overstuffed chairs meant for a bride’s guests.

“Really? You don’t think I’m making a huge mistake?”

“I think you’ve forgotten what it took for you to get to this point,” she says, presenting a white mermaid-style dress before I shake my head in disapproval. “Calculated risks. Being a small business owner isn’t for the faint of heart, and it’s not for someone who wants to play it safe. Two things you definitely are not, despite this latest spat of self-doubt.”

I sigh, banging my head against the back of the chair. She’s right. I”m not an overly cautious person. I go for what I want. Make the tough decisions.

And risks are necessary for the vitality of a business.

When it comes to Buttercream Dreams, though, it”s been my baby for years. It didn’t pop out of thin air. I educated myself on the ins and outs of a bakery and learned from my mistakes. I fought hard for my dream when the odds were stacked against me.

“I think it’s just easier to worry about a choice I’ve already made versus thinking about the future and Caleb,” I admit.

“Ah, procrastination. I’m well-acquainted with it.” Shannon sinks into the chair next to mine and snags her teal water bottle for a drink. “But you’re gonna have to face those pesky feelings eventually. Especially now that the two of you will be working together on a more permanent basis.”

“Ugh, I know… But life was easier back when he was just my archnemesis.” Shannon laughs at the title like she’s done a million times in the past. “Things were black and white. Caleb stole my customers. I returned the favor. He frustrated me, and I flustered him. Sympatico. Sym-pat-i-co.” Each syllable bursts from my mouth like a series of word bubbles waiting for someone to pop them.

“And now you two are k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Kiss-ing,” Shannon teases with a lift of her eyebrows.

“Yep…” And we have a date tonight.

I don’t know if it counts as our second after the picnic or our first because it’s official—like Caleb asked me out and everything. The number doesn’t really matter, except for the part where my hormonal body wonders if it’ll finally get a chance to experience the thick ridge I’ve caught bulging from Caleb’s jeans lately.

Sex may not be the smartest action, considering how mired I am in the emotional swamp of my confusing feelings, but then again, maybe it’ll clear my head. I could use some stress relief, and it’s only fair that Caleb provides it since he’s the man responsible for fucking with my head.

Here’s to hoping he fucks with my pussy soon, instead.

***

“What is this place?” I ask Caleb hours later after he parks in front of a large warehouse lit up with bright lights. The parking lot is full, and there”s a big sign on the front that says Capstone Climbing and Adventure, but I’m not exactly sure what that means.

“We need to mix things up a little.” Caleb grins before opening the driver”s side door and rounding the Jeep to help me out. “Step out of our comfort zones and remember our boundaries—no shop talk for the rest of the night.”

The warehouse entrance leads to a massive space filled with adult-sized activities. Like the wall lined with an indoor rock climbing wall, colorful handles decorating the fake stone. Then there’s the supersized jungle gym that curves around the back of the building.

“This place is wild,” I say, my wide eyes soaking in everything at once.

“Right? I”ve never been here before, but it sounded fun when I googled date ideas.”

“You googled date ideas?” Why is that so charming? The vision of him hunched over his phone researching places to take me. It’s freaking cute as hell.

“I”m wooing you, remember?” He gently taps my temple with his knuckle. “And trying out a new place together sounded like an adventure.”

“You ever been rock climbing before?” Two people currently scale the floor to ceiling structure. Thirty feet above the ground, their twin athletic bodies bend and stretch for each handhold.

“Nope. You?”

“Do I seem like the type of girl who likes to climb rocks for fun?” He’s lucky I’m not afraid of heights or else this would be a total bust.

“You never know.” He shrugs then guides me to the welcome counter where a guy stands chatting to another employee. After paying the adventure fee, Caleb and I follow the guy to the rock wall where he gives us the safety spiel as we strap into our harnesses.

“I could get used to these.” Caleb gestures to the harness wrapped around his waist and thighs, an obvious vee framing his groin.

“Oh, it”s a very sexy look,” I tease. “The women in Suitor’s Crossing won”t know what hit them if they see you in that getup.”

“That”s exactly what I”m going for… Though there’s really only one woman whose opinion matters.” He drops a quick kiss to my cheek before dipping his hand in a bag of chalk, removing a handful, then slapping it between his palms. A nuclear blast of dust erupts in the air, sending both of us into coughing fits.

“I don”t think you”re supposed to use that much,” I wheeze, caught between coughing out the particles of chalk in my throat and laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

“That dude didn”t warn about chalk inhalation. You”d think that would be part of their safety protocol.”

“He probably thought it was common sense, since I assume most people don”t grab enough chalk to scale El Capitan.”

“Someone watched Free Solo… But I”m a newbie and can”t be blamed for my mistakes.” Once his breathing is under control, Caleb starts climbing, and I carefully hold his belaying rope, a little scared of letting him fall. “You good down there, Sierra Bear?”

“Yeah, just don”t make any sudden movements. I don”t want to slip.”

“That”d be a downer. Hate to end up in the emergency room on our date. I have different plans for tonight.” He looks down at me from above and winks. A flush of heat causes a light sheen of sweat to form on my skin.

I have different plans, too—ones that don’t involve an ER bed but my big comfy mattress at home.

Caleb rings the bell at the top of the rock wall, and then carefully rappels back down, so we can switch spots. “Think you can beat my time?” he asks, nodding to the clock next to us that showcases how quickly he climbed the wall in red digital numbers.

This may be my first rock climbing experience, but I’m a competitive woman, especially when it comes to Caleb. Just because we’ve called a truce on the business rivalry doesn’t mean the idea of beating him in competition has disappeared. It just makes the stakes much more interesting.

“You’re on. Loser buys victory smoothies.” The sound of blenders on the other side of the warehouse have been a constant background noise ever since we stepped foot into the building, and a pineapple mango smoothie will be the perfect prize for my win.

“Deal. Now, get to climbing, sweetcakes.”

My concentration falls to the wall in front of me, my eyes slowly mapping a path before reaching for the first hand hold. Caleb encourages me every step of the way, but I don’t waste my breath or precious time by responding. I’ve got the advantage of knowing the time to beat while Caleb moseyed up the wall still holding a conversation with me.

“Ten seconds!”

“Five, four, three—”

My fist snags the bell’s metal clapper, ringing it for all it’s worth. A couple of onlookers cheer at my victory as I push off from the rock wall in a slow descent, then Caleb embraces me in a bear hug that lifts my feet off the ground again.

“Damn, that was quite the show you put on,” he whispers in my ear. “The view from below was sexy as fuck.”

“Were you checking out my ass while I did my workout for the week?” I playfully slap his back but inwardly grin. He warned me to wear comfortable clothes before he picked me up tonight, so the black leggings conform to my thick thighs and round ass, leaving little to the imagination.

“Can you blame me? It’s a fine ass.” A chuckle vibrates in my ear as his hand lowers to cop a feel of one butt cheek before lightly smacking it. “Come on, I owe you a smoothie.”

The concessions line moves quickly, and soon we’re sitting on a bench watching a group of friends race across a tall set of monkey bars. “So, what do you think? Totally worth the drive to Everton, right?” Caleb sucks up more of his strawberry banana smoothie. “We”re going to have to come back here again for a rematch.”

“Or for a good stress reliever or workout session.”

Once we”ve rested, we meander around the building and try out the jungle gym and a couple of the other setups before calling it a night. Fatigue settles in my muscles as soon as we’re on the road to Suitor’s Crossing.

I should shower and go to bed once I get home, but when Caleb parks and walks me up to my apartment door, sleep is the last thing on my mind. A second wave of energy sparks in my blood. “Want to come in for a nightcap?”

“Sure.”

We step inside my living room, and I debate whether to offer a drink or suggest what I really want. We”re taking risks these days, remember? Going with my gut, I veer away from the kitchen and towards the bathroom.

“What if I told you I lied about the nightcap, and I”d rather we did something else?”

“I”d say I”m listening…”

We”re both sweaty from the climb and covered in flecks of chalk, so I tug my shirt over my head and toss it to the floor. “Then how about a hot shower to clean off?”

Caleb reciprocates and pulls his own tee over his head. “I can get behind that.” Both of us grin like sex-crazed maniacs as a race ensues to see who can get naked the fastest.

Of course, Caleb wins because my stupid sports bra gets tangled up around me. “Ugh, I hate these things,” I grumble.

“Me, too,” he murmurs. “Me. Too.” His fingers grip underneath the elastic band and maneuver it higher and higher until my breasts are free and the hot pink spandex can be thrown to the carpet. “Damn, sweetcakes. Your tits are fucking hot.” He molds the large globes with his rough palms, the soft flesh overflowing his fingers.

“Mmm… That’s not the only sexy part of me.”

Caleb walks me back into the bathroom where I blindly reach to turn on the water for a shower. “Oh, I definitely concur.” He squeezes a butt cheek. “There’s your sexy smile.” He kisses the corner of my mouth. “Your business acumen.” His lips caress my temple. “And let”s not forget your sassy attitude.”

“You’ve got a thing for my smart mouth?” Hot water sluices off my back, and I groan at the immediate relief to my sore muscles.

“Hmm… You mean those pouty lips that drive me crazy? Yeah, I’ve got a thing for them. For you.” He kisses up my neck. “You”re the whole package, sweetcakes, and I can”t wait to make you mine.”

“No one”s stopping you.”

“Not anymore, you mean.” Caleb rears back to give me a pointed look, and I roll my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… I”m the one who kept our feud going. Whatever.” My nails dig into his shoulders. “Are you going to chastise me for all these years we missed out on? Or are you finally gonna fuck me?”

A devilish smirk ghosts across his face. “Ah, there”s that smart mouth I know and love.”

Love.

Why doesn’t that word bother me like it should?