All or Nothing: A Trust No One Novel (11 page)

“I can live with that… for a while. Thank you, Joe. It means a lot.” Her tentative smile softened her features.

Watching her expression change from skepticism to guarded hopefulness tugged at his heart. He enjoyed seeing her happy. That was all it was. “Still think I’m as bad as Dennelli?”

Her blue eyes sparkled. “You’re arrogant and bossy, and I really thought you were going to stand by and let that girl kill me downstairs… but no, you’re nothing like David. I was angry and just wanted to strike out at you. I’m really sorry. No one should ever be compared to him.”

He frowned. “You realize you give that guy superhuman powers, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t!”

“You’re convinced Dennelli will kill me if I go after him. Have a little faith. I’ve got a few talents to bring to the table. What can I do to earn your trust?” His gaze held hers, waiting for an answer.

She shrugged. “I
want
to trust you.”

“Okay, that’s something. We’ll start there.” He watched her for a moment, wanting to move closer, to reach out and touch her cheek. How long was this urge to put his arms around her and slay her dragons going to last? These feelings would only complicate things. On the other hand, they weren’t entirely unpleasant. He stepped back and turned toward the door.

“High ropes course in ten minutes.” He closed the door behind him.

Chapter Ten

Sunday, 8:32 am

T
HE UTILITY POLES
jutting thirty feet in the air, with cables connecting each one, didn’t look insurmountable from the ground. Maybe she’d actually get through this. Tyler and Joe helped her into the harness and gave her a ten-minute orientation on transferring between cables. The bottom line—never have both carabiners detached from a cable at the same time. Seemed like a no-brainer to her, but she nodded in all the appropriate places.

Joe climbed up the pole first, a rope attached to his harness, with Tyler belaying him from the ground. He made it look easy enough so, when it was her turn, she stepped up to the pole.

Tyler hooked the belay rope to her harness. “Let me guess, scared of heights?”

She forced a smile. “Is it that obvious?” She might have known he’d see through her.

“You’ll do fine as long as you follow the safety procedures.”

Of course, he was right. It just didn’t make her feel any better. When he was in position, she put her foot on the first rung sticking from the side of the pole and began to climb, bending her knee almost to her chest, claiming the next rung on the opposite side and pushing herself upward. By the time she reached the platform where Joe waited, she was gasping and shaking from exertion. She clung to the pole and tried to catch her breath. So much for keeping her fear hidden. Her inability to unclasp her fingers from the pole must be quite amusing to him. He could go to hell if he thought she’d move from this platform any time soon.

“Hey, Party Girl, you okay?”

She didn’t answer. Some things should be self-evident.

“You don’t have to move until you’re ready, but I’d like to get that belay off so Ty can go back to work. Okay?”

She held on with one hand and turned halfway to face him. He helped her position her carabiners on the cable above her head and removed the belay rope from her harness, sending it back down to Tyler. The two of them so close on that small platform made her uncomfortable, but not even that could shake her loose from her perch at the moment. She sneaked a glance at him. He watched her. Heat crept into her cheeks.

“Why do you call me that?” Making conversation would surely take her mind off the ground so far below.

“What? Party Girl? You told me when you were in college, if there was a party, you were there. You don’t mind, do you?” A smile tugged at his lips.

“These days I’m about as far from a party girl as a person can get.”

“Maybe you just haven’t found the right party yet.”

Cara rolled her eyes. “What’s the purpose of this exercise again?” She leaned her forehead against the pole, closed her eyes, and silently prayed she’d somehow get through this.

“It’s part of my curriculum for the military types who come here. Although, they don’t use most of the safety devices we’re using.” Her shocked expression didn’t seem to faze him. “For you, it’s to build strength, balance, confidence… and trust.”

She snorted. “How am I doing so far?”

“You’re doing great. It’s a huge success just to climb the pole the first time. You should be proud, whether you decide to stop right here for today or go on and finish the course. I’ll warn you, though, we’ll be back up here tomorrow, and the next day, and for however long it takes you to conquer your fear and recognize your capabilities.”

Cara groaned. “Do I have to cross that?” She glanced anxiously at the log that spanned the distance between her platform and the next.

“Sooner or later. I’ll help you when you’re ready.”

Why was she frozen in fear? She’d always been a tomboy growing up. The first one up a tree, the only girl on her neighborhood baseball team, and in high school she bought a beat-up old Harley and rebuilt the engine. She’d never been afraid to try anything. Her gaze settled on Joe. He smiled encouragingly.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, I’m ready… I think.”

He laughed. “When you know you’re ready, let go of the pole, grab the ropes on your harness, and step down on the log. Your carabiners will slide along the cable as you move. I’ll go in front of you and if you panic, you can grab on to me. Ready?”

She concentrated on her feet, making sure she didn’t look beyond them to the ground thirty feet below as she lowered herself onto the log and made her way step by small step across to the next platform.

“I did it.” She grinned as she pulled herself up next to Joe. It probably seemed like a small accomplishment to him, but she was elated.

“I never doubted you.”

“What’s next?”

“That’s it for today, except for getting down.” A smile lingered on his face.

“Wait a minute. What aren’t you telling me? How do we get down?”

“Zip line.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ll show you, but first we have to cross this bridge to get to that platform over there.”

She looked where he was pointing and saw a narrow bridge with wide gaps between the boards. Her gaze jerked back to him. “That’s it for today, huh? You lied! I
will
get even, you know.”

“I’ll go first.” He chuckled.

“Are you sure there’s no way down from right here?”

“You can do this.” He transferred to the next cable. “Take it slow, just like the log.” He watched to make sure she transferred safely as she followed him down onto the bridge. He made it look easy, but watching him didn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach or eliminate the dizziness every time she glimpsed the ground below.

He reached the other side. “Your turn.”

She took a deep breath and jumped to the first board, teetering precariously as she tried to regain her balance. The next jump was a little easier. Soon she got the hang of it and her confidence grew, reaching the other side much quicker than she had on the last obstacle. She smiled, right up until Joe hooked the zip line rigging to her harness and told her to jump off the platform.

“Are you crazy? I can’t do that!”

“Yes, you can.”

She looked again at the edge of the platform and envisioned herself jumping off. Her mind recoiled, and a sick feeling swirled in her stomach. She leaned back against the pole. “You go. Maybe if I see you do it, I’ll be able to jump.”

“You can’t stay up here by yourself.”

She groaned again, and her stomach churned. “Isn’t there any other way down?”

“Trust me. This is the safest way.”

Everything required trust with him. So, did she trust him? If she ever got back on the ground, she might be able to answer that question. She looked over the edge of the platform.
There’s no way!

“Take your time. Go when you’re ready… unless you want me to give you a little push.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” She wrapped her arms around the pole.

“You really don’t trust me, do you?” He laughed.

“I was starting to, before you said the word
push
.”

“There’s hope then? If I choose my words more carefully?”

“Maybe… if I ever get down from here.”

“Let’s sit for a minute. Things will look different from that perspective.” He sat, dangling his long legs over the side. Cara positioned herself beside him, her hands nervously flexing on the rope that joined her to the zip line.

“Jumping doesn’t seem any more reasonable from here.” Too bad, since sitting close enough to rub shoulders with him made her nearly as uncomfortable as the stupid zip line.

“We’ll just hang out and talk for a while then. That okay?” He gripped the edge of the platform and leaned forward, turning to look at her.

“The last time we talked, it ended badly.”

“Now we know which subjects to stay away from.”

“Yeah, anything to do with either of our private lives.”

“I think it was your ex-husband and my desire to protect you from him that got us crossways with each other.”

Cara glanced sideways at him, He was looking at her. Their eyes met. The strangest emotions coursed through her. Somehow, it didn’t sound so bad when he said it like that. Who didn’t want a knight in shining armor? She was afraid for Joe, but he sounded so confident he could protect her, and himself, she almost believed it. Recognizing the danger in that, she tore her eyes away from his.

“We’re making progress. You didn’t rip into me that time.” A grin came through in his voice.

“It doesn’t do any good to try talking sense into you.” She tried to sound serious, but her heart was no longer in it. She forced her mind back to the task at hand, considering the likelihood she’d ever be able to
zip
off this ledge. What was the worst that could happen? The cable could break and she’d plummet thirty feet to the ground. End all of her problems. More likely, it would be a gradual descent, with the jump from the platform the only really exciting part. She could do this.

“We’ve got unfinished business, you know. We might as well take care of it while we’re sitting here.”

“What’s that?”

“I almost had you talked into dinner that night we met.”

“You weren’t even close.”

“I think you were as intrigued with the idea as I was.” He grinned. “I also think we stood a good chance of ending the evening with a kiss.”

“That’s a stretch. You’re making the same mistake you made that night. Going from confident to arrogant in about two seconds flat. There was no chance in hell you were going to get a kiss.” Cara smiled at his wounded look.

“Will my chances ever improve?” His eyes met hers again.

She’d forgotten what a good-looking guy he was. The same mesmerizing pull she’d experienced the night she met him overcame her better judgment now. For a moment she wondered what it would feel like, his lips on hers, his arms holding her close, while they lost themselves in each other.

Cara drew herself up short. Was she completely crazy? She was barely free from one dangerous man. Why would she get involved with another? There was an attraction between them she couldn’t deny, but nothing could ever come of it.

“Maybe.” The word slipped out, almost on its own. Her gaze flew to his, hoping he hadn’t noticed her moment of weakness. He was watching her with his little-boy grin. A smile slowly and deliberately spread across her face. Surprise flickered in his eyes, and something much more intense darkened them. He lowered his head toward hers. When their lips nearly touched, she squeezed her eyes shut and pushed herself off the platform, letting the zip line shoot her out away from the ropes course, the ground rushing up toward her, the wind in her face highlighting the freedom of the moment, until she finally slowed and came to a stop.

Tyler was there to help her out of the rigging. “Looks like you enjoyed yourself.”

“You have no idea.” She couldn’t stop smiling.

Chapter Eleven

Sunday, 9:24 am

A
TWINGE OF
regret tugged at Joe’s emotions, even though her reaction had been exactly what he’d expected. He smiled unremorsefully as he jumped over the side and rappelled to the ground. At least he’d gotten her down off that platform.

Her gaze met his as she walked toward him, and a smile played across her lips. He searched her face for a hint of anything other than relief, but all he saw was humor dancing in her eyes as she and Tyler laughed about something. It was just as well. Charlie asked him to protect her, not seduce her.

“So, there is another way down.”

“I didn’t say there wasn’t. I said the zip line was the safest.”

“You make that look easy. Will you teach me to rappel?”

“When you’re ready.”

Tyler secured the belay line and walked away to return her harness to the small shed at the base of the course.

“What if I really couldn’t do it?” She eyed the platform above her head.

“I knew you could, given the proper motivation.” Amusement softened his tone.

“You knew I wouldn’t kiss you. That was just a game you were playing.”

“I thought I might have a slim chance.” Glancing at her, he caught the surprise that registered fleetingly. He laughed softly. “Anyway, it was a win-win situation.”

“Come to think of it, you were only doing your job that night at the casino. You were probably glad you didn’t get stuck having dinner with me.”

“Not necessarily.” His voice held more frustration than he’d intended, but she didn’t turn away. His gaze slid to the curve of her soft lips and her neck where the blood pulsed in rhythm with her heart.

Tyler returned from the equipment shed and cleared his throat. “Boss, Murphy called, said it was important.”

Joe hesitated, wanting to continue the conversation she’d started and see where it took them.

Anger flashed in her eyes. “I’ve accepted your terms. I won’t run off. Don’t worry.”