Chapter 48

• Ian wiped the sweat from his brow, jeans and boots were not the greatest attire for rock climbing, but so far they’d made it three-quarters of the way down without an incident. The few times Alec had lost her grip, she’d dug in like a seasoned climber, although he was sure she did it only so she wouldn’t have to rely on him.
• Holding a jutting rock, he looked over his shoulder to see how much further they had to go. Further than he’d like, he had no problem with free climbing, but a rope would make him feel a hell of a lot better than four feet of a leather strap. Dirt hit him, and he looked around to watch Alec struggling to stop sliding. “Ease my way and rest a bit.” Bracing his shoulder against the hard dirt, he prepared to counterbalance in case she didn’t get it under control.
• When she moved close enough, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her to rest in front of him. He knew he was pressing her into the dirt but didn’t have a lot of foot room to give her more space. “Just rest a minute.” She nodded and rested her forehead forward. “You’re doing great.”