Free Just This Once by Rosalind James Page A

Women
who are doing all sorts of amazing things. They inspire me.”
    “Sounds like you have a bit of pressure on you, though. Good
for you to get away, I reckon. What made you come on this trip alone? I’m
surprised you didn’t bring someone with you. That you aren’t with someone, as
pretty as you are.”
    “I could say the same thing. Not that you’re exactly pretty.
But why are you here alone? There isn’t somebody back home, is there?” she
asked in sudden alarm. “You aren’t married, or in a relationship with
somebody?”
     “Hang on.” He held up both hands in protest. “How did this
get to be about me? Nah, I’m not married. Not living with anyone. Not with
anyone. Single and available. What about you? Bit of a holiday away from your
partner?”
    He laughed at her shocked expression. “Never mind. I may not
know you very well yet, but I can tell you’re not the type.”
    “Let’s hope not. No, nobody at home waiting for me. And as
for a friend to come with me—a female friend, I could have worked that
out, I suppose. But I wanted to come here by myself. I’ve never had much time
alone, to do what I wanted to do. I haven’t had any adventures at all, really. It’s
so nice,” she smiled happily, “and I’m only a week into it. No schedules, no
plans. Bliss.”
    “And now you’ve almost drowned, and snorkeled through a sea
cave,” he agreed. “Up here, we’re going to have another adventure, if you’re
ready.”
    She looked in the direction he pointed. The path wound
steeply up a rock-strewn slope to where, far above, jagged rocks thrust against
the sky.
    “This is where you tell me if you want to turn around,” he
said seriously. “You can see why they call it The Pinnacles.”
    “Is it safe?” she asked doubtfully.
    “All steps, and ladders, and handholds,” he reassured her.
“More of a physical challenge. Stamina. I’ll watch you, no worries. Somebody
counted, I heard, and found there are more than 500 steps. What do you think?”
    “500 steps. How can I resist? Although now I’m going to feel
I have to count them all.”
    They set off on the steep ascent. The wind was stronger up
here, threatening to take the cap from Hannah’s head and blowing her shirt
against her body. And he was right, there were a lot of steps. A whole lot of
them. After the fourth or fifth long flight, she found herself slowing down to
maintain her stamina for the long trek.
    “Why don’t you walk ahead of me?” Drew suggested. “I’ll
match your pace. Take your time.”
    After a few more flights, though, she stopped and told him, “I
think you should go ahead.”
    “Why?” he objected. “You’re doing fine.”
    “Because,” she said in exasperation. “I don’t want you
walking up all those steps behind me, looking at my rear end. I know it’s big,
OK? I don’t want you getting that view, and thinking how I should be working on
that.”
    He burst out laughing and pulled her to him. “Sweetheart,”
he said, still grinning, “who says it’s big?”
    “It’s been mentioned,” she answered stiffly. “I’m not one of
those skinny girls. I know that. Nobody’s going to ask me to model on the
catwalk. But I’m strong.” She glared at him. “And this is what I have.”
    “And I love it. Whoever told you your bum was too big was
mad. Your bum,” he said seriously, running his hands down her back and then,
slowly, onto the offending body part, “is perfect.”
    “Absolutely perfect,” he murmured as he bent to kiss her.
    She wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss,
rising up onto her toes on the open track. As his mouth moved over hers, her
hands went of their own volition around the back of his neck, pulling his head
down to hers, rubbing over the corded muscle at the side of his neck, and then sliding
down over his broad back. Her hands settled on either side of his spine, where
her fingers felt the ridge of muscle rising strongly on either side.
    In response, he