Free Double Dare by Rhonda Nelson

know
of.”
    Same chuckled. “Not that you know of? I
didn’t ask if you were allergic to any medicines. Believe me,
people who are afraid of heights know it. You must not suffer from
that ailment.”
    Lou grinned wryly. “We’ll know soon enough,
won’t we?”
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Sam assured. “It’s completely
safe. Just do what I tell you do to. I’ll go first, so you can
watch me and know what to expect.” Sam paused, a thoughtful look on
his face. “Have you eaten?”
    Lou’s heart tripped in her chest. Dare she
hope he meant to ask her to dinner? “Only ice cream. I-I could go
for something a little more substantial.”
    “ Not until after you jump,”
Sam said as he wheeled into the parking lot of Adventure City.
“It’s better if you jump on an empty stomach.”
    Lou swallowed her disappointment. So much for
that thought. They’d practically made love in the pool, but he
still couldn’t bend his damned rules enough to share dinner with
her. “Sure. I see what you mean.”
    If she hurled, she’d make sure a goodly
portion of it landed on him, Lou thought uncharitably.
    Sam shoved the gearshift into park and turned
to face her. His smile, though not forced, lacked its usual charm.
“Are you ready?”
    Lou bit her lip and nodded.
    His gaze strayed to her mouth, then quickly
returned. “Then let’s do it.”
    Twenty minutes later Lou stood on the edge of
the platform. She wore a harness and, to her immense relief, Sam
had doubled-checked all of the fastenings. She’d watched him dive
over the side without a single hesitation.
    For the briefest second, she’d glimpsed the
wild glimmer in his eye, that certain spark that made him a little
more reckless, a little more daring than the average man. And
naturally, it had turned her on. But then, what about Sam didn’t
trip her trigger?
    Still wearing a grin, seemingly relishing the
rush of the fall, Sam turned Lou to him and placed his hands on her
shoulders. “You can do this. There’s nothing to it. I’m going to
wait for you on the ground.”
    Suddenly panicked, Lou clasped his arm. “But
you’re gonna stay right here until I jump, right? You’re not gonna
leave right now? I mean, uh, I might need to ask you
something.”
    Sam’s grin softened with concern and his eyes
held hers. “I’ll be where you want me to be.”
    Would that that were
true , Lou thought.
    Okay. Lou mentally loosened her shoulders
like a prizefighter stepping into the ring. Her time had come.
    “ Ready when you are, Lou,”
the operator called. 
    Excitement bubbled through her veins, made
her fingers twitch with anticipation. Her stomach knotted, dipped
and dived and she hadn’t even taken the plunge yet. It was now or
never. Lou quickly knotted her fists in Sam’s shirt and dragged him
down for a quick, explosive kiss. His eyes widened in surprise, but
to her insane delight, he instantly responded—with his
tongue—making Lou grin against his mouth.
    Then she pulled away and leapt over the
side.
    “ Ooooohhhh mmmmyyyyy
Ggggooooddddd,” Lou yodeled as she zoomed toward the ground. Her
stomach launched itself into her throat and Lou felt certain she
would be sick at any moment. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed
for forgiveness for every sin she’d ever committed, imagined or
otherwise . I’m donna die, I’m gonna die,
I’m gonna die . The litany ran through her
mind repeatedly.
    Until something amazing happened. Lou
realized she was flying, seemingly weightless. She cracked an eye
open and found herself no longer terrified. The euphoric feeling
wrapped around her until Lou didn’t want the jump to end.
Exhilaration pulsed through her, tickled her nerves and made her
laugh with giddy delight. She opened her arms and grinned until her
face hurt, until she could seemingly feel every particle of night
air embrace her. Oh, wow! No wonder Sam had enjoyed this! This
was…this was…amazing!
    Almost as moving as his kiss.
     
***
     
    Sam knew