Free Daring to Love: A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 3) by Jessica Gray Page B

her touch and she could see the evidence of his rising desire. Focus, Charlene. You came here for a reason! She took a breath and said, "As much as I want to make love to you for the rest of the day, I came here because I need to slash some demons."
    She locked eyes with his, baring her soul before she continued, "And, I was hoping you could help me."
    Suddenly she wasn't so sure of him anymore. Was this too much to ask? He was a busy man and probably didn't have time to spend a good part of his day helping her get down that damn mountain. When she hesitated, he took her into his arms with the sweetest smile ever, and told her, "I'd do anything for you, Wonder Woman. Tell me what it is."
    “I want to conquer that damn mountain!”

Chapter 13
     
    Evan took her fidgeting hands into his, until she stilled and asked, "Are you sure?"
    "Yes." No! I’m not. She wanted to shout her denial out. But it was now or never, she might not have another chance to get her act together if she’d let this opportunity slip away.
    "Okay. Then let's go." He was already standing up, dragging her behind him.
    "What, right now? Don't you have other things to do?" Please, let’s do this tomorrow. Or next week. Or never.
    "Yes, right now. And no, there's nothing more important in my life than you."
    Her heart jumped at his words. But then she got afraid of her own courage. "I thought maybe we could go tomorrow."
    He gave her a stern but loving look, "Better to do it right away. Or you might change your mind. Once you’ve decided to do something scary, you must get it over with as fast as possible. Kind of like ripping a Band-Aid off. Sometimes it’s just better to get it over quick.“
    „If you think so..“ Why did she feel like she had to mount the scaffold?
    “I know what I’m talking about. And I'll be with you all along, so there's no reason to be afraid.”
    She sighed. She knew she'd bail out the second he'd let go of her. Run and hide. For the rest of her life if it was necessary.
    He seemed to read her mind because his next words were, "Let's get dressed and then I accompany you to your place to get your skiing gear."
    She murmured a feeble, "Okay.” Even though I am so far from alright as one can get!
    Here insides were starting to freeze over. That hidden fear and guilt monster raised its ugly head and spread out into every cell in her body. She wouldn’t be surprised, if she’d turn into stone right here and now.
    “That didn't sound very excited," Evan told her.
    "I'm not."
    He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be with you all the time."
    He was so sweet. She couldn't believe it. All the news about him, and never once had the press mentioned or shown his sweet and romantic side. All they ever wrote about was how daring, successful, and courageous he was. A risk taker, a womanizer.
                                                                                        ***
    Evan got dressed, and then he escorted Charlene back to her own apartment and patiently waited while she gathered her skiing gear. All the way up the mountain, he held her hand. Partly because he loved to touch her, but mostly because he was afraid, she'd bail out the moment he let go of her.
    He could sense her fear, and the huge amount of willpower it cost her to keep going. It was a palpable thing that rolled off her in large waves. The closer they got to the crossing for the Devil's Nose, the quieter and more self-absorbed she became. Can you blame her? She’s probably reliving both her meltdown from yesterday, and that horrible scene from two years ago.
    Her agony pierced his heart. A part of him wanted to turn around to spare her the pain, but he knew she needed to do this. Evan had never been afraid of fear. Fear was something to jump on and get past. Something that sent adrenaline soaring through his veins, making him feel alive. I should feel honored that she came to