Free Millionaire Romance: In Love With My Boss - A Contemporary Romance (Millionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance, Comedy Romance Book 1) by Audrey Tolhouse

envisioned ants marching across his knuckles. Apparently, there must not have been any, and the bark not too rotten or gutted from termites because his grip held.
    From a dead hang, his feet mere inches from the first tree; he pulled himself up to get a firmer grasp with his right arm. He swung his leg around for traction and was able to finish pulling himself up. He was breathing hard, and his shirt was smeared with the tree, but he sat up, straddling the large tree truck and put both arms into the air.
    “That’s what I’m talking about!” He looked down at Jennifer. “Your turn. Did you see what I did?”
    She laughed. “You’re crazy. Drop the rope.”
    “It’s easy, just jump up and grab. I’ll get you,” he was still laughing but stopped when he looked away. “You’re going to love it up here.”
    Jennifer had nearly gathered her breath, but her heart still pounded with anticipation. “What’s it look like? Can you see it?”
    Andrew nodded. “It’s beautiful. I think we’ll be able to touch the water.” He looked down at her again before removing the pack. He pulled out a thin bundle of rope.
    “How long is it?”
    “Ten feet,” he answered, stretching the rope out, “should be more than enough.” He made a loop and fastened it off with a slip knot. “For a foot,” he instructed before lowering it down. He wrapped the ends around his right forearm.
    As the loop reached Jennifer, she stuck her right foot in. It was lowered to about a foot above where she currently stood. It seemed a bit silly. Could he really hold her weight? Jennifer peered at Andrew’s eyes around the side of the tree. “You’re going to pull me up like an elevator?”
    He answered her with his eyes. “That’s one way to describe it. You ready?”
    Looking around at the twigs and thick branches of the forest, Jennifer gripped the rope tightly near her face. She didn’t think she wouldn’t be able to hold on, but the thought still scared her. She wondered what would happen if his grip slipped. He wore no gloves and only had his bare hands that she was sure were sweaty. Andrew must have seen the concern on her face because he said, “I won’t drop you. I promise.”
    Jennifer smiled at his reassurance. She believed him. “Beam me up,” she said with a stifled giggle.
     

Chapter Nine
    Hidden Oasis
    SHE PUT ALL of her weight into the loop as she stepped up, letting her left leg dangle.
    She didn’t move for a moment. When Andrew began to lift her with the rope, her body lurched. She repositioned her hands around the rope and looked around as her body rose higher. She was eye level with the bottom of the first fallen tree truck, her probably a foot and a half off the ground.
    Andrew lifted the rope slowly, steadily, having kept his legs wrapped around the truck for leverage. The angel seemed to put a painful strain on him, but he didn’t say anything or make any noise other than an occasional grunt. As Jennifer passed the first tree, she immediately became eye level with the second. She kept her body free from the side by pushing away slightly. Sweat more than covered Andrew’s face.
    When he could no longer pull Jennifer with the rope, she reached for his left arm. His strong grip shocked her, but he grabbed her firmly, helping her to take a hold of the tree without getting her clothes smeared with the trunk. She refused to straddle and struggled to position both of her legs over the side of the damp tree.
    Jennifer could feel Andrew’s breath on her face. It was hot but didn’t smell or stink. She was thankful for that and smiled as she caught his eyes. Andrew grinned back at her, moving his hand along her arm to her back to help her steady.
    “That’s was fun,” he said with a chuckle.
    Jennifer glanced over her back and looked down towards the surface she had just left. She was at least five feet from the ground. “How far is that?”
    Andrew shrugged and diverted her attention to the waterfall. From the