High Risk

CHAPTER 20

The first hour of training was a complete and utter failure. Becki collapsed onto the mat beside him and cursed wildly.

Marcus waited for her to finish letting off steam. He rested his hand on her thigh, rubbing lightly as she lay with her arms crossed over her face.

She’d warmed up, roped in, and attempted to climb. Each time she’d been no higher than the five-foot marker before she’d call for a stop and he’d lower her to safety. He’d suggested other routes, other things she could do to train, but she’d insisted.

She might be willing, but her fear was having nothing to do with it. She was like a clipped bird, stuck on the ground.

Her chest heaved as she dragged in a huge breath and released it slowly.

“What am I going to do, Marcus? I can’t wrap a blindfold around my head and expect you to follow me everywhere, talking me through routes.”

Frustration and anger—at herself—screamed out no matter how softly she’d spoken.

“Why are you pushing so hard to go vertical?” he asked. “You need to get into shape again, and there’s no reason why you can’t do that while staying close to the floor.”

She cranked her elbow out of the way to deliver a scathing glare. “Baby steps.”

“I’ll join you,” Marcus offered. “Come on, it’s way more fun to have someone else to work over and laugh at when they fall off a section you aced than worrying about what you can’t change right now.”

Becki flipped to her stomach and crawled toward him. “Stop being reasonable. I was getting ready for a good pout, and you had to go and ruin it for me.”

He caught her around the waist and pulled her close. Becki rested her hands on his shoulders while his fingers teased the line of skin at the edge of her shorts. “Sorry, but tell me that reasonable isn’t what you’d have suggested if our positions were reversed.”

“Hmm, reversed positions. Now you’re onto something.” She made contact with his chest and pushed. The move came quickly enough that he lost his balance, landing on his back to discover he was looking up at her. She’d straddled him, a shining grin exchanged for the anger she’d shown only a moment before.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” he warned. “I just suggested wall circuits. I’m not going to fool around until you’ve done at least two.”

“Oh, really?” Becki undulated her hips, and he gave his dick hell for reacting.

She leaned down, the swoop of her climbing top low enough to reveal the rounded line of her cleavage. He looked forward to exploring her all over again very shortly, but first? Self-control was demanded. “You know you want to climb.”

Becki planted her hands on either side of his head and sighed lustily. “I want to climb you, but fine. Work first. Play later.”

She kissed him. Lips soft and warm. Eager tongue slipping to tangle with his. The position put her full-out over the top of him, and he was seriously considering throwing the workout aside for at least an hour when there was a loud slam, and a rush of cooler air filled the room.

She sprang back, scrambling to her feet. Marcus joined her as three people walked through the door, their loud joking echoing in the gym.

“I still don’t believe you did that.” Tripp poked Devon in the chest. “Alisha is going to kill you.”

“She’s got to catch me first.” Devon stopped a few feet away from them, his bright grin innocently shining out. “Hey, Marcus. Becki. What’s up?”

Marcus looked over his team. Devon, Tripp, Xavier. “What’re you doing here on a day off?”

“Interview for the paper. The reporter wants shots to accompany the article, and we figured David wouldn’t mind if we used the gym.”

Devon seemed oblivious, but Tripp was giving Becki and him some pointed looks. Xavier had already wandered off to the change room, no doubt to grab harness and climbing shoes.

“Umm, you don’t think David will mind, do you?” Devon fidgeted, finally picking up on some of the tension in the room.

Marcus wanted to say yes, but he couldn’t lie, no matter how much he regretted losing their privacy. Of course, now the likelihood of getting their workout completed increased exponentially. “Not a problem at all. We’ll stay out of your way.”

He joined Becki in the corner where she’d retreated. “Sorry about that. You still game to continue?”

She leered at him dramatically, then laughed. “Well, sure. Why not?”

He glanced around quickly, and when he realized they were alone for a moment, he leaned in, caging her with his body. “You know what you started earlier?”

A slight wiggle was enough to rub them together intimately. “Yeah?”

“We’re finishing later. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Becki rotated slowly, rubbing her butt against him as she got into position on two small holds barely off the ground.

He wanted to lean over and bite her, but the guys burst from the change room at that moment.

Plans postponed, not cancelled.

She settled into a routine. Stepped to a new hold, joined her feet or crossed them over. All the time as she traversed, she never picked any hold higher than her arm’s length up.

She might have called this exercise baby steps, but it was still valuable conditioning, and they both knew it.

“Hey, stop staring at my ass and get moving,” Becki taunted, too softly for the boys to hear on the far side of the gym.

“It’s a nice ass.”

She laughed, and something inside him rejoiced at seeing her making the best of it.

He switched attachments on his prosthetic, leaving the claw behind for a small ax-shaped device instead. One side a point, the other flat, he could use it pretty much like a hand without worrying about it coming apart or getting stuck on him.

He paced past Becki, supposedly to check her positioning, but really to take advantage of the position she was in. He caught hold of her ankle and adjusted it, lightly stroking her inner thigh until he paused with his hand cupped over her sex. He kept his body between her and the team, blocking his movements.

“You know, whatever you do I’m doing back to you first chance I get.” Becki pumped her hips over his fingers.

Marcus glanced over his shoulder to ensure that his team was otherwise occupied. “You can grope me anytime you’d like.”

“Game on,” Becki whispered.

The exercise should have been called sexual tension repeats. She hopped off the wall and challenged him to try a section. The entire time he worked on placing his hand, hook, and feet, she was right behind him, touching him under the guise of “guiding him into position.”

“There’s a nice spot longing for you to fill it over here, Marcus. Slip your fingers in nice and slow. That’s right. Oh, yeah, and now push with your hips. Another inch. Hmmm, come on, give it everything you’ve got.”

He took smaller steps as his cock reacted. Fell off the wall to get a little relief. Then he’d turn around and taunt her in return, both of them working like the devil to keep their laughter and filthy comments low enough not to be overheard by the others.

When the knock sounded, Marcus had almost forgot about the reporter. He briefly debated ducking into the change room until the invader and his accompanying cameraman left. But the team seemed to have it under control. Becki watched for a moment with a wary expression, and Marcus leaned in close.

“You look thrilled to see them.”

“Let’s just say reporters aren’t my favourite people.”

Marcus paused. “You want to get out of here?”

Becki nodded. “If you don’t mind. We can stretch in the dorms or something.”

He bumped her to draw her attention from where she was staring across at the two men setting up camera equipment. “You’re not trying to get out of spending the day with me, are you?”

Her eyes were tired, but she smiled. “Sorry. Distracted. No, we can go back to your place. I’m good with that.”

He wanted to see that smile return that she’d worn only moments before.

Marcus motioned to her gym bag, then grabbed his own things, keeping Becki close by his side. They’d almost made it when he noticed the reporter waving.

Ignore the man and pretend he hadn’t seen? They weren’t close enough to the door to duck out without making it obvious that their departure was an escape.

“Heads up, Becki, company,” he warned as the reporter jogged across the room.

“Hi, Marcus. Good to see you climbing again.”

“Ted.” Marcus acknowledged him with a brief nod.

“Wanted to say hello.” Ted extended a hand to Becki. “Ted Martin. You’re the new instructor?”

Becki smiled politely as she shook his hand. “Working with David and the instructors.”

“Awesome. You’ll be at the gala next weekend, I assume?”

She nodded. “I’ll be there.”

Ted stepped back with a smile. “That’s great. Hope you’re enjoying Banff. We’ll see you around.”

He spun on his heel and trotted back to the team. Marcus took advantage of the moment, and they escaped, not stopping until they were seated in his truck.

Becki twisted to face him. “That was . . .”

“. . . really weird. Yeah. I wonder what he’s up to?” Ted knew better than to try to get Marcus to do a real interview, but that meet-and-greet had been strange. Marcus drove in silence, both he and Becki deep in their own thoughts.

She followed him into the house. After the disappointment of the failed start of training, they’d fallen into so much fun teasing each other on the scramble. She’d lost sight of that while distracted by the reporter.

Damn her brain for doing a yo-yo anyway.

She dropped her bag by the door. “You have any chocolate?”

Marcus laughed. “Is this a trick question?”

“It’s being asked by a frustrated female. I’d call it an important question to answer quickly.”

He caught her by the shoulder, rubbing the tight muscles. “What if I can relax you another way?”

“I suppose that means you have no chocolate.”

“Right. Guy pad. I have beer. . . .”

She twisted to face him, longing for something to change. “I enjoyed training. Sorry for being such a wet blanket at the end. I don’t like reporters.”

“Hey, I get it. Trust me.” He cupped her chin in his hand and stroked his thumb over her cheek. “Offer still stands. You want me to help you relax?”

What did she want? She went for honest.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to decide. I don’t want to have to think. I want to . . . not be in charge right now.”

His eyes flashed hot, and she swallowed hard as the lusts inside that had faded roared to full strength.

He nodded. “If that’s what you want, then I can definitely help you with that.”

He led her down the hall, this time to the master bath. She’d been in there briefly to shower, glancing longingly at the oversized soaker tub.

Now he stopped beside it and reached for her.

She stood motionless as he stroked his hand down her body, the sensation sparking her senses and helping the anxiety to fall away. “You have such a decadent house. Hot tub outside, Jacuzzi in here. Shower big enough for two.”

“I like my comforts. Take off your clothes.”

She stripped as he twisted the taps and filled the tub, holding her hand and helping her step into the water. Becki sighed as heat enveloped her, cocooning her in soft pleasure. Marcus arranged her in the bath, laying her back and lifting her arms to rest along the ledges.

“Wait right here.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, then paced away. She watched him go, admiration for his willingness to care for her overriding the lust she had for his ass.

She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the heat. At times it seemed she was always cold—a chill lingering in her body from the accident that clung to her soul like icicles. Here she felt safe, warmth trickling in not just from his actions and the sexual heat between them.

She didn’t know everything about Marcus, but she trusted him. Completely.

A sweet rich scent filled her nostrils, and she glanced up to find he’d returned. He sprinkled something around her, kneeling to put the tin aside and stir the water’s surface with his fingertips. A flowery aroma with tones of fruit surrounded her.

“What is that?”

Marcus leaned back, his hand still dangling over her. “Tea.”

She laughed. “No way.”

He shrugged. “The magic works on the outside as well as when you drink it. Now close your eyes and let me take care of you.

Maybe she was being selfish, but she totally loved every minute of what followed. He washed her, reaching into the water to touch and caress all of her. Slow, seductive motions. Thorough and yet brief. He didn’t linger as he stroked her breasts, took as long to wash her arms as the folds of her labia. But by the time he was done, she was both boneless with relaxation and buzzing with desire.

He helped her stand and walked her to the shower to wash away the fine bits of tea that still clung to her skin.

He dried her. Brought her to his bed.

“It should be my turn to take care of you,” she commented.

“You’re not in charge.” He flipped her to her belly and straddled her, covering her skin with oil, squeezing her muscles and loosening all the fatigue. For having done a gentle climb, she was amazingly tired. His fingers dug in deep, pulling and working until she was totally relaxed and warm from the inside out.

“This is lovely,” she sighed happily. “Thank you.”

Marcus kissed her shoulder, moving off and sitting next to her hip. “We’re not done. You ready for more?”

More? Curiosity rose. “You’re in charge.”

“Exactly.” He paused. “Becki, I do anything you don’t like, tell me to stop.”

She lifted herself on her elbows so she could meet his gaze. “Are you worried I won’t enjoy what you’re about to do?”

“Oh no, I think you’ll enjoy it a lot, but I had to warn you. You have total control. Say stop, and I will.”

“Go for it.” Saying stop was the last thing on her mind.