Rising, Freestyle

Chapter Three

Sketched Out: Feeling insecure, a lack of confidence in the current situation.

She hadn’t changed much. Not in the nearly ten years since he’d last seen her. Her petite body was still powerful, lean and made his body ache as she clung to the wall and traversed her way across, staying only a few feet off the ground.

Nathan King rested his chin on his hands, leaning forward in his seat in the balcony area as he watched Melanie bouldering. She wore full-length yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt—no evidence of her accident was visible, but he knew it was there. He’d seen the news-file photos taken immediately after Mel’s fall.

He’d gone off in another direction long before her mishap, and until his most recent assignment had crossed his desk, he’d put all thoughts of her out of his mind. She’d been underage the first time they’d hung around each other, him always careful to stay on the outskirts of her crowd.

Nathan stared across the room, his fascination rising. She wasn’t too young anymore.

He clicked a couple of candid shots from the upstairs seating area before packing away his camera equipment and descending the stairs to greet her.

He hung back along the wall and waited for her to spot him. She spoke animatedly with another climber, the woman laughing at something Mel said. Nathan admired how her eyes lit up, a smile brightening her face just like he remembered. Except the slope of her cheek was all woman now, no baby fat or maturing left to do, simply a dark beauty that shone through her healthy glow.

Taking this assignment was looking more positive all the time.

Melanie lifted her head and glanced in his direction. A crease appeared between her brows, a cloud of confusion in her eyes. The moment she figured out who he was, everything changed.

“Nathan? Oh my God, it’s you!”

She raced across the floor and threw herself into his arms. The warmth of her torso hit like a thunderbolt, streaking through him and electrifying his entire system. He grabbed on to stop her from falling, bracing his legs to keep them both vertical. Her arms squeezed him tight and he was suddenly aware of the intimate contact between their bodies. Her breasts were compressed against him, his cock against her belly. She squirmed and he let her go, her cheeks flushed as she stared.

“Hey, monkey.”

He easily blocked her instant punch to his torso, grinning as he realized that even after all these years her response to his tease hadn’t changed.

“What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you in forever.” She motioned him to the side of the room to a safer place to talk out of the way of climbers and curious onlookers.

“I came to see you.”

Her eyes widened, panic-stricken. “Katy. She’s okay, isn’t she? You didn’t come to tell me—”

“Whoa, hang on. There’s nothing wrong with my sister. She sent her love when I told her I was heading west to meet with you.” Nathan looked her up and down slowly, letting his admiration show. This might be partly a job, but that didn’t mean that was all it had to be. He was single, and she was all grown up. This could be a lot of fun for the short while he would be in town.

He was rather looking forward to it.

Her tension dissipated only to be replaced by a frown. “I’m glad she’s all right, but I don’t understand. Why are you looking for me?”

“Does that surprise you so much? That I’m interested in seeing you?” He couldn’t resist. With the back of one finger he stroked her cheek, enjoying how her body jerked in response to his touch, her face heating even more.

“Nate, I’m…” She backed up, flustered just like when she’d been a kid and he’d paid attention to her. Although he’d done his best back then to keep his attraction hidden.

“Can I buy you a coffee? So we can talk?” He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t seem to stop. Under her tight T-shirt, her nipples had hardened and now poked against the fabric. The facility had the air-conditioning on high enough it wasn’t sweltering hot in the place, but it wasn’t cold enough to make her body react.

She fumbled for words. “I’m not done with my workout.”

“I can wait.” Somehow his hand was on her arm, a gentle caress.

She crossed her arms, casually slipping away from him, and it was his turn to feel embarrassed. He hadn’t meant to make a move in public. Not after so many years apart. No matter that the chemistry between them seemed to be heating up in a hurry.

“Melanie. Is there a problem?”

The dark-haired man he’d seen behind the check-in counter stood beside her, glaring at Nathan with suspicion.

Mel blinked hard right before she leaned on the other man’s chest, slipping her arm behind his back and settling intimately against him. “Derrick, this is Nathan. He’s my best friend’s big brother.”

Ah, shit. Flirting without asking questions could be detrimental to his health.

Nathan held his hand out to Derrick, fully expecting the guy to crush his fingers in a display of macho strength.

Instead, Derrick gave a friendly grin. “Glad to meet you.”

Nathan noticed he didn’t do anything to move Melanie any farther from his side. Point made. She was taken.

Shit again.

“I was just asking Mel if she’d join me for a coffee. You’re welcome to come along.”

Derrick glanced at the clock. “I’m good to go anytime. Melanie? You done or did you want to climb for a little longer?”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek quickly before stepping away. “If I finish my workout now I don’t have to come back later.” She turned to Nathan. “Are you okay waiting for a bit? Tell me your timeline. If you’ve only got a few hours in town I can totally change my plans.”

“You can finish. I’m staying around for a while. Got a room at the hotel on the lake, so no rush.”

Melanie nodded, glancing between them before retreating to the wall she’d been traversing. Nathan watched in fascination as she shook out her hands then stepped onto a tiny foothold, her body close to the wall, arms extended overhead.

“Family friend? You know Melanie well?” Derrick moved closer and Nathan hid his smile. The third degree started now. That was fine. He had a few questions of his own, and this was as good a way as any to get information.

“I moved away for college and have only seen Mel a couple of times since then. I’m on the road a lot. What about you? You work here at the climbing center?”

“Own it. What do you do for a living that keeps you traveling so much?”

Nathan pulled his camera bag forward. “Photographer. I don’t do war zones, but just about anything else—still life or action—I’ve shot it.”

“You taking pictures around the area for a travel magazine or something? I can make a few suggestions of easy places to access.”

“Thanks. I do need some nature shots, but this assignment is human interest.”

Nathan’s gaze was drawn again to Melanie. She was leaning at a nearly ninety-degree angle, long legs stretched to the side and spread wide, the edge of her shirt separating a bare inch from her pants as she lowered herself down the wall doing a modified chin-up. The amount of strength in her upper body was incredible, and he could just picture the kind of shot he could take, getting in close to angle from—

There was a nudge to his arm and Nathan snapped back to attention.

“Human interest? You want to take pictures of Melanie?” Derrick’s disapproval rang through loud and clear.

“I think I should talk to her about it first, if you don’t mind.”

The pleasant expression on Derrick’s face had vanished. Nathan didn’t even bother to try and hide his smirk. The boyfriend was going to be protective, was he? Well, Nathan didn’t remember Mel ever needing much protection.

“Of course.” They stepped aside to allow a couple to access the wall behind them. Someone called Derrick’s name. He waved at the couple before motioning to Nathan. “Wait in the viewing gallery until Melanie’s done, then we can grab that coffee.”

He didn’t offer it as a suggestion. Nathan nodded briskly before taking the stairs two at a time. Well shit, the fact that Melanie was attached sucked. He’d been looking forward to getting to know her better over the next weeks. He leaned on the railing, peering down into the climbing area. She fluttered glances upward a few times, her cheeks bright, gaze darting away whenever they happened to make eye contact.

Then again, maybe the boyfriend thing wasn’t going to be an issue. Nathan grinned. In fact, there was nothing he liked better than a challenge.

Melanie squirmed in her chair, her body far too hot and needy to deal with this situation. Nathan King. Of all the people to show up now, why him? She leaned against Derrick’s side. Yeah, she was hiding. The kind of physical thrill that had hit her when she’d caught sight of Nathan was completely inappropriate considering she’d been sleeping with Derrick for the past three months. Except sleeping was such a weak, pathetic word to describe what they’d been doing. Romping, sweating and screaming out in pleasure. The man didn’t do anything by half measures. Not her climbing lessons, not their dating, and certainly not the sex. After she’d gone on birth control and they’d both gotten clean bills of health, their lovemaking had become even more spontaneous. There were a few days she’d truly understood the concept of not being able to walk afterward.

So why did Nathan make something in her core quiver like a needy bird?

“You guys grew up together?” There was a low timbre of stress audible in Derrick’s voice. He might be attempting to keep the situation laid-back, but there was no getting around it. Somehow she must have let her unwelcome attraction to Nathan show. Guilt hit. Her growing relationship with Derrick was about more than simply sex—she didn’t want to hurt him.

Nathan popped open his wallet and passed a picture to Derrick. “My little sister Katy and Mel were best friends growing up. I think since day one. Our gap in ages meant I wasn’t around that much, though.”

Enough for her to have had a mad teenage crush on him. Melanie scrambled for safe topics. “Katy said you were working for Rave magazine. How’s that going?”

Nathan flashed his bright smile and she fought against the spark it lit inside her core. “It’s been the best move of my career. With bimonthly releases, I get a ton of work from them. I’m on assignment, and while they occasionally call with last-minute shots they want for the files, most of the time I’m out for a couple weeks at a time doing human-interest stories. Like right now.”

Human interest? In this neck of the woods? “Who’s so interesting around here? One of the environmentalist programs? Bear handling?” Melanie teased, sipping her coffee.

“You.”

She choked on her mouthful, spitting back into her cup. “Me? What are you talking about? I just moved here. I have nothing to do with the area.”

He laughed. “It’s not the location, monkey, it’s you. We’ve got a series of ‘where are they now’ articles in the works, and you’re—”

“No way.” She leaned back in her chair, the ache in her hip a clear reminder of what he was talking about. “You want to talk about the accident? Jesus, Nate, I thought the blood-suckers got all the mileage out of that disaster back when it happened.”

“It’s not like that, Mel, just hear me out.”

“I don’t want to show the old pictures—”

“We won’t.”

Derrick slipped an arm around her. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“It’s not about the past, it’s about where you are now. What you’ve been doing and how you’ve headed into the future.” Nathan’s piercing blue eyes locked with hers and refused to let her go. “When they mentioned your name I thought it was a brilliant suggestion. Do you know how many people you could encourage? How many victims of car accidents or burns could see you living life to the fullest and become motivated to do the same?”

Her stomach fell, all the simmering sexual interest vaporizing and drifting away on the breeze. How could she be an inspiration to others when she had barely peeked her head out of her own personal hellhole? She’d made some headway since moving, and getting involved with Derrick had done wonders for a bunch of her psychoses, but as a role model for others?

Bullshit.

“Nathan, I…I can’t do it.” Her mouth was completely dry, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. “I mean, I’m employed at the post office. It’s not as if I’m a brain surgeon or a schoolteacher or anyone who makes a difference in other people’s lives.”

“But you could make a difference. Mel, I saw you in the gym. You were working that wall, pumping it out when I know damn well you didn’t walk for months after the accident. It took a lot of determination for you to get back to being physically strong, and I think you’ve underestimated how remarkable that is.”

It was too much. She turned to Derrick and buried her face in his shirt. He held her close, rubbing her back. He remained silent, not taking over and she was so grateful. It took a minute to regain enough control that she could twist her head to stare at Nathan while remaining in the safe shelter of Derrick’s arms.

Nathan’s princely good looks had matured, or maybe it was the fact she was no longer looking through love-struck teenage eyes. He’d cut his dark hair into a close, professional style, and she imagined all the women at his magazine vied for his attention when he was in the office. No doubt tossing themselves at his feet and willingly crawling between his sheets on a nightly basis.

But right now, with the firm beat of Derrick’s heart under her ear, and his arms supporting her, there was nothing in Nathan’s eyes saying sexual intent. There was compassion, and a streak of stubbornness that she’d expect from him.

Could she do this? Talk about a forced move into the light. Letting Derrick see her naked and touch her scarred body—that was one thing. They’d shared enough time over the past couple months to make being with him seem normal. It was private, and usually she was so sexually turned on by the time she stripped that passion smoothed away any remaining nervousness that arose.

She still hadn’t managed to show her damaged skin in public. Not even a regular T-shirt. The thought of anyone other than Derrick seeing her made bile rise to the back of her throat. Imagining the potential taunts and questioning glances threatened her breathing. She had no guarantees people would be cruel, but it was no use.

She might be trapped in a cage of her own making, but she was trapped, nevertheless.

Anger rippled through her. She wanted to live. Fully. Wasn’t that her goal? And while she wouldn’t give up what she had with Derrick for the world, she still had a long way to go.

Melanie squeezed Derrick’s arm, thanking him for his silent support before facing Nathan straight on. “What are you thinking about?”

His eyes lit up. “Two parts. The first is for the magazine. They need a couple dozen pictures for the article, indoor and out. I’d take a mix of pictures—some at work, some at your home and some at the climbing wall. I’ll do a short interview, but the pictures are my main contribution. The second thing is a project I’ve got an idea for on the side—it’s a graphic presentation. Images telling the story. We can take pictures wherever and however you feel comfortable, but I can show you some samples of what I’ve got in mind. We can discuss that in more detail later.”

He wanted to take pictures of her showing her scars to the world. To show her living in spite of the accident that never should have happened. Oh Lord, this was going to kill her. “Do I get to see the pictures?”

Nathan responded immediately. “I’ll give you total control over what pictures I hand over to my magazine.”

The hair at the back of her neck stood upright. Derrick squeezed her fingers. “You don’t have to do this,” he repeated.

It was too much to decide in an instant. She examined Nathan’s face. Years ago she’d wanted nothing more than to have his undivided attention. Now she dreaded it. Life was unfair in how it granted wishes.

His smile stroked her. In spite of its warmth, there was a nagging ache inside warning her this experience could be hell for more reasons than baring her scars.

“I need time to decide.”

Nathan’s hopeful expression faded, but he nodded. “I can understand that. I deliberately didn’t phone ahead of time—I thought this discussion would be better in person. But if you could let me know in the next couple of days, I’d appreciate it. I’m not trying to rush you, but I have deadlines to meet.”

He returned the conversation to Katy and what was happening with her and the rest of the family back in their hometown. Light, newsy information meant to put her at ease.

The coffee burned a hole in her stomach with every sip.

When they’d finally finished their drinks, Nathan plopped a light kiss on her cheek, then disappeared down the street, his camera bag slung over his shoulder.

She and Derrick walked in silence back to his apartment. His fingers twined with hers, strong, supportive. Her mind raced with images and discussions from the past, distant days as well as the more recent time she’d spent in Derrick’s presence.

At what point would she be able to let go of her burdens?

Derrick led her to the couch where he proceeded to cuddle her in his lap and rub the tension from her shoulders until she was able to let out a long slow breath. She twisted to face him. His forehead was creased with worry and she smoothed a finger between his brows.

“Hey, it’s not that a big a deal.”

“It is to you. Mel—I know you’re trying to be strong and move forward with your life, but that doesn’t mean you have to say yes to this offer.”

He was right. There was no one holding a gun to her head. There was no life-and-death decision that needed to be made this instant, like grabbing a safety rope as a hold gave out. But there was a time that waiting became the wrong response, and she was never going to reach her goal if she didn’t keep moving.

“I know I don’t have to, but what if I should? What if this is like Nate said? Something not only for my sake, but to help others.” She closed her eyes, trying to ignore how her stomach squirmed as she imagined baring herself. “I’m not the only one with scars, and I got mine in a fairly innocent way.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Melanie shrugged. “It was an accident, and there was no one to blame. You said it—a freak rope failure. I was climbing, which has intrinsic dangers. What about the people hurt in car accidents or house fires? They had no hand in their situations, but they’re still scarred and have to deal with it.”

He reached out to cup her face in his hands, his thumb tracing the thin line of the single scar on her cheek—the only visible cut on her face. “Sounds as if you’ve given this a lot of thought. You can’t have come up with all this since we left the coffee shop.”

“I did tons of therapy with a sports psychologist after the accident, but frankly? It’s a hell of a lot easier to say it than think about doing anything with it. Being told my injuries were somehow better since I didn’t get them from a vicious rape or a drunk driver slamming my vehicle—”

“That’s absurd.” Disgust rang in his voice. “I can’t believe anyone would ever say anything like that to you.”

She sighed and leaned her cheek harder into his hand. “You’d be surprised what things people feel are their right to tell you. To be sure you know how lucky you really are.”

Derrick shook his head, then brushed his lips over hers. “Again, just because Nathan offered this shot doesn’t mean you have to do it now. If you are interested in the idea, you can arrange to do it at your own pace, with anyone.”

“Maybe. But Rave magazine? That’s a hell of a platform.” Melanie snuggled in tight to his chest. “No, Derrick, I think this might be the right time, and the right place. I trust Nathan as a photographer. But…” She dropped her volume, forcing the words out. “I need to ask a huge favour.”

Because if she was going to show off to the world, she needed his help. She didn’t want to have a crutch in her life. Not a thing, not a person, but giving up Derrick’s comforting touch and presence right now was impossible. “I can only do it with you there. Is that possible? I know it’s a huge imposition, but if you’re present it will help. So much.”

He pulled back to stare into her eyes, his gaze thoughtful as he examined her face. The caring lover she’d grown to appreciate over the past months—he was probably considering what was the best for her. Derrick nodded slowly. “How about this. If you and Nathan can work around the hours the climbing gym is closed, you can use the place to do your shots. There will be no distractions and no audience.”

Extreme relief shot through her. Oh God, she hadn’t even thought about that part. She hugged him close, burying her face in the vee of his neck, loving the way he created a wall of protection to hide behind.

“Thank you.” And the rest? She sat back quickly, catching his gaze again. “And you’ll be there?”

“As long as you want me.”

Wasn’t that a loaded question? She shifted, straddling him to be able to reach his lips easier. “I want you. I want you now.”

She wanted to be held and caressed. Distracted from the heavy burden in her brain. He kissed her with just the right touch of compassion and rising lust, and her body softened. Warmed in all the right spots. He ran his fingers down her back, and she arched against him, breasts growing heavy with anticipation.

He kissed her jaw, held her firmly, yet tenderly. A wave of need swept past, followed by guilt. She’d been turned on back at the climbing wall as well, and that had nothing to do with Derrick.

She pulled away. “Oh damn.”

A low rumble of discontent escaped his throat as he paused. “What?”

“Oh damn, I need to tell you…” Sure, how was she supposed to say this? Mortification hit hard, and the heat flushing her face was more from shame than the expectation of Derrick’s lovemaking.

She didn’t realize she’d dipped her head until his fingers under her chin brought her gaze back to meet his. “Mel? What? Is this something to do with me watching the shoot? Is that going to embarrass you—?”

“Oh hell, no. I’m just trying to tell you…” She’d sworn to be honest in her relationships, and she wasn’t the type to let a situation start that could cause them trouble down the road. “I need to tell you about Nathan and me.”

One brow snuck upward, his expression highly amused. “You mean the fact he wants to get in your pants, or the fact he turns you on?”

Her jaw must have hung open for a full minute before she found her voice. “You’re kidding. You figured that out how?”

Derrick grinned. “Sweetheart, I’m not stupid. I know a guy putting on the moves when I see it. And your response? You have this little habit of flushing right here—” He dragged a finger down her throat and over her chest. “When you get excited, it shows.”

She was so embarrassed. “I had a crush on Nathan from the time I was about thirteen. I followed him around Katy’s and his house one entire summer. He must have been so freaked at having a teenager dogging his heels.”

Derrick stroked her back, smooth and even. Tantalizing circles that pulled her a tiny bit closer to him on each rotation. “And did you do anything about that attraction?”

“I was fifteen, he was like twenty. Of course not.”

“So, you’ve got the object of your teenage crush hanging around.” Derrick linked his fingers with hers. “Mel, I’ve been enjoying our time together, a lot. I don’t think the fact the guy turns you on is bad, it proves you’re human. Call me crazy, but the fact he’s attracted to you is okay with me as well. Maybe that’s a guy thing—I’ve got you, he doesn’t. You know, caveman attitude.”

Melanie laughed softly. Sexy, kind and understanding. She’d have to have her head examined to give this up. “You are who I want to be with. Not him.”

His grin lit the room. “Then I don’t mind if he gets your motor running, as long as I’m the one in your bed.”

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.