I roll my eyes. “In your dreams, pretty boy. Now, hush. I’m going tojump.”
“Did I mention this stunt appears to be a terrible idea? Especially from this vantagepoint?”
“Don’t get excited — I have shorts on under mydress.”
He sighsheavily.
Eyes locked on the dangling coconuts at the top of the palm, I flex my arm muscles and take a deep breath. It’s now ornever.
I choosenow.
I’m a half-second from catapulting my frame into the sky when two giant hands wrap around my waist and pluck me from my perch. Lifting me like I weigh no more than a bag of flour, he sets me back on the ground without aword.
“HEY!” I yell as soon as my feet hit the dirt. “What thehell?!”
Beck’s hands drop away instantly, but he doesn’t move out of my space. When I spin around, I find myself nose-to-nose with him. It’s a jarring experience, being this close to those intenteyes.
We stare at each other for a long moment. When I can’t take it anymore, I shatter thesilence.
“Why did you dothat?”
“Ian was right. You would’ve busted your ass.” He shrugs lightly. “Figured I should stop you before youcould.”
“As I already assuredIan, I’m perfectly capable of doing this. I can pull off a flawless scorpion pose with a one-man base, for Christ’ssake.”
Beck’s brows lift, but otherwise he gives no indication that he understands a word I’ve justsaid.
“A bow and arrow,” Ioffer.
The blank starepersists.
“A needle. A tick tock. Aliberty.”
His lips twitch. “Either you’ve had a stroke or I’ve missed a crucial piece ofinformation.”
“I’m pretty sure she’s just making things up, at this point,” Ianadds.
I scowl at them both. “I was a varsity cheerleader. A flyer. That means I was always the one at the top of the pyramid ofgirls.”
“Oh. Let’s pause here. I think we need to discuss this pile of women,” Ian murmurs wolfishly. “Preferably in as much detail aspossible.”
Beck cuts him a severelook.
I ignore them both. “If I can stand on one foot, being held over a spotter’s head by a single hand, I’m damn sure I’ll be able to reach those coconuts by myself. Hell, if one of the guys from my cheer team was here, we’d already be drinking them instead of standing around talking aboutit.”
“There wereguyson your cheerleading squad?” Ian snorts. “And here I thought it was tough being a male flightattendant…”
I roll myeyes.
“I could do it,” Beck offers quietly. “I could… be yourbase.”
My eyes widen. “Seriously?”
He nods. “Just tell me what todo.”
* * *
Strippeddown to just my bra and the thin black shorts, I stand pressed as close to Beck as I’ve ever been. So close, I can feel each of his breaths stirring the wispy hairs at the back of my neck. I swallow hard and try to gather mycomposure.