Fated for Love by Melissa Foster

twisting in knots, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and thrust a shaky hand up toward his. He grasped it tightly, and in one swift move, she was on top of the boulder—and folded in his powerful arms. His chest was just as hard as she imagined it would be, and— oh gosh —she could feel his heart pounding against her knuckles as she clutched his shirt for dear life.
    “Callie, I’ve got you,” he said in a calm, soothing tone. “Open your eyes.”
    No, thanks. I’ll just stay right here plastered against you and pretend we’re on the ground. She shook her head and felt him lowering them both to a seated position. His arms remained around her, holding her pressed to his side.
    “Better?”
    If I say yes, will you let me go? She had a death grip on his shirt, and she wasn’t taking any chances. “Still a little nervous.”
    “Okay. We’ll just sit here until you feel safe.”
    “I do feel safe,” she admitted before she could stop herself .
    “You just said you were nervous.”
    With eyes still closed, she answered, “I am nervous, but I also feel safe.”
    “Fair enough.” He kept her close. “You know those books you give me each week? Sometimes I read them right here on this rock, when I’m taking a break or just need a few minutes to breathe.”
    Breathe? Oh yeah, almost forgot . She gasped a deep breath, forcing herself to try to breathe normally again. Nope. She’d have to settle for simply breathing, even if shallow and thick with desire.
    “I really appreciate that you take the time to choose books for me. Not many people would do that.”
    She opened her eyes at that. She thought of the way he’d asked her to collect books for him all those weeks ago, as if the person who had held the position before her had been doing it forever. “Didn’t the last assistant do it?”
    He laughed and drew one knee up. “Patricia Olson? No. Never.”
    “Really?” She realized she was still clutching his chest and dropped her hand to her lap. As long as she didn’t look down, she’d be okay. Maybe.
    “Do you do that for everyone?”
    She considered lying, but she had never been a good liar. “No. Just you.”
    He smiled, and it sent her pulse wild again.
    “Just me?”
    “Yeah.”
    He nodded at that, and she wondered what he was thinking. The silence stretched between them. Every second felt hotter than the last. She tried to fill the gap.
    “You don’t have to hold me. As long as I don’t look down, I’ll be okay.”
    “You sure?” He held her tighter.
    No . “Yeah. I think so.”
    He took his hands off slowly. “You okay?”
    She nodded, though she wished she hadn’t said she was okay.
    “You don’t really have a lot of outdoor experience, do you?”
    “Only if you count all the time I’ve spent in the park.” She fidgeted with her dress.
    “This should be interesting.”
    He said it with an arc of amusement in his voice that made her stomach lurch again—and made her want to prove she could do it. Or run away . Maybe running away was better.
    “I’m sorry they lied on the application, but I won’t stay and ruin it for everyone.” She pushed to her feet and stumbled toward the edge of the boulder with a shriek. He shot to his feet and caught her, and in the next second, she was wrapped in his arms again.
    “I’ve got you,” he assured her.
    Panting and clutching his shirt—and a handful of muscular pecs—she looked up at him and stumbled backward a step.
    “Stop. Don’t move.”
    She froze at the seriousness in his voice. He took a step backward, bringing them both away from the edge.
    “Okay, now take a deep breath.”
    She did. Then another.
    “Callie, I don’t care that you’re inexperienced. I meant it would be fun to help you learn what you need to know, but you can’t react like that out here. You could really hurt yourself.”
    He used his finger to tip her chin up until she had no choice but to meet his gaze, which sucked her right in. She felt like