Secret Gifts (Steamy Version) by Elena Aitken

staring at her. “You ready?” she asked.
    He nodded. “Just one thing, though.”
    For a fraction of a second, Megan had the ridiculous notion that he was going to lean across the space and kiss her. It would be incredibly romantic and she knew that sometimes sharing something as spectacular as climbing with another person led to heightened feelings, but— “Thank you,” he said. His voice was so quiet and so un-Gage-like that it took Megan a moment to register the words.
    “Pardon?”
    “I just wanted to thank you for bringing me up here. It’s not something I would have done on my own. So, thank you. You’re the best babysitter I’ve ever had.”
    Megan tried not to feel the disappointment that coursed through her. It wouldn’t have been professional anyway, and as he’d just reminded her, she was his babysitter.
    “Let’s go,” she said. “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”
    The last word was lost when they both let out a whoop of delight as they let go. They used their legs to bounce their way down the rock face and back to solid ground.

    Back in the Jeep, bumping down the rough road, for the first time in longer than he could remember, Gage felt like the man he remembered himself to be. He didn’t need the parties and the late nights and the dozens of women. He let the wind flow through his hair and inhaled the fresh mountain air. In all the months he’d been trying to fill the void within him, all the time it had been so simple.
    Gage turned to Megan, who was sitting next to him in the back seat, having let Morgan ride shotgun with Bo. She was doing as he was, staring at the scenery, letting the wind flow through her hair as well. She was stunning and the smile on her face made her all the more beautiful. Her hand rested on the seat between them, and impulsively he slid his hand over hers and squeezed.
    He almost pulled it away when she turned suddenly to look at him. Megan wasn’t like the other women he spent time with. She wasn’t going to fall for his usual tricks and he didn’t want to play any of them on her. When Megan smiled at him and turned his hand over so she was the one holding his, a heat rushed through him.
    There were a thousand reasons Gage could think of to let go of her hand, but at that moment, feeling better than he had in years, not a single one of those reasons mattered.
    “Thank you, Megan.” He couldn’t be sure she heard him over the rush of the wind, but when she smiled and her face lit up, he knew she had.
    She leaned in close. “For what?”
    Gage leaned in, too, so they were only inches apart. “For taking me up there today. It was amazing.”
    Megan smiled again and without thinking it through, Gage leaned closer, closing the gap so he could smell the mint on her breath. He reached out and wiped a spot of mud off her cheek and she closed her eyes at his touch. Before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned forward and— “Are you guys hungry?” Bo yelled from the front seat.
    At the same time, Gage and Megan jumped away from each other, each looking out at the passing landscape. After a moment, Gage risked a glance back to Megan but instead locked eyes with Morgan, who had turned around and was watching him with a smile on her face.
    Gage returned her smile and when Morgan raised her eyebrow and tilted her head in Megan’s direction, Gage rolled his eyes and looked away. “I could eat,” he said, answering Bo.
    “Great,” Bo said. “I always like to finish a great climb with a cold beer and a burger. Sound good to you two?”
    “Sounds perfect,” Megan said.
    Gage flipped around again to stare at her. In his experience, California women didn’t eat burgers. And they most certainly didn’t drink beer. “Seriously?”
    “I love burgers,” she said with a straight face. “And he’s right. There’s nothing better than a cold beer after a great climb.”
    Gage laughed. “Then bring it on.”

    The good feeling flowing through him lasted