The second she enters my space, my chemistry changes, and I think maybe hers does, too. There’s nowhere for either of us to go, our bodies quite literally tied together on a perch about a hundred feet in the air. Her mouth rests at the base of my neck, and the tiny gasp she lets out tickles against my skin. It’s the one part of me that’s not sheltered from the cold, and she’s managed to scorch it with one breath.
“Hold on,” I say, my mouth suddenly dry. I tug the straps around her back and they cinch together with mine.
I peel back my upper body enough to look her in the eyes.
“May I?” I glance down to the space between us, where the last buckles are loose and need to be fastened.
She blinks nervously, but I can tell she isn’t scared. She’s something else, and I hope maybe what she feels is the same kind of reaction I’m having inside my chest.
“Make it tight,” she laughs out.
I breathe out through my nose and smile before looking down between us. Her hands grip my shoulders tightly and she rests her forehead against mine so she can watch as I lock us in together. When I’m done, I freeze in place for a moment, not ready to look up and meet her stare again. She’s close, and we’re touching, and I’ve felt her nose brush against mine twice since we’ve positioned ourselves like this.
Three times.
Four.
Her lips part with another breath, fear exhaled and a leap of faith drawn in.
“Ready?” I ask, still not moving my head away from hers. She nods against me.
My hands tentatively move to her waist, never moving from the invisible guideline drawn by the top of her jeans. She leans into me and circles her arms around my body, and when the weight of her chin rests on my shoulder, I let my muscles relax and flatten my palms on her back.
This is different than kissing as strangers. This is a literal leap, a sign of trust that goes way beyond. When I made this trip with Zack it was more about the thrill and being boys together who like to do daring, dumb shit. I may not have admitted it fully to myself until right now, but I dared Hollis to come out here because I want her to trust me.
“I’ve got you,” I promise just as I push us off from the ledge. Her fingers dig into me at first, but after a few seconds of gliding across the frozen stream below, she relaxes. And then the joyous laughter begins.
“Oh, my God!” she cries out, her head swiveling from where it rests on my shoulder. We’re halfway across the line, moving at a good speed, when she drops her hands down to my chest and leans back enough to see everything.
“This is amazing!” Her smile is all teeth and glee, like a kid seeing a true winter wonderland.
I had fun here with Zack, but this trip with Hollis is special. I haven’t looked at the scenery once; the only thing my eyes want to watch is her. We rotate as we travel, and her eyes blink from the wind and cold, but the dimples pushed up into her cheeks only grow deeper. The moonlight traces her lashes, lighting them up like flecks of gold. Her eyes glimmer like diamonds, her lips like candy, I lock in on them for a little too long, and she catches me. When her tongue passes over her bottom lip, I give in and meet her waiting stare. Damn that this zipline isn’t longer.
“Brace yourself,” I warn, glancing up in time to catch the safety rope as we glide over the second pedestal.
I wrap the rope around my forearm with one hand, and stop us as gracefully as I can. Hollis lets out a small grunt then breaks into laughter, her arms limp at her sides.
“Worth it?” I ask.
Her smile hasn’t dipped once, and she adds in an emphatic “Yes” with a nod before tilting her head to the sky, ready to climb to the next platform and make our trip back.
My chest is enlarged with pride, but other parts of me are swollen from something else, and unfastening our straps while trying to hide my painful erection is borderline comical. Thankfully, Hollis steps out quickly when I loosen the belt to create slack.
She’s already at the top of the next platform by the time I free myself, and the solo trip up the peg ladder gives me a chance to calm down and let the cold air work its magic before I gladly torture myself again.
This time Hollis helps, more familiar with the process and less afraid of what comes next. I expect her to hold on to me less so she can enjoy the ride and take in more of the skyline, a soft glow of the sun hinting at its impending rise. It’s like a line of glowing bright blue ink tracing along the slight hills. Rather than looking around completely, though, she holds on exactly as before. Her hands rest more comfortable around my neck this time, and as we slip away from the solid wood base and into the air, her fingers twist some of my hair. Everything I thought I had in check explodes, including my self-discipline.
Slipping back enough to force her eyes to meet mine, I do my best to read what they say. She doesn’t blink, her focus moving from my left eye to my right, as mine do hers. Her fingers curl my hair again, letting the short pieces slip through her knuckles while her nails scratch at the base of my neck. My palms at her waist, I give myself permission to stroke along her sides with my thumbs as we glide across the
