Out of Time (Out of Line #2) (Volume 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

as I said. She set one foot up high, tested her weight, but then righted herself. She lifted her other foot, her brow furrowed with concentration. “Like this?”
    “Yep.” I climbed up a little higher again. “Do it again.”
    She did it, much more steadily this time. “It’s almost rope climbing, only you’re stepping instead of wrapping yourself around something.”
    “Except the wall,” I said dryly.
    “Well, duh,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Obviously.”
    I stretched my arms and took another step higher. “Attitude, Ginger. Attitude.”
    “Now you’re just showing off.” She followed me, going a lot faster this time. I wanted to grab her and steady her when she wobbled, but I clenched my fists and let her do it for herself. She needed this. “Look, that was pretty good, huh?”
    “Yeah, it was.” I grinned at her. “Watch this.”
    I climbed double the length that I’d been doing, stretching my muscles as far as they could go without falling off the damn wall. She laughed, her eyes shining. “I can do that, too.”
    I side-eyed her. “You think?”
    “Dude.” She pursed her lips and looked to the top of the wall. “What is the worst that can happen? I fall and the harness catches me? Somehow I think I’ll survive.”
    I shook my head. “Fine. It’s your ass, not mine.”
    Technically, it was mine, too. I was supposed to be protecting her, not taking her rock climbing, but whatever. The girl needed to live, for fuck’s sake.
    She’d spent her whole life being watched by men like me not letting her step out of line for even a second. Now she was able to do so. I might be watching her, but I’d be damned if I suffocated her like her father.
    We spent the next half hour climbing higher and higher, then we practiced climbing down. She slipped and fell more times than I could count—fine, it was seven—before we finally called it quits. I let her be the one to decide when she’d had enough.
    She stood at the bottom of the wall after her last fall, snapping pictures and a few videos with her phone. Her laugh rang loud and clear as I descended to join her. She was so fucking bright and happy. She really was the sun to me.
    The only thing that brought true brightness to my world.
    I pushed back off the wall, landing nimbly on my feet, and she clapped, her phone held in her hand. “I got the perfect shot of that.” She walked over and held out her phone. “And now I have a wallpaper for my phone, too. Nice, huh?”
    It was of me in midair, about to land. It was a pretty cool shot. “Good one.”
    “Thanks. But I’m hungry now,” she said, tucking her phone away. “You ready for some burgers or something?”
    “McDonald’s or Islands?” I asked, unclicking my harness and grabbing her hand. “You can pick tonight.”
    After we cleaned up and squared off with the workers, we walked toward my bike, her under my arm. “I think I’m gonna have to go Islands.”
    I grinned. “Did I convert you?”
    “Maybe.” She pointed a finger at me and glared, but the effect was ruined by how damn happy she looked. “But I’ll forever be a McDonald’s girl, too.”
    I shrugged. “Whatever you say, Ginger. Whatever you say.”

The next morning I woke up to Carrie climbing on top of me, kissing me until I forgot what the hell color the sky was. Her hands moved all over me, slowly waking me up, and by the time we were finished with each other, I was exhausted and naked and sweaty. I looked over at her and grinned at the smug smile on her face.
    “More distraction, I see.” I tapped her nose. “You look awfully proud of yourself.”
    “That’s probably because I’m feeling pretty darn proud of myself.”
    She rolled over on her side, folded her hands under her cheek, and smiled at me. Something in her eyes pulled at me. Told me that beneath the smile and laughter was fear. Lots of fear.
    But how could she manage to look so sad while still looking so damn happy?
    “Get over here,” I