Page 177 of The Illicit Play

There he is. His face pops into view above me. I crane my neck back and drink him in, confirming that he’s not just an apparition my delirious brain is trying to conjure.

“Bee,” he rasps, and my chest deflates with relief, a watery laugh punching out of me that quickly turns into a sobbing wail.

He has never been more beautiful.

Even as his expression crumples in concern, I soak him in. I want to proclaim my love right here and now, but my throat is aching, my mouth dry and swollen.

With a thick swallow, Grady takes in my precarious position and is doing a shitty job at hiding how horrified he is. “How the hell did you get down there?”

My chin bunches, my voice quaking as I try to make a joke. “Never hike in the dark on a trail you don’t know. Hiking 101.”

He tips his head with a frown, obviously calculating how he’s gonna get me out of this.

And all I can do is gaze up at him, softly whimpering. “You came looking for me.”

“Of course I did.” His eyes dart to mine.

I want to ask why he’s not with Teah, but I don’t want to bring her name up right now. I just want to soak him in.

He found me.

I’m not gonna die anymore.

“Just give me a second, okay? I’m not going anywhere.” His face disappears, and I can’t help another whimper, but then his voice carries down to me and I cling to it. “I’ve found her… Yeah… I don’t know yet…” He huffs. “Look, I gotta go, but she’s alive and I’m bringing her home, okay?… Yeah…yes, Wily…Yes, I promise. Now I gotta go… I gotta go!”

And then he’s above me again, flashing me a quick smile before he starts studying my position and the surrounding terrain.

“How’d you find me?” I croak as he cautiously starts making his way down the side of the steep embankment. “Be careful,” I quickly warn him.

He pauses to stabilize his footing, then looks at me with a grateful grin. “You left tracks everywhere, baby,” he calls down to me. “Thanks for doing that.”

My laughter is once again watery and completely hysterical. Yeah, I really am losing it.

But I’m not gonna die! I think there’s a serious place for hysterical laughter in this moment.

He pauses on a safe spot above me, his face that much closer.

I stare up at him, my belly still rumbling with this ridiculous laughter as I drink him in, studying every line and angle of his worried expression.

“Are you injured?” His brown gaze is rich with concern.

I sniff, forcing my arms out from the jacket cocoon I’ve been shivering in. Pointing to my leg, I indicate the problem. “I think I’ve hurt my ankle pretty good. I don’t know if it’s broken. I haven’t exactly been able to assess it.”

“Okay.” He nods. “We’re gonna get you out of here.”

“Be careful,” I warn him again as he inches closer. “It’s really slippery.”

“Yeah.” He keeps looking around me, no doubt tracking the safest path to reach me.

He can’t make it down this far.

I’m gonna have to stand up, spin around, and reach for him.

The idea is terrifying. Now that the sun has risen, I can see exactly where I am on this rock face, and it’s a miracle I didn’t plummet to my death.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I try not to look down as I ignore the pain in my ankle and start to shuffle myself around.

“Slowly.” Grady’s voice catches. I can tell he’s trying to stay cool and calm for my sake, but did his heart just jackknife the way mine did when my foot nearly slipped off the edge?