Sugar Love Page 18

  She did so.

  “Now step over here.” Josh pointed to the end of the platform.

  She shuffled to the edge, fearful a sudden strong wind would push her off the end, even though there wasn’t a breeze in sight. A weird chill shot through her belly.

  Josh grabbed a sturdy neon yellow strap dangling from the zip line and affixed it to her harness. “Tug on this.”

  She tugged.

  “This line is strong.” Josh reached up and yanked the strap affixed to the zip line. “We inspect them regularly. Nothing’s going to happen to you except a whole lot of fun.” He winked. He pointed to the barely visible platform between the trees, putting his free hand behind her back. “So, when you get to that platform, you’ll have slowed down. Extend your legs out in front of you and touch down. Mike and Sally are there to guide you.” He waved wildly with his arm, yelling, “Yo!”

  Two people standing on the distant platform waved back.

  “You’ve got nothing to be scared of. Your man will be right behind you, won’t you, Zan?”

  “Absolutely,” Zander said.

  Hearing Zander called “her man” sent thrills up her spine. She side-eyed him and smiled.

  “Okay, off you go,” Josh said, stepping back.

  “Off I go,” Effie whispered.

  “Just take a leap and let go,” Josh said.

  “Just let go,” Effie whispered. She wrapped her hands around the strap attached to the zip line and squeezed hard. Her legs began to shake.

  “Take your time,” Zander said. “When you’re ready.”

  She pressed her lips together and nodded. Another wave of panic began to sweep through her. Tears pricked at her eyes. She turned to look at Zander and shook her head.

  “Take your time, Effie,” he said again, nodding vigorously. “When you’re ready, just let go.”

  Just let go. Just…

  She turned toward the canyon, stepped off the edge, and screamed. The zip line caught her, and she began to glide. Her eyes began that blinkety-blink thing but the ride wasn’t that bad.

  As she accelerated, she yelled. “Oh, God, oh, no!”

  She soared through the tall evergreens, keeping a tight grip on her strap as she glided along.

  Zander gave a loud whoop far behind her.

  She began to slow as Mike and Sally came into focus. By the time she reached them, her speed had decreased considerably. She extended her legs.

  Mike, a dark-haired, caramel-skinned guy with a ball cap in reverse on his head, grabbed her strap and helped her to land the platform. He unhooked her from the zip line.

  “How was that? You survived,” Sally said, a cute woman with a pixie haircut. Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. Flecks of peeling sunburn clung to her face.

  “I did,” Effie breathed. “It was fun…ish. It was funnish.” She couldn’t believe she actually did it.

  “Oh, come on, only funnish?” Sally pouted.

  “I don’t know. I was too scared to feel my body.”

  Mike laughed. “You up for more?”

  “I think so,” Effie said, still clutching her strap. She eyed the next run and swallowed. The zip line ended at a lake. What if I fall and drown?

  “Good,” Mike said. “Let’s make some room for Zander. Step over here.”

  He pointed to the far side of the platform.

  She spun around to see Zander, feet out, landing with ease. The grin on his face made her heart soar. He’s so happy in the great outdoors. He’s beautiful.

  He took a few steps toward her, put his hands on her helmet, and kissed her, hard.

  She melted, clutching his wrists, all while being aware people were watching.

  When he released her, he said, “You’re amazing, Effie.”

  His compliment shot straight into her heart. She blushed and stared at her new black sneakers. “All I did was fall and scream.”

  “No,” he said, his eyes bright. “You faced your fears.”

  “That’s huge,” Mike said. He waved his arm in an arc. “Half the planet…more than half, wouldn’t dare do what you just did.”

  “They’re right,” Sally said. “Take the compliment.”

  Being praised by Zander, and by strangers for taking a risk, stoked her confidence.

  “I guess I’d better try the next line then,” she said, with a shrug.

  “It keeps on getting better,” Zander said. “This one heads over the lake.”

  She inhaled sharply at the reminder. She glanced at Mike and Sally, then faced Zander.

  “You know I’m uncomfortable in the water. I can’t really swim,” she whispered.

  “And I’ll be right by your side,” Zander said, placing his hands on her shoulders. “See those two lines? We do this one side by side. But, you won’t fall off, I promise.”

  “I don’t know,” she said, eyes stretched wide.

  “I know you can do this. You’ve got this, girl.” He stroked the base of her neck with his thumbs.

  She didn’t want to disappoint Zander. She didn’t want to let herself down, either. “Okay,” she whispered.

  “Yeah?” He looked at her encouragingly, eyebrows high on his forehead.

  She nodded.

  He stepped away. “We’re ready.”

  Sally strode next to her and affixed the zip line strap to her harness. She gave it a couple of tugs with her muscled arms. “See? You’re solid.”

  “Thank you.” Effie glanced at Zander.

  He stood ready to launch. “On your mark, Effie.”

  “Like a countdown?” she said.

  Zander nodded.

  Effie took a big gulp of air and said, “Three…Two…One.”

  With her eyes squeezed shut, she hopped off the platform and shrieked. She snapped open her eyes, lest she banged into anything.

  Zander, a few yards away from her, laughed.

  “You’re doing great,” he called.

  He looked all relaxed and poised as he sailed down the line. His arms were spread wide, and he cast his gaze at the forest, the sky, and Effie. He reached for the bar overhead and gripped it, causing his muscles to flex.

  She felt like a bumbling idiot, strangling the straps in front of her. Taking a cue from Zander, she tried to focus on her surroundings.

  The sun shone on her face, warming her. The wind blew her braid around her shoulders like a wild snake. The water below looked cool and inviting. I’m going to have to learn how to swim better. She released the stranglehold on the strap and grabbed the metal bar overhead, same as Zander. Unfettered exhilaration flooded her body. Her whole body felt free. This is so cool. She grinned at him.

  He gave her a thumbs up.

  As she neared the water, she tucked her legs against her body, not wanting to get wet.

  Zander extended his feet, letting them dip and bob in the water like a cork. Then, he angled his legs into the water, skimming the surface like a water skier. Clearly, the man was born to move with the grace of a jaguar.

  They landed on the sandy shore, guided by two other staff members, their nametags reading “Bobo” and “Nanette.”

  When Nanette unhooked her, Effie thanked her and ran toward Zander. “Zander, this is so frigging cool! I love this!”

  He beamed. “You looked amazing. You looked like you were digging it.”

  “Not at first. But, I tried to mimic what you were doing and then…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what happened. I just let go and started to feel free.” She twirled in a circle, a totally uncharacteristic movement for her. But, she couldn’t help herself. She felt alive in a manner she’d never experienced. Instead of waiting for him to make the next move, she grabbed his hand and said, “Where to next?”

  He laughed. “Let’s head over there.” He pointed to a long set of metal stairs. “And continue our journey.”

  “Let’s,” she said.

  Each zip-line proved more exhilarating than the last. Feeling pumped full of confidence, Effie even went on
the last line, called the Dip’N Glide, affixed to a long, long strap. Stepping from that platform scared the holy Mother of Mother’s out of her, sending her stomach into tight knots. She screamed the whole way as she bounced and glided down the hill. When finished, she turned to watch Zander do that run, and her heart grew as wide as an ocean.

  He flipped and somersaulted, perfectly at ease in his free-fall adventure.

  Effie put her arm around Zander’s waist as they strode away from the platform.

  “I think my baby loves adventure,” he said, slinging his arm around her shoulders.

  My baby. She regarded him, a huge smile on her face, her eyes shining brightly. “I sure seem to. I’m totally over the moon right now.”

  “And, you look utterly gorgeous.”

  Her eyelids fluttered. “You do, too, Zander. You look like you’re totally free out here.”

  He smiled, contentedly.

  They strode in silence along a stone pathway, toward a wooden food stand. The fragrant scent of evergreens wafted through the air. Tiny insects buzzed about, visible in the bright sunlight. A few dragonflies perched on the back of a bench sitting underneath a stand of trees.

  “How about ice cream?” he said. “I’d like a soft serve, myself.”

  “That sounds great,” Effie said, adding a skip to her step. “What do we do after this? Will Antonio pick us up at the bottom?”

  “He should be on standby in the parking lot, yes.” He lifted his hand to glance at the watch he kept on his left wrist. “It’s barely noon. We can get lunch on the way back to the cabin.”

  “So, he’s at your beck and call when he’s on the clock?” Effie asked.

  “Pretty much. I pay Antonio well and he has a lot of free time, so you’ll hear no complaints coming from him.” Zander stepped up to the counter where a teen girl stood.

  Her reddish hair hung in two braids. She wore a red ball cap that read, Zip N2 Java.

  “Can I help you?” she said, eying Zander with interest. Her gaze landed on his prosthesis. A small crease appeared at her brow.

  One word out of your mouth and you’ll be dealing with me, sister. Effie startled at her fierce reaction.

  “Two vanilla soft-serves, please.” Zander fished in his pocket for some cash.

  “Sure,” she said. She twirled away and retrieved a couple of cones from a dispenser.

  While the teen dispensed vanilla ice cream, Effie looked around. Usually, when in a gathering of people engaged in outdoor activities, she felt like an outsider…a misfit. Today, she felt like one of them. Just another ordinary woman who enjoyed the outdoors. An ordinary woman with a billionaire sugar daddy love-god by her side. She practically shivered with excitement.

  Zander handed her a cone. “What’s going on in the beautiful mind of yours?”

  He licked the top of his soft-serve.

  Effie shrugged. “I’m happy. Like I told you, I’m over the moon. This world of yours…” She waved her free hand in front of her. “The great outdoors….It was previously out of my league. I’m kind of in a daze from the changes that have happened to me over the last few weeks…since meeting you.”

  She licked the vanilla confection, gazing at him through her lashes.

  He folded his warm hand over her free one, and they strode toward the parking lot, their feet crunching along the gravel.

  Their arms swung as they happily munched their dessert. Ahead sat the limo.

  “I want to show you something before we get to the car.” A mischievous glint sparkled in Zander’s eyes. “I’m not ready to head back.”

  “Oh?” Effie said, her eyebrows rising.

  One eyebrow cocked, Zander studied her. He stuck his tongue in the base of his cone, slurping out the melted vanilla cream.

  Effie’s mind swirled into the time she sat on Zander’s face, and he’d used that very tongue to do something similar to her sex. A delicious tingle launched up her spine.

  Zander eyed her with a hooded gaze as if he knew her thoughts. With his eyes fixed on hers, he popped the last of the cone in his mouth and chewed it. “Ready for another adventure?”

  She’d heard his tagline enough times now to know he wasn’t merely speaking of riding a zip-line or zooming along the sand in a dune buggy. Her sex throbbed with desire.

  She swallowed and said, “What do you have in mind?”

  Chapter 23

  Effie

  Standing near the Zip’N Cascade parking lot, Effie’s body buzzed with adrenaline from the zip lines. As she studied Zander, she also surged with a different kind of thrill.

  “Well?” Zander said, his dark eyes boring into hers. His pupils were huge black orbs obscuring his honey-colored irises. “What do you think about more exploring?” Signs of his growing erection poked through his jeans.

  “What kind of exploration did you have in mind?” she said, her hooded eyes meeting his. Her pulse quickened.

  “Come,” he said, reaching for her hand. He led her away from the adventure park, deeper into the woods.

  She finished her ice cream cone and focused on the terrain. They followed a deer trail of sorts that appeared in the open areas and disappeared into the underbrush.

  “What’s back here?” she asked.

  He held a branch for her to duck under. “Oh, it’s sort of a closely guarded secret place. The staff here knows about it, but they don’t tell the public. They want it to stay pristine. It’s on private property so few can access it.”

  “And, you’re one of the few?” Effie stepped across a log.

  He smirked. “They’ve granted me special access to this place. I’m friends with the owners. This whole operation purchased gear from EXcape. All the straps, carabiners, harnesses, helmets, and so on are all custom made by our manufacturer in North Carolina, up in the Appalachians. We try to only source American made, quality products. You don’t want to risk your life with inferior quality equipment.”

  He pushed aside another branch and waited for her to pass before releasing it.

  “That’s so cool, Zander. From what I can tell, your company has a lot of integrity.”

  “We try,” he said, smiling slightly. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to a stop. “Look there.”

  He pointed toward a ring of trees.

  A soft gurgle of water filled the air.

  “What is it?” She squinted to find the water source.

  He kissed the top of her head. “It’s a hot spring just past those trees. You ever soak in a mountain hot spring?”

  “You’re kidding, right? Geek alert. We don’t do mountain springs of any kind.” She liked the feel of his hands on her shoulder, with the heat of his body warming her backside.

  “Well, take off your geek hat, adventure woman. We’re going to take a dip. It’s not deep so don’t worry about swimming. Which, by the way, I intend to get you swimming lessons from a friend of mine. She’s incredibly patient and a great instructor. She and her husband work for the Coast Guard. By the end of the summer, you’ll be an all-around outdoor enthusiast.” He captured her hand in his and led her to the tree ring.

  The end of the summer reminder sent a sharp spike of worry into her. That’s when our contract ends. She swallowed hard, trying to force back the lump of sadness in her throat. But the beauty of the fern-carpeted woods around her brought her back to the present. Enjoy it while I can, I guess.

  Just beyond the center of the tree circle, a bubbling body of water beckoned. It tumbled from an uphill creek, cascading along boulders and rocks, and trickled into the center of the seven-foot-wide pool. It continued its journey, exiting through rocks into a steaming creek.

  Zander placed his arm around her and pointed past the springs. “Freshwater flows from the top of the mountain.” He lowered his finger toward the pool. “It combines with a deep hot spring that bubbles up in the center. The temps here are about 70 to 80 degrees. I’m ready, how about you?” Without waiting for an answer, he released her, and, turning
his back to her, stripped naked. He angled his body so his prosthesis couldn’t easily be viewed.

  I wish he felt more comfortable about his arm. I won’t judge. Effie got side-tracked before removing her clothing, choosing to ogle his gorgeous body.

  Without turning around, Zander strode toward the springs. He waded in the water and sighed, audibly. He lowered himself and spun to settle on the bottom, but not before giving Effie an eyeful of his erection.

  She sucked in her breath, her hand floating to her heart. Is he…Does he want to…right here? A flush of heat coiled through her belly.

  “You’re not going to let me soak alone, are you?” A smile as warm as the sun crossed his face.

  She swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry, as if all her bodily fluids had fled south.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  She scanned for a suitable place to remove her clothes. No way would she simply strip in front of this god-like being. Thoughts of her weight, her jelly belly and her geekiness got in her way. It didn’t matter that she’d toned up. In her mind, she was still that freaky, roly-poly girl from Yakima.

  She slid behind a tree and stripped, then carefully folded each piece of clothing to stall. When she finished, she hesitated. Then, after taking a deep breath for courage, she crossed her arms over her ribs, hugging her elbows, and stepped from behind her shelter.

  Zander sat, arms outstretched on boulders, his eyes eager and bright. His nostrils flared when she came into full view. “You’re so beautiful, Effie.”

  Without any clothes on, she felt vulnerable and exposed. She stumbled toward the pond, throwing out her arm to catch herself.

  Zander bolted to standing, grabbing her biceps before she fell.

  Once she’d steadied herself, she dropped her gaze. Her attention caught on the water dripping down his body, trailing around his engorged cock.

  A sheepish expression on his face, he glanced down at it, then back to Effie. “See what you do to me?”

  “Yeah,” she breathed. “It’s kind of hard not to see.” Her lips parted.

  He released his grip on her and studied her, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.