YD - chapter 10...teaser

In the darkness, I feel the bed shift. I’m not sure how long I’ve been asleep, but the cool breeze that comes with the covers being lifted gives me goose bumps. Well, maybe it’s not the covers.

Maybe it’s him.

I smile as his scent surrounds me. His voice is low when he whispers in my ear. “I couldn’t stay away.”

Unable to say anything else, I arch my back as his lips work their magic on my neck, teasing me just below my ear. “You smell fucking amazing,” he murmurs into my neck, and I roll my body toward him as I wrap my arms around his neck. His hair tickles my hands where fingers meet palms, and I steer his head to find my lips. “Had to be near you…couldn’t…”

One kiss blurs into the next, which blurs into the next, until we’re not coming up for air. I can taste him, smell him, hear the sound of our lips moving and the air being drawn through his nose. I’m drowning in him—and I never want to surface. 

Yosemite Decimal Chapter 8 Teaser

"Hey," I say gently. "Are you okay?"

His breathing quickens. I see his knees buckle, and he drops to the ground, his eyes closed.

Without thinking, I rush over and drop before him. "Hey," I say urgently. "Hey, open your eyes."

His nostrils are flared—if his breathing doesn't regulate, he's going to pass out.

"Look at me," I plead. "You have to calm down."

He brings his hands up, pressing his fists into his chest.

I place my left hand on his cheek. "Edward."

His eyelids fly open, and his jade-green eyes glisten at me. He stares at me with an intensity I've never known—it almost takes my own breath away. Ever so gently, he leans his face into my hand.

His breathing slows and deepens as he maintains eye contact. I find myself breathing in time with him—his inhales match mine, his exhales collide with my breath in the air between us. We're breathing the same air.

"That's the first time you've said my name."

I blink. "It is?"

"Yes."

I ponder that for a moment. I suppose it is. "Edward," I say again. His name feels nice as it escapes my lips. "Are you okay?"

"I am now."

"Good."

Yosemite Decimal Chapter 7: Teaser

The Chevy makes a sad noise but refuses to start.

This can’t be happening. I have a three-hour trip ahead of me on my own. I need the three-hour trip on my own. The truck keeps making its pathetic ruh-ruh-ruh sound.  I slap the steering wheel.

“Dammit!”

A tap on the window next to me causes me to almost jump out of my skin. The Bulldozer’s face is separated from mine by a pane of glass.

Needing both hands to do it, I wrench the winder. The window opens an inch.

“Problem?” he asks.

Duh. Obviously.

“My truck won’t start,” I reply redundantly. Any fool could see that my truck isn’t going anywhere right now.

“Come on.” He opens the door. “You can ride with me.”

My eyes widen as I consider the implications. Alone with the Bulldozer? For three hours?

Before I can respond, he retrieves my duffel bag from the bed of my double-crossing vehicle and heads over to his shiny silver SUV.

I sigh and know that I’m defeated. After locking my truck, I glare at the traitor. “You and I are going to have words when I get back.”

The Bulldozer stops. “Did you just talk to your truck?”

My head whips in his direction. “Of course not.”

“Uh huh,” he says, sounding unconvinced. He opens the trunk to his car and puts my bag in beside his.

I hoist my backpack over my shoulder as I walk toward his SUV. Shutting the trunk, he hurries to the passenger side, opening the door for me.

“Your chariot,” he says with a sweep of his hand. I roll my eyes and get into the car. He shuts the door with a smirk.

I take a deep breath as he walks around the front of the car. I have a quick sense of déjà vu, remembering the night he drove me to the hospital. Taking another deep breath, I inhale the scent of new car, leather, and the aroma I’ve come to associate with Edward.

He sinks easily into the car, slides on a pair of Ray Bans, and gives me a sidelong grin.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

How am I going to last three hours?

YD: Chapter 6 Teaser

I wave to the others—who have made their way down to the ground floor with the empty pizza boxes—and follow Alice out the door and into the car. As I'm climbing into her low, low car, Alice calls out.

"Edward, hi!" She waves frantically—as only Alice can—while the Bulldozer strides over.

Why, oh, why does he have to be so good-looking?

"Alice," he greets her. He looks down at me. I feel like I'm sitting on the ground—which I almost am. And he's so tall...

"Hello again, Bella," he says to me. I'm grateful for the dim light of the evening, because my face flushes. I haven't heard him say my name before, and I wish he'd say it again…and again.

I truly don't want to be attracted to him, but he makes it so damn hard.

"Hello," I reply, trying to hide the voice of my inner monologue.

The silence hangs in the air for a moment. Alice looks at me knowingly and walks around to her side of the car.

"So, how are you feeling?" Edward asks softly.

I look down at my hands. "Much better," I tell him. "I had a massage earlier. Um, Rosalie...like you suggested."

He rubs his hand on the back of his neck. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better," he says. He ducks down to my level, and his face is so, so close. If I just lean forward...

Yosemite Decimal teaser: Chapter 5

Armed with my extra limbs, a heavily bandaged ankle, and a box of painkillers that could tranquilize an elephant, I hop-clack my way to the entrance. The painkillers are kicking in. Having plenty of experience with them, I know I need to get myself home before I pass out.

I get as far as the lobby before it hits me—how the fuck am I going to get home? I fumble through my bag in an attempt to find my phone. Realizing I have no service, I start to swing my leg between my crutches when I crash into a body.

Unlike the last time I crashed into someone, I manage to splay my crutches out to brace my fall. “Fuck, I’m sorry!” I exclaim. The poor person is wearing their coffee. 

Of course it’s him.

He looks down at his coffee-covered shirt, sighing. “Karma” is all he says. Too high to care, I giggle before continuing my swing-hop-clack motion through the doorway.

“Hey, wait,” he calls, swatting at the coffee on his shirt. “Where are you going?”

Ooh, my brain feels seriously fuzzy. “The door,” I answer breathily. “I need to go through the door so I can go home. My home comes after the door.” This makes complete sense to me. Because I’m so smart, I giggle again.

I get to the entrance and look right. Then, I look left. “Where did I leave my apartment?” I wonder aloud.

A low chuckle sounds from behind me. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

I giggle. Heh. Ride. That’s what she said.

The Bulldozer snickers again.

What’s he laughing at?

YD - Chapter 4 teaser

"You seem to be having a few problems there," the cocky voice over my shoulder points out.

"No shit," I mutter under my breath.

"You know," starts Emmett, seemingly through a mouthful of chips. "If you just switch feet—"

"No helping." The Bulldozer cuts him off. "If the route is so—what was it—mediocre, she doesn't need any help, does she?" His voice is full of over-the-top confidence. We're talking beyond cocky now. He's bordering on impertinent.

That provides the incentive I need. There is no way I'm letting this fucker—the wall or the man—get the better of me.

I place my weight on my right foot. If I nail this, it'll look fucking awesome. If I don't, well...I'm going to eat mat. Hard.

I switch the angle on my right foot so the outside of my ankle is pressing into the wall. Plastering a look of absolute determination on my face, I give the wall an almighty shove with my left hand and left foot at the same time. My body swings like a barn door, and using my right foot as a pivot point, I whip my head to look over my left shoulder, spotting the next handhold. My back hits the wall with a thud, and I snatch at the green piece of plastic almost blindly. I lock my left foot onto a foothold, and I'm now at full-stretch, my legs spread at a rather unladylike angle.

Gripping on to the wall with all I'm worth, I hold on and face my audience, my chest heaving.

Edward's eyes widen, and I swear his perfect jaw hits the floor. Emmett chokes on his chips.

I grin.

YD - Chapter 3 teaser

Thought you might like a lil peek into Chapter 3. Here y'go :)

Lacing my too-tight shoes and rolling the chalk ball from my bag in my hands, I head over to the holds near the doorway. Always a creature of habit, I reach, push, and lunge my way around the cave, before turning back and doing it the other way.

My hands are still feeling okay, but I don’t doubt that this new green beast is going to kill me. This will take me a few attempts, surely.

Some time, and quarter of a Led Zeppelin album later, I still can’t get past the shitty layback* move about a quarter of the way around. Whoever set this must be tall—and totally discriminatory to short people. Sure, the next hold is rather...protruding...but for me, it’s just too fucking far away.

Lying face-up on the floor mat and rolling my wrists, I stare intently at the colored, bobbled wall, silently begging the too-far-away holds to shift a little closer. The music isn’t loud enough to drown out the two sets of footfalls across the mezzanine floor, or the accompanying voices.

“Seriously, dude. It was a chick that ticked it.” —Emmett.

“‘Chalked Up’? No fucking way. You didn’t tell me that! I only pulled that one off twice myself.”—Unknown man.

“I’m telling you, dude, she’s badass.” I smile at Emmett’s praise. The footsteps seem to pass by the door to the cage.

Giving myself a quiet little fist pump at my “badassness,” I hop to my feet with a boost of confidence. I wriggle my fingers, chalk my hands, and take position back on the wall at the layback.

With my feet on separate, reasonable-sized holds, my hands are spaced around shoulder-width apart. I’m leaning back, my weight centered just outside my right foot. Adjusting my feet to the next holds, I look again at the next reach. While it’s not impossible, I’m going to need some serious momentum.

Focusing on the hold over my head, I block everything else out. I need both my arms and legs to gain momentum. I swing my whole body once...twice...three times. At full stretch, I reach, and hold my breath.

My right hand grasps around the next hold. Using my feet to scramble, I finish with my feet locked around two hook shaped holds, both hands grasping the large, comfortable plastic shape above my head. Pleased with myself, I close my eyes and just hang there for a minute, relishing in my own badassness.

“Nice Dyno*, Chalky!” Emmett’s voice resonates through the small space, as he gives me a single-man ovation.

“Your name is Chalky?” a silken voice asks. My eyes fly open.

Standing in the cave opening, leaning casually on the side of the doorframe with perfect forearms crossed, is the Bulldozer.

Turns out I was right. He is definitely a climber.