Page 39 of North

“Yeah, but I’m right,” I shoot back.

She says something under her breath but follows my advice, reaching the top of the wall a few minutes later.

“Nice job!” I call up, giving the rope a gentle tug. “You crushed it.”

She looks down at me wearing a triumphant smile. “Not bad for someone who disdains climbing a flight of stairs, huh?”

“Not bad at all,” I agree as she slowly glides down tothe ground.

When she reaches the floor, she unhooks the carabiner and grins up at me. “Your turn, show-off.”

I smirk, stepping up to the wall. “Try to keep up, Abrams.”

The climb feels natural to me, my hands and feet finding holds with ease. Because of my experience, the muscle memory kicks in immediately. I glance down at Farren as I climb, and she’s watching me with a mix of awe and exasperation.

“Stop making it look so easy,” she calls up.

“Can’t help it,” I reply, reaching the top in record time.

When I rappel back down, she shakes her head. “You’re obnoxiously good at this.”

“I’m all right,” I say, grinning. “Ready for round two?”

Her smile is game. “Let’s do it.”

We spend the next hour climbing different walls, taking turns belaying for each other. Farren grows more confident with each climb, and I can see the tension in her shoulders ease. She even starts to crack jokes, teasing me every time I give her advice.

“Is this your way of flirting?” she asks at one point, pausing mid-climb to look down at me.

“Maybe,” I reply with a smirk. “Is it working?”

She snorts and keeps climbing, but not before callingdown to me. “Baby… you just have to crook your finger at me and I’ll jump in your bed anytime.”

I flush hot, immediately looking around to see a handful of people heard her as evidenced by the smirks on their faces.

“Could you have said that louder?” I ask, not bothering to temper the volume of my voice. The cat’s already out of the bag.

Farren’s husky laugh floats down to me and fuck, I even like how wide open she is with her desire for me, even if it’s slightly embarrassing.

By the time we take a break, she’s flushed and sweaty but grinning from ear to ear. We sit on the padded floor, drinking water and catching our breath.

“I’ll admit,” she says, stretching her legs out in front of her. “This is actually kind of fun.”

“Told you,” I say.

She glances at me, her expression softening. “You’re full of surprises.”

“How is this a surprise?” I ask. “I told you before this was one of my hobbies.”

“Yeah,” she says, running her finger down the condensation on her water bottle. “But I think most guys would rather have just taken me to their house to have sex. Instead, you took me somewhere we could spend quality, non-sex time together. And you took the gamble that I’d enjoy doing something like this. It’s just… surprising.”

I put my hand behind her neck and pull her close. My lips are very near hers, although I have no intention of kissing her. I do lower my voice though, so that only she can hear. “I still intend to take you back to my house and fuck you.”

Farren’s eyes flare and she hums low in her throat. “That better be a promise.”

“It is,” I assure her, releasing her just as quickly, causing her to startle as I know she was expecting a kiss. I jump to my feet, grab her hand and haul her up. “But first, one more wall to climb.”

The tallest wall in the gym looms ahead, a towering challenge with holds spaced farther apart and a few overhangs that require some strategy to navigate. Farren stands at the base, craning her neck to look up at the top. Her lips press into a thin line, and I can see the hesitation creeping in.

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