Page 51 of D.I.E.T. (Did I Eat That?)

And the moment I reached the rest of the group, I understood why they’d planned this excursion.

Penguins.

The majority of us, of humans, only ever saw penguins in captivity. While I snapped off pictures, Sinjin came to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and setting his chin to my shoulder. “I can’t believe we’re here together getting to see this,” I said. “Thanks for making me come.”

“I’ll always make you come.”

I elbowed him. “On this little field trip, idiot.”

“All I did was tell you how good your butt would look in those leggings. And, sweetheart, I wasn’t wrong.”

The fabric of the clothing wicked moisture away from our bodies while we hiked to keep us from freezing now that we’d stopped. Sinjin, as with the other men, wore black leggings with gray side panels on the thighs.

When the time came for us to leave this magical spot, I stood, looking down over the rocky cliff to the pebbly beach below, where Len had docked the boat.

“Nope. No. Nein. Nyet. Not happening,” I protested. “Kami,” I called down to her. “If you hated me this much, you just shouldn’t have invited me. Murder not necessary.”

“Sinjin,” Kami called up. “Do your magic and talk some sense into the girl.”

“I don’t think he wants an audience for that kind of magic, fearless,” Len shouted down to her, getting snickers from the rest of the group.

Sinjin pulled me aside. “Come on. Let Len harness you up.”

“This isnothow I pictured those words being spoken to me.” I turned to Len. “And although you’re seriously hot, you aren’t the one I pictured using the harness.”

He choked laughing. “Jesus, Geet. No wonder Kami loves you so much.”

“What’d she say?” Kami yelled.

“I’m not the one she wants to harness her,” he yelled back.

“Lucky man, Sinjin,” Rob called up to us. “Lu know you’re into that, Geet?”

“Who do you think showed me they’re a thing?” I called back, refusing to be embarrassed by any of this.

“Now I really need to talk to her again,” he said.

Ha! You wish, there, buddy.

“Let’s go, Geet. You got this. Please, sunshine, let Len get you in the harness. I’ll come down right after you. They have lunch waiting for us on the boat.

To say the whole idea of repelling down over this cliff scared the bajeezus out of me didn’t begin to convey the of fear I felt in my heart, but the way Sinjin looked at me, like he knew I could do it—like he believed in me—made me believe in myself. And fearful or not, I needed to go for it. “Harness me, baby,” I said. Sinjin stepped aside to let Len strap the harness, buckle the chin strap on my helmet, and secure the ropes. Right before I started for the edge, Sinjin kissed me.

“Please don’t let my woman die,” he said to Len. “She’s an integral part of my evening plans.”

“See you at the bottom,” I said.

“Then I get to seeyourbottom,” Sinjin replied, waggling his eyebrows.

Len snickered. “Lean back,” he directed. “Keep the rope taut. It’s just like walking down the rocks.”

Slowly, I made my way down the cliff face. “I’m doing it,” I called out, about halfway down. And from that little lapse in concentration, I lost my footing and slipped, dangling.

I screamed. Kami screamed. Dion and Henri shouted, and I swore I thought Sinjin and Len were going to launch themselves over the side to reach me. Instead, Len talked me through regaining my footing while helping to lower me. Rob spotted me from down below. My friends waited at the bottom to crush me as they helped me out of the harness, a feat that proved difficult with them continuously trying to hug me.

“I did it,” I yelled to my man.

“You sure did, sunshine.”

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