Page 102 of My Favorite Bad Decision
We make the trek to base camp together while he tells me how he got here (by waking up at the crack of dawn, climbing down from camp two as fast as possible, dumping his backpack, and running to the helicopter landing pad.) When I ask how it’s been, he says, “No one’s died yet,” which I don’t find especially funny. I tell him how my exams went and he says he knew I’d ace them, which is why he’s had a realtor sending him listings near campus for the past month.
At camp, the supplies and food I brought for Miller and his team are eagerly torn into, and when the team jokingly suggests we all sit down for a meal, Miller tells them to fuck off and takes me to our tent.
He’s got a solar heater going to keep us toasty. “Undress, Kitten,” he demands, leaning back. “It’s been too long. I want to see all of you.”
My layers are removed. He’s down to boxer briefs, and the outline of him—hard and ready—makes my mouth water. I reach for his waistband, and he shakes his head. “Not yet,” he says, his half smile predatory in the tent’s dim light. “Spread your legs for me.”
I recline on the sleeping bag, and he pushes my thighs as wide as they’ll go before he takes one long lick from my entrance to my clit. His tongue circles and moves inside me, and I’m already so close that it would take absolutely nothing to push me over the edge.
“Use your fingers,” I demand, arching upward.
His laughter huffs out over my sensitive flesh, and he sucks my clit against his tongue. “Yes, I know what you want,” he says. “That’s why I’m not giving it to you.”
He continues to play, to lick and suck and bite, keeping me right near the edge but not letting me go over it. I manage to run my foot over the outside of his boxers, and he hisses. “God,” he says. “Don’t. I’m so hard right now you’ll make me come in my pants.”
I sort of like the idea of that, but he grasps my foot before it can approach him again.
“Kit,” he growls, and then he returns to torturing me, except it’s all too much, suddenly, the idea of him that desperate to come, the idea of how hard he’ll fuck me once I finally do.
“Please,” I beg, thrashing, and with a groan, he shoves his boxers to mid-thigh and slams inside me.
“Oh God,” I whimper, clenching, and when he pulls out, biting his lip not to finish too fast, and pushes back in, I can’t hold out a minute longer. My head arches backward as I come and he gasps as I tighten around him, cursing as he joins me.
“That was embarrassing,” he laughs. “I was only inside you for five seconds.”
“At least now I know you missed me,” I say as he rolls to the side and pulls me onto his chest.
“You already knew I missed you,” he whispers.
“Let’s not be apart that long again, okay?” I ask.
He pushes my hair back from my face. There’s something secretive in his smile. “I’m not planning to,” he replies.
* * *
Three days later,he leaves me at base camp at dawn to begin his ascent; he’ll reach camp two today, remain there to acclimate and rest, and then progress to camp three and camp four over the following days. At midnight, after reaching camp four, he’ll leave to attempt the summit.
I get up to see him off, with my jaw locked not to burst into tears.
Which does not work.
“Don’t cry, Kit,” he whispers, pulling me close. “I’m coming back. You know I’m not letting you grow old with anyone else. It would make your father so sad.”
I laugh and cry at the same time. “Don’t do anything stupid,” I whisper. “Check your oxygen tanks. Wear a hat. I’m sorry. I’m treating you like a child. But still…don’t do anything stupid.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re not treating me like a child. You’re treating me like someone you don’t want to live without. Believe me, I’ve been in your shoes.”
I remain outside, watching him and the rest of the guys until they are tiny spots of color against the snow-covered slope in the distance, and then there’s nothing left to do but wait.
31
MILLER
Summiting Everest makes Uhuru Peak look like a walk in the park. This comes as no surprise, since we essentiallybeganthis journey at the equivalent of Kilimanjaro’s highest point. But I had no idea how the lack of oxygen would fuck with me and how passing frozen corpses wouldreallyfuck with me.
I’m worried for myself, yes. I want to live a long life with Kit. I want children and grandchildren. I want to spend months at a time in Starfish Cay, snorkeling, and I want her beside me, wearing nothing but my ring on her finger.
But mostly, I’m worried for Kit. When I picture her waiting at base camp and getting the call that I didn’t make it, I wish I hadn’t attempted this at all.
