I bet he'd be nice to talk to, if we could talk like normal people. I know he's a good listener, and he seems observant and smart, if quiet.
"Got her!" Petr's shout breaks the tension.
"Our turn." Captain Mathis moves behind me.
I twist to see. He's unwrapping the rope from his body. He secures it around me and eases away.
"I'll go up then signal you to follow," he says, back to business. "Do me a favor and listen to instructions for once."
Asshole. I say nothing but grip the branches nearest me and wait.
Captain Mathis gives another display of effortless power, pulling himself up the rope with strength that makes me tremble inside for a reason other than fear. The sense I experienced last night - that he's got the most perfect body in the world - is returning, along with awe and respect I don't want to feel for him.
He reaches the top in seconds and releases the rope. Disappearing from view for a moment, I hear him talking to Petr without being able to make out either of their voices.
"Hel-lo!" I shout finally. "Waiting!"
His head appears, and his dark eyes hold mine briefly. Unreadable as usual, Captain Mathis pauses before taking the rope once more.
"Ready?" he calls.
I nod.
He pulls me up in another display of strength. I weigh one twenty five, enough that he should be struggling. But he's not.
Man that's so sexy. Whatever fear I should have about dangling over a ravine is gone as I sneak glances at his biceps between finding new branches and footholds.
In under a minute, I'm up. He wraps an arm around me once more and pulls me out of the air to the tree where he's got a second rope tied to. We balance on the tree roots. The muscles of my lower body are shaky, my wrist killing me. I melt into Captain Mathis, leery of the ravine a few inches away. He's got one arm wrapped around the second rope.
Petr is waiting on the other side of a few boards they laid across the mud. Riley is there as well, holding the other end of the rope attached to me, while the man I think is named Carson is holding a crying, shaking Jenna.
Petr appears relieved the moment he spots me and offers a tight smile. "You doing okay, Kitty-Khav?"
"Company could be better," I reply.
A surprised look crosses my brother's face before he belts a laugh.
"Cold. Captain Mathis saves your life and you still won't cut him slack." Riley lets a smile slip as well.