“You’re being flip about this. Which I know you well enough to know means the conversation makes you nervous. Why?”

Because every day I’m falling for you a little more and I’m imagining all sorts of ridiculous romantic scenarios where you are mine, just mine, for good.

“Shiori?”

“Because this isn’t a conversation I want to have here.” She poked him in the chest. “Stop trying to get in my head and put me off my game. Not happening. The bet stands. Take it or leave it.”

“Leave it, but I’ll take you. Anytime, anyplace.” He kissed her with sweet heat that blew her concentration to hell.

They walked hand in hand to the cavernous room with four different wall configurations.

The hipster guide named Errol ran over the safety rules before he turned them loose.

Knox bowed to her with a smile and kissed her knuckles. “Mistress first.”

Shiori eyed the wall, trying to discern a fast rise pattern. In the end, she just went for it. She scaled the first wall freehand and made it to the top in less than three minutes.

Knox high-fived her. “Great form.” He put his mouth on her ear. “And I’m not just talking about that delectable ass, kitten.”

“Stop distracting me or I’ll yell out filthy suggestions during your turn and see how well you can climb with a hard-on.”

“Hmm. You know, a third leg might come in handy.”

She whopped him on the arm.

The second wall required a harness. Finding both her balance and the right footholds proved difficult. She finished without falling—major feat—around the ten-minute mark.

Not a great time. But she reminded herself that being small and agile was an advantage in this contest.

Knox swung his arms and did a couple of frog jumps to loosen his muscles. She stared at his crotch, wondering if he wore a cup. Wondering if there was any way he could grip the rocks so she could climb him and ride him.

“Eyes off my junk,” he warned.

Then he started up the wall, moving across it like a spider. He reached the top in less than two minutes.

Dammit. Evidently long legs and long arms trumped small and agile.

She high-fived him. “Looking good.”

“Thanks.” He took a long pull from his water bottle.

“I love the way your butt muscles flex and bunch. I’d definitely tap that ass.”

Knox spit water across the floor at her comment.

On the second rock wall, Knox ran into a little trouble, but he still beat her time by a minute and a half. Which, when she looked at the performance wall where the climb times were divided into performance levels, she could see that Knox hit expert level on both climbs.

Sneaky fucker.

She stayed close as he removed the safety rigging and helmet.

“Something on your mind, She-Cat?”

“Was this a trick? You’re some kind of rock-climbing stud?”

“No. But I’m happy you think my technique—my winning technique—makes me a stud.”

“We still have the obstacle course left, so don’t think you have this competition in the bag.” When he didn’t respond, she said, “But you have to admit you’ve got some experience with rock climbing.”

“We did rappelling exercises in combat training—which is going down a wall as fast as possible. But all that focused on was a stealth exit.”

“Is there anything you haven’t done?”

“Lots of things. What I did get to do Uncle Sam paid for. It’s not like I could afford to go heli-skiing or surf the big breakers in Hawaii.”

Shiori flopped down beside him and swigged from her water bottle. “I can afford to do those adventures, but I never have.”

“No interest?”

“No time. Between my job and my martial-arts training, if I had an extra hour, I shadowed Mistress Keiko.”

“When I see all you’ve accomplished in your thirty-five years? You make me feel like a slacker.”

She gave him a peck on the mouth. “You’re far from that, Shihan. But fair warning: I’m gonna rock this motherfucking obstacle course.”

“I’ve no doubt of that.” He tugged on her ponytail. “But you’ll have to bring your A game to beat me. Because we did run lots of obstacle courses in the army.”

Shit. She was doomed. Maybe if she did a little trash-talking she could throw him off his game. She shrugged. “Don’t count on it. You’re older now. Your muscle memory isn’t as quick. Your knees are weaker. You looked a little out of breath on the climbing wall, so your stamina might not be as good as it used to be.”