"Yes, you are," Lexi smiled, "and you know what else you are, Ethan? My partner."
"What?" I cried.
"Just trying to help with that whole comfort zone thing," Lexi said as she laced her arm through Ethan's and left me standing alone.
"Fine, I'll just go alone," I called.
"Sorry, the instructor says everyone needs a partner. I'm the only one left," Ford said. He handed me one of the two harnesses he was holding. "If it makes you feel better, we get to go first."
The nimble strength of his fingers as he helped me into the harness added a whole different tone to my jangling nerves. Ford stood just inches away, close enough that his shadowed chin caught a few tendrils of my hair. He brushed them carefully back into place. His touch was so soft that it was impossible for me to feel it all the way to the soles of my feet, but I did.
"Last chance to back out," he said.
"No way in hell," I grumbled and grabbed hold of the rope with both hands. Ford and the instructor hoisted me high up to the first platform.
"You're just nervous because now you're the dork partnered with the teacher," I whispered to myself on the treetop platform and waved to Lexi far below. "If this doesn't count as out of my comfort zone, then Professor Bauer is insane."
He was insane. The whole student group cheered as he opted to climb the tree instead of catch a ride to the top. I couldn't see much from my angle, but Lexi was fanning herself and shooting me thumbs ups.
"Sorry," Ford said, only slightly out of breath. "Can't let the students think I'm an old man."
I clung to the tree trunk but offered him one arm. He shook his head and hauled himself onto the platform before springing to his feet. The crowd below cheered.
"Good job, professor." I couldn't take my eyes off him.
Ford was jaw-dropping in just an undershirt and jeans. He'd shed his college logo button down below and the white, short-sleeved shirt did nothing to hide the taut strain and flex of his chiseled muscles. Standing so casually on the edge of a dizzying drop, Ford looked more like a superhero than a college professor.
"Army training," he explained when he saw my eyes were riveted to his biceps. "Haven't broken the habit yet."
I refused to let him see me drooling over his rock-hard physique. This ropes course and a perfectly worded article were all that stood between me and a better grade. I inched around the tree trunk and swallowed hard as I looked out across the ropes course. Two parallel ropes, one over the other, stretched from our platform far across to another one. In between seemed to be nothing but open air.
"I'll go first, if you want. Or we can go together," Ford said. "Hold my hand?"
I snorted. "You don't think I can do this? I'm going first."
I grabbed the higher rope and inched onto the lower one. Moving hand over hand and sliding my feet first apart and then together, I moved out past the tree branches. Everything was fine until I felt Ford's weight bounce the ropes.
"You're doing great, Clarity; keep going," he called.
I couldn't let me catch up with me. The temptation to grab onto his agile and strong body would be too much and we were literally hanging, fully exposed above a group of Landsman College students.
"Slow down, if you want," Ford said. "This isn't a race."
My inappropriate attraction to him drove me faster along the ropes. I hit the next platform and kept going, as if the devil himself was chasing me. I didn't slow down until my safety line, secured by carabiners, got tangled at another treetop platform.
"Here, let me help," Ford said. He stepped onto the small platform and reached his arms around me.
I peeked out around his shoulder and realized the rest of the college students were far behind. In my anxiety to keep an appropriate distance between me and Ford, I had somehow separated us from everyone else. Despite the chill in the air, the trees still held reddish and gold leaves, secluding us from everyone else.
"Yeah," Ford said, following my gaze. "Looks like we've got the place to ourselves for a few minutes."
A wave of dizziness swept over my head and I swayed back. Ford's arms immediately locked around my waist and drew me hard against his chest.
"I got you. Don't worry, Clarity; I won't let you fall," he said.
The plunging sensation only increased as I tipped my head up to meet his smoky-gray eyes. "Thanks, professor, but I'll be fine." I brought my gloved hands up between us and pushed against the hard contours of his chest.
He didn't release me. "You know, you can call me Ford. There's no policy against that."