There was something about kissing someone on top of a mountain that made it more fun than normal. And since it was Easton she was kissing, by the time she pulled away, River could barely catch her breath.

“Your beard is frosty.” She touched a miniature piece of ice clinging beneath his chin. “You have icicles.”

“It’s a sign of my mountaineering ability. The more icicles, the better guide I am.”

“You’re such a goofball. No one knows that, do they? They all think you’re big and strong and scary. You’re actually a total dork.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Easton breathed against her ear, a far better way of tickling her.

A hand slapping against the outside of their tent ended whatever might have happened next. At least this time, Ben didn’t stick his head in.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but it’s that time. The Veil won’t climb itself.”

Easton climbed to his feet. “It’s all right. I need to go check everyone before we leave camp anyway.”

“Remember you said probably.” As he left her tent, River called after him, “Don’t think I won’t put your foot fetish in the movie, Easton.”

• • •

The excitement in the air was palpable. They were going through the Veil today.

For once, Easton didn’t ask them to break camp. Instead, they were going to climb up to the Veil, go through, then come back down again, retracing their steps. They were high enough on the mountain that pauses to acclimate were necessary. Easton had said if the Veil went well, he’d decide if they would summit. The way to the top was through the Veil, and if they failed to successfully pull it off when more rested, no one was summiting, then coming back down through the Veil when exhausted.

Today was the day to prove to him that River’s team had what it took.

Knowing she was getting close to the summit helped River push through the increasingly difficult task of navigating through dangerous terrain. Even with the distraction of Easton in front of her, River found herself looking more and more to the highest point of the peak above them.

Summiting wasn’t a hope. Summiting would happen.

As they climbed, Easton would turn to check on the progress of the team. Each time his attention turned to her, a sexy smile would curve his lips. A dangerously distracting one that was literally capable of causing a woman to fall to her death.

“You shouldn’t do that,” she told him once. “It’s highly irresponsible. I could report you to your superiors.”

“I don’t have superiors,” Easton reminded her.

“I’ve met your sister. You definitely have superiors.”

“That’s still being decided. What am I doing?”

River snorted. “Oh, you know what you’re doing.”

Considering his low, sexy chuckle, Easton did know. Instead of arguing his innocence, he turned back to the climb. When they finally crested the ridge they’d been ascending for the past hour, River stood back to catch her breath.