When he pulls over, it’s in a dirt parking lot. The outrageously expensive car gets turned off, and Beck climbs out, stretching. I scramble out the passenger side to survey our surroundings. It’s just greenery. Trees, shrubs, saplings, sprouts, grass, weeds. Nothing the least bit interesting.

“Is this a pit stop?” I ask.

“This?” Beck asks incredulously, sweeping his left arm in an indication I should take in the scenery.

I’m more focused on the bulge of his bicep, but I humor him. “Okay, it’s a nice view. Let’s keep moving.”

Beck smirks. “This isn’t the view.” He points upward to a peak that seems really far away. “That’s blocking the view.”

“You’re planning to go hiking?” I surmise.

Beck nods.

“Why did you let me wear this?” I pinch the skirt of my dress as I tug it to the side to emphasize my attire.

One corner of those luscious lips lifts upward. “I believe we already covered your wardrobe choice.”

I huff out an exasperated breath. “Comfortable and climbing aren’t the same thing, Beck!”

He shrugs. “You’re wearing sneakers. You’ll be fine.”

“I just got fully cleared to play again. One wrong step and I could break an ankle!”

“What do you mean you just got full clearance to play again?” Beck inquires.

“Exactly that. I sprained my knee in the spring. Practice last week was the first time I’ve played in two months.”

Dark blond brows rise, and I’m certain he’s recalling our shootout. Hopefully, he’s thinking it was crazy impressive, not completely stupid. “All right, if you don’t think you can handle it then we can head back.” Beck turns toward the car.

Adler Beck does not know me very well if he thinks I’m going to back down from a paltry challenge like scaling a mountain that looks an awful lot like Everest. Who even knew Germany had mountains that size? Not this American.

“We drove all this way.” I have no idea how far, because Beck drives like he’s taking part in a car chase, but the lack of anything but nature in sight suggests we’re pretty far from Kluvberg. “Lead the way.”

Beck spins back around, and he’s smirking. Forget him not knowing me well.

I totally just got played.

I narrow my eyes at his broad back as he strolls past me and toward the base of the mountain. I would have forged ahead alone, except there’s no obvious entry into the wilderness, no clear path or markers. I grew up in a small southern town where the primary outdoor activity is sipping sweet tea on the front porch. My experience whacking through overgrown greenery is very limited.

As in, nonexistent.