“I have a better question. What are you trying to prove?”

She stared, not liking the way he gave voice to the very same question she’d just been thinking. “What?”

For a second, he hesitated, but then his brows dropped. “Christ, princess, I’m not even using big words—what are you trying to prove by crawling up here in that sad excuse for hiking gear? World’s prettiest thrill-seeker, too afraid to even look over the edge of a cliff?”

Anger straightened her spine, and she took her first full breath since she reached the summit. How dare he? He doesn’t know a damn thing about me. What happened in Cork didn’t give him free rein to steamroll all over her. Speaking of Cork… “Says the man who’s stalking me.”

“I’m not stalking you. I was minding my own goddamn business, taking in the scenery.” He motioned around them. “And who do I stumble over at the top? A scared little princess.”

She hated when he called her princess. Alexis glared down at his knee. That hike had been tiring for her, and she wasn’t carting around a leg full of scar tissue and muscle damage. “How the hell did you even get up here, anyway?”

“Same way you did—I hiked. Though I’m at least wearing appropriate clothing. What, have you never been outdoors before?”

There he went again, assuming he knew a single thing about her. She poked him in the chest, hating how defined it was. Even now, she could perfectly picture his pecs. But she wasn’t going to stand here ogling him while he insulted her. “I got up here just fine.”

“Sure you did. And for what? You’re so scared, you’re shaking like a leaf.”

It stung more because he was right. Before he’d stomped up, she’d been half a second from calling the whole thing off. She couldn’t do that now, not with him watching. All it would do was reinforce every shitty assumption he’d made about her. So Alexis turned around and marched to the edge of the cliff, anger propelling her even when the height made her dizzy. It was so far down, and the blue water of the fjord gleamed in the gray morning. It looked like something out of an ancient myth, carved out of the surrounding trees by some careless god. She reached the edge, and the whole world seemed to sway. “What—”

“Christ, darlin’.” Luke grabbed her arm and towed her back to safety—and right against his chest. “You did it. You got to the edge.”

“This is so stupid. It’s not even that high. I mean, it’s nearly two thousand feet. I guess that’s enough. More than enough.” She started shaking again, thinking about how long that drop looked. Plenty of time to think about the mistakes she’d made in life before her body hit the water with bone-crushing force.

His grip gentled on her, but his voice was just as gruff as ever. “Two thousand feet is plenty scary. Scarier than thirteen thousand feet, strangely enough. At least at the higher elevation, you know you’ll have time to pull your parachute and pick a spot to land.”

She looked up, hating how being close to him drove away some of the cold from her body. She wished she could blame it on memories from Cork, but it would be a lie. It was just Luke—gruff and blond and larger than life. “You’ll notice I don’t make a habit of jumping out of planes.”

Oh my God, he’s trying to make me feel better. She thought back over the last few minutes and the shock nearly dropped her. He’s been doing it since he walked up.He goaded me to the edge, because he knew being pissed at him would distract me from being scared.

“Your loss. It’s a rush like you wouldn’t believe.” Something came into his voice, something a lot like longing. It made her wonder if he’d been skydiving since his injury… Which was none of her damn business.

Alexis shook her head. It was great that he’d helped her out, and her heart ached from the longing she could hear in his voice when he talked about jumping out of a plane—as insane as she found that—but it didn’t change anything. He was here, and that was an awfully big coincidence. “How did you find me?”

His frowned at her, looking genuinely confused.

But come on, the same time, same place. Europe wasn’t that small. “Luke, how did you find me?” She’d left him sleeping soundly, but he could’ve woken up and followed her to the airport. She didn’t know whether to be thrilled or appalled at the thought of him, well, stalking her.

He snorted, his next words throwing that assumption right out the window. “Why the hell would I go looking for you? Don’t get me wrong, the sex was amazing—”

Good Lord. “Will you please lower your voice?” She looked around, but neither of the other two groups of people seemed to be paying them the least bit of attention. Maybe I’m just being paranoid? He’s right. The sex was amazing, but it’s not like he had any way to track me down, even if he wanted to. It was just a coincidence straight out of some romantic comedy movie… If romantic comedies were populated by cranky asshole ex-military types.

No, she was looking too much into this. It might seem too convenient to believe, but he was right. What reason would he have to follow her?

“Why, princess? Am I offending your delicate sensibilities?” He gave a wicked grin that told her just how much he liked the thought. “You didn’t seem that offended when my tongue was between your thighs and you were riding my mouth as you screamed my name.”

“Just shut up.” Because it was all too easy to remember exactly how good it felt when he had his mouth on her countless times the night before last.

“Don’t worry your pretty head about it. It’s just a strange coincidence that I’m here the same time as you.” Luke finally seemed to realize he still had his arms around her, because he let go and took a step back. “Though maybe I should be following you. You don’t seem to have the sense God gave a toddler.”

Ouch. She wasn’t sure what hurt more—that he thought so little of her, or that he could dismiss the sex they’d had in a few short sentences. She might have left him yesterday morning, but that had nothing to do with him or the sex.

She hated how dismissive he was of everything about her, and so she spoke without thinking. “And you do?” She sent a pointed look at his knee. “I’m not the only one shaking.” A low blow, and one she instantly regretted. You’re a goddam nurse, and you’re poking at his injury because he pissed you off. Classy, Alexis. Really classy.

As he started to say something, the skies opened up. Luke cursed, but she only tipped her face up and breathed out some of her anger. If she’d wanted to bicker with someone, she could have stayed at home and gone head-to-head with Drew or even Ryan. This trip was bigger than some grouchy former military man who seemed determined to make her life a thousand times more difficult.

Her peace lasted all of ten seconds, when her body registered that she was soaked and the cold set in. Alexis wrapped her arms around herself and looked around. Both the other groups were hustling back down the way they’d come, huddled inside Windbreakers and their packs. Not Luke, though. Of course she wouldn’t be that lucky. He just stood there, glowering at her. “What? Don’t you have some other helpless woman to bully?”

Unexpectedly, he laughed. The sound rolled through her, deep and addicting. Oh my God. Luke shook his head. “Bullying you is a full-time job.” He seemed to consider for a second. “And you’re anything but helpless, even if you are a giant pain in my ass.”

Once again, she was struck that his crappy attitude seemed calculated to keep her distracted from the huge drop just a few feet away. She wasn’t sure if she should thank him or smack him for interfering in the first place—even if he did help get her to the edge. “Was that an actual compliment? I might pass out right here from the shock.”