Page 232 of Forbidden Heroes

The water splashes against my chin and it’s churning around me like an angry devil.

“Help,” I scream, hopeful. Nothing.

I scream again.

“Harper!”

“Boone,” I gasp and try to scream for him again but only get a mouthful of muddy water.

“Harper, I’m coming, sweetheart.” His voice is faint, almost as frantic as mine.

By the time I stop choking on water I hear nothing but silence. Please don’t let me die like this. Please, please, please. But only more silence. Only rain on water and lightning in the distance.

I fight to keep my head above water and tug at my ankle again. Nothing.

And then there he is just as the water threatens to take me under for good. “Boone, I’m here. Help. I can’t get my foot free.”

Rope lands beside me, and I reach for it as the man slides over the edge of the rock and into the water. The rope is tied around his waist and wordlessly he works to get a second around me, but the angry water isn’t making it easy.

Through chattering teeth, I mutter, "My foot. It's stuck on a root, Boone. I can't get out and the water, it's rising so fast. I’m so sorry.”

"Shh, baby, take it easy. Breathe deep and slow. I'm here. I have to break away the root it might hurt a minute, but I have to get you out of here now. We don't have much time, but you're going to be okay."

I try to nod except I don't know if my head is moving or I only think it does. I’m so damn cold.

"Tell me you understand," he barks this time with a bite to his tone. Fear filling his eyes.

I shake my head harshly. "Yes. Hurry."

I cry out as the Boone forces the root from my foot and frees me. The current is strong. Without the rope he secured around my waist and his strong arms I would be river bait, for sure.

He fights against the current to pull me close enough so that I can climb on his back. "Wrap yourself around my back and hold on. Just like that, baby, that’s it.”

I somehow manage to get enough feeling into my fingers and arms to lock them around his shoulders and hold on. Muscles bulge under me from the strain of carrying his weight and mine over the edge of the rock and trust me, I’m clinging to him hard enough I feel each masculine muscle ripple.

He carries us over the steep bank and we both drop to the ground, breathing heavily. Finally safe, we glance over our shoulders just in time to see my favorite place to sit and think get swept away in the heavy flow of floodwater. The boulder only being held in place by a simple root and the Grace of God.

My heart falls to the ground while I fall into Boone’s arms. I bury myself against his neck. Breathe in the heavy scent of mountain air, water and something that is all Boone.

"Oh my God! I swear I saw God Himself there for a minute when I thought you wouldn’t come..." My words drop off as tears steal my breath away. I push up, hands on his chest, our clothes soaking wet, and take his lips in a hard kiss, blurry vision and all. And he kisses me right back. His tongue moves over mine in a way he’s never kissed me before. It’s possessive, claiming, sure, but there’s gratefulness to it like he thought I was a goner too and we might not ever get to be in each other’s arms again, much less kiss.

“Baby girl, you’re ok, you’re ok,” he repeats and peppers my cheeks, my nose, everything with tiny hot kisses. I groan and easily melt into him despite it raining like we should be seeing Noah’s Ark at any point. Part of me wants to ask if this is real. If I’m feeling the same vibes he’s putting out or if it’s all in my head.

I ditch the internal dialogue and sink into our kiss, stroking my tongue over his again when I bring his mouth back to mine. Warring emotions threaten to choke me up, but I fight them back, unwilling to allow them to ruin our moment.

His arms are a warm, soothing blanket around me. "Don't cry—you're safe now.” With little effort Boone stands, taking me up with him. Wrapped tight against his wide, hard chest he carries me to the truck and drives us back to the house with me snuggly tucked tightly against him.

Back at the house he carries me inside and heads straight for his bathroom.

I moan a real belly deep sound that probably doesn’t come out at all sexy when the heated water rolls over me.

Without a word Boone strips and steps in beside me the fire of hell in his eyes. Like he’s still fighting the demons keeping him from accepting what is between us. I try not to think about that for a moment and instead focus on the big billow of steam cocooning us from the rest of the world.

There’s a huge part of me that doesn't know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve never really been on my own. I’m ok with that. I know what I want and there’s nothing in the world and no one who can convince me loving Boone Urban is a sin. Not with the way he’s gently lathering me up and washing every inch of my body as if I’m an angel that can break at any second.

“What's funny?” he asks when I laugh softly.

“This is the second time we’ve been caught in the rain.”

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