Page 16 of Rupture

Finn closed his eyes, trying not to breathe her in, trying not to notice how perfectly she fit in his arms, how her body seemed made to be held by his.

“Okay, I’m good.” Her voice was muffled against his chest.

Finn exhaled slowly.

Time to go.

9

Rose’s pulsethundered in her ears.

“Ready?” Finn’s voice was calm. Self assurance radiated from him in waves.

“Yes.”Like hell I am.

“If we fall, I’ll cushion you.”

Her heart plummeted to the base of her stomach. “What?—”

“Only joking.” Finn flexed his legs, his iron-hard thighs caging hers. “You’re safe. I promise.”

God. What the hell am I doing? I’m a robotics engineer, not a rappelling genius with expertise at base jumping to the center of the earth. This is all a big mis?—

“Do you trust me?” His breath tickled her cheek. She had only known him a few hours, but there was something crazily intimate about being harnessed to him.

“Sure.” Fear made her limbs rigid, but she knew one thing.I trust this man.

Strong arms locked on her waist for the last time and snugged her into the crook of his body. Then before shecould protest, the world tilted backwards and Finn pulled her over the rim of the world.

Rose gripped the harness on his shoulder, clinging to the solidity of his body. A scream escaped her as they plunged into darkness, but the plummeting fall to her death, it didn’t happen.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Rose. It’s okay to breathe.” The deep rumble of his voice transmitted through her bones, vibrating confidence and security through her body.

She was still alive. She was freaking still alive.

She forced her eyes to open, her skin clammy with fear, and blinked, giving her eyes time to adjust. She hadsonot signed up for this.

The darkness wasn’t absolute, and faint light filtered from above. Rope hissed and Finn’s body framed hers as they slid in a controlled slide downward. Rock gleamed in the paltry light, slick with lime-green algae. Life forms of a hidden ancient ecology.

“You okay?” His arms worked on either side of her, lifting the rope to descend, pushing it down to brake as they navigated around fierce outcroppings.

“Yes.” She peered between her feet where the life raft was a golden glow, brighter now that they were closer. Luca whooped from below, waving his arms wildly. Rose looked away, looked up. Looking down was making her feel dizzy.

“Not far to go now.”

“Uh, huh.” The rock grew more craggy, the air colder, her breath puffing vapor as she breathed. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

A deep-throated chuckle. “This might surprise you, but I don’t normally rappel with a hot woman in my arms.”

“Oh.”Hot.

He made an embarrassed noise. “Sorry, that was unprofessional.” He curved around her, adjusting the rope, his scruff scratching her exposed ear lobe under her helmet. Electricity danced across her scalp.

Rose closed her eyes again. She didn’t know what the hell was going on with her but she was just going to ignore all these crazy feelings because they had no place here in this mission. She had a job to do. A half-sister who despised her to rescue.

A fragment of the past stabbed her mind like a splinter. Thea’s face warped by resentment“You’ve always had it so easy, Rose. Everyone looks up to you. Is it too much for me to have the same, to share it out a little?”

---