Page 41 of Being Bold
Geez, tell me how you really feel.
She’d thought he’d almost kissed her again in the truck when he’d gone for the gloves. She could’ve closed the distance between them, but she’d hesitated, unsure he’d reciprocate it.Even though he’d been the one to kiss her to start with, she hadn’t tried to make a move on him.
But it was good to know he found the idea of sharing a bed with her that repulsive. Tears threatened again, and she swallowed hard. She turned away, determined to keep them at bay.
Yumi’s voice softened, like she felt sorry for the shit she’d just stirred up. “Actually, I have to leave.” She blew out a breath. “Gotta be back at Saber Tech in the morning. You two can figure out the sleeping arrangements on your own,” she rushed to add.
With her vision still blurry, Selene jerked back to face Yumi. “What? That can’t be safe! What about those men? There could be more.”
Her friend approached, eyes turning kind as she squeezed Selene’s shoulders. “Mr. Dao still believes my cover. I need to use that while I can. Look, if we want this to end, we have to find the servers where he stores the weaponized AI. Working at Saber Tech allows me to keep looking for them.”
Her anger leeched away into worry. Walking to the door with Yumi, she grabbed her friend’s arm. “Be careful.”
Yumi’s grin had an edge to it. “Always am.” She turned to Bo, her face hardening. “Keep her safe, leatherneck.”
Bo’s eyes squinted, his lips pinching together as he shook his head. Selene wasn’t sure, but she thought that was a term used for Marines. She frowned slightly, wondering if Yumi was aware or had intentionally said it to pick at Bo.
The tension left his face as he grunted and answered, “I will, spook. You find those damn servers.”
She grinned at his rejoinder, clearly pleased he’d made a jab at her before slipping into the cold. Selene latched the door behind Yumi and took her time turning around.
When Bo didn’t say anything, she sighed, then headed toward the fireplace to help him finish stacking the wood.
Of course, as soon as she knelt and reached for the log pile, he dropped beside her. “You don’t have to do that.”
She ignored the strain in his voice as he tried to beat her to the task. “I don’t mind the couch. It’s closer to the fire.”
He shook his head. “No, you’ll take the loft. It’s more comfortable.” He dropped the last log into place with a grunt and a mutter, “I sleep on the couch most nights anyway.”
Despite crouching in front of the roaring fire, a shiver wracked her, and she hugged her arms over her chest. The sweater and jeans she’d put on that Yumi had grabbed from her apartment weren’t as warm as his sweats had been.
Bo noticed, asking, “I don’t, uh, have any hot tea, but if you want a nightcap . . .?”
She was willing to try anything that might send the aching cold from her bones. Sitting back on her heels, she faced him with a nod. His eyes were a warm mix of milk and dark chocolate, reflecting the blaze in sparks of fiery color that gleamed among his irises. Despite his comment about not sharing a bed, his gaze fell to her lips. She found herself leaning toward him in invitation. A kiss would undoubtedly warm her up better than any shot of whiskey. She licked her lips.
His eyes drifted back to hers, his face pinching in pain before he cringed away from her and stood. “I’ll get you that drink.”
She nearly winced at his gruff voice. He was clearly determined not to touch her, and she . . . God, she wanted him to. Right now, she’d love to feel anything other than stressed out. And what he’d made her feel with one kiss . . . it was more than she’d experienced before. That much tightly controlled passion. How it exploded in a fury of emotion. She wanted more of it—more of him. Rough or not. She didn’t care.
Shaking her head at herself, Selene made a comfortable seat on the floor, sitting as close to the fire as she dared. Because the only warmth she’d find tonight would come from the flames.
Chapter 12
Selene
The fire’s crackling should have been white noise lulling Selene into peaceful dreams, but she could only toss and turn in Bo’s bed. The whiskey had warmed her belly, and with his down comforter covering every inch of her below her chin, she’d stopped shivering. Yet sleep eluded her. She couldn’t get comfortable. If she lay on her back, her head throbbed from where she’d smacked the ice, but she found no relief on her side either. Perhaps she’d gone past the point of tiredness to a place where she’d become too exhausted to rest.
After what felt like an hour of struggling, she believed it was possible. Her brain refused to settle as if some hypervigilance switch had been hit. Every little noise sent her pulse into overdrive. The wind howling against the cabin walls, animals calling into the night, it was all so unfamiliar. Then, there was her whole situation and her confusion surrounding Bo, which kept her awake.
She’d tried counting sheep and relaxing her muscles one by one, but nothing had put her any closer to a state of drowsiness. Huffing out a breath, she rolled over for the thousandth time. Through the cracks in the railing, she could see Bo passed out on the couch. The glow from the fire revealed his softly rising chest.She was freezing, and he slept without a shirt on, a single blanket tangled in his legs.
It must be a Montana thing. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to the cold or if it mattered now. Without her job at Saber Tech, she should head back to California. Except, the mere thought sent panic coursing through her veins. She loved her parents, but spending the rest of her life in Santa Barbara was out of the question.
I need more than that.
She needed . . . a frown tugged at the corners of her lips. Her instinct was to say adventure, but after the last two days, she wasn’t so sure that was what she wanted. Safety was her main priority. Well, that and sleep.
She’d never been one to rely on sleeping pills, but Benadryl had always knocked her out. Maybe Bo had some. Wondering, she watched him. His rest seemed sound, and it was doubtless that he needed it after dealing with everything she’d brought to his doorstep. She didn’t want to wake him to ask about the medicine, but she could check the bathroom. If she found some diphenhydramine hydrochloride, that would be great. If not, maybe she’d try another shot of whiskey.
