Page 80 of Being Bold
Then get your ass up there!
Concerned voices reached his ears, but his sole focus was getting back to Selene. He snapped off the rig, extricated himself from the chute, then ran into the building straight for the elevators. Waiting for one to open, he tried listening for his team, only to realize his comms device had come out in the fall.
Motherfucker!
Now he was deaf as well as blind.
Palming his SRK, he slammed his finger on the elevator button again. When he was ready to give up and run up sixty flights of stairs, the damned thing opened.
“Holy shit, frogman,” Victor breathed, eyes widening. He and Romeo both held up a despondent Selene.
At the sight of her, his chest squeezed so tight he had to croak, “Is she okay?”
Her head snapped up at his voice. “Bo! Oh my God, Bo!” Selene ran out of the elevator and plowed into him.
He hugged her, catching her weight as she collapsed into his arms. She was crying and trembling so violently that he wanted to panic. He tried to run his hands over her to check for injuries, but her legs didn’t hold her weight. Scooping her up, he held her bridal-style while looking to his team for answers.
“Dao?” Just saying the man’s name made him glower.
“Eliminated,” Victor stated.
Bo nodded. He’d wanted to be the one to end that fucker, but knowing he was gone gave him a measure of peace.
Romeo had a huge grin on his face. “Don’t worry, Bo-man. We cleaned house.”
“Let’s move this reunion to the van before the local authorities show up,” Victor directed, and led the way outside.
Bo followed, carrying Selene while Romeo brought up the rear. She’d stopped crying by the time they reached the florist van, but he could still feel her body shaking. The door swung out, revealing Herc inside, sitting with his leg elevated. Romeo hopped in while Victor took shotgun.
With a nod to his team, Bo shut the door without getting inside. “Can you stand, ocean-eyes?” he asked, desperate to set her on her feet and get a good look at her to ensure she was all right.
She nodded, so he let her down, but didn’t release her arms. Those beautiful eyes met his and took his breath away. “How,” she whispered, “how are you alive?”
Tears still glistened on her cheeks. He cupped her face, wiping them away with his thumbs. “I had a parachute. For BASE jumping.”
She blinked at him a couple of times, then a laugh bubbled out of her mouth. “Just in case?” she asked before her laughter intensified, sounding hysterical.
Releasing her face, he ran his hands over her body, checking for injuries. He didn’t see any blood, but he had to be sure.
She finally stopped laughing. “What are you doing?”
He cupped his hands around her waist. “You’re not hurt?”
“No.” She took a deep breath and ran a hand over her heart. “Not anymore. God, Bo. When I thought . . .” Her eyes filled as she trailed off.
“Shh, don’t cry, ocean-eyes,” he begged, brushing the hair from her face.
Her eyes were shiny but fierce as she said, “I love you, Bo.”
His heart somersaulted as his chest filled with warmth. A smile stretched across his lips before he huffed out a laugh and pulled her lips to his own.
She tasted warm like the hope shining in his heart. Her soft sigh of contentment as their tongues twined flooded him with relief.
She was safe, and she was his.
He released her mouth. Lifting her against his chest, he squeezed her and told her, “I love you, too. And if you’re willing to let me, I’ll stay. I don’t want to leave your side. Not now, not ever.”
The smile on her face stole his breath. Setting her down, he lowered his forehead to hers. “You’re my rainbow,” he murmured.
