Page 103 of The Team

But through all of that, he’d met Jun-mei.

The person who’d saved him, shown him what love was.

“You keep looking at me,” she murmured, eyes still closed.

“You’re so pretty,” he whispered, glad the others couldn’t hear him. He’d spent his whole career being cold and distant, emotionless. And if they heard him speak so softly, saying such tender things, what would that do to his reputation?

Not that Yunho or Lucas, or Rhett or Jay would care.

Hanyu certainly didn’t. He’d been there when Tao had met Jun-mei. He’d joked back then that Tao’s cheeks would blush and his eyes would melt every time he saw her.

Hiding anything from Hanyu was impossible.

But here, in Yunho and Lucas’s house, no one had to hide anything.

Not their love, not Jun-mei’s transness, and not Tao’s scars.

None of it. They were as free as free could be.

Jun-mei turned to face him, her smile making his heart swell. She put her hand to his face, scanning his eyes. “I don’t know how I got so lucky, what I did to deserve you.”

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. “You saved me,” he whispered. “When I had nothing left to live for.”

She frowned, her pink lips pouting. “My sweet Tao.”

Someone cleared their throat, making both Tao and Jun-mei look up. It was Jay. “Uh, excuse me, you’re in my spot,” he said to Tao. He waved a bottle of nail polish. “Jun-mei and I have very important business to discuss.”

Jun-mei chuckled and Tao sighed. He would’ve told Jay to go away if it weren’t for the fact that he and Jun-mei had become good friends these last few days. He rolled off the sunbed, getting to his feet.

Jay shooed him. “Go do your underwater thing,” he said, quickly sitting on the sunbed and holding up the nail polish. “This is so pretty. Toenails or fingernails first?”

Tao turned and, finding no one else around, figured he’d go do ‘his underwater thing’ as Jay had suggested.

The sun was scorching, the temperature and humidity far too high for his liking. The pool was hardly a hardship. Rhett and Hanyu had gone on the boat to the mainland, and Yunho and Lucas were inside. Their peaceful days were coming to an end, and they’d be departing for Canberra the day after next.

He’d be leaving Jun-mei behind, so he’d not wanted to miss a minute with her. But her friendship with Jay was good for her. He was fun and a little sassy with her, they spent a lot of time whispering and giggling, and she needed friends like him.

Like how Tao could admit he liked Rhett Ouston. He could even admit to maybe being friends.

Maybe.

Not that he’d ever admit that to him.

But he respected him as a soldier, as a leader. And he respected him as someone who was open about his relationship with a man. He would dare anyone to tell him it was wrong or not good enough. Rhett was honest, and what you saw was what you got.

That was an admirable quality in Tao’s eyes.

Again, not that he’d ever admit that to him.

Take a bullet for him? Sure. Admit to his face that he considered him a friend?

No.

It had been good to spend time with them though. The downtime, relaxed and casual time off, had been a godsend. Tao had needed it, and so had Hanyu. He’d been by Tao’s side for the better part of a decade, every step of the way, never once questioning Tao’s actions or motives.

Hanyu was the brother he’d never had. And to see him enjoy some quiet vacation time—to see him laughing with everyone, snoozing on a sunbed, cooking meals with Yunho—made Tao happy too.

But as wonderful as this time had been, Tao was itching to work again.