Page 44 of Being Bold (Tactical Operations & Protection (TOP) Security #1)

He stood, tugging her to her feet. He could feel the stress weighing her down and wanted to ease her worries about her friend. “Yumi is smart and tough. I bet she finds a way to contact us before we even find her.”

She smiled at his words, but it looked forced. “I know you’re right. It’s just hard not to worry.”

Hoping to lighten her mood, he cupped her face and lifted an eyebrow. “Then it looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

Her chuckle rewarded him as she caught his meaning. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, he let his palm linger on her skin. “Let’s get out of here.”

Thirty minutes later, they entered their hotel room.

It wasn’t as grand or eclectic as the place they’d stayed in Montreal, but it had everything they needed—namely, a bed.

His thoughts kept ending up there despite Selene being on the phone with her parents.

Now that they were safe, she’d called to catch up, which meant letting them know about quitting her job at Saber Tech and starting a new one.

She fudged over some of the details, likely so they wouldn’t worry.

Unable to not touch her, Bo wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Leaning in, he rested his chin on her shoulder while she spoke to her parents about a vacation they wanted to take together.

“Yes. As soon as I have time on the books, we’ll travel to Barcelona.

” There was a pause before she added, a smile in her voice as she tilted her head to meet his gaze.

“Oh, and I have someone I want you to meet.”

When she hung up, he grinned and said, “Say Barcelona again.”

With a smile, she obliged him.

His dick twitched as his gaze fell to her mouth.

“That’s so sexy. I could listen to your voice all day, ocean-eyes.

” He twirled her around and kissed her. When she moaned, he trailed his lips across her jaw to her ear.

“It’s the first thing I want to hear when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I want to listen to before I close my eyes at night. ”

The sound she made in response shot straight to his groin. Kissing down her neck, he found the spot on her collarbone that turned her on. When she gasped, he walked her backward to the bed. He was going to spend his time on that spot, then go searching for more that would drive her wild.

◆◆◆

Selene

Selene had never been so thoroughly pleasured. Bo had teased her with his hands and mouth for what felt like hours. Her body hummed with all the force of an electrical storm, and she didn’t know how much more she could take before she erupted.

“Bo-o-o-o,” she moaned as he scraped his beard across her inner thigh. When his tongue teased her slit, she panted. “I can’t,” she gasped, “I’m going to—”

Instead of giving her what she wanted, he pulled away. “Yes, you can, ocean-eyes.”

She glared at the gleam shining in those umber depths when she met his satisfied gaze. She’d lost count of the number of times he’d driven her to the brink of orgasm, only to deprive her of that blissful fall. Well, she was done waiting.

Making sure he watched her, she trailed her fingers up her thigh until she found her center. When she dragged them through her wetness, his eyes widened, and he let out a sharp exhale.

Next, she dipped her fingers inside. A grin spread across her face as he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. She started to move them slowly in and out to tease him, but her own needs made her groan and pick up her pace. She lost sight of Bo as her head fell back, her body bowing off the bed.

Before she could find her release, his hand tugged hers away. A whimper escaped her lips. “Bo, please,” she panted.

But he was already moving on top of her. His mouth claimed hers in a rough kiss as he pushed inside her body. She wrapped her arms around his powerful back, gripping and scratching with her nails while he thrusted.

When his mouth left hers, he rasped, “I’m so fucking in love with you.”

His words and his dark mineral scent surrounded her, bringing her a sense of safety, security, and immense and overwhelming love. She gasped for breath as their bodies moved in unison. “I love you, too!” She pushed the words out as pleasure roared through her.

The intensity of it burst in her heart, traveling through her entire body like a tidal wave of warmth. When her orgasm hit, her shout was one of pure bliss. Bo froze, and his arms shook as his head dropped back with the force of his own release.

The electrical storm he’d built within her left her trembling with aftershocks. She barely registered him collapsing on top of her. Her molecules were scattered and took their sweet time coming back together. When they did, a laugh bubbled up her throat until she shook with the force of it.

Bo pushed up on his arms and shook his head as if to clear it. “Can’t think,” he mumbled, making her laugh some more.

She smiled and reached up to rub her hands over the beard she loved so much, up his rugged face, and into the soft auburn waves on top of his head. “That was . . .” She paused, unsure she had the words to describe how amazing it had been.

A slow smile softened the hard lines of his face. “World-shaking.”

She chuckled. “Yes.” Lifting up, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you.”

He shook his head with a growl. “No, ocean-eyes.” After pressing a firm kiss on her mouth, his forehead lifted, and the gold and red facets in his chocolate eyes swirled with emotion.

“Thank you .” His expression softened as he said, “My heart was meant to love you, and yours was meant to heal mine.”

His statement touched something deep inside her.

Her eyes watered as her throat choked with love for him.

Awestruck, she could only stare, trying to take everything in.

Somehow, they’d managed to survive the ordeal with Mr. Dao.

She had a new job with people she looked forward to working with, and she had Bo.

Before she could pull herself together to respond, he lifted her into a sitting position, then climbed off the bed to kneel in front of her.

A gasp pulled from her lips.

“Will you marry me, ocean-eyes?”

Words burst out of her. “Yes. Oh, Bo! Yes!” Her heart ricocheted in excitement. Now, she wasn’t sure if she was laughing or crying or both. This felt surreal. Like she was dreaming and feared waking up.

He rose, then cupped her face with one hand. “I’m going to get you a ring at the first opportunity. Would you, ah”—he scrubbed at his beard with the other—“would you want to pick it out?”

She’d honestly never thought about it before, but her heart filled with warmth at the idea of doing it together. “I’d love to.”

His smile seemed relieved. “Okay, yeah, good. We’ll do it together.”

She couldn’t stop smiling. “Together,” she agreed, then kissed her fiancé.

My fiancé.

She giggled against his mouth. The word filled her with so much joy that she felt like she could light the room with the glow beaming out of her.

They might not make sense on paper, but if recent events had taught her anything, it was that life was meant to be lived. Risks were meant to be taken, or you’d never reap the rewards. Her gut had trusted Bo to protect her, but her heart trusted him to keep it safe.

She knew he still had some healing to do, and she’d be there for him every step of the way. He’d promised her forever. No matter how rocky their path might be, she looked forward to traveling it. Together.

The TOP Security Series continues with Yumi's story in book two .