by Skye Jordan
But eventually, he touched down, and Julia breathed. The crowd’s eruption sounded as loud as a freight train just feet away.
“Holy shit!” Finn yelled, wrapped her in his arms, shaking her until her teeth chattered. “No one’s ever done that!”
Julia didn’t know what “that” was. The insane names they came up with for these equally insane tricks still escaped her. But if Finn was happy, Julia was happy. And if Noah was still upright and boarding, Julia was thrilled.
Noah hit another set of metal bars, jumping between them midride, a move that riled the crowd. Then he crossed the run and took another wall-ride across more sponsor logos. Then straight onto the last ramp.
Julia didn’t know if he’d really built up as much speed as it seemed or if her brain warped reality, but he spun just before he lifted off the ramp and twirled in a chaotic knot of moves she couldn’t track. Moves that seemed out of control in comparison to his others. Then he was rocketing toward the ground.
And in those split seconds, Julia couldn’t fathom how he could land safely at that speed. Couldn’t begin to imagine the force his ankle would take when he hit. Couldn’t bear the pressure in her chest.
And when he neared the ground, she turned her head but couldn’t stop watching. Had to follow to the end. Had to be there the way she’d promised.
Noah hit.
Wobbled.
And recovered.
Straightening, he leaned back on his board as he rode a victory circle, arms thrust into the air.
Finn grabbed Julia, lifted her off the ground, and jumped again and again. “He did it! He did it!”
Julia just worked to get her breath back. Tears streamed down her face. Sobs of relief and joy rocked her body.
Finn dropped her to her feet, grabbed her hand, and plowed through the crowd to the finish platform where riders waited for their scores. The crowd was so loud, her ears rang. Everything sounded muffled. She followed in Finn’s wake until he stopped abruptly, dropped her hand, and jumped into a full-body hug with Noah.
Julia felt weak and dizzy and so completely overwhelmed. But when Finn stepped back, Noah pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard and deep, and Julia melted, giving herself over to the complete and utter joy of the man she loved.
“…scores…” Finn was saying, prying them apart by the shoulders. “Dude, get up there.”
Julia stepped back, giving Noah room to pass, but he grabbed her hand and dragged her with him.
“No, Noah—”
He ignored her, pulling her up the steps, and then she was standing on the platform with him, his arms around her, waiting for his scores. Now their scores. Noah had been the last contestant, so his score determined whether he discovered he’d won another gold on the spot.
They waited only seconds, but in the hot spotlight, Julia swore it took days for the scores to come up.
The numbers seemed to waver in her vision, and before she could decipher whether or not he’d won, Noah bent and picked her up, twirling her around the stage, then letting her drop just far enough to plant his mouth over hers and kiss her hard.
As he lowered her to her feet, Julia caught her breath and said at his ear, “Congratulations, baby.”
Noah set her down, let her go, then dropped to one knee.
She frowned at him in worry and confusion. “What…?”
The crowd went silent enough to hear the millions of flashbulb clicks as Noah pulled a box from his pocket and offered it to her. “This is almost the greatest day of my life,” he said, still out of breath from his medal-winning run. “Julia, tell me you’ll marry me, promise to be my wife for the rest of my life, and I will never need another win to be happy for as long as I live.”
Her head spun. She gripped the railing with one hand and covered her mouth with the other as emotion bubbled over. “Yes. Yes,” she repeated behind her hand, then crouched to wrap her arms around his shoulders and kiss him hard. “Yes.”
Noah pulled the ring from the box, something big and sparkly. She couldn’t see it through the tears, and she didn’t care. He slid it on her finger, kissed her again, then lifted her into a half seat on his shoulder and turned toward the crowd, which was going absolutely wild in the stands.
Finally, Noah eased her to her feet and kissed her. “I love you so much.”
A bright light shone in their faces, and they both winced. Noah laughed. “Sorry, they go a little crazy when they find a new American sports hero. Don’t worry, it won’t last.”
She fisted her hands in the front of his racing vest. “I understand. I go a little crazy when I find the love of my life. And that, Noah Hunt, will most definitely last.”
Dear Reader,
Thanks for reading The Risk, book 1 in the Xtreme Heroes series! I hope you enjoyed Noah and Julia’s story. Starting a new series to follow the Renegades was, and continues to be, a daunting challenge. I hope I’ve lived up to your expectations and that you found the start of this new series exciting and fresh.
If you enjoyed The Risk, I would deeply appreciate a review on any retail outlet website, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Thank you for your time and for choosing to read the Xtreme Heroes series.
If you’d like to be notified of upcoming releases and/or special giveaways, please join my newsletter list at http://www.SkyeJordanAuthor.com/newsletter
Until next time, happy reading!
Skye
Check Out More of Joan’s and Skye’s Books
Phoenix Rising Series
(Romantic Suspense with paranormal elements)
FEVER
BLAZE
RUSH
SHATTER
Covert Affairs Series
(Romantic Suspense)
INTIMATE ENEMIES
FIRST TEMPTATION
SINFUL DECEPTION
Renegades Series
(Hot Contemporary Romance)
RECKLESS
REBEL
RICOCHET
RUMOR
JoanSwan.com
SkyeJordanAuthor.com