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Yeah, she had said them-the memory flashed vividly in her mind. Knowing that she had babbled that particular phrase to him, she pulled her hand completely away, wondering how he had taken those words, or if he had even really heard them. At the time, she had been desperate to say them, to let him know how she felt in case she didn’t make it through the night. With no idea what her injuries actually were, she hadn’t hesitated to say them, didn’t want something to happen without him knowing how much she cared.
Now that she knew that she was obviously going to live, she wasn’t so sure that she should have confessed, bared her soul.
“Kara!” Simon shot up into a sitting position, his hand reaching reflexively for hers, twining their fingers back together. He was instantly awake, his eyes jerking to her face, scanning it with obvious unease. “You’re awake.”
Her throat was dry; her tongue felt like it was swollen enough to take up the entire space of her oral cavity. She reached for a cup of water from the bedside table. Simon sprang from his chair, reaching it first, unwrapping a straw and placing it into the plastic cup, before directing it to her mouth. She took slow sips, her hand covering his as she let the moisture slide over her tongue. “Where am I?” she asked quietly, licking the moisture from her lips.
He told her what hospital she was in and explained that her CT scan was normal, but that they were keeping her overnight for observation. “You have several stitches from a cut on your forehead. From what Sam told me, you’re damn lucky they didn’t crack your skull.” Simon’s voice was rough and slightly irritated.
“I have a hard head,” she answered lightly, remembering the force of the blows, amazed that she had suffered nothing more than a few stitches and a hammering headache.
He shot her an aggravated look. “Like I haven’t noticed?” Setting the glass down on the bedside table, his eyes locked with hers, staring intently, his gaze like liquid fire. “You’re never leaving me again. Ever.”
Her breath hitched as she looked at him, fascinated, unable to break the compelling, silent communication. “Forever is a long time,” she answered, unable to come up with a more intelligent response while his eyes were shooting volatile sparks, a clear warning he was about to get stubborn.
“I don’t give a fuck. You’re going back home with me, and I’m not leaving your safety in the hands of a few green security agents. If Sam hadn’t been there...”
“He saved my life, Simon. Your brother risked his life for me,” she murmured, silently thanking Sam for being there, for getting to her before those men had gotten her into the car.
I’d be dead if he hadn’t.
Running a frustrated hand through his already-tortured hair, he growled, “He damn well should have seen you home. And the security guys were inexperienced. They should have been tailing you so close that they could hear you breathe. Their reaction time was unacceptable.”
“I left. I didn’t give Sam a chance to offer to take me home. He was asking questions about Maddie and I wanted to leave. And the agents got there fast. These guys were quick. It all happened in seconds.”Even though it seemed like hours.
“Sam shouldn’t have been there at all. You would have been home and safe,” he rumbled, his chest vibrating with emotion.
She squeezed his hand. “You don’t know that. They might have gotten to me anyway. It would have been worse if Sam hadn’t been there. Please don’t blame Sam or the agents. I’m grateful to all of them.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re coming home with me tomorrow. And you’ll have better security than the president of the United States. Even Maddie agrees that you’re safer at the condo. Although I’m not sure she’s thrilled about you being in such close proximity to any Hudson.” He sat back down in the chair without releasing his powerful grip on her hand or softening his intense, relentless stare.
“Maddie was here?” she asked curiously, wondering how her friend even knew that she had been injured.
“She just left an hour or two ago. I called her. She was here all evening. You don’t remember?”
She shook her head. “Everything that happened after the actual attack is just snippets of memory. Did I really vomit on you?”
“You remember that?” He searched her face, looking for something, as though he were trying to figure out what she did and didn’t remember. “Maddie found me a pair of scrubs and a shower after you got settled in a room.”
“Oh God. I’m sorry.” Was there anything more mortifying than puking all over a man like Simon Hudson?
“Why? You didn’t do it on purpose. And I was actually relieved that you were awake.”
Kara found it pretty damn amazing that a man had actually stood beside her, holding an emesis basin while she heaved, without being completely grossed out. “Is Sam all right?”
“Fine.” He barked a short, humorless laugh. “Except for the fact that he had to be in the same room with Maddie Reynolds. Sam looked uncomfortable as hell and Maddie looked like she wanted to kill him, slowly and painfully.”
“I wish I knew what happened between them,” she breathed wistfully, wincing as the squeezing sensation in her head increased in intensity, beginning to feel as if she had a huge boa constrictor wrapped around her head.
Simon frowned. “You want some pain medication? I can call the nurse.” He reached for the call button.
“No. Wait.” She took a deep breath, knowing she had to set Simon straight. Going back to the condo with him wasn’t an option. “I can’t go home with you, Simon. I’ll go back to Maddie’s. I’ll be fine. They caught one guy and the other one is probably running scared. I doubt his main concern is to come after me.”
His body tensed, the pressure on her hand increasing as his fingers clenched and released, his eyes shooting her a dangerous glance. “The matter isn’t up for debate. You. Are. Coming. With. Me,” he answered with a growl.
She released a frustrated breath. “You aren’t my keeper. I don’t need one. I’ve been alone for a long time.” And lonely, missing Simon, although she hadn’t known who she was missing at the time.
The pain was horrific when I was away from him. I can’t go through another goodbye later. Spending any more time with him is dangerous. It will just hurt twice as much to part from him after spending more time with him, making more memories to torture myself with when I’m alone again.