Page 73 of Storm Warning
“…You’d think growing up with money meant you were never lonely. I found it isolating…”
“…Even now, there’s always this little voice asking—if I lost everything, who would stay?...”
“…Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to disappear and start over as nobody…”
She, in turn, opened up to him, sharing fiercely guarded secrets, trusting him with the fragile pieces of her soul. She shared her insecurities about her career, the vulnerability of putting her heart on the page for strangers to judge, and the lingering doubts about her worthiness. Each confession left her more exposed, more raw, yet somehow safer in his presence.
“…I still get sick to my stomach every time I send a new book to my editor...”
“…Sometimes I’m terrified people will figure out I have no idea what I’m doing...”
“…I keep waiting for someone to tell me I don’t belong here...”
“…It sounds ridiculous, but I think I’d rather fail quietly than succeed and have everyone looking at me…”
“…I’ve spent so long trying to prove I’m enough that I’m not sure I’d recognize it if I finally believed it…”
With each shared confidence, the invisible wall she’d built around herself crumbled a little more. The butterflies of fear and doubt evaporated as he listened, his green eyes never leaving hers, making her seen, heard, and understood in a way she’d never experienced before. He wasn’t the aloof CEO she’d first encountered in the lobby; rather, he was a man with a kind heart, a sharp wit, and a surprising vulnerability.
The last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple—brilliant streaks oftangerine bleeding into deep violet. Nick reached for her hand, his fingers interlacing with hers. “There’s something I want to show you,” he said, his voice husky.
She padded along behind him as he led her to the bow, where they stood side by side, gazing out at the vast expanse of water. The salty tang of the sea scented the air, alongside the faint scent of his cologne, a clean, masculine fragrance that made her heart race, her pulse quicken.
He pointed across the sandbar to where the tiny waves licked against the sand, a distinct shimmer visible on the water. “It’s a phosphorescence bloom,” he explained. “It only happens a few times a year. Watch.”
Kate kept her eyes on the shimmer as it grew into a spectacular turquoise blue glow spreading across the water, tiny sparks of light dancing on the surface like a million fallen stars. The ethereal beauty mesmerized her. It was magical, breathtaking, a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
“It’s incredible,” she whispered in awe.
He turned to her, his emerald eyes reflecting the shimmering light. “Like you,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. He cupped her face in his hands, his palms warm against her skin, his thumbs caressing her cheeks, and a shiver ran through her body, raising goosebumps along her arms. His gaze held hers, a silent question hanging in the air.
Kate’s breath caught in her throat, her pulse thundering in her ears. She’d been waiting for this moment, dreading it, yearning for it. She glimpsed raw emotion in his eyes, the vulnerability beneath his carefully constructed facade. But all her doubts and fears of his sincerity melted away, replaced by a certainty, a bone-deepknowing— this was right.
She leaned into him, her lips meeting his in a kiss both tentative and passionate, a promise of something more. His lips were soft yet firm, moving on hers with a hunger that matchedher own. The gentle rocking of the boat, the shimmering water surrounding them, the vast, starlit sky above them—it all blurred, lost in the intoxicating sensation of his lips, the taste of champagne and chocolate on his tongue, the solid warmth of his body pressed to her own.
This was more than a first date; it was a beginning, a chance to rewrite the narrative of her life, to embrace a future filled with possibilities. For the first time in a long time, a flicker of hope rose, a belief that maybe, just maybe, she’d found a place where she belonged.
When they finally parted, both breathless, Nick rested his forehead against hers, his breath warm on her lips. The phosphorescence continued its dance around them, casting an otherworldly glow across the water, bathing them in liquid light.
“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “Just... stay. We don’t have to do anything but this. I simply want to hold you, here under the stars.”
The vulnerability in his request, the tremor in his voice, undid her. Here was a man who commanded boardrooms and built empires, asking—not demanding—for something as simple and profound as her presence.
“Yes,” she breathed, her answer immediate, certain. “I’ll stay.”
His smile transformed his face, boyish and unguarded, and he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. She nestled against him, absorbing the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, the rise and fall of his chest. The night deepened, stars emerging one by one to compete with the glowing water below.
Nick tugged her to a lounger, and they lay side by side, his arm pillowing her head, her hand resting over his heart. The yacht rocked gently, a cradle on the dark water.
“Tell me something no one else knows,” Kate murmured, tracing idle patterns on his chest.
He was quiet for so long she thought he might not answer. When he spoke, his voice was raw. “When my parents died, I... I was relieved.” The confession hung between them, heavy with guilt. “I was free of their expectations. Free to become something other than their legacy. And that relief? It’s haunted me every day since.”
Kate turned in his arms, looking up at his face, seeing the pain etched in the lines around his eyes. “That doesn’t make you a bad person, Nick. It makes you human.”
He cupped her face again, his touch reverent. “How do you do that? Make everything seem... possible?”
“I don’t know. How do you make me brave enough to try?”