Page 74 of Storm Warning
This kiss was different from the first—slower, deeper, a conversation without words. His hands tangled in her hair, and she pressed closer, wanting to erase every inch of space between them. The world narrowed to the taste of him, the feel of his hands on her, the small moan he made when she bit his lower lip gently.
When they broke apart, both trembling, Nick buried his face in her neck. “You’re making it very difficult to be a gentleman,” he murmured against her skin, his lips brushing the sensitive spot below her ear.
A laugh bubbled up from her chest. “Who asked you to be a gentleman?”
He groaned, the sound vibrating through her. “You’re killing me, Kate.” He pulled back, his eyes dark with desire but also tender. “I want to do this right. I want... I want you to know this is more than physical for me.”
The sincerity in his voice squeezed her heart. “I know, because it’s more for me too.”
They settled back onto the blanket, wrapped in each other’sarms. Kate’s head rested on his shoulder, her hand over his heart, beating steadily beneath her palm. Above them, the Milky Way stretched across the sky, a river of light mirroring the phosphorescent glow in the water.
“I could stay here forever,” she whispered.
“Then let’s pretend we can,” Nick replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “For tonight, the world doesn’t exist. No expectations, no fears, no past. Just us and the stars.”
“Just us and the stars,” Kate echoed, her eyes drifting closed.
The gentle rocking, the warmth of Nick’s body against hers, the soft whisper of waves on the hull—it all conspired to create a cocoon of peace. For the first time in longer than she could remember, Kate’s mind quieted. The constant chorus of self-doubt, the nagging worry that she wasn’t enough, the fear that happiness was something that happened to other people—it all faded into silence.
In its place bloomed something fragile and precious: hope. Not the desperate, grasping kind, but something gentler. A belief that she deserved this. Deserved him. Deserved to be seen and valued and cherished.
“Kate?” Nick’s voice rumbled through his chest.
“Mmm?”
“Thank you for giving me a chance. For seeing past everything else to... me.”
She lifted her head, meeting his eyes in the starlight. “Thank you for making me believe I was worth the effort.”
His expression softened, something profound shifting in his gaze. “You are worth everything, Kate. Everything.”
As he kissed her again, slow and sweet beneath the wheeling stars, with bioluminescent waves painting the world in magic, Kate finally understood what it meant to belong—not to a place or a world, but to a moment, to a person, to the possibility of love.
Chapter 40
Surrender
As Kate leanedback against the soft cushions of the chaise, the gentle rocking of the boat sent tendrils of warmth coursing through her body. The moon cast a silvery light across the deck, bathing everything in an enchanting glow. She gazed out at the shimmering water, the phosphorescence blooming like dusky fireflies on the surface. It was surreal, breathtakingly beautiful.
Beside her, Nick stretched out, his long legs brushing hers. His face looked younger, more at peace than she had ever seen him before. This was a side of him she’d never witnessed: relaxed, open, vulnerable in a way that made her heart ache.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” His rumbly voice sent shivers down her spine.
Kate turned to him, a slow smile spreading across her face. “I am. Who knew the CEO of Ivory Tower had a secret romantic streak?”
His chuckle rumbled through his chest and vibrated against her arm where it rested along his ribs. “I didn’t, that’s for sure.”
Nick shrugged, his shoulders rubbing hers. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a proper date. The women I’ve been with—they were just a means to an end. I was never interested in morebefore you.” He sighed. “And hearing that out loud makes me sound terrible, but they all knew the score. They were using me as much as I used them.”
Kate traced her fingers over his chest, marveling at the solid heat of his skin beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. He caught her hand, bringing it to his lips, his teeth nibbling her fingertips. The sensation sent a bolt of electricity straight to her core.
“Why do I get the impression you’re trouble?” She asked only half-joking.
Nick grinned, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Because I am,” he purred, his voice dropping an octave. He tugged her closer until she nestled in the crook of his arm, her cheek resting on his chest. Her new favorite place in the world. His heart beat in a soothing, hypnotic rhythm beneath her ear.
They sat like that for a long moment, wrapped in the cocoon of the lantern’s soft glow, the only sound the gentle lapping of the water against the hull. A profound contentment settled over her, a deep-seated knowledge that this, right here, was where she belonged—in Nick’s arms.
As she watched, the night deepened, the stars sparkling brighter against the backdrop of an obsidian sky. The cool breeze sent goosebumps down her bare arms, and Nick draped a plush blanket over her shoulders. He traced lazy circles on her back, his touch both relaxing and arousing.