Page 92 of Storm Warning
The doctor smiled at him, and the terror eased fractionally. “I get the impression she’s not just a hotel guest.”
“No, she’s mine.” Nick’s voice was uncompromising, fierce, as he picked up her hand again, cradling it like something precious and fragile. The possessive declaration surprised him with its intensity, but it was true. She was his. Somehow, without him noticing, Kate had becomehis.
“In that case, let me reassure you. She was not assaulted,” Dr. Hampton said gently.
Nick bowed his head as relief swept through him so powerfully his entire body shook with it. His shoulders sagged, the terrible tension finally releasing, and he had to blink hard against the sudden burning in his eyes. Thank God.Thank God.He pressed Kate’s hand to his lips, breathing against her skin, grounding himself in her reality.
“I pulled some blood and will have a report written up for law enforcement. But I’m sure it was GHB, as the vial indicates.”
She paused, her eyes steady on Nick’s. “Given her size and weight, two doses was a bit high, but it explains why she is unconscious. Normally, one dose makes a person compliant—unaware, but awake. Two doses could easily push her into unconsciousness.”
The clinical explanation helped. Facts. Science. Things he could understand and process.
Her expression softened. “However, she'll be fine. It may take her a while to burn through it and wake.” She rested a reassuring hand on Nick’s arm. “Sleep is the best thing for her right now.”
Fine.The word echoed in his mind, a benediction, a promise. She would be fine.
“Thank you, Doctor.” A rush of relief filled him as he absorbed the doctor’s words, letting them sink in, replacingthe fear with something lighter. Kate would be fine. She needed to sleep off the drug. She would wake up. She would be okay.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, his lips brushing her skin, a whisper of contact. He needed the touch, although she slept and couldn’t feel it. He needed to reassure himself: she was real; she was here; she washis. An unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest, expanding until it filled every corner of his being. A connection. A bond. A love that went beyond money or status, beyond anything he’d ever known or understood.
He realized in that moment, with crystal clarity, that he had fallen in love with her. Completely. Irrevocably. The knowledge should have terrified him—vulnerability had never been his strength—but it felt right. It felt like coming home. He couldn’t imagine his life without her, couldn’t picture a future where she wasn’t beside him.
And as the sun set over the gulf, painting the room in shades of amber and gold, casting Kate’s face in soft light, he knew he would do whatever it took to make her his. He would move heaven and earth, burn down the world if necessary, to keep her safe and by his side.
Forever.
Chapter 49
Awakening
The soft murmurof waves lapping on the beach crept into her awareness. She opened her eyes to a dim room, groggy and disoriented, but she recognized the room. Her suite’s bedroom.
An arm lay heavily across her stomach, and she traced it with her eyes. Nick gazed down at her, concern blazing in his eyes.
“Hello, Beautiful. Are you back with us?” His voice was hoarse, like he’d been screaming for hours.
She struggled to push herself upright, her head swimming, her muscles leaden. The room spun around her. “I think so. What’s going on? Why is my head so messed up? I can’t think.”
Nick helped her sit up against the headboard before grabbing a glass from the nightstand. “Drink, then explanations.”
She took the glass and sipped, the cool water slipping down her parched throat. “Better, I think. What happened? Wait, did someone drug me? I think I remember a shot in my arm.”
Just then, the door opened, and Zach and David entered with an older woman she didn’t recognize. The woman made a beeline for Kate, picking up her wrist and checking her pulse. She exuded warmth and poise.
“Hello, Kate. My name is Dr. Hampton. How are you feeling now?”
Kate cocked her head to the side, thinking about the question, struggling to answer. Wasn’t that a simple question?
“I feel weird, actually. My mind is fuzzy. I don’t remember why I’m here in bed, but I don’t think I should be. The sun’s out.”
“Okay, we’ll get to that. How about physically? Any aches or pains?” Dr. Hampton smiled down at her, still monitoring her pulse.
“Um, not really. My arm is a little sore, but I swear someone gave me a shot there. Otherwise, I'm a bit stiff.”
Kate leaned into Nick’s side when he sat beside her and pulled her in, wrapping his arm around her as usual. The familiar warmth of his body against hers anchored her in the swirling confusion. She loved that—the way he held her like she was precious, something worth protecting. Shaking that thought aside, she refocused on the doctor.
“Why do I need a doctor?”