Page 99 of Storm Warning
“I was terrified of letting myself be vulnerable, too.” Nick said, voice raw, filled with emotion that made her heart clench. “I didn’t think I deserved it. Didn’t think anyone could see thereal me, the man behind the name. But you did. Loved me unconditionally. Changed me. Healed me.”
Kate stroked his cheek with her free hand, the stubble rough beneath her palm, savoring the warmth of his skin against hers, the solidness of him. “We healed each other. That’s the magic of love. It’s imperfect and messy and terrifying. But it’s also beautiful and powerful and life-altering. I wouldn’t trade a single moment of it, especially the moments that strengthened us. Together.”
Nick leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering shut, long lashes dark against his cheeks. When they opened again, they shone with love and promise. “Together. I like the sound of that. I like it a lot.”
A fresh wave of emotion crashed over Kate, so overwhelming in its intensity that it stole her breath, drowning her in sensation. Her chest tightened, her heart hammering so hard she was certain he could feel it. She struggled to find the words to express the depth of emotion coursing through her—this wild, fierce, tender thing consuming her—but in the end, they were rendered mute as Nick pulled her close, his arms banding around her like he’d never let go.
Their foreheads met, creating a pocket of comfort and intimacy as the world faded away, the sounds of Zach and David talking receding into background noise. Kate breathed him in, his scent filling her lungs, her hand fisting in the soft cotton of his shirt, anchoring herself in his strength.
“I love you,” she murmured, her voice thick with unshed tears that blurred her vision. “Forever.”
“And I love you,” Nick said, his breath warm against her lips, sealing it with a tender kiss tasting of promises and hope. “Forever and always.”
From the corner of her eye, Kate saw Zach and David exchange a grin, heard David’s quiet chuckle, but she paid themno mind. Being in Nick’s arms, with his love surrounding her like a protective shield, the only thing that mattered was this moment. This connection. This man who’d given her back her faith in forever.
Whatever the future held, they would face it together. The beautiful, messy, flawed, and utterly perfect them.
Epilogue
Cross Winds
The embersof their earlier fire still glowed softly, and its warmth lingered—like the echoes of laughter from his family, faint but not forgotten.
David sat alone on the sectional, a tumbler of scotch warming in his hand, watching the shadows stretch long across the floor. He rarely drank scotch—he was more of an IPA guy—but somehow it felt right tonight.
Zach left just moments ago for his own suite, saying something about a security matter he needed to check on, and Marguerite had left with him, leaving him alone with the happy couple.
Nick and Kate were curled together on the other side of the room, and David smiled at the sight, warmth tugging at his heart. They weren't speaking; they were just... being. At ease. In sync. Together. Whole, in a way David hadn’t seen his brother in a long time, if ever.
It wasn’t perfect—God knew nothing about the past week had been—but there was something grounding in seeing them like this. Something right.
He was happy for them. Genuinely. The kind of happinessthat sat warm in his chest and tight in his throat. Nick had found his person. His someone. No one deserved it more.
But him? He’d fallen for someone he couldn’t touch. Not just figuratively. Literally.
He glanced at his watch, noting the time. Lena should be in her assigned bungalow now—modest, private, safe. Separate. Like she needed to be. He’d made sure she had that. Privacy. Autonomy. Control. The things stolen from her before.
She hadn’t asked for more. Hadn’t hinted. Hadn’t flirted beyond the occasional spark of sass, the fleeting glimmer of something deeper in her eyes when they met his. Moments that felt likemaybe. But never enough to be sure.
He hadn’t crossed the line.
Wouldn’t.
He swirled the scotch in his glass, watching the play of light on the gentle ripples as the familiar heaviness settled in his chest once again.
Lena had already been hurt by a man with power over her—a former boss who harassed her, fired her, slandered her with criminal charges—leaving her bruised in ways no résumé could reveal. She hadn’t just survived that. She’d kept her dignity intact. Kept showing up. Kept rebuilding.
Now she worked for him. Lived on property he controlled. One-third owner of the corporation. A man with power over her schedule, her contract, her future.
His fingers tightened on the glass, knuckles white.
Even if she wanted him—and he didn’t know that she did, didn’t dare believe it—it would never be clean. Never simple. Never safe for her.
Whatever this was—this pull, this ache—he could never let it become her burden.
So he said nothing.
He stayed professional. Friendly. Supportive.