Page 79 of The Billionaire's Baby

"Is there a better time?"

"You stealing my dialogue?" I frown as I stare down in the direction of her voice and make out a ledge. The breath rushes out of me. Okay, fine, so at least, she’s not far away.

"You alphaholes don’t have the prerogative for always being in the lead," she yells back.

"Ha, when it comes to you, woman, I doubt I can stay ahead for too long," I reply.

"OMG, I can’t believe you are being nice to me." She coughs again and my stomach twists. She can’t stay out here for too long.

Thunder crashes in the distance, then lightning flickers and I see her on the ground, not six feet below, not too far… But not very close either.

"I am going to have to go back and get a hold of some rope so I can haul you up." I project my voice in her direction.

"Ha," she scoffs, "any excuse to truss me up, eh?"

"We could have skipped all this if you had asked me to tie you up when you came to the shed."

"You mean your room of pain?"

"Was it painful when I tied you up the first time?" I frown.

She hesitates.

"Tell me, Sparks, did I hurt you then?"

"No," I sense her shake her head, "it was different, that’s all."

"Good different or bad different?"

"It wasn’t bad. Actually, I think I liked it."

"You did?"

"Yeah." She coughs again and I frown. "Hold that thought, will you? I’ll head out and be right back in a few minutes."

She doesn’t reply.

"Karina? You okay?"

Silence, for a beat, another. "Yeah," she finally replies and her voice sounds weaker.

"Hang in there, Sparks. I promise, I won’t take too long."

"If I’d known it only takes my falling off a cliff for you to go all sensitive and protective..."

"I’ve always been protective of you, Karina. You know that."

She doesn’t reply.

"I’ll be back before you know it."

I turn to leave when she calls out, "Ari?"

I pause. "Yeah, babe?"

"Get the rope that you’d have used to tie me anyway."

"You got it, babe." I lower my head, shield my face against the elements, then continue down the slope.