Mine Forever (Book 3: The Billionaire’s Obsession Trilogy)(3)

"So you asked for a private room because you donate?" Her lips twitched, but she tried to make her voice admonishing.

He shrugged. "Not me. Sam took care of it while I was taking a shower. And I doubt he asked."

She rolled her eyes, positive that Sam Hudson rarely asked for anything.  He demanded, expecting people to do as he commanded. However, just like  Simon, Sam hid a tender heart under layers of ice.

Her eyes grew heavy as the powerful medication started to kick in.  Yawning, she felt Simon's hand clasp hers, his thumb running loosely up  and down her palm. "Pain medication. I'm not used to it," she murmured,  suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Sleep. I'll be here," he replied in a husky, concerned voice.

"You should go home and sleep. You've been here all night. I'm fine."

"I'm not leaving until you can come home with me," he answered, his tone adamant and inflexible.

"Not coming home with you," she grumbled as her eyelids fluttered.

"We'll see. Just sleep." His tone was soothing, pacifying.

And she wasn't fooled for one single second. He'd try to bulldoze over her later.

Not having the strength or the desire to fight with him at that moment, she slept.





*****


Later that morning, Simon tapped every resource he had to convince her that going home with him was the best option.

She received visits from Maddie, Helen, Sam, her attending physician and  Detective Harris, each person stressing the importance of her being in a  safe environment, and naming Simon's condo as the most secure place for  her to stay. Maddie gave her the advice grudgingly, obviously not very  keen on the idea, but trying to consider the best option for Kara's  safety.                       
       
           



       

Wonder how much he had to bully Detective Harris and her attending physician to get them to agree that his home was the safest?!

Privately, Simon told her if she didn't intend to go with him, he'd  throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to his condo, kicking and  screaming if necessary.

It wasn't his threat or the fact that she really had nowhere else to go  that convinced her to get into the Mercedes and let James drive them  home to the condo. In the end...it was the exhausted, wild, frantic look  in his eyes while he made the demand that swayed her.

Honestly, he looked like he hadn't slept in days, his five o'clock  shadow dark, his handsome face marked heavily with stress and weariness.

He's scared. Worried about me.

Her chest aching with tenderness, unable to let him go on freaking out about her, she caved in and let him take her home.

She'd worry about her additional pain later, when it came time to leave  again. For now, she wanted Simon to relax, sleep and eat.

Screw her fears of hurting later. The look of despair on Simon's face hurt more than any pain she would suffer in the future.

I'll just have to suck it up!

Really, what other option did she have? She could watch Simon suffer, or she could worry about the pain later.

She chose the second option, the relieved look on his face worth every bit of hurt she would suffer in the future.





Chapter 2


A few nights later found Simon tossing and turning in his massive bed,  unable to sleep. Rolling onto his back, frustrated and pissed-off, he  stared up at the ceiling, his eyes wide open when they should be closed,  catching up on lost sleep. Shit! He hadn't slept more than a few hours  every night since the evening that Kara had left him. Now that she was  back, he was still restless.

I love you.

Her whispered confession in the Emergency Room haunted him every fucking  minute of every day. Had she meant it? Had she even been talking to  him? She had been confused, disoriented, barely aware of her  surroundings. There was no evidence that she even remembered speaking  those words, so how did he know who she meant them for? Maybe it was  just mindless babble, brought on by her injuries. He didn't even know if  he wanted those words to be intended for him.

Oh, hell yeah, I do.

Groaning softly, he shoved another pillow under his head, trying to  ignore his swollen cock as it pulsated beneath the sheets, creating a  large tent underneath the coverings. Christ, could he ever think about  Kara without his balls turning blue?

Actually, yeah, he knew he could. Scared shitless after the attack, his  cock hadn't been his primary concern. Seeing her appear so fragile, pale  and helpless in a hospital bed, had nearly destroyed him, making him  ache in other areas above his waist. For several days, his driving need  to protect her, to keep her safe, had been his primary motivation.

His lips turned up in a small smile as he remembered her outrage over  the fact that he had contacted the college, explaining the situation and  getting her absence for the rest of the week approved. He had thought  he was being helpful, smoothing things over so she had time to recover.  His crazy woman had actually thought she was going to return to classes  the day after she was discharged from the hospital, and she had raked  him over the coals for interfering in her life. She had gotten right up  in his face and ripped him a new asshole. Kara had no problem  challenging him, and he found her intelligent mind provocative.  Maybe...just maybe...part of him enjoyed it. Had a woman ever opposed  him, questioned him, called him out for a behavior she didn't like? The  women in his life used him, let him use their bodies. None of them had  ever cared enough to get in his face about anything.

She's getting to me. Bad.

He could feel his internal walls beginning to crumble and it wasn't a comfortable sensation.

Fuck. Pay. Move on.

It was the way he had interacted with women his entire adult life, but  Kara was changing all that, tempting him to trust her. And fuck, he was  tempted. It might be excruciatingly painful when her eyes bored into him  as though she were peering into his soul, but knowing that she cared  enough to do it? That was intoxicating, bewitching.

She didn't give a shit about his scars, his money or elevated social status.

And she thinks I'm hot enough to melt glaciers in Antarctica.

Sam had told him about his conversation with Kara, how she had declared  Simon the hottest Hudson. He and his brother had never been competitive.  They had always been too busy working together to survive and then to  thrive. Although they liked to verbally spar, Simon loved his brother.  Fiercely. Yeah, Sam was fucked-up when it came to women, but he could  hardly chastise his brother for that when he was just as bad. Probably  worse. However, he had gotten perverse satisfaction from knowing that  Kara had verbally slapped Sam down during her conversation with him at  the fast food place before the attack.                       
       
           



       

I love you.

Gritting his teeth, he rolled to his side, punching his pillow and  trying to get comfortable. He had to forget, get a grip on his emotions,  stop wishing for more than her presence. He had the comfort of knowing  she was safe. Wasn't that enough? At least he wasn't going insane from  not knowing where she was, if she was okay.

A piercing, terrified female howl made Simon shoot straight up in bed, his muscles clenched, his heart racing.

Kara!

Panic held him in its grip for a few seconds as the screams grew louder, more intense.

His feet hit the floor, protective instinct making adrenaline pump  through his body as he raced down the dark hallway to her room. Flipping  on the light without even breaking his stride, he halted abruptly at  the side of her bed.

Her arms were wrapped protectively around herself, tears flowing like a  river down her sweet face. Hair tangled, head down, she was whimpering  and gasping for breath.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" He sat next to her on the bed. Her sheets  were snarled and twisted, as though she had been fighting World War III  on her mattress.

"Dream," she whispered, as though still trying to convince herself. "Just a dream."

She was shivering violently. He scooped her up and placed her in his  lap, pulling her unresisting body into his, trying to warm her in his  embrace. Heart racing, he enfolded her, pulling her head into his neck.

"What were you dreaming about?" He stroked her silky hair, letting it  slide over his fingertips, as he took a deep breath, trying to calm his  hammering heart.

"The attack. It was so real," she murmured, shuddering against him.

"It's over. You're safe. You'll always be safe." Right here. With me.

Sliding her off his lap, he went to stand, only to have her arms tighten around his neck, holding on for dear life.

"No! Please! Don't go yet." Her vulnerable cry stabbed him straight in the gut.

She needs me.

And he was going to be there for her, insecurities be damned. "It's  okay. I'm not leaving you alone." I'm never leaving you alone.

He didn't bother trying to pry her fingers apart. Shifting his body, he  lifted her into his arms and came to his feet, trying not to notice that  she was scantily clad in a silk, pink, lacy garment that barely covered  her ass. He suppressed a groan as he adjusted her weight against him;  the lace abrading his chest as the silk caressed his skin. He strode out  of the room, making his way down the hallway and into his bedroom, with  the most precious thing in the world to him held safely in his arms.