MINE FOREVER (BOOK III: The Billionaire's Obsession) (2 page)

He got up from his chair slowly and seated himself gently on the bed, facing her. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not the least bit kind." His words belied his actions as he carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his index finger trailing lightly over her temple and stroking over her cheek, as light as a feather. "My behavior wasn't magnanimous or unselfish. I wanted to fuck you. I think that's a pretty damn self-serving motivation." His tone was dry, self-mocking.

She bit back a smile, wondering why he always had such an aversion to someone calling him kind. "If that was your motive, then why didn't you? You could have made your presence known, asked your mom to introduce us. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm attracted to you."
More than attracted.

He jerked his hand away from her face, averting his eyes. "I forgot about your pain medication. I'm sure you're hurting." He slapped the call button for the nurse.

A response came immediately from the small speaker attached to the call button. "Can I help you?" The voice sounded young and female.

"Ms. Foster needs some pain medication." Simon's answer was abrupt: he came to his feet as he spat out the order.

"Someone will be right there." The faceless voice answered as the call light went from red to black.

Kara's head was still spinning from his brusque dismissal...or was it avoidance?...of her question. She tipped her head back to look at his face. He was scowling down at her, his face implacable.

Crossing her arms in front of her, she met his ferocious look with a small smile. "That tactic won't work on me anymore," she told him quietly.

"What tactic?" he rumbled, his arms crossing just like hers, challenging her, his expression unreadable.

"The one where I'm supposed to feel like I’m Little Red Riding Hood and you're the big, bad wolf." She lifted an eyebrow, refusing to look away from his disgruntled face. Simon Hudson could scowl, growl and snarl all he wanted to, but she had his number. Somewhere beneath his gruff, bossy exterior, there was a layer of compassion and benevolence that he would probably never show to the world. But she saw it, she recognized it. If he had really just wanted to screw her, he could have come forward, met her in person. It would have saved him valuable time.

He leaned down slowly, so slowly that her breath seized, as those molten dark eyes glinted with tiny flames and focused intently on her, making her want to squirm. Her body quivered, the waves of intense masculinity that were pulsating around her making her body react. His mouth lowered to her ear, the heat of his breath heavy against her neck and the side of her face. "Don't be so sure that I'm
not
the big, bad wolf, little girl. I'd gobble you up in a heartbeat." His low, menacing voice sent a shiver down her spine, but not from fear. Longing slammed into her body with hurricane force.

Her pent-up breath escaped in a tremulous sigh as the nurse entered the room, forcing Simon to straighten up and move away from the bed. The efficient, middle-aged woman gave Kara her medication and took her vital signs. After doing a quick assessment, the woman left, only after asking if there was anything else Kara needed and getting a negative reply.

"I'm surprised that I don't have a roommate," she muttered quietly after her nurse had departed. "This hospital is usually pretty busy." She had done clinicals at the facility and at this time of year, the rooms were generally filled as soon as they vacated.

Simon flipped his chair around and sat in it backwards, his forearms resting casually along the wooden back. For the first time since she'd opened her eyes, he grinned.

"There are some benefits of being a billionaire who just happens to be a generous donor to medical charities." The chair was close to the bed, his teasing eyes close enough to be visible in the muted light.

"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 her intelligent mind was 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.

*****

Simon lowered her into his massive bed, coming down with her because she still hadn't loosened her death grip around his neck. Her panic abated slowly and Kara relaxed her arms, allowing him to pull the covers and a quilt on top them before he slid in behind her, spooning her body against his, and wrapping his warm, muscular arms around her body protectively. Kara sighed, sinking into his warmth, as she relaxed her head back to rest against his shoulder, relishing the security of his huge, masculine body.

"Okay?" he questioned softly, his breath ruffling her hair.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I woke you. I'll go back to my own bed in a minute." She didn't want to go back. She wanted to stay right where she was, warm and safe in his arms. But she respected the fact that he liked his space when he slept.