Page 70 of Protected By the Billionaire Ex-SEAL

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry.”

I offer him a smile, not wanting to make a fuss. But the longer we stay there, the more my body becomes uncomfortable as if it’s fighting something inside me. It’s a strange feeling, one I try to lock down as Christian repeatedly observes me.

I wave his worry away. I listen as Jack accepts a stupid dare and gets everyone in an uproar, then try to hide a wince when my stomach heaves. When someone suggests we head to an ice cream shop nearby for dessert, I’m the first to stand up, eager to hopefully make myself feel better with ice cream.

But I sway on my feet, my vision blurring. Before I can sit back down, hands catch me and steady me.

“Raven, you’re not okay.”

I clutch my stomach. “Maybe I’m not.”

“Jesus, you look pale.” Stacy makes sympathetic noises and pats my back. “You should take her home, Christian.”

“Too far. Can you hold her for a second?”

I should be embarrassed, but I can see that everyone has already dispersed and only a few of them are around. Christian pulls Ingrid aside to talk to her, then takes me from Stacy and guides me away.

“Take it easy, Raven,” Stacy calls out.

I wave to her, but I’m silent when Christian gets me in his car and we drive away. I try to count in my head to distract myself from the queasiness that keeps heightening in my stomach, then forget what number I’m at.

“Where are we going?”

“Camp. There’s medicine for your stomach and the cabins are well-stocked with amenities. You need to rest.”

“Are we close?”

“Not yet. Do you want me to stop at the side of the road?”

Translation: do I want to vomit?

“No. Keep driving.”

I lament that I can’t join the campfire planned for tonight, already looking forward to their stories. But I clamp my mouth shut when my body is racked with shudders, and I know I have to get to the toilet as soon as possible. We arrive at the cabin in time for me to race to the toilet, where I practically hurl my guts out before I feel pain clenching my now-empty stomach.

“Shit. Ugh.”

Dizziness assaults me, and the next thing I hurl is air. Then I feel hands resting on my shoulders.

“I’m fine, Christian. I’ll be fine. I just need to…”

“You’re not fine. Come on.”

Christian doesn’t let me go, carrying me to the tub. He removes my clothes and sets up a hot shower, then washes me with a sponge. I feel so weak that I can’t even muster up the strength to get mortified.

“This isn’t the kind of intimacy I had in mind.”

He chuckles. It’s light but worried. “I know. But it’s fine. We’ve done all those intimate things before.”

The next round of hot shower feels so good that I can’t help closing my eyes and resting my head against the wall. He washes the soap off me, then dries me up right there and carries me to bed. I reach for the robe he brings over, but the look he gives me has me staying still while he puts it on me.

“You don’t have to do this. You should be with your men. You should spend some time with them.”

“They’re grown men. And women. They’ll be fine without me.”

“But…”

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