Page 45 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

Settling the two of them in the large, luxurious bed, he kissed her forehead. “You were such a good girl,” he whispered lovingly.

Kate looked up at him as though he was the only person in the world who mattered, her soft dark eyes searing him to his very soul. “But I disobeyed you.”

“For much longer than I thought you would have. You tried so hard to resist, kitten. I’m proud of you.”

She smiled out a sigh, not looking away for a moment. “Will you still punish me?”

“Yes,” he replied, massaging her shoulder. “But I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“I like it when you care for me,” Kate admitted, hiding underneath his chin shyly. Her nose rasped against his stubble, her fingers dancing over the kitten tattoo on his heart.

Warren inhaled the scent of her hair, moving his massage to her upper back. “I’ll always take care of you, kitten.” Over anyone. Over anything. “Now let me hold you as you sleep.”

Warren blinked open bleary eyes at the distant buzzing. It stopped as he was rubbing the sleep away. Relieved, he let his head fall back on the pillow, smiling as his kitten squeezed him in her sleep.

Until the buzzing began again.

“For fuck’s sake,” he grumbled, shifting away from Kate’s touch. The very last thing he wanted to do.

“Don’t leave,” Kate bleated. Her hand limped across the bed, searching for him.

He took it and brought it to his lips. “I’ll be back, kitten.”

Fumbling for the prosthetic he’d kicked off last night, Warren eventually made it to the walk-in wardrobe. He picked his phone up from the shelf on which he’d left it before his shower, panicking slightly at the five missed calls from Mattie displayed on the screen.

Before he had a chance to call him back, Mattie rang again.

“Mattie?” Warren answered frantically. “What’s happened?”

“It’s Mum,” Mattie answered. “She collapsed, and I had to call an ambulance for her. She’s in hospital and Dad’s offshore for work. Can you come?”

Fuck. “Of course I’ll come. Which hospital is it? The little one in Andover?”

“The big one in Basingstoke,” Mattie sniffed.

Through the two-way mirror, Kate was getting out of bed, holding the duvet to conceal her nakedness.

“I’ll be there in less than an hour, okay?” he ran a hand through his hair. The memory of last night, of Kate tugging on it, returned to him. “Do you need me to bring you anything? Or Sarah? Have you eaten breakfast?”

“No.”

“I’ll be there soon, all right? I’ll send you my location so you know exactly where I am. Everything will be okay.”

Kate was stood in the doorway when he put the phone down. “What’s wrong?”

“Sarah’s in hospital,” he swallowed. “She collapsed. I need to leave.”

“Do you want me to come?” she asked, slipping her soft hand into his.

He nodded in relief. “We need to be quick.”

To her credit, Kate was ready to leave quicker than he was. They flew down the motorway, just avoiding the morning rush hour. Again, they stopped at a drive-thru for breakfast—for both them and Mattie—but there was no laughing or joking this time, no casual reminiscing.

Warren held Kate’s hand in a firm grip as they rushed into the hospital, following Mattie’s directions to the intensive care ward. They were buzzed in, and the receptionist quickly directed them to Sarah’s bedside.

“Warren,” Mattie stood, his cheeks stained with tears. His brother barrelled into his arms.

“Hey,” he soothed. “I’ve got you. Everything will be fine. You’re not alone anymore.”

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