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I shudder and melt into the kiss, a barrage of emotions rising up within me. When Carter’s arms come up around my waist, and he digs his fingers into the flesh there, I know it’s too late. I kiss him back with just as much fervor and passion, every last inch of me coming alive under his touch.
It’s like I’ve been gasping for air. Carter’s kisses feel like lifting my head up over the water and inhaling. It feels like I’ve been living a nightmare, craving his touch and his embrace.
We stumble backward, and my back hits the nearest wall. Carter growls into the kiss and nips on my lower lip. His tongue darts into my mouth, beginning a sensual battle for dominance. Then his hands move down, and he hoists me up, so I wrap my legs around him.
Carter is rubbing himself against me when someone clears their throat. I grab a fistful of Carter’s shirt and deepen the kiss.
The person clears their throat again, so Carter sets me back down on my feet and spins around. “What?”
I peek out from behind Carter and see Sam lingering in the doorway, a sheepish look on her face. She has her hands clasped behind her back and isn’t meeting anyone’s gaze. “Sorry to interrupt. Tristan asked me to come and find you.”
Carter tucks me into his side and straightens his back. “Have any of them managed to find Lilian?”
Sam shakes her head. “No, I’m afraid not.”
Carter swears, and I see him ball his hands into fists. He is inches away from punching the wall when he looks over at me and sees my frown. Slowly and with a great deal of reluctance, he lowers his hand and takes a step away from me. He is raking his fingers through his hair when the doctor comes in and takes a look around the room.
“Did you guys move some things around?”
Sam steps in front of us and gives him a warm smile. “We’re sorry, doc. Isabella was feeling a little angsty at being cooped up here all this time. We did try and put everything back the way it was.”
Dr. Masterson scribbles something down and nods. “That’s fine.”
“We’re happy to pay for the damages,” I say in a breathless voice. Carter shoots me an incredulous look, but I ignore him. “If there are any.”
Dr. Masterson waves my comment away. “It’s nothing to worry about, Ms. Julis. Now, I will need you to follow up with your primary healthcare provider in the city, and you’re going to need to take it easy. Avoid anything that will cause extra stress.”
Sam hides her snort behind a cough.
I step forward and pat Sam on the back. “I’ll do my best, doctor. Thank you so much for all your help.”
Dr. Masterson glances between the three of us, a furrow appearing between his brows. Then Carter steps forward and takes the discharge paperwork out of his hands. He walks Dr. Masterson out, and I deflate as soon as I spot them through the glass. In silence, Sam helps me pack all my things into a small suitcase and wheels it behind us.
“Don’t say it,” I whisper as we wait for Carter to finish talking to the doctor. “I know I messed up.”
Sam taps her fingers against her thigh. “I haven’t said anything, Isabella. Carter is your fiancé.”
“I haven’t told him yet,” I say in a voice so low I wonder if Sam even hears me. When she tilts her head in my direction, and I see the myriad of emotions dance across her face, I know she has. “I’m going to when we go home.”
Sam presses her lips together and nods.
As soon as Carter comes back, he takes the bag from Sam and laces his fingers through mine. When a petite nurse with a long braid steps forward with a wheelchair, Carter gives her a dismissive look. She hurries after us, protesting loudly the whole time until Carter wheels around and gives her a pointed look. Then she shrinks back, and Carter tugs me forward. Sam matches her stride to ours as we hurry down an empty, florescent-lit hallway. At the end of the hallway, we stop in front of the elevator, and Sam pushes the button. I can’t help but glance over my shoulders and down both sides of the hallway as if Lilian is going to jump out at us.
This hospital has too many upsetting memories for me, and I’m all too glad to leave it behind. Even if I am reluctant to face the outside world again.
Carter pulls me into the elevator when the doors ping open, and Sam scurries in after us. The doors shut, and I lean into Carter’s side, allowing the familiar smell of him to wash over me. He runs a hand down my back and pauses at my ass. After giving it a firm squeeze, his hand moves back up to settle around my waist.
Tristan and Paul are waiting for us when we come out.
Wordlessly, Sam tucks herself into Tristan’s side.
Once we set foot through the double doors, a blast of cold air hits me in the face, and I shiver. The first thing I notice is the dark clouds gathering on the horizon, and the second thing I notice is the number of cars in the parking lot. A steady stream of people rushes past in either direction as I search our surroundings for Ernesto’s familiar SUV.
Sure enough, he pulls up, and we all pile into the car, with Paul slipping into the passenger seat and Sam and Tristian sliding into the row of seats behind us. Carter and I are the last to get in, and he practically hoists me off my feet and sets me into the back. Without waiting for me to adjust myself, Carter gets in behind me and presses a button to lift a partition between us and the front of the car. Then he presses another button, and another partition separates us from Tristan and Sam.
I fold my hands in my lap and swallow.
“We’re not done yet, dove,” Carter murmurs without looking at me. “You and I need to find a solution.”
