Page 110 of Billionaire’s Heartbreak

Silence settled between us again as I made another stitch. Kai sucked in a sharp breath, and without thinking, I rested my free hand lightly against his shoulder, my fingers spreading over his skin and feeling the tension beneath it.

“Almost there,” I murmured.

His breathing gradually slowed beneath my palm.

I realised then that this might be the first time he had allowed himself to lean on someone. The man who always carried everyone else's burdens sat silently in front of me, trusting me to put him back together.

My vision blurred. A tear slipped free before I could stop it, landing softly against the back of his shoulder.

“June?”

I wiped my face quickly with the back of my wrist. “What’s up?”

“You okay?”

“Fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.”

His hand reached behind him until his fingers found mine. Warm. Steady. He turned his head slightly, trying to look at me over his shoulder.

“I’ll be fine,” he said quietly.

How could he say that when he had no idea how much blood he had lost? I squeezed his hand before letting go, forcing myself to pick up the needle again.

“There.”

I tied the final knot and carefully trimmed the thread. “You’re all patched up.” I started to rise from the sofa, intending to give him some space to rest.

“Come here.”

His voice was quiet, roughened by pain, yet somehow gentle enough to stop me in my tracks.

I looked over my shoulder. Kai was watching me, but not with the guarded expression he usually wore or that teasing spark that always made me want to argue with him.

Slowly, I walked back.

He reached for my hand. His fingers closed around mine with surprising strength before gently tugging me closer until I lost my balance.

“You planned that.”

“I might have.”

“You're impossible.”

“I've been told.”

I settled sideways across his lap, careful of the fresh bandages on his back. One hand automatically went to his shoulder, making sure I wasn't putting pressure anywhere that might hurt him.

“You shouldn’t be moving.”

“I’m not.”

“No?”

“You came to me.”

I rolled my eyes.