8. Katherine
8
KATHERINE
Alex’s words echo through the cotton in my brain.
Hold on to me.
Hold me.
Won’t let you fall. Won’t fall.
My body feels like a lead weight. My limbs might as well be stuck in quicksand. Over the white noise in my ears, an ambulance echoes through the city. I force a deep breath into my lungs. I can do this. I’ve got to do this. Must get home.
One foot in front of the other.
I have just enough coordination to cling to Alex’s arm.
He guides me down the sidewalk. I need to breathe. I need space and... and quiet.
My pulse pounds through my veins, and I tip to the right. I don’t make it far before he corrects my course and we’re moving again. Forward. Always forward.
Which is good. Because the rough cement is starting to look like a good place for a nap. I’d ruin my dress, though. Don’t want to ruin such a pretty dress.
What happened to the ambulance? It's so far away I can barely hear it. Can barely hear anything.
A big black vehicle looms at the curb.
“Gabe’s just there,” a deep voice says, sounding muffled.
Gabe?
Right. Gabe. Gabriel.
Gosh, he looked good tonight.
“Watch your step.” A warm hand settles at the small of my back, guiding me toward the back door of the SUV.
Warm light pours out. The scent of leather and cologne tease my nose. The rich camel leather looks soft and safe. I can do it. Almost there. Almost out of this nightmare. What was I thinking? Offering two dates?
Two million dollars.
Tyler was right. What a spectacle, Kate.
“In you go.” There’s slight pressure on my back, propelling me gently toward the rear of the vehicle. I look up into dreamy brown eyes. I know those eyes. The tingles in my fingers soften and then cease.
“You’ve got company,” another voice says from the interior. I turn toward it and recognize Gabriel Rothburn immediately.
There’s a masculine grunt, and then I’m flying. Spinning. Landing against a solid chest. I don’t have time to be dizzy or scared. The car rises up, swallowing me whole. Outside, there are shouts. Someone calls my name.
A big tuxedo glad body leans through the door, fastening my seat belt. Lightbulb flashes dot my vision, turning everything a bright, eerie blue. Then the door slams. I look through the darkened glass and see photographers approaching, circling like they mean to cage us in. People with cell phones.
Alarm blares through me, overtaking the panic. To my left, the rear door opens, and Alex Hunt slides inside. He doesn’t look at me, just puts on his seat belt and utters a single word.
“Drive.”
The car jolts forward and then changes lanes. I suck in a deep breath and let it out through my mouth. It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.
I blink out at the blur of lights. Faces.
So many faces.
My mother’s voice whispers through my mind. “We’re so disappointed, Katherine.”
My vision darkens at the edges. I close my eyes and try the breathing exercises I learned online.
Just breathe.
In for four seconds. Hold. Out for four seconds .
Everything’s going to be okay.
In for four seconds.
My purse buzzes, and a fresh wave of panic washes over my head. Eyelids snapping open, I reach for something to hold on to. My wristlet purse dangles, feeling like a snare. White noise roars in my ears, and sweat erupts over my skin as my other hand reaches blindly. Door handle. Anything.
I grab a hard thigh. Warm. Solid beneath an exquisite fabric. A big hand closes over mine.
“You’re safe, Kate. Just keep breathing.”
Alex’s words are disjointed, coming at me from multiple directions.
But he sounds utterly calm and so capable. Must be nice. I bet he doesn’t suffer from panic attacks.
I do as he says and take another deep breath. All the while, the car bumps over the streets.
“That’s it.” He squeezes my hand. “Another breath. We’re leaving the chaos behind.”
His deep voice is so delicious. So soothing. I soak in the calm around me. The interior is quiet, muffling all the sounds from outside. Or maybe it’s still the cotton in my ears.
We hit something and the car jolts. “Sorry,” Gabe mutters from the front seat. Alex’s hand presses mine tighter to his leg.
I blow out a sigh and immediately force another breath into my lungs. How long till we’re home? Until this ends ?
It’s nearly impossible to force myself to be calm, but I try anyway. Counting to ten. Counting backward from ten. Counting my breaths.
But still, anxiety has me by the back of the throat, shaking me like a doll.
There’s a groan, or maybe it’s a sigh, and then my seatbelt gives. “Don’t get into an accident,” Alex growls.
Alex. Strong and steady Alex. My calm in the storm.
“Wasn’t planning on it.” Even through my fuzzy state, I hear the utter confidence in the words and Gabe’s tone. He’s good at everything he does.
Everything?
Like kissing?
I bet he’s great at kissing. Just the right height and those lips... when they’re not making me spitting mad, I stare at them sometimes.
Alex lets go of my hand and unclips my seat belt. I blink at him as he wraps a strong arm around my waist, shifting on the seat and gathers me in his lap.
The shock chases away the panic for a split second, and my body comes alive. Alive enough to be stock still atop his hard thighs. We travel beneath a streetlight, and the interior of the car brightens enough that I can see everything. The warmth of his eyes. The pensive line of his sinful mouth. The strong column of his throat next to the crisp white shirt .
My fingertips tingle, but not from the panic attack this time, rather wanting to reach for his bowtie.
He tightens his arm around my waist, holding me to him better than any seatbelt ever could. His thumb swipes back and forth against the soft green fabric, comforting me.
My phone buzzes again. And then again.
Frowning, I close my eyes and will my heartbeat to steady. It’s silly to be worked up over this, right?
“What is it, Beauty?”
I suck in a startled breath as that word rattles around in my mind. I’ve never been called an endearment before, but Alexander Hunt sounds completely earnest.
It has to be my imagination.
How his voice washes over and through me like a cleansing rain. And at the same time, he grounds me. I’m totally vulnerable, and yet, with him, I feel... safe.
“Katherine,” he says, his voice the tiniest bit sharp. “Focus on me.”
I blink at him again, staring at his handsome face. The big vehicle slows to a stop, but no one moves. My breathing slows, and my gaze drops to his lips. He has nice lips. An accent I can’t quite place, but definitely New England.
“We’re almost there,” Gabriel says from the front seat.
His voice pulls me from my haze. I hear the blinker clicking quietly and glance out the window to see familiar landmarks.
Beneath my hip, Alex’s phone buzzes in his pocket. Seems we’re all popular tonight. He doesn’t move to retrieve the phone, and there’s a part of me, deep down, that loves that. That he can say no to the outside world when it suits him.
That’s so rare in my world.
So is having someone’s undivided attention.
And my panic attack has ebbed enough to know that I definitely have Alex’s attention.