Securing His Destiny (Power Security #2)

Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

S teve paced the waiting area, willing the doctor, or even a nurse, to come out and give him an update on Tabitha’s condition.

Had he pushed the boundaries by announcing he was Tabitha’s fiancé?

Yes, he had, but he didn’t regret it. The relief on her face when she’d seen him standing there had been worth it all.

The fact she hadn’t even blinked, or questioned his declaration about their relationship, impressed him even more. It also gave him hope he shouldn’t have. Yet here he was, still waiting. Steve had found her bleeding on the ground, and it’d changed the way he thought about her.

He’d believed he wasn’t good enough for her. He’d believed what he’d done in the past—what he was still doing—would touch her. But he had been wrong. Even keeping his distance hadn’t stopped her from being hurt.

Would things have been different if he’d thrown caution to the wind and grabbed what he’d wanted from the moment he’d seen her?

Would he have been there to stop the attack? He would never know. However, now that Tabitha had been hurt—and a fear he hadn’t known he could feel had possessed him—Steve wouldn’t back away now.

He wasn’t going to walk away or keep his distance.

If Tabitha didn’t want him near her, he would suck it up, even if it might sting.

She hadn’t shouted “No!” or made any correction when he’d called her his fiancée. Everything pointed to her not wanting distance between them.

“Excuse me, sir? You’re here with Tabitha Newton, right?”

Steve whirled to find a nurse. She hadn’t been the one who’d tried to stop him from entering Tabitha’s bay. “Yes. How is she? Is she okay?”

The nurse smiled. “Yes, she still has a headache, but she’s been stitched up and the doctor is admitting her for the night.”

“She’s not going to like that,” he said. Tabitha loved her café and wouldn’t want to let her regular customers down by not being able to open it in the morning.

“No, she didn’t, but Dr. Jones wouldn’t budge. She’s being prepped to be transferred to a room. Would you like to come with me, then you can go up to where she’s going to be spending the night?”

“Definitely.” His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. He’d check the message once Tabitha was settled.

It was probably one of his guys letting him know that the café was all locked up for the night. Or it could be Wilt with information about her attack.

The urge to check his phone right that second was high, but he tamped it down. Tabitha’s well-being was his focus right now.

Steve smiled when he saw her, a white bandage around her head. “Nice accessory. Looks very fetching,” he joked as he made it to her side and kissed her cheek. The action was automatic and smacked of an intimacy that they didn’t share. Not to mention, he was taking liberties and touching her in a presumptuous manner. The second they were alone in the room, he’d apologize for his impulsive action.

“I thought it looked good. I might need to bedazzle it though. Sparkles make everything better,” Tabitha bantered, not looking the least bit offended at his cheek kiss.

“Are you ready for your room?” the nurse asked.

“Take me to my five-star accommodation, Phillipa. I’m hoping I get a view.”

Steve looked at Tabitha. She seemed overly jovial for someone who’d been through a harrowing experience.

“She’s fine. Just a little loopy from the pain meds,” Phillipa muttered in his direction.

“Ahh, makes sense.” He nodded, now noticing the flush in her cheeks and the slight glassiness in her blue eyes.

The journey to the room was swift, with little conversation. Once Tabitha had been transferred from gurney to bed, and the door shut behind Phillipa, Steve sat in the plastic chair next to her and rested his hand just near hers, their fingertips almost touching.

“Do you need anything?” he asked.

“Nope.” She popped the P . “All good.”

Was this a good time to have a discussion, when she clearly was buzzing from the meds?

Would she remember what they talked about when the pain meds had dissipated in her bloodstream?

Even if he had to have the conversation again—remind her of what they’d discussed, he would. “I need to apologize for what I’ve done since you arrived at the hospital.”

“What? Why?” Tabitha’s adorable nose scrunched up, and he had to stop himself from leaning over and kissing the tip of it.

What was it about this woman that had him acting so out of character?

Steve had never proclaimed to be someone’s fiancé just to be near them.

Whatever it was, he could work it out later.

“I’m sorry for saying that I’m your fiancé, but I did it because I knew the only way to get near you was to claim a relationship with you. And I also need to say sorry for anything I’ve done that is inappropriate, like kissing you on the cheek. Touching you without asking if it was okay if I did that.”

The flush on her cheeks brightened, and Tabitha turned her head away. “It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize. I’m a little tired. I’m going to go to sleep.” With every word she spoke, her voice got quieter.

He’d fucked up and said the wrong thing. “Do you want me to go?” Steve asked. Leaving was the last thing he wanted to do, but he would if she didn’t want him around.

“Up to you.”

He’d had relationships over the years. Some long term. Some short, but he had a feeling that her “up to you” was the same as “fine.”

He’d stick around. If nothing else, to make up for his blunder. “I’ll stay, okay?”

“Okay.”

A few seconds later, her breathing evened out. Tabitha had fallen asleep.

She hadn’t moved her hand, and their fingertips still touched, so he took that as a good sign. If she wanted nothing to do with him, moving her hand away would’ve been the first thing she would’ve done.

Unfortunately, he was going to have to move his hand if he wanted to check his phone. It’d buzzed quite a few times since he’d sat down.

His home screen showed the numerous messages from his team. He opened Wilt’s message first.

Got into the cameras. Call me.

This was one conversation he’d wanted to have with Tabitha awake—he wanted her to hear what Wilt had discovered—no matter if it was bad or good. He wouldn’t hide anything from her.

I’ll call back when Tabitha is awake.

Wilt’s response was immediate. Roger that .

Next, he opened Damon’s message.

Café all cleaned up. Cops found nothing, and when I looked around, I can confirm whoever it was left nothing behind. New display case to be delivered first thing in the morning. Waiting for locksmith to change locks in case perp got Tabitha’s keys.

Steve appreciated Damon going the extra mile to replace the case and change the locks. Tabitha could possibly be missing something from her purse. One of the officers had handed it to him before he’d left to head to the hospital.

Good thinking. Thanks for handling it all.

The other messages were from the rest of his team, checking in to see if there was anything he needed. He replied to all, saying he was okay.

As he was about to put it away, his phone buzzed again. This message was from Chris, the former Delta who was now part of their team since he’d fallen in love and married a local Perth woman.

Email from Ox at Alliez. Contract received. Looked it over, and all seems straightforward.

Steve had expected nothing less from Kyle “Ox” Matthews. No way would the man try to undercut Steve’s company in any of their business dealings.

He’d look over the contract himself, but he trusted Chris’s opinion.

Great. I’ll check it out tomorrow and sign it and send back.

Do you need anything?

I’m good. Thanks.

I’m at Lindy’s office, so if you do, let me know.

No way was he going to interrupt Chris’s evening with his wife. He appreciated the gesture, though.

Thanks for the offer, but all good.

Chris sent back a thumbs up emoji, and Steve pocketed his phone.

Tabitha slept peacefully, but it wouldn’t be long before a nurse came in to conduct all the usual concussion protocols.

She wouldn’t get a good night’s rest with all those interruptions. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be the best time for them to talk to Wilt? Perhaps tomorrow would be better.

It wasn’t as if they could do anything now, anyway.

“You’re thinking very hard there. Everything okay?”

Steve looked up from where he’d been studying his phone, even though the screen had been dark for a while now. “Yeah, all good. How are you feeling? You weren’t out for long.”

Tabitha grimaced. Her eyes were now their usual blue. Clearly the medication was wearing off. “Head is hurting a little, and I’m hungry. I think that’s what woke me.”

Her words confirmed his thoughts about the pain meds. “I’ll call the nurse, and she can get you some food. Not sure she’ll give you anything for the pain though.”

“It’s fine. I don’t really want any more. I didn’t like the way I felt after what they gave me earlier. I felt like had no control over what I could do or say.”

Did she recall what he’d said when they first arrived in the room? Or had it been lost in the haze of her medication? He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to remember or not. Maybe it would be for the best if she did forget that he’d told the staff they were engaged.

“You didn’t say anything that was over the top, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Steve offered a grin.

A soft smile stretched Tabitha’s lips.

He liked when she smiled. He didn’t like to see her frowning or looking down like she had a few seconds ago.

“That’s good. I didn’t think I did, but you never know there could be stuff I didn’t remember because of the combo of the hit to the head and the drugs they’d given me.”

“Do you remember what I said?” he asked. He wanted to face what was troubling him head on.

“I do.” Tabitha looked down at where his hand was on the bed.

Steve held his breath, waiting to see what she was going to do next. It came out in a whoosh when her hand covered his.

“Although… I do have to say, your proposal game is really lacking. I don’t remember you proposing to me.” She smirked.

Steve stared for a second before busting out a deep, hearty laugh. “It was epic, let me tell you,” he quipped back.

“Really? Do tell.” Tabitha arched an eyebrow as an obvious dare.

Steve took her bait. “It was a mild spring evening on the South Perth foreshore. There wasn’t a breath of wind. Dusk was settling over the city, and the city lights were sparkling on the river. I got down on one knee, declared my love and how I couldn’t live without you. I presented you with a ring, and after you said yes, two black swans glided past. They mate for life, so I thought it was rather prophetic for us.” He almost blinked at himself.

Where the hell had that come from?

He somehow wished it were all true.

“Sounds beautiful. I’m sorry I don’t remember.”

He didn’t miss the wistfulness in her voice. He couldn’t very well say, I’ll recreate it when it’d never happened in the first place, and they hadn’t even gone out on a date or anything. This was the longest conversation they’d ever had.

“Yeah.”

What else could he say? He didn’t want to blurt what he was thinking and have Tabitha think he was some a lovesick sap.

The door opened, and he whirled in his chair to see who was coming in. He was grateful to be off the hook of having to say more.

A nurse entered. “Is everything okay?” she asked, as if she could feel the sudden tension that’d popped up between them.

“My head hurts a little, and I’m hungry,” Tabitha said, repeating what she’d told him.

“As the pain relief goes through your system, the effectiveness of it wears off. Unfortunately, it will be a couple more hours before I can give you a top up. But I can fix the empty stomach. Something light though.” The nurse bustled around, checking Tabitha’s blood pressure. Asking her questions and seemingly satisfied that all was good.

Steve wished all was good with him.

His world had tilted on its axis with a simply fantasy story, and he didn’t have a clue how to get it straightened.