“Maybe. No promises.” He grinned at her shamelessly. “Maybe if I knew I was getting some heart-wishes for Christmas, it might slow me down a little.”
Kara smiled back at him, unable to resist his mischievous grin. He still loved those silly little handmade paper hearts she’d given him when she hadn’t had the money to buy him an actual gift for Valentine’s Day. He got one thing he wanted from her for each heart she gave him. Sadly, she realized she hadn’t given him any of the heart-wishes on any holiday since Ginny was born, probably because he usually used them to get her naked. “If you slow it down, you might get some heart-wishes this year,” she bantered cheekily.
“I’ll stop for the rest of the week,” he promised.
Kara snickered. “That’ll work. I think you’ll get some in your stocking, if you’re a good boy for the rest of the week.” Honestly, it amazed her that he loved those little pieces of paper so much. He was a billionaire, but nothing had ever made him as happy as getting those little hearts that he could turn in whenever he wanted her to grant his wish.
“We’re only talking about not bringing home presents this week, right?” he asked carefully, folding his arms in front of him.
She leaned across the table, speaking in a low voice that only Simon could hear. “Oh, yeah. Just about the gifts. Otherwise, I’d be happy if you’d be very, very bad.”
His eyes flared, desire swirling furiously in his heated gaze. “Thank God. Being good is really hard,” he answered in a relieved voice.
“How hard is it?” she asked sultrily. “And I never really wanted you to be that good.”
“Right now, it’s about as hard as it can get,” he rasped.
Liquid heat pooled between her thighs and her core clenched with violent need. She’d been deprived of her raw and hungry husband for too long. “Well, I’m ready to leave,” she squeaked eagerly, reaching for her jacket. Holy hell! She couldn’t wait to get home now.
Simon’s grin was wicked as he rose and helped her put on her jacket. Her cell phone startled her, the muffled ring coming from her small purse. She fumbled with the clutch and pulled out her phone. “It’s Maddie,” she told Simon as she looked at the caller ID.
She stepped outside to answer the call while Simon took care of the bill. By the time she’d finished, he was just walking out of the restaurant.
“You’re frowning. What’s wrong?” Simon asked in a concerned voice.
“One of the patients from the clinic is in the hospital. It’s serious, and he’s all alone. Maddie can’t leave the babies right now. I have to go,” Kara told Simon anxiously. “Can you drive me?”
He scowled at her. “You care about this guy,” he observed unhappily. “I know you get attached to all of your patients, but you look freaked out.”
She’d just finished stowing her phone back in her purse, and her head jerked up to look at him, worried about the jealousy and hurt she heard in his voice. She reached out her hand and grasped his forearm. “He’s not a guy really. He’s seven years old and his name is Timmy Madden. Maddie diagnosed him with type 1 diabetes, and he was supposed to be seeing a specialist, getting a team of professionals to help him. His mother was a prostitute and was never sure who his father was. She evidently never got him the medical care he needed. They found her dead in her apartment near the clinic, and Timmy was in a coma. He’s sick and he’s just a child, Simon. And he doesn’t have anyone there with him,” she told him desperately.
“Shit,” Simon’s frustration was evident. “I’m sorry, baby.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed him back, her sadness for Timmy making her heart break. “He’s always been such a good little boy. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“No kid deserves something like that, sweetheart,” Simon answered huskily, wrapping an arm around her and leading her to the car.
After he settled her into the Bugatti, Simon drove carefully but way too fast to get to the hospital.
For once, Kara didn’t tease him about the possibility of getting a speeding ticket in his expensive sports car.
In fact, she never said a word.
Simon watched as Kara fussed over the small child in a bed in the pediatric ICU, one that looked way too big for him. The kid had woken up, but he was disoriented and clinging to Kara like he never wanted to let her go.
He knew the feeling.
Nobody had to tell him that his wife was special. He’d known that from the moment he’d seen her. Her compassion was endless and her ability to love incredible. Hell, she put up with his cranky ass, and he thought that was a damn miracle. The fact that she actually loved him was almost unbelievable. But he believed it. He experienced it every damn day, and he was more grateful for that love than she could ever rationally understand.
Simon eyed the boy from his seat next to Kara. He was dark-haired, and his brown eyes looked too big for his face because he was so thin. As the kid looked at him, Simon saw the weight of the world reflected back at him in the eyes of a seven year old who had seen too much, experienced too much sadness in his short life.
Fuck! Why is nobody protecting him, taking care of him? How is it that he has nobody in this world who gives a damn about him except Kara and Maddie?
“Who’s that?” Timmy asked Kara as he clung to her hand, his voice weak, and his words slurred.
“That’s my husband, sweetie. His name is Simon,” Kara responded in a sweet, gentle voice.
“Is he the guy who made you your own computer game?” Timmy asked groggily, but his voice was more animated. He looked at Simon with a slightly awed expression.
Simon designed some of the most popular computer games in the world, and Kara loved to play them. He had actually made Kara her own game and named it The Adventures of Kara. He’d never intended to release it to the general public, but she’d badgered him to do it because she wanted other people to enjoy it. He finally had, and it had been enormously successful.
“Yep. My husband is a genius,” she told Timmy. “He makes all kinds of games.”
“I wish I knew how to play.” Timmy’s answer was wistful.
“You don’t know how to use a computer?” Simon was incredulous. What kid in this day and age didn’t know how to use a computer?
“I learned some when I went to school, but we weren’t allowed to play games. But some of my friends talked about the Myth World games and they sound fun,” Timmy said longingly.