Enlightened by Alice Raine Page A

occasionally murmured things to me that were sometimes lucid, and sometimes utter nonsense.
    At about seven o’clock Kenny knocked on the bedroom door before poking his head around. ‘If you need to leave I can look after her, Nathan.’
    Shaking my head firmly I looked between him and Stella. ‘No. I’ll take care of her,’ I stated, my cool tone leaving no room for discussion. My girl, my responsibility.
    ‘What about work?’ Kenny questioned cautiously, mirroring my own thoughts. I had no intention of leaving Stella while she was sick, but I did have a couple of important deals happening next week which I needed to contribute to. Unfortunately it was work that I couldn’t do from Stella’s laptop because I needed the programs on my home computer and access to my office network.
    I absently stroked my fingers across the palm of Stella’s hand and felt a small smile tug at the corner of my mouth from just how much I cared for this woman. Loved. How much I loved this woman. There – I’d finally admitted it, if only in my head. Turning to Kenny I saw he’d watched my affectionate moment and was smiling goofily at me as if I were starring in some crappy rom-com. Glaring at him he soon wiped the smile from his face and disappeared after telling me he would be in his room if I needed him.
    Turning back to Stella I sighed as I considered my options. ‘This would be so much easier if we lived together,’ I said out loud, my voice causing her to shift and blink a few times still half asleep. ‘Move in with me, baby,’ I murmured softly, the thoughts from my head just spilling out before I could stop them.
    Thrashing her arms slightly, her eyelids fluttered briefly. ‘Nope,’ she murmured thickly, and I rolled my eyes. She was still bloody stubborn even when delirious, ill, and half asleep. Watching every tiny movement of her face in fascination I immediately noticed when a crease appeared between her eyebrows as a small frown took shape. ‘Other women,’ she mumbled on an expelled breath.
    Shifting myself closer to her I frowned. Other women? What on earth did she mean? Our conversation about my previous subs came back to me and my frown became a full-on grimace. She must be referring to her dislike of my apartment and the fact that she associated it with them – my ‘other women’. I sighed heavily. At least I hoped that’s what she meant, I certainly wasn’t seeing any other women and I had absolutely no intention of it either. Stella was it for me. Surely she knew that? Didn’t she? ‘There are no other women, Stella,’ I softly reassured her, stroking her clammy face again. ‘Only you, baby. Just you.’ Not even sure if she was conscious at the moment or not, I left it at that and dropped a kiss onto her brow.
    When my phone rang a few minutes later – and it definitely was my phone this time – I was still distracted by my concerns about Stella’s health and her possible misunderstanding of my commitment to her, but when I saw my brother’s name I tried to push my worries away for now and took the call.
    ‘Nicholas, hi.’ Good, my voice sounded normal and gave away no clue that I’d just spent the majority of the last four hours fretting and acting like a pathetic baby all because Stella was ill with the flu.
    ‘Hello, brother. Rebecca mentioned that Stella was unwell. How is she now?’
    Looking at her sleeping peacefully I felt a little happier than I had a few hours ago and found myself nodding even though he wouldn’t be able to see it. ‘A little better, I think. She’s more peaceful now, but still has a fever.’
    ‘There’s a horrible flu bug going around, it sounds like she might have that.’ There was a pause on the end of the line, but somehow I just knew he had something else to say to me. ‘Rebecca also mentioned that you sounded a little … tense. Everything OK now?’
    Keeping the phone to my ear I tipped my head back and felt my nostrils flare as I drew in a long,