Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne Page B

shock, his remorse, and his shame.
    Rachel’s eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face as he approached. “You’re here!”
    Unable to speak, Nic placed his purchases on a table at the foot of her bed and pulled her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair as tears threatened to escape and his chest ached with emotions he couldn’t show. Nic swallowed hard and blinked several times, fighting to regain control.
    “I can’t believe you came all this way to see me.”
    “Family sticks together in times of need, ma chouette .”
    Rachel leaned around him and winked at Rémi, sprawled in the room’s only chair. “Did you teach him that one?”
    Rémi held up his hands in surrender and grinned. “No way. He came up with that fortune cookie bullshit on his own. Iroquois expressions are much more eloquent.”
    Nic shot his friend a playfully stern look, then turned back to Rachel with a crooked smile. Rémi had obviously been working overtime to keep her spirits up.
    “How’re you feeling?” Nic asked softly.
    She lifted a shoulder and shrugged. “I didn’t get a fever, which was the doctor’s biggest concern.”
    “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that.”
    “Oh, I think I know.” She grinned impishly as she eyed the table where he’d set his purchases. “Anything in that pile for me, or are all those gifts for the nurses?”
    Nic laughed. God, he’d missed his sister. He got up and handed her the flowers.
    Rachel inhaled the heady fragrance, pleasure evident on her face. “I love them! They smell like the meadows on the ranch.”
    Rémi fetched a water pitcher and with great fanfare arranged the flowers, amusing Rachel with his antics. He was the best friend a man could have. When he was done, Rémi turned to Nic and waved to the pile. “Don’t stop now, my friend.”
    Nic presented her the box of Turtles.
    “Aren’t you going to open them? I have to try at least one.”
    Since he shared her addiction to chocolate, Nic couldn’t deny her plea. He slit open the box, but before she could take one, Rémi’s hand was already there. Nic pulled the box away. “Ladies first.”
    “Age before beauty,” Rémi retorted.
    Nic raised a haughty eyebrow. “Fairies before fiends.”
    “You snooze—you lose.”
    Rachel’s laughter rang out. “Guys, enough, please. My sides are sore from laughing so much.”
    Rémi shot Nic a triumphant grin, and the two of them cracked up.
    “Okay, you win. This time,” Nic conceded. He placed the box on Rachel’s lap and held out his final package.
    Rachel grinned when she pulled the nurse bear out of the bag.
    “Oh, look,” Rémi said. “He came bear ing gifts.”
    “She’s adorable! I didn’t have a nurse in my collection.”
    Nic’s heart constricted. Rachel had always been so easy to please. “She’s the only nurse cute enough to bring home,” he joked.
    “I’ve got to disagree with you there, man.” Rémi shook his head. “The little night nurse was f—”
    “Hey! Watch your mouth. There’s a girl in the room.” Nic cuffed his friend on the arm, but his heart was bursting.
    Rachel’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’m twenty-two, you twit.”
    “Speaking of women who are no longer children.” Rémi picked up the magazine on the nightstand. “Tell us about the bodacious brunette.”
    Rachel grinned. “We want all the details.”
    Nic groaned and scrubbed his face. On the cover was the photo of him and Lauren caught in the throes of their Paparazzi Kiss. Did he want to explain how he’d felt sparks in the air when he’d walked into that hotel room in D.C.? How his lips had burned when he’d kissed her knuckles? How he’d lost total control at the first touch of her lips?
    He really didn’t. But he had to tell them something. “Lauren’s a photographer from Seattle. We did a photo shoot together last Friday.”
    “Looks like you did a little more than shoot a few photos,” Rémi teased.
    “Things got a little out