"Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Nicole shivered helplessly inside Kerr's arms. Kerr held her tightly and leaned his cheek on top of her
head.
He reached for a dry towel and started drying her long hair. He then reached for her shirt to unbutton it.
Nicole suddenly stirred and stopped him.
"Please don't. There are people outside," Nicole murmured.
She held Kerr's hand, blushing.
It was still windy and raining outside, but the inside of the car was warm and comforting.
She instinctively remembered the crazy night she spent with Kerr in the car the other day. There were
some people outside their car now. Nicole was worried they would be seen by the others. She did not
want that.
"What do you think I'm doing? I just want to get you off your wet clothes. You just got out of surgery. It
may be a little injury, but you should still take care of yourself. If you get sick here, there's nothing I can
do."
Kerr looked at Nicole tenderly, but there was a touch of mischief in his eyes.
"Why? What did you think I was going to do?" he whispered in her ear.
Nicole blushed furiously and wished she had just bitten her tongue. She lowered her head and avoided
eye contact with Kerr.
"Nothing."
She was not about to fall into Kerr's trap. At least not right now. She would not admit what just went on
inside her head.
Nicole sat up and backed away from Kerr, but Kerr would not let her go easily.
Kerr pulled Nicole into his lap and cupped her blushing face.
"I won't let you down if you ask for it."
There was no trace of mischief in Kerr's tone. His warm palm slid from Nicole's cheek to her neck. Kerr
slowly leaned in.
"I'm not asking for anything."
Nicole caught Kerr's hand and tried to stop him, but it was too late. Kerr's body was stiff against hers.
She slowly let go of Kerr's hand, stretched out her arms, and wrapped them around his neck.
"It's okay. No one's coming in here," Kerr assured Nicole.
Her body was tense against his. He found that little nervous behavior adorable, and it stimulated his
every nerve.
There was a special feeling that Nicole brought to him, which he had never had.
"Kerr... I'm... so tired..."
Nicole felt her eyelids slowly growing heavy, and then she fell asleep in Kerr's lap.
Kerr propped Nicole's chin up with his finger and looked at her sleeping face.
"Nicole? Don't think that I will let this go so easily," he teased her.
Nicole did not so much as flutter her eyelids. Kerr then realized what was wrong with her.
He carefully slid her into the seat next to him and felt her forehead. She was burning up.
"Nicole! Damn it!"
Kerr was too consumed by the heat of the moment to realize that Nicole had a fever. He had never felt
more stupid in his entire life.
He hurriedly but gently took her out of her wet clothes and wrapped her in a clean bath towel. He held
her tightly, hoping to seep some warmth into her.
"I'm going to take you back to the hospital right now."
Kerr could not delay their return now. He had made up his mind.
"Jared!"
Kerr rolled down his window and called out to Jared who was sitting in the car next to theirs.
"What's wrong, Mr. Gu?"
Jared walked up to them, opened the door, and got in.
"I'm going back to the hospital now. Nicole's not well. I need to get her to the hospital. You stay here
until dawn."
Kerr could go through danger on his own, but these people had been working with him for many years.
He was used to taking care of them.
After giving Jared the orders, he covered Nicole with a blanket. He let go of her.
He was still in his wet clothes. Holding Nicole would only make her more uncomfortable.
"Mr. Gu, it's still too dangerous. The wind and rain may not be as heavy as before, but the road's still
slippery."
Jared tried to dissuade Kerr, but there was no changing Kerr's mind.
"At least let me drive."
He could not stop Kerr now, but he could not let him drive by himself.
"Stay here. That's an order."
Kerr was stern with his command.
"No, Mr. Gu. I won't let you drive back by yourself no matter what you say."
For the first time, Jared dared talk back to Kerr. Before Kerr could say anything else, Jared slipped into
the driver's seat and gunned the engine. He started driving.
Ken saw Kerr's car leaving.
"What is he doing? Let's follow him, Kim."
Kim nodded and drove after Kerr's car.
Kerr felt Nicole reaching for him. He knelt in front of her.
"It's okay. I'm here. We're on our way to the hospital."
Kerr spoke calmly. Nicole desperately held onto his hand like a drowning child clutching a lifeline.
When they finally arrived at the hospital, Kerr picked Nicole up and rushed her to the emergency room.
Jared went to wake Harley and told him to go to the emergency room.
"This is the second time today that I'm working in the emergency room. I have great comeback timing."
Harley teased Kerr while Nicole was being attended.
Kerr ignored him, his eyes fixed on Nicole. Harley shut his mouth.
"Don't worry. It's just a little fever. She was given an antipyretic shot. The fever should subside soon.
She will be fine."
Seeing the look on Kerr's face, Harley could not help shaking his head and walking out of the
emergency room.
Kerr stood by Nicole's bedside the entire morning. He had not taken the time to change out of his wet
clothes.
He wanted Nicole to see him when she woke up so that she would not be afraid. Only by watching over
her would he feel at ease.
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