Saved by My Blackguard (Linked Across Time Book 1)

SAVED BY MY BLACKGUARD

LINKED ACROSS TIME

BOOK ONE

DAWN BROWER

COPYRIGHT

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Saved by My Blackguard Copyright © 2016 Dawn Brower

All rights reserved.

Kindle Edition

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.

Cover art by Victoria Miller

TITLES BY

DAWN BROWER

Broken Pearl

Deadly Benevolence

MARSDEN ROMANCES

A Flawed Jewel

A Crystal Angel

A Treasured Lily

A Sanguine Gem

A Hidden Ruby

A Discarded Pearl

NOVAK SPRINGS SERIES

Cowgirl Fever

Unbridled Pursuit

Sensual Games

LINKED ACROSS TIME SERIES

Saved by My Blackguard

Searching for My Rogue

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you to everyone who read my books and keeps asking for more. You’re the reason I continue to write and develop new stories. This is the start of a new adventure I hope you all enjoy as much as I did. Before you ask (because I have beta readers that liked him despite his naughtiness). Yes Captain Jack will get his own book. You just might have to wait a while to get it. He was a surprise I didn’t expect or plan on initially, but I had a lot of fun with him.

SAVED BY MY BLACKGUARD

CHAPTER ONE

New York

August 18, 1987

Paul Dewitt tapped
his fingers on the arm of the chair. The starkness of the doctor’s office was blinding and he couldn’t focus on any one thing. The waiting was driving him insane. As the hands on the clock ticked by he could hear parts of his life fall out of existence. What was wrong with him? Why had he passed out? He needed answers and the damned doctor better come and give them to him soon. He wasn’t ready to die. There was so much he had yet to accomplish.

The doctor rushed in, sat behind his desk and laid a manila folder on it. He studied Paul with his fingers steepled together in concentration. After a long drawn out silence he sighed and opened the file. He pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Paul.

“We’ve run all the necessary tests and we’ve come to one conclusion.” The doctor paused and stared into Paul’s eyes. “You’re working yourself to an early grave. If you don’t slow down you won’t see your thirtieth birthday.”

“What is wrong with me?” Paul glanced at the sheet of paper, but it was all gibberish to him. “Explain what all these numbers mean.”

“The short answer is you are too stressed. Your heart is working too hard and you don’t sleep enough. Your body is exhausted and fighting itself. It gave in when you wanted to push it past its limits.” The doctor grabbed the paper and put it back in the file and closed it. “Despite what you believe, Paul, you’re not limitless. You need to take better care of yourself. The best advice I can give you is to take a vacation. Delegate some of your duties and take a step back from your business. From your own admission you work over 80 hours a week. At that pace, you won’t live to do anything with the money you’re accumulating. Medically speaking, I can only do so much for you.”

The good doctor could stick his advice someplace rather unpleasant and twist it like a sharp blade. He couldn’t afford a vacation. His company was on the brink of a major takeover of a computer software firm. They held the necessary patents he needed to launch his personal computers on the market. His product would be more affordable to the average family and all the market research showed they would be a high profit margin for his company. Being sick wasn’t something he could afford at such a critical time in his family’s company. He was the only one who could make sure the takeover went through. His brother was a dismal failure at business and preferred to party rather than taking any responsibility. If he didn’t handle everything who would?

“I can’t take a vacation.” He snorted. “The very idea is ludicrous.”

The doctor shrugged. “Ultimately it is your decision. What is more important to you? Your company or your health? I can’t make those decisions for you. My job is to point out to you the ramifications of those decisions.”

Paul hated to admit the doctor was right. Exhaustion swept through him leaving him drained. He rubbed his eyes, hoping it would help keep him focused. If only he could make it through the next month to see the takeover through… They had to slowly buy up stock using a few different dummy corporations before they could seize control. It would be bad to have the SEC on their backs. He could do some of the work from home if needed. The office and day-to-day business could get by on its own. That was why he had an administrative assistant for. And she was damned good at her job.

“How long?”

“Pardon?” The doctor raised an eyebrow. “How long for what?”

“How long of a vacation do you recommend I take?”

“A month—”

“Is too long,” Paul interrupted him. “There’s no way I could take a month off from the company. I would end up destitute leaving it for that long.”

The doctor shook his head and sighed. “I doubt it would come to that. A week then. Do you think you could manage that?”

Paul tilted his head and considered it. He might be able to manage a week. He could leave detailed instructions with Christy. She knew how he liked things handled and he could depend on her to keep the machine running while he frolicked on the beach. He almost snorted at the absurdity of him lounging on the sand while waves crashed to shore. It wouldn’t take him but a day to go mad with boredom. Maybe the doctor was right and he needed to slow down, but to do nothing? That was a fate worse than death. He didn’t know how to live a carefree life. It wasn’t in his genetic makeup.

“I might be able to take a week, if I have a week to prepare the company for my departure.”

The doctor frowned, and then said. “That might be detrimental. Do you need a whole week?”

“Yes,” he said, emphatically. “I handle a lot of the details of the company every day. I need time to prepare them for my absence. I know you believe I need this vacation, and you know I disagree. I can’t in good conscience leave without doing my due diligence as CEO.”

“Fine, but I want you to come by my office in a few days for a stress test. I’m afraid if you push too hard you will have a heart attack before the end of the week.”

Was his heart really that overworked? He was tired, but surely the doctor was overreacting. He’d only passed out the once…

“I will have my assistant set up an appointment. I’m not sure when I have a time open.”

The doctor nodded. “It really is for the best. When you get back from your vacation I also suggest you cut your work hours by at least a third. Find something else to fill your time with.”

“What could I possibly do other than work?” Paul rolled his eyes. “I don’t like people and I have no hobbies. Work is all I know.”

“I don’t know—try dating, find someone to love. Get married, have a family.”

Paul almost snorted at his words. He may have been his doctor since he was a small boy, but that didn’t mean he had to follow his relationship advice. Women were only good for one thing, and he didn’t need one in his life full time to get that. He had no desire to find love. It wasn’t in the cards for him and he was all right with that fate. As far as kids, his sister had a couple that could inherit the company. He didn’t need any progeny to pass it down to.

“Thanks, but I will have to pass on your sage advice. A family is the last thing I need. You already said I’m stressed, what do you think a wife and kids would do to me?”

“Just slow down. The rest of your life will fall in place once you do. Enjoy your vacation.”

Enjoy? Somehow he believed that was the last thing he would do. It didn’t matter. If he had to sleep in and be lazy for a week to help heal his heart he would do it. The rest of the doctor’s advice wasn’t even an option. He didn’t need or want someone to nag him for the rest of his life. He was perfectly content the way things were.

“I suppose I can try to anyway. Do you have any recommendations for a vacation spot?”

The doctor shook his head. “No and it doesn’t matter as long as you relax wherever it is. You can stay home if you like, just don’t go into the office.”

“Right.” He doubted he would be able to resist the urge to go into the office if he stayed home. So an island getaway it was. He’d have his assistant book his vacation for him. It didn’t matter where as long as it was nice and relaxing just as the doctor ordered. “I suppose I will be going. Thanks for the advice.”

Paul stood up and left the doctor’s office. He had to get back to Dewitt Enterprises and start the plans necessary for his impromptu vacation.

***

Port Royal, August 28, 1987

The heat of the sun poured over Paul as he lounged on the beach, and the waves crashed on the shore. He pulled his sunglasses off his face and wiped the sweat off his forehead. The forced vacation was already driving him mad.

Sure, Port Royal was amazing and beautiful. There were plenty of stunning sights around him, including the sexy brunette who kept giving him come-hither looks as she strolled down the beach in her tiny white bikini. He couldn’t even muster the smallest amount of interest in her—even if she was sexy. The desire wasn’t there for him. He’d been on the island two days and he was going stir crazy. He had to do something more than lounge on the beach staring into the sea-green water. At least, he could be thankful he didn’t take the doctor’s original advice for a month long vacation. That would have been torture he never would have survived through.