Rapture

RAPTURE A London Carter Novel (Book 7) __________________ BY BJ BOURG www.bjbourg.com RAPTURE A London Carter Novel by BJ Bourg This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2023 by BJ Bourg Cover Art by Christine Savoie of Bayou Cover Designs PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Contents CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 CHAPTER 44 CHAPTER 45 CHAPTER 46 CHAPTER 47 CHAPTER 48 CHAPTER 49 CHAPTER 50 CHAPTER 51 CHAPTER 52 CHAPTER 53 CHAPTER 54 CHAPTER 55 CHAPTER 56 CHAPTER 57 CHAPTER 58 CHAPTER 59 CHAPTER 60 CHAPTER 61 CHAPTER 62 CHAPTER 1 Five years earlier… Fairview, Colorado As the clock struck midnight on a new year, Bella Jordan was exiting her last patient’s room. She was tired. Although her shift was days and she normally worked from six to six, she had been asked to cover half of Janine Rockford’s shift because she was allegedly sick. “A convenient time to get sick,” Bella muttered as she stopped outside her patient’s room to make notes in his chart. “If you post a single picture of you partying tonight, I’m gonna float an air bubble in your—” “Still talking to yourself, I see,” called a male’s voice from behind her. Blushing, Bella whirled around to see Dr. Dan Smith smiling down at her. “I…I was just talking to myself.” She winced inwardly at her awkwardness. “Oh, wait, you already said that. I…I guess I’m just tired. I had to cover half of Janine’s shift.” “Yeah, I heard she called in sick.” He cast a glance around, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, “I have it on good authority that she’s actually at a New Year’s party in Denver. While she might be sick come morning, there’s nothing wrong with her now.” Bella shuddered violently as Dan’s warm breath tickled her ear. Dan noticed and his face reddened a bit. Shit! What was it about Dan that made her lose her composure? Why did she turn to mush when he was around? She had worked with doctors for years and wasn’t at all impressed with their status or their money. While most of them were self-important blowhards, she knew they were no different than anyone in any other profession. Some were good at what they did, and some sucked, but they were all just people doing a job. She had been too lost in her mental stuttering to say anything, so Dan smiled meekly, wished her a Happy New Year, and turned to continue his rounds. It was at that moment she realized what it was about him that she liked. He was a humble man. He wasn’t presumptuous. He treated his patients and everyone with whom he worked as equals. He always had a kind word for her and the other nurses. Hell, he had a kind word for everyone. And, most importantly, he didn’t sleep around. “Dan…” Bella said hastily. She hadn’t thought through her next words. When he turned expectantly, there was a brief moment of panic, when she felt she was about to make a fool of herself. He didn’t wear a ring and never talked about a significant other, so she had always figured he was single, but what if she was wrong? She wanted desperately to invite him for a glass of wine—or whatever was his drink of choice—to celebrate the New Year, but if he turned out to be married or otherwise spoken for, she would be crushed. He had occupied most of her thoughts over the past few months. While every doctor in the hospital—married or not—had dated at least one or two of her fellow nurses, she had never heard any gossip about Dan. Not one to sleep around herself—she was constantly turning down the horn dogs with whom she worked—it was a trait she found most favorable in Dan. She had been searching her entire adulthood for a man like him, but now that he was standing right in front of her smiling and waiting, she didn’t know what to do with him. One thing was certain: she had stood there too long without saying anything, so she quickly uttered, “Happy New Year to you, too.” He smiled and thanked her. He was about to turn around when he hesitated, cocked his head to the side. “Say, Bella, I never heard you talk about a boyfriend.” Bella’s heart started to pound so heavily in her chest that she thought he would hear it. She shook her head. “Do you have one? Or maybe a husband?” Again, she shook her head. “A fiancé?” “No, I’ve got no one, not even a dog.” At thirty-two, Bella had been listening to her biological clock ticking like a time bomb for years now. While she would never jump into a relationship out of desperation, there were times when she had been tempted to give in and accept an offer from one of the doctors, but she knew how that would end. “Would you like to have dinner sometime?” Dan asked. Bella understood English, and Dan spoke it well, but his words sounded