Healed
(The Found, Book 3)
by Caitlyn O'Leary
Genres: M/F, Paranormal, Romance, Adventure, Suspense
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A WOMAN BETRAYED
Dr. Sarah Johnson has been gifted with the power of healing, and when she rushes to help a friend in need she gets more than she bargained for, and all hell breaks loose.
A MAN ON A MISSION
After finding himself tangled up with the most stubborn woman in the world, Navy team leader Nate Goodman knew his life was never going to be the same. Sarah Johnson was trouble with a capital T, and he never expected to fall for her.
A HEALING LOVE
What happens when the healer becomes aware that she is the one who needs to be healed? When Sarah goes missing, Nate will move heaven and Earth to find her. Will Nate find her in time to heal her wounded soul?
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She heard Kota complaining about his healed knife wound itching, but it was like it was coming from a long way off. She focused on making it to the hotel room bathroom. One foot in front of the other.
“Sarah, are you okay?” Was that Kali talking? “Sarah?”
Just four more steps and she would reach the bathroom. A big hand opened the door and helped her to the toilet just as she heaved the contents of her stomach. She didn’t know how long she stayed kneeling in front of the commode, resting her head on the cool porcelain but it seemed like forever. The room wouldn’t stop spinning, her head was killing her, and she was shivering and sweating at the same time. Suddenly a huge hand cupped the back of her head and a cool compress wiped her face. Nate.
Her head no longer felt like someone was trying to drive a spike through it.
“Are you done, Angel?” Her eyes weren’t watering anymore, but she still didn’t feel up to opening them and seeing the pity in Nate’s hazel eyes.
“Go away,” she said in a raspy voice.
“Nope.”
“Please Nate, I’m begging you. I’ll be out in a little while.” His hand lifted, and she had to stifle a groan of pain. The door opened and closed. She didn’t try to analyze why she felt both relieved and disappointed he had left, the pain in her head made higher thought impossible. The door opened again.
“Is that you, Kali?” she whispered, not opening her eyes.
“Nope. Can you stand?” Nate’s big hand stroking down her back felt wonderful.
“I think so.” Where seconds ago she thought she might pass out from the pain, now she felt like she could push herself up off the floor.
“Let me help you.” How could such a big man be so gentle? He assisted her and she found herself in front of the sink gazing into the mirror. Nate helped to balance her from behind. She looked like death warmed over.
“You look beautiful.” Damn, she’d said it aloud.
Sarah looked up and up and saw his utter sincerity. It was too much, so she went to rinse her mouth.
“Hold onto the sink, I brought your toothbrush from the other room.” God, she didn’t want to have to go back out into the hotel room where four other people overheard her toss her cookies. Brushing her teeth would help her feel more in control.
“I can stand by myself.” Sarah went to grab her toothbrush he held out, but her hand started to shake again. She realized just how bad she was shivering, but at the same time, she was dripping with sweat. Then to her utter horror she started to cry.
“Come here, Angel.” Nate turned her around from the sink to take her into his arms. Her shivering and sweating stopped. He tilted her chin and used his thumbs to brush away her tears.
“It’s okay to cry, to show weakness. You held it together for everyone, this is just between you and me and I promise not to tell. You can just relax for a few minutes.”
“No,” she said as her teeth stopped chattering. “I want to brush my teeth.”
“Then let me help you.” He turned her towards the sink, put toothpaste on the brush, and helped curl her fingers around the handle. Sarah was able to do a light brush and rinse and felt human again before she slumped against Nate.
“That does it. We’re getting you to bed.”
“We can’t disturb Noah.” Noah had been wounded and was resting in the hotel room where she, Kali and Sierra normally slept. She just used her newfound powers to heal both Noah and Dakota ‘Kota’ Blackthorne and apparently she was suffering the side-effects from expending the energy to do so.
“I arranged for another room.” He turned her around and scooped her up into his arms. God, the man was huge. No wonder he had been so successful playing college football at Oklahoma University.
“Wait, I didn’t think it was safe to get another room.”
“It’s all taken care of.” If Nate said it was taken care of, then she knew it was. He would never let one of his teammate’s safety be compromised. The thought made her sad for a moment, she didn’t want to be considered just another member of the team, but thinking about it made her tired. She was too worn out to do anything more than sink into the warmth of Nate Goodman’s arms. In moments Nate was laying her on the soft surface of a bed. As soon as she was no longer touching him, her stomach heaved and she clenched her back teeth together trying desperately not to gag.
“Sarah, do I need to get you to the bathroom? I was just closing the curtains.” He started to lift her and everything settled.
“Just stay with me a moment. Don’t leave me.” She finally caught on, his touch made her feel better. She couldn’t explain it, but what damn thing made sense these days? Less than an hour ago she’d knit a man’s flesh together and he’d healed before her eyes.
“I’m not leaving Sarah.” He brushed back her hair and kissed her forehead. She totally relaxed, taking her first settled breath in an hour. After a few minutes, he moved his hand down her body and pulled off her shoes. She wiggled her toes.
“Let’s get you under these blankets.”
“You’ll still stay with me?” God, who was this woman?
“Don’t worry, Angel, I know this isn’t you. I know you’ll be back in fighting form tomorrow. Today is an aberration.” Shit she was saying her inside thoughts out loud.
Nate barked out a laugh. “Yes you are.”
“Fine if I’m saying what I’m thinking you might as well know touching you is making me less ill.” He stopped pulling back the covers and went still as stone. Damn, what else should she have expected? What man wanted to hear that kind of heavy news?
“I don’t want to freak you out, Angel, but I’ve kind of been feeling sick.”
“What?” Sarah pushed up on her elbows to get a better look at Nate.
“Headache, sweats, nausea, chills?” She realized his normally tan skin looked pale and his short blonde hair was damp with sweat.
“How is that possible? Are you saying you’ve been feeling some of the same symptoms as me?”
“It was after I started touching you.”
Sarah plopped back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling trying to assimilate this latest piece of information. Nate stroked her face.
“Angel?”
“This is freaky,” she whispered in a daze.
“I told you.”
“So somehow we’re connected? Do you think it happened with Kali? Why didn’t it happen with Noah or Kota?” He just looked at her and raised his eyebrow. She blushed.
“Right.” She knew why. There was already a connection between the two of them. There had been for a long time. It would have only happened with him. When she said as much, he smiled.
“Thank God, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get you to rest in my arms tonight, and now the perfect excuse lands in my lap.” Sarah peeked at him through her lashes and found him staring down at her in the dim light of the hotel room. “I’m serious. No funny business. I didn’t want to leave you alone. There was no way you were going to get me to leave this room. I was going to, at the very least, sleep on the floor, but my hope was to lie with you in my arms.”
“I thought it wasn’t safe for us to get another hotel room,” Sarah said.
“Angel, let’s talk about this some other time, okay? I want you to rest.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and she about melted into his arms. How she could melt into such steely muscles she didn’t know, but she had never felt safer or more comfortable.
“Nate?”
“Shhh, I’m tired. Can we nap for a bit?” He was such a liar. She snuggled closer, and breathed in the scent of him. A nap sounded good. She was awfully tired.
“Sarah, are you okay?” Was that Kali talking? “Sarah?”
Just four more steps and she would reach the bathroom. A big hand opened the door and helped her to the toilet just as she heaved the contents of her stomach. She didn’t know how long she stayed kneeling in front of the commode, resting her head on the cool porcelain but it seemed like forever. The room wouldn’t stop spinning, her head was killing her, and she was shivering and sweating at the same time. Suddenly a huge hand cupped the back of her head and a cool compress wiped her face. Nate.
Her head no longer felt like someone was trying to drive a spike through it.
“Are you done, Angel?” Her eyes weren’t watering anymore, but she still didn’t feel up to opening them and seeing the pity in Nate’s hazel eyes.
“Go away,” she said in a raspy voice.
“Nope.”
“Please Nate, I’m begging you. I’ll be out in a little while.” His hand lifted, and she had to stifle a groan of pain. The door opened and closed. She didn’t try to analyze why she felt both relieved and disappointed he had left, the pain in her head made higher thought impossible. The door opened again.
“Is that you, Kali?” she whispered, not opening her eyes.
“Nope. Can you stand?” Nate’s big hand stroking down her back felt wonderful.
“I think so.” Where seconds ago she thought she might pass out from the pain, now she felt like she could push herself up off the floor.
“Let me help you.” How could such a big man be so gentle? He assisted her and she found herself in front of the sink gazing into the mirror. Nate helped to balance her from behind. She looked like death warmed over.
“You look beautiful.” Damn, she’d said it aloud.
Sarah looked up and up and saw his utter sincerity. It was too much, so she went to rinse her mouth.
“Hold onto the sink, I brought your toothbrush from the other room.” God, she didn’t want to have to go back out into the hotel room where four other people overheard her toss her cookies. Brushing her teeth would help her feel more in control.
“I can stand by myself.” Sarah went to grab her toothbrush he held out, but her hand started to shake again. She realized just how bad she was shivering, but at the same time, she was dripping with sweat. Then to her utter horror she started to cry.
“Come here, Angel.” Nate turned her around from the sink to take her into his arms. Her shivering and sweating stopped. He tilted her chin and used his thumbs to brush away her tears.
“It’s okay to cry, to show weakness. You held it together for everyone, this is just between you and me and I promise not to tell. You can just relax for a few minutes.”
“No,” she said as her teeth stopped chattering. “I want to brush my teeth.”
“Then let me help you.” He turned her towards the sink, put toothpaste on the brush, and helped curl her fingers around the handle. Sarah was able to do a light brush and rinse and felt human again before she slumped against Nate.
“That does it. We’re getting you to bed.”
“We can’t disturb Noah.” Noah had been wounded and was resting in the hotel room where she, Kali and Sierra normally slept. She just used her newfound powers to heal both Noah and Dakota ‘Kota’ Blackthorne and apparently she was suffering the side-effects from expending the energy to do so.
“I arranged for another room.” He turned her around and scooped her up into his arms. God, the man was huge. No wonder he had been so successful playing college football at Oklahoma University.
“Wait, I didn’t think it was safe to get another room.”
“It’s all taken care of.” If Nate said it was taken care of, then she knew it was. He would never let one of his teammate’s safety be compromised. The thought made her sad for a moment, she didn’t want to be considered just another member of the team, but thinking about it made her tired. She was too worn out to do anything more than sink into the warmth of Nate Goodman’s arms. In moments Nate was laying her on the soft surface of a bed. As soon as she was no longer touching him, her stomach heaved and she clenched her back teeth together trying desperately not to gag.
“Sarah, do I need to get you to the bathroom? I was just closing the curtains.” He started to lift her and everything settled.
“Just stay with me a moment. Don’t leave me.” She finally caught on, his touch made her feel better. She couldn’t explain it, but what damn thing made sense these days? Less than an hour ago she’d knit a man’s flesh together and he’d healed before her eyes.
“I’m not leaving Sarah.” He brushed back her hair and kissed her forehead. She totally relaxed, taking her first settled breath in an hour. After a few minutes, he moved his hand down her body and pulled off her shoes. She wiggled her toes.
“Let’s get you under these blankets.”
“You’ll still stay with me?” God, who was this woman?
“Don’t worry, Angel, I know this isn’t you. I know you’ll be back in fighting form tomorrow. Today is an aberration.” Shit she was saying her inside thoughts out loud.
Nate barked out a laugh. “Yes you are.”
“Fine if I’m saying what I’m thinking you might as well know touching you is making me less ill.” He stopped pulling back the covers and went still as stone. Damn, what else should she have expected? What man wanted to hear that kind of heavy news?
“I don’t want to freak you out, Angel, but I’ve kind of been feeling sick.”
“What?” Sarah pushed up on her elbows to get a better look at Nate.
“Headache, sweats, nausea, chills?” She realized his normally tan skin looked pale and his short blonde hair was damp with sweat.
“How is that possible? Are you saying you’ve been feeling some of the same symptoms as me?”
“It was after I started touching you.”
Sarah plopped back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling trying to assimilate this latest piece of information. Nate stroked her face.
“Angel?”
“This is freaky,” she whispered in a daze.
“I told you.”
“So somehow we’re connected? Do you think it happened with Kali? Why didn’t it happen with Noah or Kota?” He just looked at her and raised his eyebrow. She blushed.
“Right.” She knew why. There was already a connection between the two of them. There had been for a long time. It would have only happened with him. When she said as much, he smiled.
“Thank God, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get you to rest in my arms tonight, and now the perfect excuse lands in my lap.” Sarah peeked at him through her lashes and found him staring down at her in the dim light of the hotel room. “I’m serious. No funny business. I didn’t want to leave you alone. There was no way you were going to get me to leave this room. I was going to, at the very least, sleep on the floor, but my hope was to lie with you in my arms.”
“I thought it wasn’t safe for us to get another hotel room,” Sarah said.
“Angel, let’s talk about this some other time, okay? I want you to rest.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and she about melted into his arms. How she could melt into such steely muscles she didn’t know, but she had never felt safer or more comfortable.
“Nate?”
“Shhh, I’m tired. Can we nap for a bit?” He was such a liar. She snuggled closer, and breathed in the scent of him. A nap sounded good. She was awfully tired.
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My Review: 4 Stars
Healed is action packed and adventurous! This series keeps drawing me in further with each installment as the plot thickens. I have loved Sarah's character from the start and the attraction between her and Nate has been slowly building for some time now. I'm so excited that they they finally got their own story!
Sarah's spunky, outgoing and determined character is a perfect foil to Nate's big bad outside and tender heart. She is the perfect woman to teach him how to let those emotions out. Healed is my favorite in the series so far! I hope, I hope, I hope that Kota's story is next. =)
Revealed: Fount Series Book 1
A Woman In Danger
When Kelly finds herself kidnapped, she clings to the one thing that allows her to withstand the ordeal, a dream of a long forgotten memory—Noah.
A Hero with a Secret…
A highly decorated naval officer, Noah rushes to save Kelly, and then starts to help unlock the secret of their shared past.
A Love That Is More than a Dream…
Together they discover a love and passion surpassing all of their dreams, but before they can have a future together they have to solve the mystery of their past.
A Found Series Novel
When Kelly finds herself kidnapped, she clings to the one thing that allows her to withstand the ordeal, a dream of a long forgotten memory—Noah.
A Hero with a Secret…
A highly decorated naval officer, Noah rushes to save Kelly, and then starts to help unlock the secret of their shared past.
A Love That Is More than a Dream…
Together they discover a love and passion surpassing all of their dreams, but before they can have a future together they have to solve the mystery of their past.
A Found Series Novel
Forsaken: Found Series Book 2
A Man Bound By Duty
When Seth's agency sends him on one last mission, Seth never realized his short assignment would last so long. While working undercover, Seth dreams of a time when he can be reunited with the love of his life.
A Woman Who Will Risk Everything
When Annie realizes she finally has a chance to help the man she loves, she takes it. Experiencing the darkest underbelly of society, Annie risks her life to save innocents, and help Seth find a way home.
A Love That Nothing Can Tear Apart
When Seth finds out that Annie has been captured, he will do anything to save her, and nothing or no one is safe until she is back in his arms.
When Seth's agency sends him on one last mission, Seth never realized his short assignment would last so long. While working undercover, Seth dreams of a time when he can be reunited with the love of his life.
A Woman Who Will Risk Everything
When Annie realizes she finally has a chance to help the man she loves, she takes it. Experiencing the darkest underbelly of society, Annie risks her life to save innocents, and help Seth find a way home.
A Love That Nothing Can Tear Apart
When Seth finds out that Annie has been captured, he will do anything to save her, and nothing or no one is safe until she is back in his arms.
Caitlyn O'Leary was raised in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. She has been an avid reader. Her earliest creative writing endeavors consisted of "ghost writing" exercises in which she pretended to be her younger brothers and sisters when she did their homework assignments before they turned them in as their own.
Years in corporate America honed her ability to manipulate words by day, and at night she read everything she could get her hands on, including many, romances!
Happily married to her long, tall Texan and living in Southern California, Caitlyn has finally found the time to write very steamy happily-every-afters for Siren/Bookstrand.
She has just started writing the Found series. It's a bit Paranormal, a bit Sci-Fi and 100% Action/Adventure. The characters have special abilities, that make them targets.
She loves to hear from her readers.
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Cara, thanks so much for hosting me on your awesome blog!
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