Page 64 of Protected By the Billionaire Ex-SEAL

“To cuddle. That’s it.”

I stare. “Why, Christian, I didn’t expect you to be such a gentleman.”

His next hard kiss proves otherwise, and I enjoy it thoroughly until he reluctantly cuts it short. “Not a gentleman. Just someone trying to make a good impression on them.”

But we still make out, and it wakes me up until my entire body is singing with desire. When I pull back, I’m sure my expression is mischievous.

“Then it’s probably not a good idea that you’re here. My mom likes to bring me breakfast in bed on my first days back.”

I snicker. I have never seen a man run so fast back to his bedroom, and the timing is just right as my mom knocks fifteen minutes later to announce that since I have a guest, we can have breakfast at the dining table. We spend the morning catching up some more during breakfast, with my parents more comfortable with Christian now and asking him all kinds of questions about his business and his family.

I let them interact, unable to help, leaning over to secretly smell him. He used the guest bathroom’s amenities, including the vanilla soap and shampoo, and I’ve never wanted to bite someone this badly. But we behave ourselves until breakfast is done.

“Where are you off to next? I wish you could stay longer.”

I smile at my mom. “I promise to stay longer the next time I visit. Maybe I’ll even bring Honey Lee and her husband.”

They’re delighted with that, then throw in suggestions when I tell them that I’ll be touring Christian around the city today before we leave. When we finally leave the house, Christian has an idea.

“How about you take me to your favorite spots and I take you to mine?”

I never thought about that, but I’m suddenly excited at the idea of us getting to know each other more that way. I take him to my favorite library and park, then this lovely restaurant that serves the best fish tacos. He takes me to his agency branch, which is smaller but just as cozy, and introduces me to his employees there before we head to his next chosen spot.

“A hotdog stand?”

Christian grins at my question, then takes my hand and leads me there. It’s inside another park that’s maybe an hour away from my favorite one, and it looks like any other park. But after we get our hotdogs, we keep on walking until we reach the back of the park.

I gasp, taking in the view of the ocean waves just beyond the park exit. He smirks at my reaction.

“This right here is my favorite spot. Not the hotdog place, but it’s a bonus and I always get one before I come here.”

He sits on a bench and pats the space beside him until I sidle in, too. We eat our hotdogs and just watch the ocean, then decide to leave the bench and walk again until we reach the sandy area. We end up sitting there longer, the roar of the waves much clearer and so therapeutic.

“I think if I discovered this earlier, it would have been my favorite, too. I don’t even mind the long drive.”

He nods, pleased with my words. “I come here to think. Or to not think.”

I shoot him a teasing look. “Do you bring your dates here, too?”

To my astonishment, he shakes his head. “No. It’s a special place for me. I’ve never brought Nick or Clara here, either.”

But he brought me. I try to think of it as Christian just wanting to come here but unable to leave his assignment behind, but a bigger part of me can’t help softening and feeling special that I get to be the one to share his special place. It’s like the waterhole all over again, but much more intimate now that we’ve truly become friends.

Maybe more…

Stop. It.

I take a deep breath, then stay silent, not wanting my thoughts to ruin our peaceful moment. I try not to read too much into every gesture there is, from him getting up to buy us ice cream cones from passing sellers to him casually buying a shell bracelet for me. When the sun finally sets, my emotions rise, and again, there’s that sense of freedom that I finally get to enjoy without worrying about what’s in store for me later.

“It’s so beautiful.”

“It is.”

I turn at his husky tone, sensing an emotion that I don’t understand. But he’s looking at the sunset, too, his handsome face turned up slightly. I lean against him, then close my eyes when he kisses the top of my head, the movement so gentle.

It makes me ache. It makes me feel things I shouldn’t feel, and it takes everything in me to keep it all in. Somehow, I manage to act casual about it, laughing when a couple of seagulls fly closer toward us and try to snatch Christian’s leftover ice cream.

“Brats. Thieves.”

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