Page 35 of Protected By the Billionaire Ex-SEAL

“Fine. Then neither of us is doing that. What else do you want to do?”

She looks around, then points at the Ferris wheel. Because we have too many toys in our hands, we decide to give away some of them to random passersby before we get into one of the Ferris wheel cars. As soon as the ride moves, she grips her bunny toy tightly, then my hand.

“You’ve never been to one of these?”

“I’ve always been wary of heights.” She closes her eyes. “Can you let me know when we get to the top?”

“Sure.”

But I’m not looking at the view. I’m looking at her, the flush on her cheeks so glorious and her mouth parted. I don’t know if it’s because of nerves or excitement, but I’ve never wanted to take that mouth in mine more and just keep kissing her until she melts for me.

It’s a bad idea to rock the car, though—figuratively and literally—so I stay where I am, just content with watching her.

“We’re close to the top. Open your eyes or you’ll miss it.”

She takes a deep breath and opens them slowly, her nerves still there. But they fade bit by bit as she looks around, then gasps with so much giddy disbelief.

“It’s beautiful. I can’t believe I never did this until now.”

She’s the beautiful one, chasing all her fears away one step at a time. It makes me yearn for things I shouldn’t yearn for, and I have to gulp down the lump in my throat.

“Sometimes, we don’t know how brave we are until we stop being careful.”

Amber eyes meet mine, surprised by my statement. A quiet understanding passes between us, but it’s her shoulder bumping against my arm and our comfortable, companionable silence that takes the cake and makes me want to stay on top of the world forever. We have to come down, though.

“Do you want to try the roller coaster next?”

“I’m brave, but I’m not that brave.” She chuckles. “Let’s save that for the daredevils.”

“Fine.” I pretend to roll my eyes, but amusement hums inside me. “Let’s get some snacks, then.”

We line up for some cotton candy and popcorn just as people get off other rides and line up with us. At first, it’s a decent crowd, but when the voices grow louder, and the line becomes more raucous, I notice the shift in her body language. She looks down and avoids my gaze, stiffening her body up.

Then she starts trembling and I know something’s wrong.

“Raven?”

“Please get me out of here.”

The panic in her voice is so palpable that I don’t question it. I take her hand and remove her from the crowd, but I can sense her building distress when we keep bumping into other people. So, I keep walking until I spot a corner booth that’s empty, then what seems to be a shed behind it.

After checking that it’s empty, too, except for some cleaning materials, I usher her in and step in with her, careful to keep it partially open to let some light in. But it cuts down most of the voices, giving us the privacy we need as I focus all my attention on her.

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m here.”

She’s still trembling, so I run my hands over her shoulders and back to soothe her. She leans her head against my chest. When her legs give in, I heft her up and sit her on the old table behind her, which is small but perfect for her size.

“I’m sorry, Christian.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“It’s just that my ex stalked me in a crowd, too, and sometimes it makes me paranoid. I didn’t expect to be triggered again tonight after…a long time.”

Fury rises, clutching at my throat, but I channel it and ease her into an embrace. Then I growl.

“You don’t have to apologize for whatever he made you feel. Don’t you dare.”

Raven looks up at my vehemence. When she opens her mouth, I growl again.

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