Page 35 of Challenging Her Protector

“Not at all. There’s something I haven’t done in a long time, but I think you might enjoy it.”

“Lead the way.” Her grin was wide, and without makeup, he could see the light dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose.

A low chuckle left his lips. “Don’t you want to know what it is?”

She shrugged. “I suppose I’ll find out soon enough. Besides, you’ve never once disappointed me.”

There it was again. Her pure, unwavering trust. Something he wouldn’t take for granted.

“Alright then.” He smiled, leaning forward to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. Although they’d shared a far more intimate kiss in the ocean yesterday, they’d both seemed to be tiptoeing around each other. If he got time with Vee, he’d take it in any form it was offered. He didn’t want her to think the only reason he wanted her here was to get her into bed. His cock twitched, growing hard as he remembered the heat that had crackled between them on the beach. He quickly unbuckled his seat belt and slipped out of the driver’s side, adjusting himself as he walked around the back of the vehicle to open her door. God, how he wanted her. He wasn’t going to go there though. He wanted to offer her his support, not his physical advances. “I’m going to grab a few things in the house, and then we’ll head out to the beach.” He took her hand, guiding her down to the sandy driveway.

“I want to help. Just let me know what to do.”

He nodded and took her hand as they walked to the house. On the porch he had an old bundle of wood. He had no recollection of when he’d bought it, and for all he knew it would be too damp to light. When they stepped inside, he set the bundle down. “Be right back,” he said and went to the hall closet where he stored extra linens and a camping lantern for times he lost power during a storm. When he returned, she took the blanket from him and the lantern. With the logs in one hand, he snagged a lighter from the kitchen on their way out to the back porch.

“I’m excited,” Vee whispered in the dark, squeaking when she walked into his back.

He chuckled and fumbled with the lantern. When he found the button to power it on, light streamed around them, lighting the path up to the beach. It took him additional time to walk through the sand with his prosthetic, but Vee said nothing as they made their way through the dunes. The rush of waves was amplified in the dark and moved toward the old fire pit he’d created years ago. The spot far enough away to be dry, but close enough to the shoreline that they could watch the water crest and roll through the sea. Large rocks encircled the remnants of old, charred driftwood. He set the firewood on the sand and took the blanket from her hands, spreading it out and gesturing for her to sit. He followed her, settling down on the fabric.

“Want to learn how to make a fire?”

“Yes,” she grinned. “It’ll be like camping.” She tilted her chin to the sky and gazed at the stars above. “I’ve never been to the beach at night. It’s beautiful.”

He wondered if she knew how beautiful she was with her delicate nose and high cheekbones lifted toward the stars. He said nothing, keeping that thought to himself. “If we were camping in the woods, we’d probably position the wood to be a tent shaped structure, but with the sand, it might be more stable if we make a square.”

“Can we? Go camping sometimes I mean?” A gust of wind blew her long, blonde hair and it whipped against his skin. He shouldn’t have been surprised by her question; it seemed his girl loved trying new things. It was hard not to think of her as his, even if it wasn’t forever. Shaking off the thought, he showed her how to position the logs and where to light it. Soon, the fire crackled to life, and she smiled wrapping her arms around him.

“We did it!” she cheered, nearly toppling him over in her enthusiasm. She moved back, attempting to sit up, but her hands landed on his chest, and he sucked in a breath. He straightened, lifting his hand to caress her soft cheek. The light from the fire played over her face, the highlights and shadows dancing over her skin with the sway of the flames.

“Vee.” Her name sounded like a groan as the word tore roughly from his lips. “Would it be okay if I kiss you?”

“Yes.” Her voice was equally breathless as he leaned in closer to her. He inhaled her sweet scent, caramelized, as it mixed with the smoke of the bonfire. Warmth surrounding them and with the stars glinting overhead and the sound of waves breaking against the shore he moved his mouth against hers, and sighed in pleasure, loving how she tasted. How right she felt in his arms. Warnings of self-preservation rang out in the hazy edges of his mind but was quickly replaced by the sensations of the beautiful woman in his arms.

Chapter Fourteen

Vivienne screamed asshe smacked the wood floor with a thud. She glanced around the room and her shoulders relaxed with the familiar surroundings. The sheets and comforter were tangled around her legs and had cushioned her fall. It had been two weeks since she’d been at Iron’s house. A week since Hannah, Collin, and Branch had returned home from Texas. Pounding footsteps sounded down the hall and her bedroom door flew open.

“Jesus, Vee.” Iron’s deep voice thick with concern had warmth filling her chest. No matter how many times she woke him up with the reoccurring nightmare he always rushed to her side. No one had ever treated her like Iron did. Iron would tell her the bar wasn’t set very high because she’d been raised by a gaggle of abusive assholes. She’d say he was dead wrong. Iron listened when she talked. Took her thoughts into consideration. He cared about her feelings and had even helped her find a therapist to work through what he told her was a childhood controlled by two narcissists. She hadn’t realized how twisted her upbringing was until she’d entered the real world. Iron’s world. A place where she could say, eat, and act exactly how she wanted with no fear of repercussions.

“Was it the nightmare again?” Iron asked, scooping her up.

“Yeah. I’m sorry to keep waking you up. At least this time, I fell before Regina pulled the trigger.” Regina had been arraigned and was awaiting trial on two counts of attempted murder.

“You know I don’t give a shit if you wake me up.” He placed her in the center of the bed and began untangling the sheets, covering her neatly and tucking the fabric in at the sides. It was another thing he did that made her feel cared for. He had no idea how nurturing and gentle he was. No, the hardened SEAL veteran would not care for that description. She smiled at the thought.

“What’s that smirk for?” The mattress dipped with his weight. He would sit on the edge and talk to her when she awoke from a nightmare, but despite their frequent heated kisses, he’d never once tried to lay down beside her.

“Just wondering if you know how generous and kind you’ve been to me.”

A familiar crease formed between his brows and the corners of his lips fell into a scowl. He really disliked being thanked or getting compliments.

“I’m neither of those things, Vee.” He shook his head, eyes solemn. “I don’t do a thing I don’t want to do.”

“Okay.” He still didn’t believe all the goodness she saw in him—but he seemed to be opening up. She wasn’t stupid, despite what her family said of her. Iron had deep-seated issues. Some he’d overcome by himself, like his addiction. Others she wanted to help him overcome, or at least live more peacefully with those demons, just like he’d had done for her.

“Think you can fall back asleep?”

“Not a chance,” she sighed. If she was a better person, she would’ve told Iron she was fine and let him go back to bed, but lately she’d been craving more time with him.

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