Page 30 of Challenging Her Protector

She stood and turned so she was standing between his hips and framed his face. “I know.” She pressed a kiss to his lips.

“I don’t think now is the right time. There’s so much I’ve done. So much they don’t know.” She could feel his lips still against her hair. Could feel him breathing her in deep.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. We all cope in different ways. You’re missing the point though. You. Are. Worth. It. They love you and they’re here now. Talk to them.”

“I don’t know if it will be any use or how to make them understand. I don’t even know if I want them to understand.”

She moved her hands from his cheeks and up into his hair. “You can do this.” Leaning closer, she gave him another chaste kiss on the lips, and when desire raced through his gaze, she wished they were alone.

“I don’t deserve the faith you have in me,” he murmured, expression turning stark.

“I’m the one who gets to decide who and what I believe in.” She stepped away from the bed and turned to the drawer where she’d stored the new clothing Brynn, Sam, and Addy had given her. As her hand clutched the bathroom doorknob, she looked over her shoulder to find Iron staring at her. “And Iron, I do believe in you.”

Just like he believed in her. She shut the bathroom door, not bothering with the lock, and pushed her bathing suit bottoms over her hips. When she asked Iron if she could kiss him, part of her was expecting him to sayno. To tell her she was vulnerable and didn’t want to take advantage of her. Despite what others thought of her, she knew what she wanted. Maybe she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do with her life, but she wasn’t following a plan unless it was her own. She was going to follow her intuition, and it included a plan. One that kept pointing her to Iron.

Chapter Twelve

Iron had gottendressed, attached his prosthetic, and started toward the living room. It shamed him to admit he hoped his parents had left, especially after Vee told him she believed he could repair the damage he’d caused. He still wasn’t so sure. For half a decade, he’d stood alone. The decision was his choice. He’d missed birthdays and anniversaries. He’d gone months without calling home or hearing his mother’s laugh. It was moments like these, when he was faced with his own decisions, that bitter regret scalded the back of his throat.

“Jordan.” His mother was standing by the couch, her hands clasped together. His father remained seated but facing him. “Vivienne is lovely.” There had been a time when she’d rush to him and hug him so tightly, he thought she’d crack a rib. Now she hesitated and held herself back.

“She’s been through a lot, but yeah, she’s got a beautiful personality. One of the rare times the outside is just as pretty as the inside.”

“We should leave.” His mother’s chin tremble was a punch to the gut. “When we got your text message, we were all so worried about you. Then we got here and saw the car in the driveway, but you weren’t answering the door and we thought—” Her shoulders shuddered and she covered her face.

He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his mother. “I’m sorry.” His voice broke, and the woman that had always been there for him, the one he turned his back on, clung to him. Sobs racked her small frame. “I’m so damn sorry, Mom.”

“Shhh,” she hushed, trying to soothe him even when she was breaking.

“I don’t—”

“Stop it, Jordan. I don’t want your apologies. I just want my son back.” He’d never heard his mother yell before, but the pain resonated in her words.

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I hurt all of you, and it was intentional.” He glanced at his father from over his mother’s head.

“And you didn’t deserve the hand you’d been dealt. You didn’t deserve to lose your teammate, your leg, your hope. Isn’t that enough?” She was still hugging him, her hands gripping his shirt tightly.

A hand landed on his back, and he realized his dad had risen from the sofa to join them. “Your mother’s right. We all have regrets. All wish we did things differently. We never should’ve listened when you told us to leave and never come back. We thought space and time would help you heal, but it just created more distance.”

“I didn’t want you to see how far I’d fallen.”

“Don’t keep blaming yourself. I’ve kept in touch with your lieutenant commander. He made the same mistake as us and gave you your space. Your teammate made a split-second decision. He knew he was going to die that day. Traded his life for those hostages. Don’t spit on his sacrifice. Live your life, Jordan.”

“His fiancée—”

“Has found happiness. She’s married and has a son. Theo.”

Tears burned his eyes. That was Scooter’s real name.Theo.He was damn pleased that she’d found love again and married a man who embraced someone she’d once loved by naming their son after him.

Maybe he’d punished himself long enough. He’d needed himself to suffer for what happened that afternoon. Lived that way so long, he wasn’t sure he could let go. Now, he had some incentive though. If he was able to finally let go, he could be there for Vee in the way she deserved. It was far too early to think of their relationship progressing. For all he knew her request to kiss him in the ocean was born out of curiosity.

Regardless, he’d seen the hazy shock in her eyes when they’d broken apart. The heat between them was boundless and all consuming. The creak of Vee’s door opening made him glance over his shoulder. She had traded her bathing suit for another pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The casual look suited her, although he was sure any type of clothing would. He found that he liked how comfortable she looked. She didn’t need makeup to enhance her true beauty.

His mom released him and rushed over to Vee, gathering her into an embrace. “Thank you, honey.” Watching his mother encompass Vee in all the nurturing warmth he’d grown up with made his eyes sting. That motherly connection was something she deserved but had never really had.

“I should be thanking you. I wouldn’t be standing her if it wasn’t for Jordan.” Vee’s eyes lifted and she held his gaze. He could feel the electric pulse between them stirring through the air.

After a moment, his father cleared his throat. “We should go, Lilly. If it’s alright with you, maybe we could take you and Vivienne to lunch tomorrow and catch up. We got a hotel in town.”

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