Page 28 of Protected By the SEAL

“So, where do you want to go first?” I ask her with a smile as I lift her from her feet. “We will have to talk about it with the pilot to be certain that there’s enough fuel in the plane. But don’t worry, he will keep it a secret if you want.”

“I don’t wantanyoneto know where we are at first,” she tells me firmly. “No one, if possible. Just until I’m content.”

“Sure, no problem.” I nod encouragingly. “I’ll let Max know that we’re going, and I’ll tell him to inform your father that we need to hide out for safety for a while, but no one needs to know where we are.”

“Good.” She hugs onto me tightly, allowing herself to finally flow free with her happiness at long last. Thank God we have finally come to a solution which cheers her up. I love seeing her all full of joy like this. “I like the sound of that. Just me and you.”

It will be a bit like being in the jungle, but in an even better way. I’m really looking forward to that.

24

CASSIE

“Costa Rica,” I mutter to myself as I stare out at the greenery surrounding us. “This really is a freaking dream.”

Benji might have been surprised that I wanted to go back into a jungle after everything that I went through, but while there are some bad memories there, I have some amazing ones as well. This is a different jungle, it has a completely different feel to it, and it’s also me reclaiming the memories, taking control of them and turning them into something better. The jungle is now all mine and not something that the gang and Alex took away from me, however much they tried to do so.

“I love it here as well.” Benji steps out onto the balcony with me and wraps his arms around my back. I honestly wouldn’t be able to cope without him, which is why I’m so grateful we ended up here. Together. “It’s like a dream come true, isn’t it?”

This remote hut where no one can find us is wonderful. I really don’t feel any danger here, which is everything to me. There’s no media, no gang, nothing but nature, and it’s making me soar.Going down into South America was the right choice. Staying at home would have come with drama, and where Benji comes from might have been the same. Here, I don’t have any of it.

I don’t even know what’s going on in the press anymore. I could still be the center of attention, being talked about all the time, but it’s a million miles away from me now. It’s distant and I barely care. God, it’s like a weight has been slipped from me and I love it. I love all of this. The best thing is that I’m finally getting to travel, I’m exploring the world just like I always wanted.

“Oh, I think that’s my cellphone.” Benji still has signal, but there’s no way for anyone to track us, so he can still keep in touch with everyone and keep all the worrying at bay, but we continue to remain alone. “I’ll just go and get it.”

I remain where I am on the outside of our delicate little hut, breathing in the gorgeous fresh air and admiring all the colors surrounding me. I don’t have any urge to speak to anyone just yet, not even my family. I haven’t for a little while. When I do, I’ll be letting reality come slipping through and I’m not ready for that just yet. I just want to exist in this blissful place for a bit more.

Benji keeps Max up to date anyway, and his boss speaks to my father. It’s all okay. They know how I’m doing, which is the most important thing. I’m just keeping myself out of it all for the time being, enjoying my anonymity for as long as I can hold on to it, enjoying keeping to myself until I literally can’t do that any longer. I would like that to last forever…

“All is good,” Benji informs me as soon as he rejoins me outside once more. “Your family are doing just fine. Max still has them under protection, away from the house. I think they are stillhaving some issues with the press being a problem, but they are working as a team to make sure that doesn’t escalate. I let them know that we are doing okay as well.”

I stare out at the jungle, wondering if this is the day that we should go out and explore or if we should spend the day in bed yet again. I really can’t help myself, I just can’t get enough of his body. He makes me a mess. And why shouldn’t I enjoy every moment of my time alone with this man? My God, I feel like I’ve been waiting a lifetime for this. So, I spin around rapidly and catch Benji in a deep and passionate kiss, trying to let him see exactly what I’m feeling inside. Thank God, he’s just as hungry as I am and always willing to get down and dirty with me whenever I need him. Within seconds, he has me whipped off my feet and wrapped tightly around him as he carries me inside to our beautiful, remote little home for the time being.

Who knows how long we will stay here? Right now, in this moment, I never want to leave it.

“Mmm, you look so lovely in that dress,” Benji murmurs, talking about just one of the items I picked up from the store in a hurry as we were making it to our hiding place. “It almost seems a shame to whip it from you.”

“What a pity you don’t have any choice.” I giggle with a confident wink. “Because if you don’t take it off, I will.”

Holy fuck, I love that glint in his eyes. I adore the way he makes me feel. I truly am a self-confident goddess around him, and that grows with every passing second. I can almost see myself through his eyes and I love it. I love being me for the very firsttime in my life. I never thought that I would be in this freeing place, and it’s exciting in every single way.

I push up onto my elbows and assist Benji as he carefully peels my dress off me. His jaw slackens as if this is the first time he’s seen my naked flesh in the stunning Costa Rican sunlight. As if he doesn’t see it all the damn time.

“My God, I love it when you don’t have any underwear on, you naughty girl,” he growls with excitement. “You are too much.”

But I can’t focus on me right now. I need him to be naked as well because I’m salivating for some of his flesh. I can’t get enough of him. So, without wasting another second, I whip his shorts down, thankfully taking his boxers away as well, and I tug his shirt until finally, it’s gone. Then at last, I’m satisfied with the gorgeous hunk standing in front of me.

When Benji crashes back down to join me on the bed once more, I expect his lips to connect with mine, but they don’t. He takes my throat first, kissing and sucking the hypersensitive skin until I’m calling out with need. Then as his mouth travels lower down my body, tasting all my peaks and dips, I struggle to contain myself. I can’t stop myself from wriggling and yelling out his name in ecstasy, growing louder and louder the closer he gets to where I’m aching for him, where Ineedhim now.

“Holy shit, your scent is intoxicating,” he murmurs with his nose between my thighs. The breath and vibrations of his words tickle all over my core, creating a deep spasm of intensity. If he doesn’t give me what I need in a minute, I might die.

“Fuck, Benji,” I gasp out as I knot my fingers up in his hair. “Oh, my God, don’t make me wait. Please.”

“Mmm, I love it when you beg,” he teases as his tongue glides up my inner thigh, but never quite meeting me where I need him. “I could listen to you begging all freaking day long. In fact, maybe Ishouldmake you beg until you lose your mind.”

I tug his hair hard, letting him know without words that I wouldn’t be able to stand that, that he shouldn’t put me through such torture. I also arch my back and roll my hips, desperate for him to plunge inside me already.

“Ooh, okay.” He chuckles. “You’re impatient. You know, I might just like that side of you. I might want to see more.”

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