Page 27 of Shadow Redemption
He closed his bag and hoisted it to his shoulder. “Torino?” he asked, voice soft.
Ruth turned away. She didn’t want Ben to think she was weak.
Catching her arm, he turned her back to face him. “Don’t.”
“I need to get over this.” She wouldn’t let Hugo ruin her life. She refused to give him that power.
“You’re talking to the counselor I recommended, right?”
“Every week. Marcus Lang is a good man. He’s helping me work through everything.” Although not fast enough to suit her.
Ben cupped the side of her neck, his touch heating her skin and flooding her body with a sense of comfort and security. How did he do that with one touch?
“You suffered a serious trauma. Recovery takes a long time. Distance from the event will help.”
Conviction rang in his voice. “You sound as though you know that from experience.”
“I do.”
“I’ll recover.” She wouldn’t allow any other outcome.
“Triggers will still be there, Ruth. Years from now, a man will do or say something that brings all of it back. When that happens, you’ll beat back the nightmares again and get on with your life. You’re strong. You’ll defeat Torino every time he pops up in your mind.” He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth and slid his hand from her neck down to her hand. “Come on. It’s time for a light breakfast and then you can wow the crowd at your children’s charity.”
CHAPTER NINE
Ben polished off the last of the rubbery chicken, scanning the packed banquet room at The Garden Hotel from his seat at the side of the room near the dais. At least his back was to the wall and Ruth was tucked away in the corner beside him, the safest place she could be under the circumstances. When it was time for her to speak, he’d escort her to the platform.
Knowing Ruth wouldn’t be comfortable with a stranger sitting close to her, Ben had removed the chair on the other side of her and added it to the nearest table along with the place setting. The reward for his thoughtfulness was a beaming smile and a hand squeeze under the table. Good enough. For now. He intended to collect another kiss later for his trouble.
He frowned. When had he been this taken with a woman? Thinking back through his spotty dating history, the answer to his question was never. None of the other women had been that important to him, at least not enough to occupy his thoughts, waking or sleeping. Ruth Monihan was special, and he couldn’t keep her.
That thought jarred him enough to refocus on his job instead of his principal. So far, he hadn’t seen any suspicious activity or unusual attention. The truth was, everywhere they went, Ruth generated a lot of interest. Went with the territory when he was with one of the most beautiful women on the planet. She was every inch a supermodel without having the prima donna attitude.
He was grateful that Ruth had managed to secure a ticket for him without difficulty. Who knew that Ben Martin would ever be a plus one for Roxanne? She’d also insisted on sitting in the audience rather than on the dais with the other guest speakers, the host, and event organizer. She was still visible, but not on a raised platform in full view of the entire room, a setup that would have made her a bigger target. The organizer seemed surprised that Ruth didn’t want to be in the spotlight although he didn’t complain about the change.
At that moment, the organizer walked to the podium. Conversation in the room slowly petered out. He welcomed the patrons to the fundraiser and thanked them for their generosity. “I hope you brought your wallets and checkbooks. We have a silent auction going at the back of the room. The grand prize is a four-day getaway for two to Jamaica. We hope you bid often and large to treat someone special in your life to an unforgettable weekend.”
He smiled as the audience laughed at his comment. When the audience quieted, he introduced the founder of Children’s Rainbow who took her place at the podium for a few remarks.
Ruth leaned close to Ben. “I’d like to place a few bids on items in the auction. Want to go with me?”
“Sure. Don’t you need to be close to the stage?”
“I have a few minutes before it’s my turn to speak.” She smiled. “Some of the speakers go over their allotted time. We have the same speakers each year.”
“Does that present a problem?” he whispered as they walked toward the back of the room.
“Not really. The patrons came to support a good cause.”
Ben stayed close as Ruth bid on several gift baskets and the Jamaica getaway package. His eyebrows rose at the amount she bid on each. “What happens if you win all of the auction items you bid on?”
She grinned. “I’ll be gifting them to friends and family.”
“And the Jamaica getaway?”
A shrug. “I don’t know. I may not win any of these items. This room is full of generous people with a soft spot for kids.”
Maybe. He didn’t think any of them were as generous with their wallets as Ruth was with hers. After she’d placed her last bid, Ben escorted her to their table in time for her introduction as the next speaker.