Page 51 of Shadow Redemption

Ben’s jaw clenched. Even then, the danger wouldn’t be over for Ruth, not if he kept her in his life as he intended to do. Not for the first time, Ben wished he could go back in time and persuade his mother to turn away from the prophet and his demented followers. Ben paid the price for her gullibility. He refused to lose Ruth to a crazy cult leader.

The operatives rose from the conference table. Ben wrapped his arm around Ruth’s waist to steady her when turbulence caused her to stumble into him.

“Sorry,” she murmured.

“I’m not going to complain when a beautiful woman falls for me,” he teased. At her soft laughter, his hold tightened around her waist, already falling harder for her, admitting to himself he was already too far gone to recover if their relationship didn’t work out.

Ben guided her toward their seats at the back of the jet. He reached into the overhead bin for blankets and took his place beside her. He raised the armrest and shoved it out of the way, not wanting even that much separation between them despite the fact Ruth was safe in the jet with his teammates.

“Want water or herbal tea?” He already knew she wouldn’t drink anything with calories although he believed she needed to gain some weight. That wouldn’t happen as long as she modeled.

How long would she keep working? As a supermodel, she would be in the media spotlight, a place too dangerous for him because of his past and his work with Fortress, but he couldn’t walk away from her.

Ruth shook her head, her gaze dropping to her hands.

Ben leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “Something wrong?”

“I shouldn’t sleep on the plane.”

Not what he’d expected to hear. She looked exhausted and needed rest. “Why not?”

“It’s not important. I’ll just read the book I brought.”

He cupped her chin and gently turned her face toward his. “Talk to me, sunshine. Why shouldn’t you sleep?”

Color flooded her cheeks. “You know I still have nightmares. I don’t want to wake everyone with my screams.”

He understood. Man, did he get it. The nightmares were the reason he bought a house outside of Nashville instead of renting an apartment. “Rest. I’ll wake you before you reach that point.”

“How? You’ll be asleep.”

He didn’t sleep on the jet for the same reason. His teammates would understand if he admitted the truth. Didn’t mean he wanted to subject them to remnants of his past. “I’m a light sleeper.” True enough although it wouldn’t matter in this case. He’d be honored to watch over her while she rested. “I’ll hear the change in your breathing.”

She looked skeptical.

“Trust me.”

After another moment, the stiffness left Ruth’s shoulders and she gave a short nod.

Excellent. Ben shook out one of the blankets and draped it over her, then helped Ruth recline her seat. He did the same, closed his eyes, and willed himself to stillness.

Like always, he was aware of everything and everyone around him, especially the woman by his side. As his teammates settled in, the noises gradually faded to soft breathing. Ruth, however, remained awake, her body practically vibrating with tension as she struggled and failed to fall asleep.

“Come here,” he murmured. When Ruth turned toward him, Ben wrapped his arm around her shoulders and settled her against his chest. Hopefully, his presence and body warmth would help.

“I’ll be all right,” she whispered. “You can’t be comfortable like this.”

“Close your eyes, sunshine. Holding you is a gift. Let me enjoy it.” He kissed the top of her head and settled back in his seat again.

Within minutes, Ruth was out. Ben relaxed and soaked in the privilege of holding her in his arms. On this flight, he’d enjoy the hours before landing and taking on the next assignment.

Twice during the flight, Ruth moaned in her sleep and shuddered. Each time Ben held her tighter and whispered reassurances in her ear. The second time she moaned, Trace glanced at them, concern in his gaze. Ben used a hand signal to tell Ruth’s brother-in-law that she was fine. Although Trace didn’t look convinced, he settled down to sleep again. Thankful he didn’t have to deflect an inquiry from Trace at the moment, that was coming in the near future. His best friend wouldn’t let this slide for long.

When the Fortress jet was ten minutes from landing, Ben coasted his hand up and down Ruth’s back, easing her back to full consciousness. Her breathing changed as she snuggled closer. His heart skipped a beat. He could get used to this. “We’ll be landing soon,” he murmured.

Ruth tilted her head back to look at him, surprise in her eyes. “Already?”

He chuckled. “You’ve been asleep for hours.”