Page 63 of Dearest Protector
God, he smelled good.
He looked good, too, even dressed casually in the jeans and the navy blue Henley he was wearing.
Maybe I should be used to him carting me around by now, but I wasn’t.
Every time I got this close to him, I wanted to wrap my legs around his waist and beg him to fuck me.
I wanted Ben Blackwood with a need that bordered on desperation, and it got harder and harder to ignore those carnal instincts every time I got close to him now.
I wasn’t in constant pain anymore.
Well, not from my foot surgery anyway.
Now, it was getting to the point where my longing for Ben was almost worse than the physical pain I’d been through.
While I probably could complain about that unsatisfied desire, I didn’t.
It was difficult to be this close to him, but I wouldn’t trade it just to be comfortable again.
The way I felt about Ben made me feel…alive.
I wasn’t going to bitch about the most amazing sensations I’d ever experienced, even if they were also somewhat painful.
“Thank you,” I murmured next to his ear in a breathless voice. “And please don’t say all of this is nothing. Just sayyou’re welcome. Don’t blow me off this time. It’s important to me. I want you to know that I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Katie and Ian had been here.
Ben’s mother had been here, too.
I’d been grateful for their constant reassurance and help, but Ben was the one who had been my constant caretaker, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day for the last eleven days.
He hadn’t left the house at all. Not even once.
God, he even anticipated most of my needs so I never really had to ask for anything.
Ben hesitated for a moment before he answered huskily, “You’re welcome, sweetheart. If it’s important to you, then I’ll always say that. It’s not that I don’t hear you. I just really don’t think it’s a big deal to take care of you when you need me.”
I was stunned into silence for a moment.
God, he truly meant those words, which completely blew me away.
I smiled as I let go of my death grip around his neck and ended my prolonged hug.
“You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever known, Ben Blackwood,” I told him.
“I hope you always feel that way,” he rumbled as he stepped out of the elevator and carried me outside.
My smile receded as I wondered exactly what he’d meant bythatcomment, but I never had a chance to ask.
He put me gently into a chair at the outdoor table and pushed it in until I was comfortable.
Katie and Marilyn beamed at me from the other side of the table while Ben joined Ian at the grill.
“You look so much better,” Katie said. “How’s the pain?”
“It’s so much better,” I shared. “And the swelling is gone. My sutures came out yesterday afternoon. I’ll start physical therapy soon. I can’t wait to get around on my own again.”
Marilyn smiled. “It looks my son is still taking good care of you.”