Page 96 of Dearest Protector
All because one intrepid woman had dared to love him and accept him exactly the way he was.
“I’m glad you’re happy,” I said soberly. “I wasn’t sure you ever would be again.”
Ian let out a long breath before he answered, “It was never that you and Mom weren’t enough for me to want to straighten my shit out. I was just too selfish to realize what I was doing to both of you until Kate came along and kicked my ass to get my head straight.”
Months ago, I might not have understood what he was saying.
Now, I did.
I shook my head and answered, “It doesn’t matter why or how it happened, I’m just glad it did.”
Ian inclined his head in acknowledgement as he stood. He slapped me on the back before he went to join the women. “Then maybe you can understand why I want to see you happy, too, little brother.”
I swallowed hard as I rose to follow him.
I couldn’t predict the future, but he had no idea what it meant just to know that Ian gave a shit about me again.
Chapter 25
Ariel
Istepped onto Marilyn Blackwood’s patio for a breath of fresh air.
The charity event she’d invited me to attend a few days ago was lovely, but it was crowded.
Not that it was any cooler on the patio because summer was here in South Florida, but at least there was a breeze, and there wasn’t another soul around.
I took a deep breath and braced my hands on the railing, staring out at the lawn, knowing the water was just beyond the grass.
It had been a busy few days.
Ben had gone to the Everglades with me on Saturday.
He’d been incredibly patient as I’d shot photos of seashells, birds, dolphins, alligators, and whatever else I could find that would make great images later.
On Sunday, we’d started to play.
We’d hit the beach on Sunday. I hadn’t taken a single photo, but we’d laughed more times than I could count.
Ben had chartered a boat to take us out snorkeling yesterday. Okay, maybe it had been more like a super yacht than just a boat, but I wasn’t about to complain about the comfort level of the watercraft. He had tried to help me improve my technique because I was a novice, but I’d ended up with a mouthful of water several times anyway. Even though I’d ingested a little seawater, I’d had an amazing time, and the fact that Ben had been so relaxed was a major bonus.
We’d met for an early dinner tonight, and now, we were here at Marilyn’s charity event.
Just seeing Ben in a tuxedo again had been worth the slight discomfort of the crowded ballroom.
I’d gone out earlier in the day to buy myself the quintessential little black dress with a halter top that left my back almost bare and a hem that ended above my knees.
Ben had stated that he had a love/hate relationship with the dress. In other words, he loved seeing me in the dress, but he hated the other men who looked at me while I was wearing it.
Personally, I thought he was a little bit crazy, but I loved the heated looks he’d been sending me all night long.
Okay, maybe he wassomewhatpossessive and protective, and I’d seen that in action a lot during the last few days, but I wasn’t complaining. I loved it when he acted like I was the only woman who existed for him.
Although I wasn’t sure if I could take much more of him looking and hardly touching.
Yeah, he’d kissed me, and he never missed an opportunity to lay those dangerous lips on mine, but he hadn’t tried to take it any further than that.
Maybe we’d wanted to slow it down, but Ben and I had obviously come too far to go back now. It wasn’t like we were trying to get to know each other like we’d been strangers just a few days ago.