Page 36 of Challenging Her Protector

The corner of his lips twitched. “Want to watch the sunrise?”

“Yes, please.” She threw off the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “If you don’t mind. I know it’s super early, and—”

“Vee.” His voice was more of a low growl.

“Right. I forgot. You don’t do anything you don’t want to do.” She suppressed the smile that wanted to creep over her face.

He nodded. “I’ll make the coffee while you get ready.” The bed creaked as he stood. “Vanilla caramel or coconut crème?”

Iron had introduced her to the magic of coffee creamers, and she was addicted. No oat or almond milk here. Not that Iron wouldn’t have gotten it if she asked or taken her to the market to get it herself. “Surprise me.” She stood up as he shut the door with a soft click. The grocery store was another new experience for her. Her family had a cook make all their meals. Every calorie she consumed was calculated meticulously by someone else to ensure she was the perfect size for the modeling agency, the pageant dresses, the perfect angles on social media. She hadn’t wanted or chosen to do any of those things, but she did want to please her parents who were constantly disappointed in her lack of academic success.

She opened the top drawer and removed clothes for the day. Jeans, a T-shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt in case the beach got uncomfortable. Sometimes, a company wanted her to do a social media campaign or model casual clothing, but they were never allowed to be part of her home wardrobe.

Thinking of her wardrobe made her think of Thalia, which made her stomach sink. The two SEALs Iron knew had been gathering intel about her possible whereabouts. She’d spoken with the men over Zoom, where she learned both of her parents had been brought in for additional questioning, leading to a raid of their estate. Several undocumented employees they believed were part of a labor-trafficking ring were given a haven to apply for legal citizenship. It was hard to believe her family had so many dark secrets. Red and Sully were going back into Mexico at the end of the week, and she hoped with everything she had that Thalia would be found.

She shed her night clothes and pulled on the denim and cotton, relishing the feel of the cozy fabric against her skin. In Iron’s world, she could wear these things without a complaint from anyone. After she’d dressed, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, then ran a comb through her hair. No one came to primp the strands into an elegant style with curlers and straighteners. No one applied a flawless application of makeup. She was simply…herself, and that felt really good. She frowned. Thalia would want her to be happy, but it was hard when she didn’t know where her friend was or what she was going through.

She left the bedroom and walked down the short hallway to the kitchen, feeling more at home in Iron’s space than she ever did at her family’s estate. From the gray-washed wood floors to the deep, comfy couch in the living room, everything in the house was meant to be used. No formal sitting room, no crystal waiting for the slightest movement to make it fall and shatter. Iron was standing in front of the coffeemaker, twisting the lid onto a thermos.

“All set?” he asked, putting the drink down on the counter. When Iron turned and directed his gaze at her, something sparked in his eyes. The way his expression lit and softened at the same time made flutters erupt in her belly. She wanted him, but each time he started to lose control, or she started to take things further, he held back. She felt such a strong connection to him that it stole her breath. Where she felt breathless excitement when it came to Iron, she wasn’t sure what he was feeling right now or why he kept putting on the brakes in their physical relationship—something that was beginning to weigh on her shoulders.

“Yes.” Her voice was a bit too high pitched, and chipper, and Iron’s eyes instantly narrowed. It was difficult to hide anything from him.

“What’s wrong?” He unplugged the coffeemaker and moved toward her.

“Why do you think something’s wrong?” Her therapist had encouraged her to talk to Iron about her growing feelings, but she was afraid of losing him all together.

“Because whenever something bothers you inside, you try to deflect it on the outside,” he grumbled.

“Oh.” She bit her bottom lip between her teeth, and Iron hissed out a breath. He was grumpy this morning, not that she blamed him. It was the before sunrise on the weekend, and they were attending a wedding tonight for Hannah’s good friend Brynn and her fiancé Ransom. She’d met some of the other men on Branch’s team last week at a barbeque and had fallen head over heels in love with Ransom’s brother, Jacob, whose sarcastic quips on his AAC device had her relaxed and laughing well into the evening.

“You don’t need to hide from me Vee. If you’re upset about something, I want you to tell me. If you’re uncomfortable here and want to make a shift, I’ll help you do that.”

He had no idea how close his statement was to the thoughts rambling around in her head. The problem was she didn’t want to leave. She had already started to think of him as her best friend. She’d never been so free to share anything about herself as she did with Iron. Still, she wanted more.

“Don’t think I want you to leave. My house has felt more like a home since you’ve been here but if you wanted something different, if you wanted to move in with Hannah or look for an apartment you have to tell me, Vee.”

She nodded past the lump in her throat afraid if she’d open her mouth, he’d be tempted to probe further. She wanted him to want her to stay, but she also didn’t want to become the roommate he couldn’t get rid of. Iron moved to the side door that attached to the kitchen, flipped the dead bolts and held the door for her. The world was dark and quiet. The deck boards creaked slightly as she walked toward the beach. The planks were laid against the ground and soft sand spilled over onto the wood making it look like part of the landscape. Tall seagrass swayed against her legs as they walked up the narrow path to the top of the sand where two Adirondack chairs sat.

One was gray and weathered with age, and next to it was one fresh and brand new, yet to be tested by the elements. Iron had gone out and bought the chair so she would have a spot to sit when they watched sunrises and sunsets. Just another reminder of how he’d made space in his life for her. They sat down wordlessly, and he passed her a thermos. She breathed in the salty air dragging the briny mist into her lungs. A hint of brilliant gold was centered just above the dark velvet waves, and on either side a stroke of deep red painted the horizon. The way the colors faded into pinks and lavender reminded her of a melted Popsicle only twice as pretty. She unscrewed the top of the thermos and let the warm steam seep over her chilled skin. The sweet aromas of vanilla and coconut fragranced the air. She took a sip and sighed. No one made better coffee than Iron and he always made it a little extra sweet just for her.

“Can you guess what flavor?” Shadows played over his face making it difficult to see his expression, but she could hear the smile in his voice. She loved that his smile was coming more quickly these days.

“All of the above, and nothing has ever tasted sweeter. Except maybe the milkshakes we got with Hannah at the burger place the other day.”

“Those are pretty hard to beat.”

She smiled remembering the happy afternoon where they shared greasy burgers and fries at a picnic table outside of the restaurant. Collin had filled them in on the progress of the new pizza place his school was opening to give the students with disabilities a meaningful way to practice employment. She’d been thrilled when her nephew had invited her and Iron to help paint. Hannah had told her that the space for the shop had been rented—free of charge—by Iron. Apparently, he’d invested in real estate to expand his auto collision business. Another way Iron was far kinder than he made himself out to be. He lived for others.

They sat in comfortable silence, drinking their coffee and watching the sky become more saturated with bold and brilliant colors.

“Do you miss it?” Iron was staring out at the water.

She didn’t need to ask what he was talking about. He had asked her before if she missed her old life. “How could I when I’m getting to see the world in a totally different way? All I ever knew were stages and cameras and pretty dresses. Life is just so muchmorein your world.”

“So, no regrets?”

“Only that I didn’t make a stand sooner. I should have been brave and left like Hannah, but I didn’t know where to turn. She’s always been resourceful in ways that I’m not.” After another sip of her coffee she added, “And I’ve decided to wear a dress to the wedding tonight. Something that makes me smile. Something I choose.”

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