Page 102 of Dearest Protector

“No. I miss you, Ben,” she told me in a barely audible voice.

Someone could probably have stabbed me in the heart and it wouldn’t have hurt more than her words.

Ariel wasn’t exactly clingy or needy, which made that statement all the more painful.

I swallowed hard.

Ariel continued, “I know we spent most of the day together and it’s really silly—”

“It’s not,” I interrupted. “I miss you, too. Every. Fucking. Night.”

“I think…” she started hesitantly.

She coughed and started over again. “I really think we need to rethink this whole dating-but-no-sex thing. I’ve tried getting myself off every night, but it’s kind of empty once it’s over and you’re not here.”

I closed my eyes, and my grip tightened on the phone.

“Also,” she added. “I really suck at this whole seduction thing. I could use a little help here. I’m not a virgin anymore, but I’m also not sure what I need to do to get you…interested. I feel like I’m dangling the bait, but you’re not biting.”

I flopped backward until my head hit the pillow, trying like hell not to groan out loud.

She had absolutely no clue that she didn’t need to do a damn thing to get meinterested.

My dick was hard from the second I saw her until way after we’d parted ways at night.

“Are you still there?” Ariel asked softly.

“Listening, babe,” I replied, barely able to get the words out of my mouth.

“Well, good,” she said awkwardly. “At least I was able to get that off my chest.”

“Ariel?”

“Yes?”

Christ!She might not be a virgin anymore, but she was still so damn innocent.

I took a deep breath. “You will never, ever have to worry about seducing me. For you, I’m always going to be a sure thing. If you’re in the same room, my dick is hard. All you have to do is tell me you’re ready. I told you that the ball was in your court. Your decision. I didn’t want to move too fast for you.”

“Um…okay,” she said nervously. “Then I’ll tell you that I’m ready tomorrow. I’m getting really frustrated, and there’s something else I want to tell you tomorrow, too.”

I smiled into the darkness.

Fuck!She was adorable, and I wanted to kick myself in the ass for not noticing that she was actively trying to seduce me.

Hell, I’d been so busy tryingnotto get her naked that I hadn’t recognized her subtle hints.

The physical part of our relationship was so damn new to her that she was still uncertain.

I’d make damn sure that never happened again.

“You can tell me now,” I persuaded, not wanting her to hold anything back with me anymore.

“No. It’s something I really need to tell you in person.”

“I do live about three minutes from you. Do you want me to come over?”

Christ!Please sayyes.

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