Page 18 of Dearest Protector

I wanted more from Ariel than to just be her boss and her protector.

Nevertheless,herneeds came first, and what she needed right now was a friend, a confidant, and someone who gave a shit about her well-being.

Since I was willing and able to be all of those things to her, I’d have to settle for whatever I could get and just be damn grateful that she was willing to let me into her life.

Chapter 4

Ariel

Two weeks later, I still couldn’t figure out why Ben Blackwood had hired me.

Not that I was complaining.

I had an amazing job that kept me busy and active without being overwhelmed.

I also had a fantastic boss who treated me like a human and appreciated everything I did for him.

Ben’s faith in me was slowly starting to change the way I felt about myself.

I felt useful.

I felt like I had some skills other than dancing.

I felt creative again, even if it was a different sort of creativity than my dancing had been.

I wasn’t terrified about where my next meal would come from or if I was going to be homeless the next day.

I was also living in a very nice condo near the beach, a place that would have been unreachable for me under any other circumstances.

In a very short period of time, my life had improved so much that the dark cloud over my head and the anxiety that had plagued me for months was slowly dissipating.

Ben hadn’t been lying when he’d confessed to being disorganized at home and in his personal life. His beachfront home was spectacular, but it was apparent that he did little else but sleep in the place.

We’d had some disagreements in the beginning, mostly about how much domestic work should be included in the position.

He’d wanted me to hire someone to select art and wall hangings and put them up, and to do some of the tasks around the house, which was ridiculous. If I did that, I’d have very little to do. He already had a cleaning service that did the basic cleaning once a week.

I let out a long sigh of satisfaction as I straightened the gorgeous seascape painting I’d just finished hanging on his living room wall.

“Perfect,” I whispered aloud, even though I was alone in Ben’s house.

I’d found most of the wall hangings and accessories for the house from local artists, and this one was pretty fabulous. I usually texted Ben with photos of anything I was buying for his place so he could have the final say on whether or not it was his style.

He hadn’t nixed any of my choices, and surprisingly, he’d asked for some ofmydigital artwork in print form to adorn various walls in his home.

When it came to my hobby, Ben was my biggest supporter, and with so much inspiration around me now, I worked a lot on that particular passion.

With Ben and Katie constantly nagging me about trying to make a business out of my hobby, and with their constant encouragement, I was beginning to believe I might be able to produce an income from it.

I spent my days working for Ben, the evenings after work taking photos, and my nights in my condo working on new pieces.

I’d gotten a ton of advice from Ben, and Katie was helping me design a new website.

I wasn’t counting on making a fortune, but I was going to work my hardest to make my new business fly.

Hell, I hadBen Blackwooddoling out business advice for free. If I was going to be successful building a business from my work, I’d never have a better opportunity than I had right now.

“That looks even nicer than it did in the photo,” a deep voice said from behind me.

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