Page 47 of Dearest Protector

It wasn’t like I hadn’t known that once I’d touched her, I’d be completely screwed.

Still, I’d given into temptation, dammit!

Now, I had no idea how I was going to go back.

I couldn’t put that fucking horny genie back in the bottle again.

I’d at least needed to make my intentions clear so she’d never think I didn’t want her.

Just the thought of her going out with another guy made me feel like a lunatic.

Virgin! Virgin! Virgin!

I forced myself to listen to that chant in my head like it was actually going to make a difference, like it was going to keep me from ever touching her again in the near future.

It wouldn’t.

All I could think about now was the fact that I was going to be the man who taught Ariel about carnal pleasure someday.

I’d be her first.

Damned ifthatdidn’t give me some kind of crazy, primal, and intense caveman satisfaction that I didn’t fucking understand.

Not that it really mattered if Arielhadbeen with other men before me.

I’d be just as determined as I was now to be herlast and onlyfrom this day forward.

I scrubbed my hair a lot harder than I needed to wash it. Maybe I wanted to punish myself for ever laying my hands on her.

“Friends, my ass,” I grumbled.

That wasn’t going to fly for long.

Ariel was mine, and I wanted to claim her.

I’d eventually tell her the truth, and then I’d prove to her that no other man could possibly ever care about her and fucking adore her the way I would.

And then what?

I was assuming that she’d be okay with the fact that I’d been concealing something important.

There was no telling what Ariel’s reaction would be when I did find the balls to tell her the truth.

And how long could I keep my dick in my pants when I was around her?

It would be easy while she was recovering from surgery.

But after that…?

“Son of a bitch!” I spat out as I rinsed my hair.

Hell, who was I fooling? I’d do whatever was necessary not to hurt her, even if my balls did turn blue.

She was still fragile.

She was worried and afraid of her upcoming surgery.

She’d had way too much pain in her life already.

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