Page 120 of Dearest Protector

Committing to Ben for the rest of our lives didn’t feel like a burden.

It felt like…freedom.

The two of us belonged together, no matter how peculiar and unbelievable that fact might seem to me sometimes. I wasn’t completely myself withouthim.

“You don’t need to wait until I’m ready this time,” I murmured as I stroked the hair at the nape of his neck. “I want to marry you, Ben. I want to be your wife. I might want to wait a while to have children until my career is better established, but nothing is going to change about the way that I love you.”

“Christ! Don’t tell me that,” he said, his voice gravelly and rough. “I just might start planning a wedding. You know you can’t just throw out that kind of opportunity and not expect me to take advantage of it.”

“I’ll help you,” I promised as I buried my face in his neck and breathed in his masculine, unique scent that always made me crazy.

“Don’t tell me that, either, woman. I’m trying to be patient,” he growled.

I nipped his ear before I teased, “I actually love it when you lose your patience once in a while. I saw a very comfortable and very large bed that I’d love to get you into naked as soon as possible.”

My body was aching for this man, and I couldn’t wait for him to throw caution to the wind between the sheets.

He got to his feet almost instantly, with me still in his arms.

I had no idea how he’d managed to swing the both of us up and off the couch at the same time, so I was a little startled.

“What are you doing?” I squeaked as he repositioned my body while I clung to him, my arms still around his neck.

“I’ve never been a stupid man, and I just told you that I never miss an opportunity,” he said in that fuck-me baritone that I’d always love. “You don’t have to ask me twice, sweetheart.”

I actually giggled before I said, “I love you, Ben Blackwood. Take me to bed so I can thank you the way you really like for this gorgeous ring on my finger.”

He grinned. “Definitely no need to thank me for that. You just put me out of my misery.”

I threaded my fingers into his hair and put my forehead against his as I whispered, “Then just take me to bed and love me, Ben. I need you.”

“I can absolutely do that,” he replied as he carried me into the bedroom.

And he did.

He showed me exactly how much he loved me.

All. Night. Long.

Epilogue

Ariel

Three Years Later…

Isighed as I watched my husband sleep peacefully in our bed beside me at our home in the Bahamas.

I’d just woken a few moments ago, and watching Ben sleep when I woke up first had become one of my favorite habits over the last few years.

Our lives were busy, and it gave me a chance to remember how damn grateful I was that I was married to the most amazing guy on the planet.

Ben and I had gotten married a little over a year after the date of his proposal in New York.

Ian and Katie had married a few months later, shortly after she’d finished her master’s degree.

The last three years had been the happiest years of my life.

“All because of you,” I whispered softly as I reached out a hand to smooth an errant lock of hair from Ben’s forehead.

---