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His head spun, nausea assaulted him, and he blinked back the pain. Shaking his head and feeling wetness slide down his temple, he pushed the discomfort away and focused on the prick that just slammed a large stick upside his skull.
“Wrong move, asshole,” Ace said and grinned. He may not have wanted to start shit trying to be good in front of Lauren, but these pricks had asked for this. Insulting his woman was a sure way to get their asses kicked. He heard the car door open, knew Lauren was coming out here, maybe to try to help or stop this, but he didn’t want her hurt. She’d also be a distraction, and he didn’t need that right now, couldn’t afford his concentration lost right now.
“Stay in the car, sweetheart,” he ground out loud enough for her to hear.
“Ace, you’re bleeding.”
“Stay back,” he said more forcefully, thankful the guy still standing was on the other side of the car and away from Lauren so that he’d have to get through Ace to get to her.
The guy charged forward, but Ace was ready. He tackled him to the ground, slammed his fist into his face, and when the guy was about to knee Ace he clocked him in the gut hard enough he heard the air leave him. Ace got off of him, easily able to go for another round, beat all of them until there was nothing left, but he’d taken them down, made his point, and just wanted to get Lauren out of here.
He turned and headed over to the car, but before he got in he looked down at his knuckles. They were bloody, felt swollen, too, but the blood wasn’t his, and he quickly wiped that shit off on his jeans. Opening the door and sitting in the driver’s seat, the guilt he always felt, especially when he was with Lauren and she’d witnessed what he’d done, slammed into him. God, would he ever be worthy of her love?
16
“I’m sorry, Lauren,” he said in a soft voice, blood still on his knuckles, and the cut on his head leaving the red, viscous fluid dripping along his temple. “I tried to walk away, but—”
“Hey,” she said, reached out to gently take his chin in her hand, and turned his head so he faced her now. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Those assholes started it, antagonized the whole thing. How could you even think you’d need to say sorry?” Her heart was breaking, absolutely splitting in half for this man.
“I don’t want to fight, because I know I need to change.”
She shook her head before he was even done talking. “You don’t need to change for anyone, least of all me. I love you for who you are. I’ve loved you since I knew what the word and emotion was.” She stroked his cheek with her hand, looked at him and the cut on the side of his face, right by his eyes, and knew that this man would always be primal, aggressive, and have to fight to protect what he cared about and to rid himself of the shit he’d gone through.
“I could have walked away, but they disrespected you, Lauren, and that’s not something I can let go.”
She stared at the three men pulling their sorry asses off the ground. “I’m glad they got what they deserved, Ace.” She looked at him again. “And I’m glad I have you in my life.” She smiled. “You’re my protector.” The way he smiled told her he liked that, liked hearing her say that and feeling that he was here to make sure she was okay. If she knew anything about him it was that Ace was fiercely protective of anyone that he cared about, and who in their right mind would argue or make someone feel shitty about that?
“I love you, Ace, and you love me. That’s all that matters in this world.” She leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Take me home and let me take care of you … again.”
Goosebumps formed along Lauren’s skin. She should be the one tending to Ace, had in fact started to do that, but he took over. He always took over. That had her smiling. She closed her eyes and sighed when he smoothed his hands over her. She let herself lean against him, using his strength the way she desperately needed, the way she always wanted to end up doing.
His soapy hands moved down her arms, her chest, her belly, and continued their journey down her thighs. As the water washed the soapy remnants away, she turned and rested her head on his chest. His skin was smooth and warm, and his heartbeat was exactly what she needed to hear at that moment.
She grabbed the soap from him, smoothed it down his hard body and over his bulging muscles. Lauren continued to watch the water and bubbles move along his toned, defined pecs and six-pack, and sighed. This man would move the earth for her if he could, and she would do the same for him. She’d never believed in soulmates, but maybe that was because she’d never met hers.
