Protecting Her

by Jaymes, Holly

  “She’s good. In fact, she’s here in New York,” I replied and started collecting my files on the table.

  “Is she? You should have brought her with you. I would have loved to chat with her again,” Alfred Brown said from the head of the table, and I stood up, refusing to meet his eyes.

  “Yes, I wanted her to come, but she got caught up with work,” I said.

  “Ah, Ivan, neither of you mentioned that night that Siena is the Siena Jenkins, the journalist who now writes for Sand!” Marcus continued. I could feel my temples throbbing, giving me a headache.

  “She likes to keep a low profile,” I said, forcing a nervous laugh.

  “Of course, of course,” he added. The rest of them stood up from their chairs too. “Well, you should see if your wife could feature the resort in her magazine. That would really help get the ratings up and attract more visitors,” he advised.

  As a matter of fact, she’s working on something right now,” I replied and stepped towards the door.

  “Thank you again, everyone, but I really must be on my way now. We left Cora with a nanny in Aspen. We need to get back to her soon,” I tried to put on a brave face as I spoke to them, but I could feel myself wilting on the inside.

  I stepped out of the door, rushed down the hallway and took the elevator to the lobby. I was feeling so suffocated up there, bombarded by questions. I was angry with myself for ruining everything. Now, Siena was gone, and if the article came out, everyone would know the truth. Did I even care anymore?

  Chapter 18

  Siena

  It was nine at night, and I was still in the office, typing furiously. The latest issue was going to the printers tonight, and I had proofread everything, and gone over everything twice. My article on Salthill Peak was the one I was still stuck on. Nothing I did to it seemed to make it perfect. My team had left by now, and so had Harvey, leaving the last finishing touches in my hand.

  After I showed him the article I’d come up with, he couldn’t be a happier man. His confidence in me returned.

  It started getting chilly in New York, nothing like Aspen though. It was Fall here, and there was a nip in the air, but I missed the fresh crystal clear snow of Salthill Peak. I missed waking up to a blanket of snow in the morning, and making snow angels with Cora and knowing that Ivan was in the vicinity and if I needed him, I could find him.

  Nothing was right, and I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I was never going to be able to get over what had happened at Salthill Peak. It had been eight days since I returned from Aspen, and even now I could feel the empty hollow in my heart. I knew it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

  A knock on my door alerted me. I stopped typing, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.

  “Is that you Jonah? I thought you’d left,” I called out as the door creaked open. I was sitting, but I should have been lying down. Ivan was entering my office now and shutting the door behind me, and I felt like I was daydreaming or as if I had too much coffee and my head was spinning now.

  “Hello, Siena,” he said, smiling casually at me. He was in a long black coat, with a scarf tied in a chic European style at his neck. He was just as handsome as always, and I was melting in my chair.

  “Ivan!” I exclaimed, frozen to the spot and unable to move my limbs.

  “It was a shot in the dark, but I figured that I would come and see if you were still working. The guy at reception downstairs let me up,” he said. I got a whiff of his cologne, the same one I had been dreaming about all of this time.

  “I’ve been working on the latest issue,” I mumbled, not being able to frame a single coherent thought in my head. I couldn't think with Ivan was standing in front of me, looking like that!

  “Writing about me?” he asked, and those dimples appeared on his cheeks again as he smiled.

  “Yes, about Salthill Peak,” I told him, and he nodded his head. The smile seemed to drift from his face, but he didn’t look angry with me.

  “Look, Siena, I came here to apologize for the way I treated you that day and for kicking you out like that. I wanted to let you know that I don’t mind what you write about me or us or the resort. I know that whatever you write is going to be the truth. It's a small price to pay for everything else I’ve done to you,” Ivan was rambling on. I stood up from my chair with a jerk.

  “I’m not writing what you think I’m writing,” I said. He took a step closer to me, and he stared at me expectantly.

  “Yes, I’m writing about Salthill Peak and the Lockner family, but I’m writing about the potential and the beauty and the generosity you’ve displayed. I’ve met and spoken to your father, and I believe people have misunderstood him. Yes, he has a temper, but that doesn’t mean that people should stop visiting the resort, or that investors should stop investing” I was explaining as Ivan took a few hurried steps towards me.

  I could feel that my cheeks had reddened, and the back of my neck had grown hot. All these words tumbling out of me had been pent up inside me all these days. Now finally, I had a chance to tell Ivan everything I honestly felt.

  “…and under your leadership, the resort is going to flourish and…” I continued, but he lifted a forefinger and placed it right on my lips.

  “Siena, you don’t have to say another word,” Ivan said, in a deep, smooth voice. I had to crane my neck to look up at him, and I could feel his hot breath falling on my face. He was standing dangerously close to me. He was close enough for me fall into his arms.

  “But I…” I said. He interrupted me again.

  “I don’t care what you write about me. If this is what you’re writing, I’m humbled and grateful for your praises, but honestly, Siena, I don’t give a shit,” he said, and Ivan smiled. Those dimples looked deliciously deep on his cheeks. His eyelids were heavy, and his voice was velvet smooth. I realized that I was holding my breath, waiting to see what he might do next. I felt nearly faint with anticipation.

  “So, what are you doing here then?” I asked, while his finger remained on my lips.

  “I told you that I came here to apologize. No matter what you were planning to do, you didn’t deserve such harsh treatment from me,” he said. He was taking his finger away from my lips, but now he had placed a hand on my waist.

  “And I also wanted to personally tell you that I just signed a contract with Alfred Brown’s firm today. They’ve followed through on their proposed funding,” he said. I couldn’t help but smile now. It worked. Ivan was going to be able to work with what he deserved.

  “And Siena, none of it would have been possible if you hadn’t just walked into my life when you did. I meant it, and I will always be grateful to you for that,” he said.

  “And I want you to know that I helped you because I genuinely wanted to and because I wanted you and Cora to be happy,” I said. His grip on my waist tightened. Our lips were only inches apart now.

  “I believe you, and I don’t care what your intentions were, as long as you tell me now that you want to be with me,” Ivan said. His eyes were holding mine strongly, searching my face. His voice had dropped to a near whisper, and I knew that he didn’t have to ask me twice.

  “I want to be with you. Ivan, I’ve always wanted to be with…”

  He was kissing me furiously, and our lips were pressed together while his hands traveled down my back. He was still holding my waist with both hands. His tongue pushed my lips apart and entered me, reminding me of what he felt like when he was inside me.

  I held him tightly, kissing him back with force. We both moaned as we kissed, and I was desperate to keep doing this. I never wanted this moment to end. I could have kissed him forever, but eventually, he pulled away from me gently.

  I was blushing, embarrassed that he now knew for sure how deeply I felt for him. Ivan was smiling at me, still holding me close.

  “I’m glad you feel that way because there was no way I was leaving here without you,” he exclaimed, and I laughed, heady and giddy with my love for him.


  “I’ll give you fifteen minutes to finish up here and then we’re going to the airport,” he said. I bit down on my lip with excitement.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “Back to Salthill Peak of course. I’ve left Cora in the hands of May, Charlie and my father, and who she really needs, is you,” he said, and before I could move away from him, he pulled me back into his arms and kissed me again.

  "I want you to know that you are safe with me. I will protect you just like I have protected Cora. I don't want you to ever worry again about anything you ever have to tell me either. Your words are safe with me. I want to protect you, and I will protect your heart. I don't think you ever realized for some reason what you mean to me. Ever since high school, I was in love with you. Yes, I had girls to chose from but, in the small moments when you weren't looking, I was always noticing you and your kind gestures and how smart you were. I couldn't tell you then but, I always loved you. I wanted to protect you, but I didn't know how. Now, I do. Come back with us, and I will show you that I want to spend every day for the rest of our lives showing you that you are loved and safe," he said. He seemed slightly out of breath, and I could feel his heart beating fast.

  I was panting by the time he released me this time.

  “Okay, I want to come. Give me fifteen minutes,” I said, my cheeks still flushed with excitement and joy.

  “Fifteen minutes before our new lives begin,” Ivan stated, and I rushed back to my chair and sat down with a thump. My eyes flitted over the computer screen as I made last minute adjustments to the article. Any sane person reading my piece would have presumed that I was head over heels in love with Ivan Lockner, but I didn’t care anymore. My journalistic objectivity had gone tumbling out of the window. That was the effect this man had on me, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  “Oh, and Siena,” he said. I looked up at him starry-eyed. Ivan was leaning against the door frame of my office, watching me work. Now he had a broad smile on his face and a glimmer in his blue eyes.

  “I love you, and I can't wait to show you that every day, ” he said.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you, thank you, for reading my book, Protecting Her! I’m so grateful and I hope that you enjoyed the story.

  Reviews for my books are very important to me as an author. If you enjoyed reading my book I’d be so thankful if you would be willing to write me a review.

  Thanks again for your support and for reading me story. I couldn’t do it without you!

  XX Holly

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  About Holly James

  All of Holly's romances involve passionate, alpha males who don't shy away from demonstrating just how they feel about their sassy heroines. Because, let's face it, those are the best kinds of book-boyfriends to have.

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