Angie still had moments when her grief would hit her. Ian did everything he could to help her through those rough times and decided to take her away for a while. It took longer than he'd expected but they'd both managed to clear their schedules and workloads a little over two weeks ago. They flew to the Philippines to meet his folks for ten days, followed by four days as guests of King Rajeemh, who was the ruler of the small North African country of Timasur, near Mali. The king owned a home on Clearwater Beach near Tampa, and used Trident Security to offset his own protective detail whenever he and his family were visiting. He'd been inviting Ian and the team to his country for the past two years and this was the first time any of them had a chance to take His Highness up on his generous offer.
Introducing Angie to his parents had been a breeze. As he’d expected, they fell in love with her instantly. His mother had taken them on a tour of the facility she'd been performing surgery in and even had a chance to show Angie first-hand examples of before and after surgery on two of her patients. His angel had been in complete awe of the work his mother was doing and told her so, much to his mother's embarrassment. His mom was proud of the work she did, however, she didn't do it for the accolades but for the smiles of the children she helped.
Any reservations Angie may have had about meeting his billionaire father were quickly forgotten after the man had given her one of his big bear hugs. He'd worked side by side with them while they helped build a new school on one of the many Philippine islands, while Marie Sawyer was busy at the local hospital. Within the first twenty-four hours of their visit, his parents had both voiced their approval of Ian and Angie's relationship. Ian just wished he felt as certain about it as they did.
He wasn't worried about the connection he felt with Angie because the woman was one-hundred and ten percent perfect for him in every way. She loved him, he was sure of it and they were a good fit. She liked trying all sorts of new things with him–in and out of the bedroom–and she obviously enjoyed the sex as she was very vocal about it. And like him, she couldn't get enough of it. What worried Ian was, could he continue to make her happy for the rest of their lives? Was he good enough for her? Because the woman deserved the very best and then some. Yes, he had plenty of money for them to be financially comfortable, and yes, he made her smile...laugh...and cum, over and over. He would give her the moon if he could, but what if sometime down the road, she got tired of him? What if one day she woke up and decided she didn't want to be with him anymore, took off his collar and walked out the door? Ian knew in his heart he would never recover from the loss, never love another woman the way he loved his angel. His fear of losing her was why he was so scared to ask her to move in with him and eventually marry him.
When they'd been in Timasur, they'd been guests of the king at the main palace, a beautiful eighty-room castle on twenty-five acres of manicured lawns and maze-like gardens, where they were always getting lost. After the first day, Ian began to joke he needed to save some breadcrumbs from each of their meals to lay down a trail. That way they could get back to their opulent suite without wandering around for an hour looking for it.
The country was beautiful and they had spent their days with a guide who took them to many of the small nation's historical and natural sights. Kael had been full of history and wit, making them laugh often while showing them the wonders of his little corner of the world. Each night, Ian and Angie had been exhausted, falling asleep in each other's arms after a round or two of amazing love-making. He would never tire of this woman, but would she eventually tire of him like Kaliope had? Granted, he wasn't disappearing for months like he had been during his time in the Navy, but still his thoughts kept nagging at him. He couldn't get himself past his distrust of 'forever' relationships.
Early the morning of their last day in Timasur, Ian had taken advantage of the complete gym located in the east wing of the palace while Angie slept in. By seven o'clock he'd been on the treadmill for over forty minutes, pacing himself at a comfortable ten-minute mile on his way to a seven mile goal. His running workouts had been limited while on their trip, so that morning he'd pushed himself a little more. As he was in the middle of his fifth mile, Princess Tahira walked in and jumped on the treadmill next to him. The twenty-three year old tended to drive the Trident team crazy on her visits to Florida, where they were contracted to be her security detail. While the king, queen and Prince Raj were very laid back people who treated their employees with respect and gratitude, the princess came across as a spoiled brat–plain and simple. She also had a thing for American men, especially her physically fit bodyguards, who she was always finding ways to touch. While none of them had taken her up on her numerous offers of afternoon delights, it hadn't stopped her from trying. And when they still didn't give in, she would find a way to torture them for denying her what she wanted. Her usual form of torture involved a credit card, a mall, and five or six hours of trying on everything in sight, particularly shoes.
Ian had been a little surprised how different Her Highness had been acting during their visit to her homeland. She'd been polite, pleasant to be around, and very nice to Angie and him. And never once on their visit had she put the moves on him, which was so out of character for her. He spent most of his time in her presence waiting for the affable façade to drop and the real princess to emerge. After five minutes of silence while he ran and she walked on their respective treadmills, he couldn't take it anymore and slammed on the stop button. When his feet came to a halt, he grabbed his towel from the hand bar and wiped the sweat from his face before turning his body toward her. "All right Princess, what gives?"
She didn't stop or slow down her pace as she glanced over at him with a confused expression on her face. She looked innocent and he wasn't buying it for a minute.
"What do you mean, Ian Sawyer?"
He'd gotten used to the way she called most Americans by their first and last names. "Well, since Angie and I have gotten here, you've gone out of your way to be pleasant and cordial. You haven't come on to me once, which isn't like you, so what are you up to?"
She hit the red button on her treadmill and slowed to a full stop before turning to face him with a wry grin. "In spite of what you think about me, what you think you know about me, the one thing I don't do, Ian Sawyer, is...what is the word you Americans use? Oh, yes... I don't...poach...on another woman's man, no matter how attractive I find him."
After her last words, he'd expected her to place her hand on his bare chest, despite his sweat, but she didn't and it surprised him. He thought back to the times she'd been in Florida and realized the only men who hadn't complained about her constant advances were the few contract guards who wore wedding rings.
"I envy you, Ian Sawyer. You and Angelina Beckett have found something I have only dreamed about."
He titled his head and stared at the gorgeous young woman as if he'd never seen her before. "What's that, Princess?"
She grinned at him. "I'm a firm believer of soulmates. But I also believe not everyone is lucky enough to find theirs. You two have; in each other. You have something between the two of you I have never had the privilege to see before up close."
Ian shrugged and took a drink of water. "Your parents have been happily married for a very long time, haven't they?"
She paused long enough to take a sip out of her own water bottle. "Not always, no."
At his raised eyebrow, she chuckled. As long as Ian had known the royals, they had been an affectionate couple with each other, and if they did argue about anything it was never in view of others. "Yes, my parents are very happy now, but it wasn't always the way. As with my grandparents and great-grandparents, my mother and father were the result of an arranged marriage when they were eighteen, and neither one was happy about it at first. The way my mother tells it, although they thought each other was attractive, they...what is it you say...scrubbed each other the wrong way?"
He smiled at her flubbed cliché. "It's rubbed each other the wrong way, but I under
"Thankfully, my parents decided long ago to not force the same tradition on my brother and I. We are free to marry who we choose." She started her treadmill up again and began walking. "As I said earlier, I envy what you and Angelina Beckett have. You have found your one true love, the person you were destined to spend the rest of your life with. I'm worried I will not find mine, but if it is written in the stars, I will have to wait. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy myself." She glanced at him before facing forward again. "I'm also jealous of the babies you will have. You are very handsome and she is a stunning woman. I'm sure your babies will be beautiful."
He couldn't help the panic which had settled in his chest. Him? A father? Could he be a good one? Could he be a good husband? He knew in his heart the answer was yes, but he still couldn't help but feel that one day it would all disappear when Angie walked out the door on him.
Tahira seemed to be done talking to him, so foregoing the rest of his workout, he started for the door to return to his suite but then spun around and strode back to her treadmill. When she continued to walk but looked at him inquisitively, he told her, "I hope someday you find who you're looking for, Princess. Your soulmate. You deserve it as much as everyone else does."
"Thank you, Ian Sawyer. I hope he is as handsome as you."
* * *
Ian didn't realize they'd pulled up to the compound's outer gate and stopped before Angie leaned forward from the back seat and placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, and then at a grinning Jake, neither of who said anything, as the man handed Angie something. Darting back and forth between the two, his eyes narrowed. It was obvious they were up to something. "What?"
Jake remained silent as Angie held up what he'd given her. A blindfold. "Put this on."
"Uh, not without a good reason, Angel."
She sighed dramatically and his mouth curved upward. "Please? It's a surprise for your birthday."
His chuckle and expression were filled with lewdness which made her blush. "You gave me my present on my birthday a week ago."
And what a present it'd been. For once, he'd let her completely take over the blowjob she'd given him while she was dressed in a frilly bra and panties. She also wore a garter, sheer hose and his favorite pair of fuck-me heels, which she'd packed without his knowledge. He hadn't been allowed to touch her with his hands and she wouldn't let him orgasm until she said so. It was an hour of the sweetest torture he'd ever been subject to and he thought his heart would stop when she finally allowed him to blast his cum down her throat. Thank God he had been lying on a bed because it'd taken him a good fifteen minutes before his legs stopped quivering afterward.
She held out the blindfold. "Please, Sir, for me?"
How could he resist her? The answer was easy–he couldn't. Taking the blindfold with its elastic band, he slid it over his head and eyes then sighed. "This better be quick because I feel ridiculous."
She giggled as Jake put the SUV in drive again and accelerated. "Now you know how I feel sometimes." He knew she was kidding. His little angel loved being tied up and blindfolded while he had his wicked way with her, sometimes in public and sometimes in private.
Ian felt the car slow a bit as they approached the second gate, and when they didn't stop for Jake to have his hand scanned, he knew someone else had opened it for them. When the vehicle stopped, he estimated they were somewhere near the residential building. He heard the two of them exit the vehicle and shut their doors before his door was opened. Angie took his hand in hers and guided him carefully out of the car. She told him to take three steps forward and stop. When he did, she grabbed his shoulders and turned him a little to the right before releasing him again. "Okay, on the count of three you can take it off. One...two...three!"
A chorus of "happy birthday!" greeted him.
Holy shit! Ian's mouth fell open and he couldn't believe his eyes. What the hell had they done? It was beautiful...beyond beautiful. He took a step toward the large space between the third and fourth buildings and tried to take in everything at once. The area was wide enough to have three tractor trailers side by side and long enough for two of them to be bumper to bumper, so it was the size of a small backyard...and now, it looked like one. Since he and Angie had left over two weeks ago, someone had transformed the paved, ugly unused space into a garden of sorts. It was complete with grass, trees, shrubs, flowers, sitting areas, a fire-pit and even...was that a waterfall into a small pond at the far end? For the first time he could ever remember, Ian was speechless. He had a knot in his throat and, crap...tears filled his eyes and he wasn't ashamed of a single one of them. He took a few more steps, not knowing where to look and seeing something new with each pass. There was a bar and outdoor kitchen, which somehow blended well with the landscaping, along with a huge barbecue and a weather-proof flat-screen TV. Beau was rolling around on his back in the grass a few feet away looking like he was in heaven. I'm right there with you, dog, Ian thought to himself. A small wooden sign two feet inside the grass line caught his eye. Ian's Oasis.
Okay, now he had to wipe away the few tears which had started to fall. He stared at Angie standing next to him with her hands clasped together at her chest, waiting anxiously for him to say something. His gaze then turned toward his team, Mitch, Jenn, Kristen and Tiny, who were all sitting around the oblong fire pit. "Who...how?" He cleared his choked-up throat. "Shit, I can't talk."
They all laughed and Angie clapped her hands in obvious glee. His brother stood and stepped toward him, grinning like a fool. He shook Ian's hand and tilted his head toward Angie. "Happy birthday, bro. This was your lady's idea and she designed it all on paper for us. While you were away, we dug up the asphalt and had some people bring in the sod and landscaping, and install the kitchen and koi pond. We all helped out as much as we could because we wanted you to know this came from our hearts. Angie picked out everything and while you were away, Jenn and Ninja-girl took the list and went on shopping sprees for the furniture, barbecue, TV and kitchen stuff. They did some major damage to the Trident credit card by the way."
Ian laughed and wiped away a few more tears, which insisted on falling, before looking at his beautiful angel. "This was what you three were doing a few weeks ago?" One day he left the office to join her for lunch. When he didn't find her in his apartment as they had planned, he went upstairs looking for her, knowing she was most likely chatting with Kristen. He'd interrupted a pow-wow between her, Jenn and Kristen, and they'd clammed up when they saw him, while Angie tried to hide the sketch book she'd been holding. When he had attempted to find out what the little brats were up to, despite his best efforts, they all remained mum and broke up their little meeting. He'd forgotten all about it until now.
Angie nodded. "I wanted to do something special for your birthday and I remembered what you said up at the safe-house about wanting your own little oasis in the middle of nowhere. This isn't exactly in the middle of nowhere but it's close enough until you're old enough to retire. I was going to suggest we go up to Maggie Valley for the week, so they could get this done without you knowing, and then you suggested we go visit your folks. We couldn't believe we were able to keep it a secret from you. You, Sir, are a very good interrogator."
"Ha! Apparently not good enough."
Everyone else stood and there was a round of hugs from the women followed by handshakes and back-slapping from the men. After he finished with the reception line, he pulled Angie into his arms and kissed her senseless. When the whistles and cat-calls faded away, he ended the kiss, which left them both breathless. She placed her hands on his cheeks and looked at him with all the love in her heart. "I love you, Ian. I love you now, and I will love you when you're old and grey. I will never walk away from you, even if you push me, without trying everything in world to stay by your side. And if you leave this world before me, I will look forward to the day I join you in the afterlife, because you're it for me. You're my heart, my friend, my Dom, my lover and my soulmate, and I will love you forever."
Ian stared into the eyes of this incredible woman and, like a light bulb going on, everything clicked into place for him. She wasn't Kaliope or any other woman he'd been with over the years. She was the woman his heart had been searching for, and if any of those other relationships had worked out, he wouldn't be standing here next to his destiny. A line from one of his brother's country songs came to mind–something about God blessing a broken road leading him to this point, and to her–and he knew it would be his mantra to her for the rest of his life. He took her hands from his face and kissed her knuckles once but didn't release them. With a deep breath, he took a leap of faith. "Marry me."
"W-what?" Angie was stunned. Surely, she hadn't heard him right.
Ian barely heard the other women squeal, and the men chuckle and groan over the beating of his heart. "I'm not perfect. I'm not even a romantic. I'm not a flowers and perfume kind of guy. I don't spout poems out of my mouth or break out into song. Hell, I don't even have a ring for you…yet. I will probably drive you crazy with my demands. We'll argue, we'll fight, but then we'll make up and that's what I'm looking forward to the most. But the one thing I know is...I love you, Angel, and I will love you long after the day I die. You are my soulmate. Marry me. Have beautiful babies with me. Please."
He waited a heartbeat, and then a few more–hell, he'd wait forever–for her answer before her mouth turned up in a sexy grin. "Who says you're not a romantic? Because you most definitely are one, and yes, Sir, I will marry you."
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