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"But you said"

"What did I say, baby?"

She huffed in a breath, expelling it long over her lips "You said it wasn’t like that That I have a choice That you wouldn’t do soaze boring into her face "Baby, it’s done You don’t get a choice because the choice has already beenit with you beforehand It wasto me Told you from the start that I take that very seriously That means I protect you I do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe and well cared for"

"Would I have ever known if I hadn’t run into him?" she whispered

Ash ietic Gaze steady Unwavering

"No Not so I’d ever want you to know or even think about I’m pissed because you had to see him at all"

She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake off the buzzing in her ears This was crazy, wasn’t it? Ash had taken a huge risk For her Not one she’d have wanted hi would fall back on hi he seemed annoyed about at all was that she’d run into Michael It was obvious that Ash never had any intention of her knowing anything about it And she wasn’t sure how she felt about that

The saying went that ignorance was bliss, and she supposed in this case it was She wished she didn’t know Maybe she wouldn’t feel so unsettled And so uncertain of the e way

"Josie, you’re overthinking this," Ash chided softly "This is why I would have never had you know about this No good can cos us into question for you, then I can only tell you that I’ve been honest with you I’ve been straightforward Never tried to hide the kind of man I as uarantee you that nothing like this will ever touch you Don’t want you thinking about it Can you do that for me?"

She sucked in a deep breath as Ash watched her intently, waiting for her response This was huge He was basically asking her if she could get over it and move on That she not freak out about this That she trust his to ask She’d assumed he was a businessined for one ray,out violence to so he considered his own

It shouldn’t surprise her, and rappled with The idea thatto her as it should have been It would explain why she was trying to e Or all the appropriate responses Because she wasn’t feeling theht she should be

"Josie?" Ash questioned quietly "I need an answer from you, baby"

"Yes," she finally said "I can do that for you, Ash"

He gathered her in his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead She closed her eyes,into his embrace

"It scares ht think, and uilty over that But what scares me isn’t that you’re this person ent out and beat the crap out of soyou Of you going to jail because you were protecting me I don’t want that I never want that"

He s her lips

"Don’t worry about o out on a whim and kick his ass And I don’t say this to freak you out, but I don’t want you to worry about it any it up But I carried out a well-thought-out plan I have an alibi and Michael arned of the consequences of hi to the police I don’t think we’ll have an issue with either I made my point pretty clear"

She pressed her forehead to his chest, the top of her head brushing the underside of his chin

"Okay," she whispered "I won’t worry and on’t talk about it again"

He squeezed her to hi o back inside and finish dessert You have a girls’ night out to plan and you and I have a dress and shoes to buy for you"

Chapter twenty-one

Josie walked ahead of Ash when the elevator opened into his apartment The ride home had been quiet They’d eaten dessert, conversed casually with Ash’s friends and then Ash had made their excuses and he and Josie had left She knew Ash watched her, was gauging her mood and her reaction to the issue with Michael

What could she say? That she felt ed over what Ash had done than she ith the fact he’d exacted revenge on the man who’d hurt her?

She didn’t want to think about the type of hu that made her Or perhaps it just made her human She hated Michael for what he’d done Hated the fact that he’d made her doubt herself That she’d been too shocked, ashaainst him She also hated the fact that if she’d done what she should have, Ash would have never had to have involved himself in the mess She could hardly blame him when her own inactivity contributed

"Lot on yourroo sood, Ash Really I don’t want you to worry that I’ry I’m mad at aze sharpened "Why the hell are you angry with yourself?"

She sighed, and then he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her toward the couch He sat and tugged her down onto his lap, a position she was beco all too accustomed to

She loved that he wanted no distance between them Loved that he felt the need to touch her often That he wanted her close whenever they discussed an issue She drew great comfort from that fact

It was pretty da when she was surrounded by Ash She knew, just as he’d done with Michael, that he’d protect her fro that could possibly hurt her

"Josie," he prouts to do what I was supposed to do, you would have never had to risk yourself the way you did by going after Michael," she said with an unhappy frown

He put his fingers to her lips, his gaze fierce He lookedpissed

"That’s bullshit," he bit out "I would have still kicked his fucking ass And in a lot of ways,with him is far more effective than if you’d had hiotten out with a slap on the wrist, if that And if you’d wanted to pursue anything further, it would have been hell on you And there’s no telling the lengths he would have gone to in order to discourage you fro punishment for him This way--my way--he’s scared shitless, and furthermore, he nohat it feels like for someone to beat the shit out of hiain Did he say anything to you when you saw him today? You never said"