I had to be the most selfish fucker on the planet. I’d known it long before Ben had come into the bathroom, but I’d been too much of a coward to admit how exposed and terrified I was that yet another bit of very personal information was probably already fodder on the internet and would make the morning headlines. Instead of talking to Ben, I’d turned on him like it was somehow his fault. And I’d used him seeing my burn scars as more ammunition against him. The man had crept through all of my defenses from the moment I’d met him, and instead of accepting that, I’d tried to drive him away.

“It’s their loss, Ben,” I said as I held his face between my hands and tried to get him to look at me. He wouldn’t, though, because his eyes were clenched shut, like he didn’t want to expose any more of himself to me.

I didn’t blame him one bit for that.

I didn’t deserve his vulnerability.

“It’s my loss,” I whispered as I began kissing his wet skin, starting with his cheeks, then his forehead, his nose, his closed eyes. “You’re so much stronger than I am,” I added. I let my hand slide down his slim neck and settle on his chest. “Anyone can figure out how to make it on their own, but you… you became a father to a child when you were practically still one yourself. And you’ve done such an amazing job, Ben. Georgie is a smart, kind, special little girl and that’s because of you. Your parents would be so fucking proud of the man you’ve become.”

Ben let out a little sob at that. “I miss them so much.”

I kissed his forehead again. “I know you do, sweetheart. I wish I could have met them.”

Ben was shaking like a leaf in my hold, but he’d stopped fighting me.

“They would have loved you,” he whispered. “You, Reese. Not the president’s son, not the guy from the army who served his country, not the man who nearly lost his own life saving someone else’s… you.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at his words. “Who told you about that?”

“Ethan told me,” Ben said. “I ran into him and Cain up at the lodge a few days ago—they were talking to Blue and Tristan about their wedding ceremony here at the vineyard next month. Ethan asked how your back was doing and kind of let it slip that you’d saved a man’s life but had gotten badly hurt in the process… that you spent months recovering and there was even a time when the doctors thought you might not walk again. But he didn’t mention the burns. I’ve been meaning to ask you about the whole thing, but I just… I didn’t want to push and I guess I didn’t know where things were at… with us,” Ben admitted. “You’re so brave, Reese. So strong.”

It was my turn to shudder as I thought about how close I’d come to pushing this amazing man away. I pulled Ben against my chest and thankfully, he didn’t fight me. His arms went around my waist and his cheek rested on my chest. I kissed the top of his head. “I’m so sorry, Ben. I shouldn’t have put any of that shit on you.”

He was silent a moment and then surprised me by saying, “If not me, who else?” He pulled back so he could look me in the eye. “There’s no one else, is there, Reese? No one to rage at or cry with or be scared with.”

I hesitated, then shook my head. “No… there’s no one else.”

It was a surreal thing to admit to, and something I hadn’t really understood myself until that very moment… that I’d been surrounded by people for most of my life, but I’d been as alone as Ben.

“Don’t leave, okay?” I croaked.

Ben shook his head. “Not going anywhere.”

I wasn’t sure how long we stood there holding onto one another before I felt his nose press against my sternum where the edges of my shirt were open enough for him to touch my skin.

I expected him to remark on the small surgical scars that marred my chest where the skin grafts had been placed, but Ben remained silent. When he did speak, it was only to say, “You don’t smell like cotton candy anymore.”

I smiled at that. “I ran out of my shampoo a few days ago.”

“We need to do something about that,” Ben said as his lips pressed a soft kiss to the center of my chest. I shuddered at how good it felt. His mouth trailed up the column of my throat.

“Yeah, we should,” I said absently, though I’d already forgotten what we were talking about. Except the we part. I liked the we part.

Ben’s sinful tongue licked over a muscle in my neck and then closed over my pulse point. He had to be able to feel how hard my heart was hammering in my chest.

And how my cock was responding to the sensual torture.

“Ben,” I breathed, but that was all I could manage.

He pulled back from me a little, and I reluctantly released him. I looked down just in time to see him take my hand in his. He toyed with my fingers, but when they moved up my wrist, I instinctively froze. I knew what he was going to do, but I couldn’t stop myself from inwardly wishing he wouldn’t. Realistically, I’d known that if he and I pursued a physical relationship, this would be a part of it.

That didn’t mean I was ready for it.

Ben used one hand to ease my sleeve up as his other hand gently held mine. I could have pulled away if I’d wanted to. He was giving me that choice.

He slid my sleeve up to my elbow. My instinct was to tug it back down, but I forced myself not to move.

Ben’s fingers skated over the damaged flesh. “Does it still hurt?” he asked.

I nodded. “The skin is really sensitive. Nerve damage… it’ll take years to heal. I’ll always have scars.”

“You’d do it again,” Ben said. It wasn’t a question but a statement.

“Do what?” I asked.

“Save that man’s life. What was his name?”

“Brody.”

“Brody. You’d save him all over again, even knowing what would happen.”

It still wasn’t a question. Ben just knew.

And in that moment, I lost another piece of my heart to him.

Ben leaned down to press a kiss to the inside of my wrist and then continued the treatment up the rest of my arm until my shirt stopped him. My whole body was shaking, and I felt something deep inside of me simply let go. Like I’d been holding my breath or something, even though I hadn’t been. I wasn’t proud to admit how ashamed I was about the burn scars, but there’d been so many horrified and pitying looks from doctors and nurses at the hospital, that the burns started to represent something more than they were. They’d become me. I’d gone from being President Shaw’s kid to the scarred man in the hospital bed who might never walk again. It was yet another piece of myself I’d lost and hadn’t known how to get back.

But with Ben, it was like he knew how to put all my pieces back together.

“You’re so beautiful, Reese. Just so damn beautiful,” Ben murmured as he continued to brand me with his warm lips. I walked him backward until he hit the door again, then I bent down and sealed my mouth over his. He welcomed the kiss, but I was hesitant to deepen it. Need and nerves warred within me because I really didn’t want to fuck this up with him.

And that’s exactly what I told him.