Chapter 21

 

Ace handed Brooke a cool glass of Coke. He knew that she was nervous; she had been ever since they had boarded the plane. He had flown the chopper to the airport and had hopped a Navy plane; currently they were headed to Florida where Ian was in the hospital. Brooke sipped the Coke and wiped her hands on her black pants for there were a little sweaty with perspiration. She nervous about Ian’s condition. Ace saw the panic and the worry in her eyes; he sat down next to her. “ Brooke, don’t do this, you are working yourself in a tizzy.”

“ You said that he was shot and lost a great deal of blood.”

Ace cursed himself for his big mouth. “ Listen Brooke, I told you that Ian was shot.”

“ When you were on your mission.”

“ Right.” Ace had been very vague about eh mission but that was because that was all he could be. It was against policy to tell what the missions were about since they were top secret. “ But Mac was amazing Brooke.”

“ He helped to get your friend out?”

“ Yes. The gunshot wound that he took could have been life threatening but we got him to a medivac. They took the bullet out of him and then transferred him to the hospital in Florida. Brooke, I’m telling you, with you by his side Mac will make a quick recovery.”

Brooke hoped that Ace was right. She wanted nothing more than Ian to make it back home to her.

 

Brooke and Ace hurried into the hospital toward the wing that housed Ian and G-man.

Coronal Harris Richardson was a distinguished handsome looking man; he and his wife Sharon were in the waiting room with some of Ian’s tired looking buddies. Wingman stood up when he saw Brooke. “  How is he?”

“ He is doing better. He lost some blood but he got a transfusion. The bullet came out clean.”

“ Thank god.” Brooke said as she leaned out back against Ace. “Your friend?”

“ Right now, Wingman he was out for a while, undernourished be he did come to. He still has some broken bones but his wife is glad to have him back.”

“ Good. I can’t imagine what I’d do in her place.” Brooke murmured.

“ We are glad that Mac and the others were able to get his out.” Harris said as he extended his hand toward Brooke.

“ Well, Ian is that type of man. Honorable, kind….stubborn as a mule.”

Harris grinned. “ So, you do know him. I was worried when you said kind.” He said in a light tone.

“ He is kind, however he tries to hind it just like he hides his true talent.”

He studied Brooke. She hadn’t been what he expected, truthfully, he hadn’t known what to expect. She had been stubborn herself with her questions and he had heard from Jackal and Wingman how she had stood on her own against Mac. What he hadn’t expected was for her to be as charming or as beautiful as she was. It wasn’t that Ian didn’t have good taste in woman, Sasha was a beautiful woman however there was something about Brooke that he couldn’t put his finger on. Maybe because her beauty was one of a natural one, it was 2 o’clock in the morning, she obviously worn out yet she looked charming in her black turtleneck and matching black pants. “ Yes, Ms. Logan, Mac certainly hides his talent.”

“ You can call me Brooke.” She said. “ If you don’t excuse me, I’d like to go to Ian’s room.”

Wingman took Brooke’s hand. “ I’ll take you to him.”

“ Thank you.”

Harris watched as the large African American man took Brooke down the hall. Rabbit came up from behind him.  He watched how nicely Brooke’s ass fit in her tight black pants.“ A looker ain’t she?”

Ace cuffed Rabbit on the top of his head. “ She belongs to Ian.”

“ I know that.” Rabbit said. “ I’m just not dead.”

“ You will be if he ever sees you looking at her like that.” Ace said giving Rabbit a meaningful look. True Ace had a way with the ladies, but so did Rabbit. Ace surmised that the ladies thought that Rabbit was the spitting image of Brad Pitt. They had all remarked to Rabbit that he ought to go to Hollywood instead of being a S.E.A.L, when he had just come from B.U.D.S training. Hell, they couldn’t help but to tease his ass. However Rabbit had taken it in stride laughed his ass off and winked that what he had in his pants was what kept the ladies coming back for more.

“ Mac, feels that strongly about her?” Harris said in awe. “It’s that serious?”

“ It could be.”

“ She stands up to him.” Jaguar said. “She had no problem of giving him hell.”

“ She cooks well and makes him laugh.” Ace said.

“ She’s got a nice ass and from the looks at it spectacular tits.” Rabbit said as he lit a cigeratte. Harris took the cigeratte out of his mouth and put it out while Ace cuffed him on the head again.

“ Stop looking at her breasts.” Ace growled.

“ It’s not my fault, it’s hers. Haven’t you ever seen on of those ads? My god, I can’t believe that Mac’s been lucky enough to fuck her.”

Ace frowned and so did Jackal. However it was Wingman who had come back who had spoken up.“ That’s enough Rabbit. She’s no little cock and teases that you deal with. Brooke is a lady, through and through and we won’t have you talking about that little lady like that.”

Rabbit backed off. “ Hey I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect to her. Hell, I like her.”

“ What ads?” Harris asked.

Ace walked away toward Ian’s room. “ You tell him Jaguar and for god’s sake, Rabbit if you don’t learn to shut that trap of yours, I’m going to shut it for you.” Ace liked Rabbit, he was like a younger kid brother to him, but he wasn’t going to let Rabbit’s big mouth ruin that Ian had finally found. He’d bet ever cent that he had that Ian was in love with Brooke.

 

Brooke opened the door to Ian’s hospital room. For a moment she was still afraid that he was laying deathly still and they had made a mistake that he had been taken from her before she had a chance to get there, however with the slight rise and fall of his chest, she knew that it wasn’t too late. Brooke went to the bed and watched Ian intensively. His large frame more than filled the hospital bed. She touched his handsome face, which had become covered with stubble, she smiled. The stubble reminded her of the first time that she had met him with. Boy, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Brooke sat down next to the bed, leaned over and kissed the top of his head. Ian murmured in his sleep.

“ Ian, god known how much I missed you.” She said to his sleeping form. “ I was so worried about you and for good reason. I let you out of my sight for a couple of days and you end up in the hospital.” Brooke picked one of his hands and pressed it against her cheek.

 

“ Let me get this straight. Mac’s girlfriend is a owns a multimillion dollar company.”

“ Yup. Daphne has talked about their clothes, in fact she own a couple of pieces from the lingerie line. It’s called Brooke’s Bedroom.” Wingman said with a smile when he thought about his beautifully increditably sexy wife. “ I won’t tell you what one of those dress suits or dresses cost. Hell, it cost me a couple months salary.”

“ Well, it’s a good thing that your wife makes all that money from being vice president of an accounting firm.” Jaguar added.

Harris ignored the comments and focused on the information given. “So, she is this model in these ads.”

Rabbit laughed. “ Is she ever? That woman has got a body on her that would make a monk hard as a roll of quarters. She looks spectacular in those teddies and naughty nigties. Wingman frowned while Rabbit shrugged. “ What, I mean no disrespect to her. Hell, Master Chief is on lucky guy. She is rich, smart, owns her own company, and has a banging body. What is the problem?”

Harris thought that he had heard enough. “ The money is the problem.”

“ Her lingerie line is going to be a problem.” Jaguar said.

“ That fact that she has fucked three guys in the same family could be a major problem.” Rabbit added.

Harris who had been silently taking it all in stopped dead in his tracks. “ She did what?”

“ Oh, yeah, didn’t we tell you that? Brooke’s last name is Forrester. She’s been married to Eric Forrester, Ridge Forrester and Thorne Forrester.”

Harris groaned. “ Please tell me that this is a sick joke on your parts.” He said to Jaguar.

“ No. It isn’t.”

“ I can’t believe this. The man has been living in solitude for the last five years. He hasn’t shown interest in a woman other than a quick fuck to any woman and the first one he does has married three men in the same family?”

“ That’s the gist of it.”

“ Why haven’t you said anything to him?” Harris demanded.

“ Because he is happy.” Said Wingman

“ Because we like her.” Said Jaguar.

“ She’s good for him.” Said Ace.

“ Hell, her life has been a mess, she deserves some happiness. After all, that Ridge Forrester has been a bastard to her.” Rabbit added. When all three men looked at him. He shrugged. “ Hey…I read.”

“ How in the world did you ever become a weapons specialist?” Wingman asked.

“ That’s easy.” Rabbit said as he lit another cigarette. “ Because I’m damn good.”

None of the men disputed that fact. Rabbit may be brash, had a big mouth and loved to fight but they knew that they could count on him. And he was one damn good S.E.A.L.

Wingman crossed his hand over his chest. “ Ridge Forrester, what did he do to Brooke?”

“ Broke her heart. Treated her like shit. They were married and when his dead wife came back, he just up and left Brooke and married the other woman.  The rags said that Brooke had a broken heart. To make matters worse, the son of a bitch works with her. Can you imagine the pain that she had gone through, having to see that bastard? Then, listen to this, years later they get married again and the other wife, the ex, her name is Tammie or Tracie or something, well she ends up having a baby and it’s Ridge’s.”

Harris frowned. “ He cheated on Brooke?”

“ I don’t know. Something about them not being together when the ex got knocked up.”

“ So, what happened?”

“ He had his marriage to Brooke annulled. Can you believe that? You know that man was fucking her regularly, if he was any man at all and he has their marriage annulled so that he can marry his ex.”

“ What a bastard.” Wingman stated.

“ We should kick his ass.” Rabbit added.

“ No one is doing a thing.” Harris sighed. “ Mac has no idea about any of this?”

“ No, can you imagine how he’d react. We didn’t want to tell the little lady’s business. It isn’t our place to judge her. I figured, after all that we have done, nothing she could do could match.”

“ Mac won’t see it like this.” Harris said stating the obvious.

“ We decided to give them time. Hell, look how scared she was and protective she was. She cares about him. She really cares. And I’m not about to ruin that for anything.” Ace stated.

 

Ian felt nothing but numbness as he came to. It took a moment for his head to clear properly, it felt a slight sting on his side but he ignored the pain. He was in a hospital; he assumed that he might have paced out from the nick that gunshot caused. He turned his head and had to blink twice to make sure it wasn’t one of those dreams that he had again. Brooke was smiling down at him with tears in her eyes. “ Hey there…”

Ian’s hand made its way to caress her check when a tear fell from her eyes. “ What are you doing here?” That wasn’t the reaction that Brooke thought that she’d get. She looked a little bewildered. Had she misunderstood their relationship? Was he upset that she had come all this way to be with him? Ian read the uncertainly in her eyes and when Brooke tried to pull away to hide her hurt, he stopped her with his hand. “ No. Princess, I didn’t mean it like that.” He smiled softly. “ You are the best looking thing that I’ve seen in a long time. I’m glad that you are here.” Ian slid three into fingers into the lose hair and pulled her mouth down to his. Brooke’s lips became soft and pliable over top of his while Ian wasted no time in sliding his tongue inside the warm sweet crevices of her mouth. She tasted like sweet soft strawberries, just as delicious as she tasted in his dreams. Brooke moaned and he tongue probed even further into her mouth. Rational thoughts flew out of his head, all he could think about was the woman of his dreams being over top of him. He wanted to pull her on top of him and thrust inside of her tight core. He was hard beneath his hospital gown; she did that to him, made him want her. She was a fever in his blood, having her once wasn’t enough, he had prayed for a chance to see her again and now he had it. It wasn’t until the door opened and he heard the distinctive cough that he realized Brooke’s head. Brooke pulled away from Ian’s wondrous kiss. Brooke turned red when she found a doctor standing in the doorway. The doctor laughed. “ I can see that you are feeling much better. However, I suggest that you two keep that kind of behavior down to a minimal, I don’t want Ian to pull his stitched on his wound.”

Brooke stepped back. “ I’m sorry. I just…”

The doctor waved his hand. “ It’s alright, I know that you are happy to have him home and safe.”

“ That I am.” Brooke said with a smile.

The doctor headed toward the bed. “Ian, I want you to know that you gave everybody a scare.”

“ You got the bullet out in time. That is all that I’m concerned about.”

“ Yes. The bullet is out and although you lost a great deal of blood, we were able to give you a transfusion. You ought to think Ace, since you too both share the same blood type.

“ Ace is always pulling me out of one scrap or another.”

“ Doctor, is Ian going to be all right?”

“ I’m fine, it’s just a scratch nothing more.” Ian said straightening himself up in the bed.

“ A scratch? You were shot.”

“ I hardly felt a thing.”

Brooke snorted. Ian almost grin, even her snorts were elegant. “ Typical male, you say that it is nothing but it is something. You were shot and you almost bled to death.”

Ian heard the concern in her voice.

“ I’ve been shot before.”

“ And you think that it makes this better. You are laying in a hospital bed.”

Ian smiled. “ Why are you smiling?” Brooke said angrily.

“ Because, you care. It’s been so long since I had someone to care or worry about me. I’m sorry that I was shot and that you were worried Brooke. But I’m going to be all right.”

Ian tried to pull Brooke closer to him but she scooted out of his range. “ Doctor. I want here from you, is he going to be alright?”

“ We are going to watch him for the next day or so.”

“ A day. Is that really necessary?”

“ It will probably be more than a day and yes, it is necessary. You developed a small infection because of the pieces of shredded shirt was in your wound, however we were able to get it out. The good thing is that you injected yourself with your morning shot so you were able to fight off the normal infections from being in the jungle. However, I still want to make sure that infection is fading; you are hooked up to the IV to give you the antibody that you need. So, sit back, get some rest, Master Chief.” The doctor saluted Ian.

“ I outrank you.”

“ Yes, but not in this matter. So get some rest.”

“ I’ll see that he gets his rest, don’t worry.” Brooke said as she gave Ian a pointed look.

“ I came all this way and I’ll see that he gets well.”

 

 

Ian couldn’t help but to enjoy the mothering that Brooke was lavishing onto him. He had been given a pain pill and was beginning to feel the effects of it. If it had been up to him, he wouldn’t have taken the pill however Brooke was hovering over him with such concern. She was so cute; he didn’t have the heart not to comply. However he had plans on pocketing any future pills. The pain from his wound was minimal and he didn’t like feeling groggy. Ian currently was having a ball just watching Brooke and her ass. God knows he was an ass and breast man and what she had was more than enough to keep him satisfied. Boy, what she did to his senses and his body was down right criminal. Just like the thought that he was currently having. Brooke was seeing to his room, making sure that everything was in order and he had the perfect view of her butt. Damn, he had been a little embarrassed when the doctor had come back into his room to look at his wound and he was sporting a serious erection. Hell, he always had one when she was around.

“ Brooke, why don’t you come and sit down. You’ve been giving orders for the last half of an hour. It is a Navy hospital. It doesn’t really matter. Come and sit down next to me.”

Brooke made her way toward Ian. “ I just want to make sure that you are comfortable.”

“ I am. I have you.” Ian yawned and silently cursed that pill. “ I can’t believe that Ace got you all the way from L.A.”

“ Well, I wasn’t in L.A.”

“Where were you?”

“I decided that I wasn’t going to leave. I was at home.”

“ You mean my home?”

Brooke looked away for a moment; she had made that slip once too often calling his home her home. “ Yes, I was at your home.”

“ I told Rabbit to come and get you.”

“ I know what I told Rabbit but I made a deal with him. I told him to give me week, after I contacted Cornel Richardson and he told me that….”

“ Wait, you contacted Harris?”

“ Yes”

“How?”

“ I went through your rolodex. I remembered his name from the article when he rescued those children a couple of weeks ago. I gave him a call. I asked about you.”

“ He told you?”

“ No, he didn’t return my calls until Rabbit showed up. Rabbit told him that…” Brooke stopped for a moment.”

“ Rabbit told him that?”

“ That you and I were involved, that was when he told be approximately how long it would take for you to get back. If you were ever coming back.” Brooke whispered. “ I wanted to wait and to be there when you got home.”

Something was caught in the back of Ian’s throat. He wasn’t sure what it was but it kept him from speaking. It had been so long when he had anyone to worry about him or his well being. Yes, he had his S.E.A.L buddies and they cared but this was different. “ You put your trip back home on hold and stayed. Then you came all this way to see me.”

“ They said that you were shot. I was so worried.”

“ You didn’t have to worry. I had ever intention to coming back. I had a great deal of motivation.”

“ What kind of motivation.”

“ You. You were the best kind of motivation that I ever had.”

“ I’d like to think so but I wasn’t sure. You left without saying a word. We shared this incredible night together and then you were gone like a fathom. ”

Ian sighed. It wasn’t like that at all. She had no idea how badly he wanted to stay in and explore their feelings for one another. “ I didn’t want to say goodbye. I’m not good with those. I just wanted to remember that night as being perfect.”

“ I thought that you didn’t deal with had happened between us.”

“ No, Brooke. It wasn’t like that. I don’t want you to think that I regret what happened between us. It was everything that I dreamed of and more.”

“ Good, I was starting to think that I was losing my touch.”

“ No, you haven’t lost a thing.” Ian grasped Brooke’s hand and brought it to his lips.

“ Thank you for coming and for caring about me.”

“ I can’t think of any place where I’d rather be.”

 

Ian woke up groggily. The medicine that the doctors had given him had really knocked him out. He wasn’t sure what time it was or what day even for that matter. He noticed Ace lounging in a worn pair of chinos and T-shirt. “ Hey”

Ace opened his eyes. “ Hey. Good to see you buddy. You had me worried. What are you trying to do? Being a hot shot, getting shot and trying to fly the plane.”

“ Well, I couldn’t let you have all of the fun now could I.” Ian said as he laughed. He winced a bit for the laughter caused tightness on his abdomen. “ Besides, getting shot has certain perks.”

“ One that has something to do with sleeping beauty over there?”

Ian found Brooke sleeping on a cot in his room with a blanket over her. “ How long has she been asleep?”

“ For an hour or so, I think.”

“ What time is it?”

“ It’s 21:00.”

“ God, I’ve been sleep most of the day.”

“ It’s the drugs. What do you expect? Besides you needed the rest.”

“ How is G-man?”

“ He’s doing better. Hey he is already asking for his wife, a cigeratte, and drink. Cinder is on her way.” G-man was a man who played it hard and fast, he had married a stripper named Cinder two years ago. Many people didn’t they’d make it work, but they did. G-man, the heavy drinker, chain smoker, tattoo sporting man who been brought up on the tough streets of Brooklyn, fell hard for his little hot wife who he married after knowing her for a week.  “People have been popping in and out to get a word on him and you for most of the day. Harris finally had to send them away.”

Ian’s eyes found their way back to Brooke. “ She should be in a hotel getting some rest.

“ She wouldn’t leave. She wanted to stay there next to you. I did get a cot when I found her curled up next to you. She’s really devoted to you. Gave us hell for not taking better care of you.”

“ She did?”

“ Yeah. It seems that you found a really great lady in her. So, now that you’ve been lucky enough to find her, what are you going to do to keep her?”

 

 

Brooke spent the next day by Ian’s side. She had been able to wash and change her clothes. Ian was allowed a few visitors. Jaguar and Wingman had come in to check in on Ian. However it was Cornel Richardson who Brooke found interesting. She had been sitting in the cafeteria eating some soup when he sat down next to her. “Do you mind if I have lunch with you?”

Brooke looked up and at the distinguished Cornel. “ No, Cornel Richardson, please sit down.”

“ And please call me Harris.” Harris hadn’t felt too comfortable at first with what the S.E.A.L S were doing. Lying to Ian wasn’t smart. Ian was an honorable man who worked hard and had already been burned in the love department. He wasn’t sure that a woman with Brooke’s past was the right kind of woman for Ian, however seeing her sit by Ian’s besides not leaving made him reserve his judgment.

“ Well, then Harris, you can call me Brooke.”

“ Alright, Brooke.  How are you holding up with all of this?”

“ I’m holding fine. Just a little tired but I’m happy that Ian is all right. That is all that matters.”

“ He means a great deal to you doesn’t he?”

“ He has grown on me a great deal. I just want to see that he fully recovers and gets back home.”

“ What is going to happen when you get back home?”

Brooke wasn’t sure how to answer that particular question. “ I think that I’ll play it by ear.”

“ You are from L.A, aren’t you?”

“ Yes.”

Harris waited for more but he realized that she wasn’t going to give him any more information unless he asked. “ How did you and Mac, I mean Ian meet?”

“ It’s alright. I know that everyone calls him Mac. For his last name right?’

“ Yes, every S.E.A.L has a nickname. I have one.”

“ You do?”

“ I used to be a S.E.A.L.”

“ So, what is your name?”

“ Tracker. That is why I take special interest in my S.E.A.L and making sure that they come home safe. Mac was one of the best that we ever had. That is why I knew that he had the be the person to lead the team.”

“ He was a good S.E.A.L?”

“ One of the best that I ever trained.”

“ You trained him?”

“ Yes. Mac was like a son to me. He made me proud.”

“ Then he left. He says that he left because he couldn’t take the killing anymore. I believe that was true but I also have the feeling that there is more to that story than that. What was the real reason that Ian left the S.E.A.L S?”

The woman was smart however he wasn’t about to go into the story about Ian and Sasha.

“ He left because it was time for him to leave. Being a S.E.A.L didn’t make him happy anymore.”

“ So, I have to ask you. What brought you out to Ian’s neck of the woods from L.A?”

“ I needed a place to think.”

“ To think about what?”

“ To think about my life and mistakes I’ve made.”

“ What kind of mistakes?”

Brooke’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t know Harris and she certainly wasn’t going to share her past with him. “ I think that it is time to check on Ian. Thank you for lunch.” Harris watched as she left. She had dismissed him, in a polite way but never the less, she had dismissed him. Harris wasn’t sure if Brooke Forrester was trouble or not, however he had a sinking feeling that her past was going to hurt Ian.

 

Ian was feeling better but his doctor refused to hear any of his pleas to let him out of the hospital. “ Not yet. You are doing better. The fever you had is gone, but I still want to make sure that your infection has been reduced more. Ian cursed while Brooke charmed the doctor.

“ Ignore him. He is always grumpy when he doesn’t get his way.”

“ I’m not grumpy but I want to get back home. Sam needs me and I…”

“ Sam is fine. I left him with the Jennings. So, just sit back and relax. Stop being such a grump.” Brooke kissed Ian on the cleft on his chin.

“ Stop being so bossy Princess. I want to get home and you in my bed, naked.” Ian said with a growl.

Brooke laughed playfully hitting Ian on his chest. Ian was so blunt. “ We will see about that. Right now, act like a good boy and listen to your doctor and we will see about the second part of your wishes.” Brooke sauntered out of his room. Ian couldn’t help but to stare at her, she looked so damn good in her stone washed tight blue jeans and her form fitting white T strapped shirt displayed the swell of her breast and when she moved, he could see the soft skin of her stomach. Being in Florida did have certain advantages.

 

Ace opened the door to his beach house and lead Brooke in. He had promised Ian that he wouldn’t let Brooke spend another night at the hospital, so he offered up his place for her to stay. Brooke looked around at the very neat and cozy looking beach house. “ This place is wonderful.”

“ It’s close to the beach, that is all that matters. S.E.A.L S love water, it’s like a second home to them. I can’t go a day without it being all around me.

“ Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“ No problem Brooke.”

Ace lead Brooke to a spacious bedroom that reminded her of one of the rooms that she had when she had gone to a spa last year. The bed was neat and sitting in from of a large bay window, he had a small fireplace and in the middle of the room was a large sofa in from of the French doors that lead out of the patio toward the beach. “ This is beautiful.”

“ Thanks, I’ll be taking the guest room toward the right.”

“ No, don’t do that. I’ll take the guest room.”

“ Nonsense, you are closer to the beach. I figured that you’d like it. You’ve had a long day. Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll order dinner. How does a meat lover’s pizza with extra cheese sound?”

“ I don’t eat pork.”

“ Okay, I’ll get you a cheese pizza with…”

“ Mushrooms and green peppers.”

“ Sounds good.”

Ace left the room and Brooke opened the French doors. She walked outside in the fresh air. Yes, she had missed being near the beach but she’d found herself wishing for the snowy earth of Ian’s cabin. Brooke ran herself a hot bath; she noticed all the different hot oils that Ian had underneath his bathroom sink. Picking coconut oil, she poured it in the tub. Brooke lounged in the bath until Ace knocked on the door to let her know that the pizza arrived. It wasn’t until she dried off and looked into her bag that she realized that she had forgotten to pack a nightgown or a robe in her haste. She had slept in her clothes the other night so she didn’t know that she didn’t have it with her. Brooke wrapped a towel, opened up on of Ace’s closets and pulled out a large shirt.  She brushed her hair and then headed toward Ace’s living room. Ace was setting the table out on his deck. It look like he had too had showered, he had changed his clothes. Wearing a pair of kaki shorts and a shirt that hung open, with his long hair flowing, Brooke could easily have mistaken him for one of models. Ace turned and found Brooke staring at him while he sipped a cool beer. “ WOW, Ian is one lucky man.”  She looked so beautiful and natural standing in one of his shirts that was long enough to reach her knees.

“ Thank you. I was just thinking if you ever want to stop being an S.E.A.L you could also bet a job as a model. What you could do for our Men’s Line.”

“ Really?” Ace pulled out a chair for Brooke and fixed her a plate. He also fixed her a Greek salad. Brooke instantly bit into the pizza.

“ So, you think that woman would love to see me in some of those high priced suits?”

“ Yes, but I think that would love to see you in some of our underwear line.”

Ace laughed. “ A billboard of me in my skivvies. I don’t think so.” He said as he finished off his piece of pizza and started on his second one.

“ It isn’t so bad.”

“ So how did you do it? You don’t get nervous doing all those ads for your lingerie line?”

Brooke put her slice of pizza down on her plate. “ You know about my lingerie line?”

“ I know that you own Forrester Creations.”

Brooke stood up and walked toward the railing looking toward the ocean. “ You talked to Rabbit?”

“ No. I knew about it before. When I met you, I had you checked out.”

“ You had me checked out?”

“ We have to be secure that you were who you were, so yes.”

“ You didn’t tell Ian.”

“ That you are worth millions and own the company that he thinks that you work for?”

“ That among other things?”

“ No, I haven’t told Mac. As far as I’m concerned, it isn’t any of my business. If and Mac are going to make a go of your relationship. You will have to tell me the truth.”

“ I know. I’m just so confused about everything that has happened. I never any of this. This came out of nowhere. I’m sure that you’ve read about my track record with me. It isn’t that great. I never to met Ian or even like him. When I met him he was so rude and demanding but over time I realized that wasn’t him. Don’t get me wrong, there are times that I want to hit but there are other times that I feel…”

“ You feel what?”

Tears filled Brooke’s eyes. “ I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

“ I think that you do.”

“No I don’t. Right now I can’t put it into words.”

“ Why not?”

“ Because I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. I’ve been married so many times. My last marriage lasted six months and it was my fault it ended. I married my best friend when I shouldn’t have. I then decided to chase after my ex-husband Ridge again for umpteenth time and when I got him, I realized what I was doing. How I was hurting his family and his children the same way my kids were hurt whenever I had failed marriage.”

“ Don’t you think that you are being a little hard on yourself?”

“ I don’t know.” Brooke moved her hair behind her ears. “ When went and rented that cottage, I just needed time to get myself together. The last thing that I expected was to find someone like Ian. He has this way of getting under my skin and making me see life in a different way. We talked about what is important in life, doing what makes you happy and not being caught in the trappings of wealth or money. Being in that cabin being shut in like that does something to you, it makes you think. All my life, I’ve wanted something better. I wanted and acceptance but from the ruin places and the wrong men. Men have been my problem. Looking for love. But time I wasn’t looking for anything. Somehow it just happened. Ian isn’t suave, he isn’t rich and doesn’t try to sweep me off my feet but he does something more. What he does, I can’t quite say but I like whom I am when I’m with him. I don’t want this to end right now.”

“ So, what is it that you want? A fling?”

“ No. I don’t want to label it. I’m not ready for that but I do want him home safe and sound. More than that, I want more time with him. I don’t want all the complications that telling him about my company or my marriages would bring. Can you understand that?”

“Yeah. I can understand that. You’ve got baggage.”

“ Major baggage. And I have the feeling that I’m not the only one. I know that Ian was hurt a long time ago. Believe me, I don’t want to be the one who hurts him now.”

“I don’t think that you have to worry about that, not if you are honest with him.” Ace titled Brooke’s face up. “ I’ve known him for a long time. He feels things, deep. He hides it but he can’t hide how he feels about you. It has been a long time since I’ve seen him like this. He really cares about you. I’m not sure where your relationship is going. You both have been hurt and you both have decided not to talk about your relationship yet. However if you decide to have a serious relationship with him Brooke, be honest.”

Brooke grinned for a moment. “ Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson about not being honest.”

“ Come on Brooke, eat your food before it get too cold.” Brooke headed back to the table and started eating once again. “ I do have a question for you.”

“ All right. What is it?”

“ I want to know who Sasha and what does she mean to Ian.”

Ace stopped chewing. “ How did you know about her?”

“ I saw a picture of her in his photo album. He was in love with her, wasn’t he?”

“ Yeah. He was.”

 “ What happened between them?”

“ Brooke, you know that I think that you are the greatest but that topic is off limits. When Ian is ready to talk to you he will tell you. Just like when you are ready tell Ian about your past, you will tell me. It seems to me that you both have a great deal to talk about once you decide what this relationship means to the both of you.”

 

 

Chapter 22

 

 

There was a knock on Brooke’s bedroom door. She answered it to find Ace holding a piece of Black Forrester cake. “ I got this at the Barnes & Nobles and thought that you might like a piece of cake. But then again a woman with your type of figure might not like cake.” He said with a laugh.

“ I can indulge in dessert, just as long as I workout. I’ve been looking at that beach, I’m thinking of a 2-k run tomorrow.”

“ Not my normal pace, but I’ll be there with you tomorrow.”

“ How much do you normally do?”

“ 10-K.”

“ A day?”

“ Have, I’ve got to keep in top-notch shape. I’ve got to run, swim and workout. That the thing that bothered me about Ian’s home in the woods, no real place for real swimming. I know that he swims in that cold lake but it’s nothing like the ocean. I have to say if I had my pick, I’d rather be at his ranch other than the cabin.”

“ Ranch? Ian has a Ranch?” Ace was quiet for a moment. “ Come on Ace, answer me. Ian owns a Ranch?”

“ Yeah, used to be his parent’s place. When they were alive, he scraped all his money together and got them a place in Texas. Nice piece of land…it’s beautiful. We all used to go there for breaks and his mom would cook these big meals for us. Trigger used to have a ball; he grew up on the rodeo circuit, so being around all those horses made him down right giddy.”

“ Trigger?”

Ace moved in the room and sat on the sofa. While Brooke took her cake, tucked her legs under her and tasted the dark delicious treat. “ Yeah, his name is Harlan Jones, but we call him Trigger, used to be the name of his favorite horse. You’ll know him when you see him. Dark hair, blue eyes and a cowboy hat. I swear that I never see him without it unless we are in the water. Hell, I swear he must wear that thing when he is fucking…” Ace stopped. “ Excuse me, I meant..”

“ I know what  you meant. So, there is Wingman, G-man, Jaguar, Trigger, Rabbit and you, Ace.”

“ Yup, but there are a few more of us. Some are on missions and others are on down time. “ Freeze, Zero, Rafe, you’ll probably meet us all sooner or later.” He grinned. “ Wait until you meet Reilly.”

“ Why?”

“ You’ll see. Reilly, is special.”

“ Like Rabbit?”

“ Ahh Rabbit. He can be a little brash. When he and G-man get together, they cause a ruckus.”

“ And you don’t?”

“ Who me? Nah. I’m a good boy.”

Brooke put her cake down. “ Ian’s really lucky.”

“ Why?”

“ To have friends like you. When his family died, it seemed that you stepped in.”

“ We, aren’t the only ones. He’s got one or two friends in other places.”

“ That is what I don’t understand. He says that he is a loner that he is a hermit but he has all of you.”

“ Mac likes to keep to himself that is true. Not much of a talker, but when he does people listen. I can’t tell you the things that he has done or the scrapes that he has gotten most of out of. He was one hell of an S.E.A.L. The men he led would have followed him to hell in back giving up their lives for him. He is that kind of man.”

“ You love him.”

Ace nodded. “ We do. He is great.”

“ But he is alone.”

“ Losing his parents and losing….Sasha. Well it hurt him. I think that plus all the killing and missions got to him. He just left. I missed him. He is my best friend. I want him to be happy. I remember when my marriage fell apart, Ian was there.”

“ You were married?’

Ace got a lost look in his eyes. “ Yeah. It was a mistake.”

“ You shouldn’t have married her?”

“ No. Not leaving the S.E.A.L.S, was a mistake. Victoria didn’t like me being gone all the time. She was lonely and I didn’t listen. By the time I realized that she was serious it was too late. This life style is hard on the women. Your husband being gone long periods of time without warning and maybe not coming back. It takes a toll on a marriage. Some people can hack it, some people can’t.” Ace leaned back sighing. “ I didn’t listen to her. She tried to tell me, but  I was this big man and I figured that she’d get over it. She even suggested that we go to consoling to work on our differences but I thought it was stupid. Now….well I wish I was the person that I am now.” Ace shook his head. “ I was young, dumb. I figured that loving her was enough. I had her, she was mine and she wasn’t going anywhere. Then there was this mission, I got hurt pretty bad and she was a mess. She said that she couldn’t take it anymore. I said that I would do something else but as soon as I got better, I was back.” He licked his lips and wore a sad expression on his face.

“ Mac tried to warn me. He saw it even if I didn’t. He told me to think about something else or take a break, but I didn’t listen to him. I went on the mission and Vicky, that is what I called her, she left.”

“ You regret it.”

“ Yeah. Funny, it’s been 12 years. She remarried some banker and they have a bunch of kids. But I still miss her. There is nothing like having a woman love you. So, I’m alone. I don’t see me getting married again.”

“ But you stayed in the S.E.A.L.S.”

“ I had nothing left then. I wasn’t like Mac, I didn’t have this back up talent. So, I just stayed although now that I’m older, I know that I can’t do this forever, sooner or later I’m going to have to give it up.”

“ What are you going to do then?”

“ Well, I’ve been investing. And well…I’ve been thinking of running on of those obstacle courses for rich business men. Kinda like a field opt training place. Men like adventure, especially those rich business types who sit behind the desks all day. This adventure course would be for people a week long in which they have to complete certain mission, however it would be authentic not like those paint ball places. It would be a real adventure and they’d feel the pain but the pleasure of accomplishing something.”

“That is a magnificent brainchild. I could clearly see a place like that making money. If there is anything that I know about men, they like, blood, sex and adventure.”

“ Yeah. I’m counting on that. Some of the guys and I are getting our money together. We have the experience, we have the knowledge and the capabilities to make a go at this.”

“You just need the capital and the connections, right.”

“Yeah. But we will get it. Besides I’ve got least 8 to 10 good years left  in me. Maybe.”

 

Brooke got ready to bed. Her talk with Ace gave her  the real reality for men who were trained to do anything for their county, what happened to them where no longer able to do their job. Ace was in fantastic shape but he said that he was 38 and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to still do this in ten years. Ian, was already 40 or so, that meant that he left when he had been around 35. Brooke had been dying to ask why Ian had left when he did, but she knew that Ace probably wouldn’t answer her. More and more, Brooke thought that it had to do with Sasha. “ Sash”, she murmured to herself. “ What really  happened between you and Ian?”

 

When Brooke woke the next morning, she found a pair of white running shorts ,a sports bra, socks and running shoes on the sofa in her bedroom waiting for her. She washed up and got dressed. She found Ace in the kitchen dressed to go running. “ Thanks for the clothes.”

“ I had them around.”

“ I my size.”

Ace shrugged. “ Women leave things here.”

“ I’m wearing someone else’s sports bra?”

“ No, I got that from my neighbor Amy. It’s new.”

“ Amy is one of your “friends”, I take it.”

“ Yeah. A good friend.”

“ Come on Brooke. Let’s go running.”

 

Ian was feeling much better, so that mean that he was feeling grumpy. When the nurse came into his room to check his wound he growled at her. ‘ That is enough woman. Seems to me that if this is the only way that you can get your hands on a woman, than you had better work on it.”

The nurse only laughed and called him a baby. Ian was still cursing when Harris came through the door.

“ I see that you still are your usual self.”

“ Tracker, good to see you.”

Harris clapped Ian’s hand and gave him a quick manly hug. “ Good to see you son. Up and about.”

“ Well, I’m hoping to get the hell up out of here. My god, the way that they are acting, you’d think that I had major surgery instead of something as simple as a gun shot wound. It’s nothing.”

‘ We want to make sure that you are okay. It’s been five years since you’ve been in the field.”

‘ I’m not that old Harris.”

“ I know, but still. We don’t want to take any chances. I swear between you and G-man, this hospital can’t take the both of you.”

“ G-man being a problem?”

“ Cursing, asking for a drink. The man was in great pain but now, we’ve had a nurse walk in on him and Cinder’s welcome home.”

Ian laughed. “ That Cinder is a wild one.”

“ Yeah, just the right woman for a man like him.” Harris gave Ian a serious look. “ He wants to see you. He’s been asking. Wants to thank you.”

“ It’s part of the job.”

“ But it is a job that wasn’t yours anymore. Thank you Ian.”

Ian felt a bit uncomfortable with all the gratitude that he had received. “ It’s nothing. You did get the chemical compound and the information you needed.”

“ All locked up and safe.”

“ Good. Then I can get out of here and we can get home.”

“We? Does that mean you and Brooke.”

“ You’ve met her?”

“ Yes.” Harris still wasn’t sure that Brooke was the woman for Ian. “ Tell me, is it serious?”

Ian wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t about to tell Ian about the myriad of strange dreams that he had had. He wasn’t ready to put his feelings into words. He knew that he cared a great deal about Brooke. He knew that he wasn’t ready to let her go. “ It could be.” Ian was quiet for a moment. ‘ I didn’t expect anything to happen between us when she showed up. Hell, I didn’t want her there. You know that I gave up any relationships with women of a romantic nature after than mess with Sasha.”

‘ Ian, I’m sorry…”

“ Hey, Harris. You aren’t responsible for what Remington and Sasha did. Besides that was years ago. I’ve gotten over that. She’s a dead issue. I’ve moved on with my life.”

“ Where is Brooke’s place in your life.”

“ I’m not entirely sure. I’ve enjoyed being a writer, it has brought me peace. U Like living where I am. I thought that I liked to life alone and I do.”

“But…”

“ But having Brooke there has been something amazing for me. She’s extraordinary woman. She’s brings such life to my house.” Ian smiled. “ You should see her playing with Sam. Or singing in the kitchen or talking about her kids. It’s been a long time since I felt the way that I feel with her. She didn’t even give up when I sent her home. Instead she waited for me.”

Harris didn’t need to say a thing. He knew what that was like to know when off on a mission to have someone waiting for him. Ian hadn’t had someone waiting for him a very long time. As much as he had wanted to warn Ian not go get too involved with Brooke, he didn’t. Maybe she was the thing that Ian needed. Ian had been like a son to him, he wanted the man to finally find happiness. He couldn’t think of anyone else who deserves it.”

 

Sasha Richardson finished applying her lipstick. Looking in the mirror, she looked spectacular in her sharp baby blue pants suit with a matching silk blue blouse. Her black hair was swept up elegantly while a flawless pair of sparkling 2 caret diamonds on her ears. She picked up her purse and headed down to the drive where her champagne colored Mercedes.  Her husband had left yesterday on another endless business trip, one in which she wasn’t invited. Sasha was left alone on her own accord for another charity meeting or endless meeting with on of her friends. Her life was filled with one dinner or meeting after another. However, she hadn’t been blessed with the life that she wanted. She didn’t have the children she had so desperately wanted either. She had the husband, the huge mansion, her place in society and more money than she could ever want. Yes, she had it all and she had nothing.

 

Brooke gulped down the cool water that Ace handed her. She was sweaty from the run that she had taken, but it felt good. Ace took off his wet shirt. “ You sure that I can’t interest you in a swim in the ocean?”

“ No. I think the run was enough. I’m going to take a hot shower. Stop by the store and go see Ian. Can I borrow your car?”

“ Sure. The keys are on the rack.”

Ace dropped his running shorts and had on a pair of black Speedos. He headed out his patio toward the ocean. “ See you later.”

Brooke picked up his clothes. “ Men” she murmured as she headed upstairs. She ran the hot shower and was finished  washing when she heard the door in the bedroom open. She opened up the shower door wrapped herself in a towel.

“ Hey Ace. Why is it that you never have any good food in your fridge?”

The door opened and Brooke screamed when she face to face to a handsome man standing in a cowboy hat, white T-shirt and worn blue jeans. The man took off his hat. “ Howdy man. I’m sorry. I was looking for Ace.”

Brooke however didn’t think that he was too sincere in his apology for her eyes devoured her quietly. “ Ace isn’t here. He’s out swimming.”

“ Alright. I’ll get him. Sorry about walking in on you mam. But don’t feel too bad, there things happen. Isn’t the first or the last.”

“ What?”

“ Me walking in on you mam. After all, there is always some woman here for Ace.” He winked at her and headed toward the door.

“ Trigger? You are Trigger, aren’t you?”

“ Yes, mam. Ace told you about me? Now that is news. He normally doesn’t tell his ladies about any of us. You must be special.”

“ I’m not one of Ace’s women…I mean this isn’t what it looks like.”

“ You’re in Ace’s bedroom right. In his shower.”

“ But NOT the way you think. I’m not Ace’s woman or anything.”

“ Then who are you?”

“ I’m Ian’s. I’m Ian’s woman.” Brooke thought that she’d feel kinda stupid saying that but she didn’t.

Trigger smiled. He took Brooke’s hand and kissed it. “ You must be Princess. It’s nice to meet you.”

Brooke blinked. “ You know about me?”

“ Yes. Well all do. Word is that you are the best thing that has happed to Mac in a long time. Welcome to the family mam.”

 

The doctor looked at Ian’s side once again. “ Alright, sir. We are going to discharge you.”

“ It’s about time.” He mumbled.

“ Yes, but you need to get some rest. Don’t let that bandage get wet. I still want to do another through check up with you tomorrow. So, you can’t go home just yet. I need you to come back tomorrow.”

“ Whatever as long as I can get the hell out of this place.”

“ You need to make sure that you get rest. NO strenuous activity right now. No running, swimming, weight lifting and NO sex.”

“Sex?”

“ Yes, I’ve seen the way that you look at your girlfriend. So, at least for the next few days. NO SEX.”

 

 

Ian was up. The nurses had taken him off the IV and had taken his medication. He had already put his jeans on and was about to put on his shirt when the door of his hospital room opened.

“ Cinder, if you are here to tell me again how grateful you are, don’t…” G-man’s wife had come by almost everyday to check on him. She was sweet but it wasn’t necessary. Ian had had enough visitors. Both Wingman and Jaguar had left for their homes, but they had been by along with a couple of  old S.E.A.L buddies of Ian’s. He was tried of all of the attention, he just wanted to get back to his home, his writing and Brooke. Ian smiled to himself as he imagined how hot and wet she’d  feel as he slid his way into her body. God, he groaned. She’d be sweet. Her breast swelling in his hands, his face buried in her neck. He loved the feel of her body, the way that she made little sounds in back of her throat when she came. He couldn’t wait.

“ No. It isn’t Cinder.” A husky voice said.

Ian’s stilled. It had been years since he had last heard that voice. “ Sasha.” He murmured.

Sasha took a tentative step into the room as Ian’s turned around. She couldn’t help but to devour him with her eyes. Ian was every bit as handsome as he had been all those years ago. He stopped putting his shirt open and it hung open, his muscular chest was displayed however he had a bandage on the right side of his abdomen.

“ What are you doing here?” Ian said gruffly.

“ I wanted to see you. I heard that you were hurt and I wanted to make for yourself that you were alright.”

“ Well, now that you’ve seen me. You got what you wanted, you can leave.”

Sasha licked her lips nervously. “ Ian, I…”

“ What, you didn’t hear me? I said get the hell out of here.”

Tears filled her blue eyes. “ It’s been five years. I was so worried that you’d be hurt.”

“ Why would you worry? We’ve been over for a long time. You have your HUSBAND to worry about, not me.” Ian looked at her expensive hairstyle, suit and engagement ring plus wedding band she wore. “ It looks like you got everything you wanted. The best of everything.”

“ Ian, looks can be deceiving surely you know that.” Sasha swallowed with difficulty. She hadn’t known what to expect but seeing him again brought back memories. Sasha toyed with her hair for a moment. “ Money isn’t everything, is it?”

“ I wouldn’t know.”

“ I didn’t for his money. I married him because I didn’t have any other options Ian. You threw me out.”

“ I threw you out! You were fucking him! What was I supposed to do? Take you back.”

Tears spilled out of her eyes. “ Yes. I made a mistake.”

“ A mistake over and over again.  How many times did you take him into your bed while I was out there saving this country.”

“ I was lonely. You were always gone.”

“ Don’t you dare lay this at my feet Sasha. You weren’t lonely. You wanted the money. You wanted that fancy lifestyle and Remington was the man to make sure you got it. So, you got everything you wanted. And before you start with all your crying and your little melodrama, you married him.”

“You were gone. You humiliated and left me.  I was so alone and he was there.”

“ With his money.”

Sasha bit her lip. “ I had lost with love so I figured why not marry for money.”

“ You didn’t love me. If you had you would never have done it.”

“ I made a mistake.” She whispered, her elegant had with its perfectly manicured fingers moved up to her mouth. “ I did love you. You were so wonderful and sweet. You had these dreams. Remember the house that you built for us. I didn’t see it then.”

“ I left the S.E.A.L.S for you. I wanted to give you something. I wanted to give you a normal life.”

“ I know.” Sasha stepped toward Ian and placed her hand on his check. “ I so sorry. Everyday I regret what I did. My life isn’t what you think that it or my marriage.”

Ian pulled away from her. “ That isn’t my problems, is it? I’m sorry to hear about your marriage but it has nothing to do with me.”

“ That’s where you are wrong. It has everything to do with you. It always has. It’s always been you. Do you remember the first time that we make love. How badly we wanted each other.”

“ Sasha…”

“ Ian. I’ve loved you since that day that you came home with my brother when I was fifteen. I still remember you. How handsome you were. You had my heart and I had yours.” Sasha put her hand on Ian’s chest over his heart. “ It was until I was seventeen that you finally took me.” Sasha’s breathing slowly down. “ I still  remember how sweet and gentle you were. You were almost afraid of hurting me. No one has ever touched me the way that you did. ”

Ian’s eyes darkened with memories. Of course he remembered those times with Sasha. He had years to remember them. Ian took her hand and pried it off his chest. “ Those days are long gone.”

“ But they aren’t for me. I still remember them. I remember everything we with each other, to each other. It hasn’t been the same for me and if you were honest with yourself, if hasn’t been the same for you. No one has ever touched you the way that I did, have they?”

“ Actually, someone has Sasha, more than you ever did.” Ian said with little emotion.

“ Who, there can’t be anyone else for you just like there hadn’t been anyone else for me. You are lying. If that were true you wouldn’t single. I know. I know like I know myself. There has been no one.” 

The door opened and Brooke came in carrying a basket. “ Ian, good news. It seems that we can have our picnic outside instead…” Brooke’s words trailed off as she Ian standing very closely with the woman’s hand in his. From the onset it looked like a very intimate moment.  Brooke put the basket on the bed. “ Hello.”

Sasha turned to look at the beautiful woman standing in the room. The blonde was wearing a pair of low rider jeans and a cream colored peasant shirt that was make to come off  her shoulders hair. Her hair hung past her shoulders and her golden eyes were dazzling, however Sasha knew the woman wasn’t as elegant as she was. Just one of Ian’s groupies she thought until she felt the warmth of Ian’s body move hers. She saw a look in Ian’s eyes as he devoured the blonde. The coldness that was there when he looked at her disappeared and she saw warmth in her eyes.

“ Princess” he murmured as he moved toward the blonde. “ You’ve heard the good news. I’m outta here. Just as soon I can get another checkup tomorrow, we are off to home.” Brooke looked at Sasha for a moment, recognizing her from the photo. She wasn’t sure but she felt a twinge of jealous.

“ I heard. That is wonderful Ian.”

“ Not as wonderful as what I’m going to do to you once we get home.” Ian whispered into the crook of her neck as he kissed her.

“ Ian, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend.” Sasha said as she watched the intimate moment. Her eyes saw how Ian took the woman’s hands in his and loved his body to make contact to the woman.

“ No.” Ian said. “ You are leaving so there is no need.”

“ Don’t be rude Ian.” Brooke said. “. I’m Brooke…”

“ Well, I’m …”

“ Sasha? Right.” Brooke said with confidence.

Sasha’s mouth hung open for a moment. While although Ian didn’t display it he was surprised that Brooke knew about Sasha. What else did she know?

“ Yes,” Sasha said nervously. She saw the confidence in the woman’s eyes and she didn’t like it. She was a woman with wealth, beauty and status just who in the hell was this blonde woman. Clearly the woman based on her simple clothing was nothing more than some little worker bee that Ian had met. Still, the look in Ian’s eyes bothered her as well as his comments earlier. Could she be the person that he was alluding to?

“ It’s nice to meet you Sasha.”

“ No it isn’t. Sasha is leaving.”

 Brooke ignored Ian.  “ Sorry, Ian’s being sprung. And we have a little celebration.”

“ I can’t think of anything that I’d rather do than to celebrate with you honey.”  Ian buttoned up the rest of his shirt and got his bag. Brooke picked up her basket when Ian put his arm around her shoulder. “ Can’t say that it’s been nice Sasha. Good look with your life. It seems that we get what we deserve in the end.”  With that Ian and Brooke walked out of the hospital room, hand in hand. Sasha watched them hoping for something to betray them as some sort of act, however she didn’t see that. What she did see, when she watched them was that Ian looked happy. Sasha’s lips shook and a tear fell down her cheek.

“ I love you Ian. I make a mistake and I’m going to prove it to you that you did the same thing. This Brooke of yours has nothing compared to me. What we had is pricessless.”

 

Chapter 23

 

Ian stood out of Ace’s deck wearing a borrowed pair of Ace’s chino shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt taking in the fantastic rays in the sun. Although he loved the comforts of his cabin home, he still ached for the smell of the ocean and being here only renewed he love for the water. He wished that he had a cold beer but Brooke said that he couldn’t. Ian grinned, boy she was something. She had come into Ace’s house with a basket full of goodies to eat, which she had cooked herself. Since they were in Ace’s home Brooke had decided to grill hot juicy steaks along with the food that she had cooked so she hopped back into Ace’s SUV to go to the store. Maybe that was a good thing because honestly, he needed some time to pull himself together. Seeing Sasha hadn’t been something that he had expected. He, of course, knew that she and Remington lived in Florida but he never thought that she would come and see him. She will still beautiful as ever however he had known before she had even told him that she was unhappy that she was. Sasha, the one that he had known all those years ago, wore a look of contentment when she was happy that made her face radiate, that look on her face was missing. However, that hasn’t HIS concern. Sasha made a choice. She betrayed him and in turn ruined their relationship. Yes, they had loved each other when they had been young but he knew that distance could destroy relationships so when he had left for college, he had broken up with her in order to give her time to date other men.. It had been a hard thing for him to do but he knew that he wanted her to really want him and not to come to him because he was all what he knew. He had started with the S.E.A.L.S and she went to college herself and later she had gotten a job in their hometown as a teacher. It wasn’t until five years later they had made their way back to each other. He had never asked about the other men just as she had never asked about the other women. Sure he had dated other women but he hasn’t really wanted anyone the way that he had wanted her. Finally, he realized that he had given her enough time and he went to her. At first she had been hesitant, she still was angry for him breaking off their relationship but after much wooing on his part and his promise to never leave, they started up again. It had been hard, they had a long distance relationship but he didn’t care. He was celibate and stayed true to his relationship with Sasha for another year taking trips back to his hometown. Ian remembered how Ace and Wingman would tease him but he could take the ribbing about his new found celibacy, after all Sasha, his love, was worth it. Finally after a great deal of consideration Sasha decided that she wanted to come to Florida, she and Ian moved in together and all sense he felt that they were husband and wife. Ian’s mother was horrified with that thought that her son was living with Sasha, although she loved Sasha like a daughter, she thought is dishonorable for Sasha and Ian to be living in sin. In fact she wondered why Ian didn’t “handfast” with Sasha, an old Scottish custom. Sasha had laughed when Ian suggested it and said that she didn’t mind living in sin with him as long as they got married. While Sasha was a fifth grade teacher in Florida, Ian worked hard and was gone a great deal of time. He needed to make money to help his parents, get Sasha a ring he thought would be worthy like and buy some land for them to build their home on. As time went on Sasha complained about him being gone for so long, Ian. Ian told her just to wait and in a little more time, he would quit. Harris didn’t like the idea of Ian quitting, however, he knew that Sasha was more important than anything even his love or his ranking with the S.E.A.L.S.  Harris had invited Sasha and Ian to many of his parties in an effort to help Sasha change her mind about Ian staying with S.E.A.L S, little did Ian know that during that time Remington, Harris’s asshole of a son was moving in on Sasha.  It was strange because it wasn’t until Ian had quit the S.E.A.L.S that he had found out the truth it almost destroyed him. Ian had decided never to give his heart to a woman again. He loved Sasha but he couldn’t forgive her and when he had learned that she had married Remington, something inside of him died.

It was bizarre, he ought to be ecstatic that she hadn’t found happiness with that son-of-a –bitch but it didn’t make him pleased in the slightest. In fact he wanted to beat the shit out of Remington for making her miserable. He was sure that Remington wasn’t giving Sasha the love she needed because he didn’t know how to love. For sure the man was cheating on her, even years ago Remington was a roving eye. But, that wasn’t Ian’s problem. Sasha made her bed and now she had to lie on it. The irony of the situation was that if only she hadn’t cheated on him. He would have given her everything that she ever wanted. A beautiful home, a husband who’d spend his lifetime adoring her with his love, and tons of dark haired beautiful children, something she always wanted. He knew that she didn’t have any children and wondered why? Ian shook his head. Why was he concerned with the fact that she didn’t have any children, that certainly wasn’t his business and he wasn’t going to make it his. Still, he couldn’t help but to wonder what could have been. “ I would have given you everything you could have wanted Sasha…if you would only have been patient.”

 

Brooke placed the last steak in the grocery cart. At Ace’s home there was deviled eggs, pasta salad that she had cooked, and stuffed mushrooms caps with hot sausage and cheese. Brooke figured that since they were no longer going to eat at the hospital and Ian said that he was dying for a steak that she’d get some steaks and the making for a delicious Caser salad. Truthfully it wasn’t really the food that had taken her away from Ian, however it was his visitor. Brooke had noticed how quiet Ian had been on their drive back to Ace’s beach house and although he could often he very quiet, she knew instantly it had a great deal to do with Sasha. Brooke had been dying to ask Ian what had been happening but she kept her mouth shut. Having the person you love to pop back into your life isn’t something easy to deal with, god knew that she knew that. Dealing with Ridge taught her that some feelings just didn’t die. Still a part of Brooke wished that Ian would at least tell her about had happened with Sasha. From the looks of her suit and jewelry, the beautiful woman had reeked of money yet there was something else in her eyes. Brooke had known that look; hell she had worn that look herself countless of times when she was trying to get Ridge back. It had been a look of desperation and fear. Could it be possible that Sasha wanted Ian back? It certainly looked that way to Brooke. However it seemed that Ian made it clear that he wasn’t interested or at least he made it look that way. With matters of the heart, you could never tell.

 

Ace and Cowboy found Ian sitting on the deck deep in thought when they arrived at the house. The two men pulled out beers and sat next to their friend. “ Good to see you out of the hospital.”

“ I needed to get the hell out of there. All those doctors, nurses coming in and out all hours of the night, poking and prodding me all the time.”

Cowboy grinned. “ Besides, you have that feisty little lady to come home too.”

Ian nodded. “ It is nice having someone to come home too.”

“ Speaking of Brooke. Where is she?”

“ She went to the store to get some steaks and other goodies.”

“ I thought that she was going to treat you to a picnic.”

“ She was but since I was sprung, she decided on dinner instead.”

Cowboy rubbed his hands. “ Well, I hope that she planned on dinner for more than two. It’s been a while since I had a home cooked meal.”

“ No way. We are clearing out of here. Ian needs time with Brooke.”

“ Ace. This is your place. You are more than welcome to dinner.”

Ace raised an eyebrow. “ The doctor gave you the NO SEX talk, didn’t he?”

“ That is none of your business.”

Cowboy leaned back and put his hat over his face. “ Yes, I think that what the problem is.”

Ian didn’t like the idea of not touching Brooke because all he had dreamed about since leaving her was lying next to her, holding her and making love to her.

 

 

 

 

Brooke had come to beach house to find not only Ian but also Ace and Cowboy who were more than willing to grill the hearty steaks. Although she would have loved some solitude with Ian, she figured that he didn’t spend much time with his friends. So, she started to make the Caesar salad while Cowboy entertained her with stories on how Ian saved him once or twice during his Navy days. Outside, she could clearly see both Ian and Ace’s profiles as the two men talked. Brooke had nagging suspicion that they discussed Ian’s earlier visitor.

 

Ace pulled out another beer out of the cooler and to took to Ian. Ian glanced around looking sheepish like a little kid, if Brooke had seen that, she’d be spitting mad. She had already lectured him about taking his painkillers and drinking alcohol when Cowboy had made the mistake of giving him a beer.  However she didn’t know what Ace knew, Ian had stopped taking his meds and was only pretending to swallow them to make her feel better. Ian knew pain was part of life so he was willing to embrace that then to become dependent of pain medication. “ So, do you want to tell me what is going on with you? You are too quiet and no, it isn’t about me sneaking you a beer although that lady is going to have my head if she finds out. Did something happen?”

Ian watched as the waves of the water crashed against the surf. “ Sasha came to see me.” He said huskily.

Ace cursed to himself as he clapped his friend on his back. “ Ian, I’m sorry. I didn’t think that she would do that.” He was silent for a moment. “ What did she want?”

“ I’m not sure. She said she was worried. She said that she was sorry and…”

“ And what?”

“She let me know that she isn’t happy.”

“ Hell, I could have told you that.”

“ Is her marriage that bad?”

“ What do you think? A man like Remington? Sure, we don’t hang out with the same social circle but I still knows what goes on.”

“ She says that she still loves me.” Ian walked out toward the surf watching the footprints that his feet made in the wet damp sand. “ It’s funny because in a way, I’ve waited for this day. The day that she’d realize that he never could give her what I could. The day that she would see everything that she lost. I wanted her to know that all that money would amount to nothing. Money can’t keep you warm at night. I wanted her to see me…to know.”

“ To know what?”

“To know that she could have it all. When she threw away our love for him, she threw away her chance at happiness.”

Ace was concerned. He had never heard Ian speak like this. Even during the bitter times. “ Mac, when she came to you today, what did you feel?”

“ Anger, remorse even pity. I didn’t feel any of the glee that I thought that I would. I just feel sorry for her. Sorry that she gave us up for nothing.” Ian scratched his chin. “ All of these years I never thought that I’d be able to look at her and not be in love anymore. That was one of the reasons that I held on to my anger. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still pissed because she made a fool out of me and still even today, won’t take responsibility for it.  But today… I realized something.”

“ What?”

Ian looked Ace directly in his eyes. “ I don’t love Sasha anymore. What I had with her, it’s over. It has been for a very long time.”

 

Cowboy turned the steaks over and inhaled. “ Boy, does that smell delicious.”

“ I hope so. I used a special trick to make the steak seal in the juices.” Brooke said as she headed out on the deck. She handed Cowboy a beer while she sipped out of a glass of wine. “ Where is Ian and Ace?”

“ They went talking and walking.” Cowboy took off his hat and noticed that Brooke looked in the distance for a glimmer of Ian. “ Don’t worry, Mac hasn’t forgotten you.”

“ Oh. It isn’t that. It’s just…”

“ Just what?”

Brooke wasn’t sure what to say. Sure, Cowboy seemed real sweet but he wasn’t Ian and he wasn’t even Ace. She had begun to feel more comfortable with Ace because he was Ian’s best friend; she knew she could talk to him. “ It’s nothing. I’m being silly. You know worrying about him.”

Cowboy didn’t say anything. The little lady was lying. He was good reading body language and sure as hell as high water, something was bothering other than that.

 

“ So, what did Brooke say about Sasha?”

“ Nothing. She knew her name though and took Sasha’s hand. Sasha was shocked, hell, I was too.”

“ Yeah, well Brooke had seen Sasha’s picture in your photo album in your house.”

Ian frowned. “ How come she talked about Sasha with you? Was she pumping you for information?”

“ No. Stop being a di(k. She just asked. Besides you never bring Sasha up. I think that she was afraid to do so. You do remember how charming that you can be at times.”

“ There was no need for me to tell Brooke the whole story. I can’t see any good reason to tell her about my disastrous relationship. It doesn’t affect her.”

“ It doesn’t?”

“ No, it doesn’t.”

Ace sighed. “ Boy for a writer, you aren’t too bright when it comes to women, are you? Of course it has everything to do with Brooke. Hell Mac, you don’t like women. At least women enough to be romantically involved with them. The prettier and richer they are, the worse you hate them because it reminds you Sasha. She was beautiful and she basically broke your heart in order to marry a rich bastard.”

“ That still has nothing to do with Brooke.”

“ Of course it does. You are afraid.”

Ian too exception to that.“ Afraid. I’m not afraid of a fu(king thing.” He growled.

Ace grinned as he put his hand on Ian’s shoulder. “ Yeah you are because that little lady has found her way into your heart. You care about her. I’ve seen the way that you watch her. The way that stare when you think that she isn’t looking and it isn’t because she’d easy on the eyes. Hell, she is beautiful and sexy but it is more than that. She makes you feel alive.” Ace shook his head. “When you were out of it, you were calling her name because you wanted her and it scares the shit out of you because there hasn’t been anyone since Sasha who had made you feel like the wind has been knocked out of you. But she’s ten times better than Sasha because she stayed when she had no reason to stay. She doesn’t know much about you other than what you have told her and she had every reason to leave but she didn’t. She was waiting for you. And maybe you realize that one of the reasons that you aren’t in love with Sasha anymore is because your heart is filled with love for someone else.”

 

Ace and Ian headed up the platform to the deck to find the table had been set and the aroma of food filling their nostrils. Brooke had been leaning over the table and Ian’s eyes devoured her as her could see the expand of soft tanned skin from her peasant undershirt. Brooke looked down at the table and tucked a tentacle of her hair over her ear as she looked up. Brooke’s eyes met his and a soft smile touched her lips. God those lips were perfect. “ Well, it’s about time. We have been waiting for you…” Brooke comment was cut off by a squeal as Ian’s mouth found hers and he lifted her off his body. Ian didn’t care who was around all he knew was that he needed her body close to his. He cupped her bottom with his two large hands as he moved her body against his ever-persistent erection. Brooke sighed and opened her mouth wider to accept his probing soft tongue. Shivers ran through Brooke as the kissed heated up, her arms wrapped around his neck as his tongue mimicked what he wished he were doing inside of her heat. The air around them became filled with sparks of their sexual tension. There was a distinct cough that came from Ace. Reluctantly, Ian pulled his head away from Brooke for a moment before he lowered it again to suckle her lower lip in his mouth. He couldn’t care less who was around; he just wanted Brooke to be in his arms. It wasn’t until Brooke who had enough sense to pull away for embarrassment of where those kisses might lead that the kiss ended. Brooke blushed. “ I think that I had better get the food.” Brooke said as went back into the house but she took a long lingering look at Ian before she went. Ian thought that his heart just might explode when she looked at him like that.

 

 

Ace was heading to the table when the front doorbell rang. He quickly answered it and smiled when a tall handsome black man with cinnamon colored skin, beautiful hazel eyes in a sharp chocolate colored suit stepped through the door. “ Ace.”

“ Gram. Wait to Ian sees you. I thought that you were out of town.”

“ I was. I was investigating on a case, I just got back into town.”

“ Well, come on out in the back, we just sitting down to eat.”

Gram followed Ace toward his back to find Cowboy laughing with a blonde woman as Ian place huge steaks on the plate. Ian’s face lit up with a smile when he saw Gram. “ Gram.” Ian put the steaks down and hugged the man. “ Gram it’s good to see you.”

“ It’s good to see you to Mac. It’s been too long.” Gram said in a deep voice. Before he nodded at Cowboy and then looked to Brooke. 

Brooke stood up; she figured that she was meeting another S.E.A.L when Ian introduced her to the man. “ Gram this is Brooke. Brooke this is a friend of mine Detective Gramsey Webb.”

“ But to the rest of cronies, he is just Gram.” Cowboy added.

Brooke shook Gram’s hand.  “ Another S.E.A.L ?”

Gram laughed. “ It would seem so doesn’t it but no I’m not a S.E.A.L. I’m just a detective.”

“ Don’t let him fool you Brooke, he is one of the best that Florida has to offer.” Ian said as he put his arm around Brooke. “ He’s a good friend.”

Gram sat down in a seat. “ Hey after all you did for me. You bet that I’m going to be a good friend.”

“ It was nothing.”

“ It was more than that. If it weren’t for you Mac, that murderer would still have been at it.”

“ What?” Brooke was confused.

“ It’s a long story Brooke.”

“ Mac worked beside me as I investigated a number of murders that occurred. It was pretty clear from the MIO that the person who committed the crimes had military training. To make a long story short, he helped me with the investigation.” Gram nodded to Ian. “ I caught my man thanks to him.”

Brooke looked at Ian with awe. The more that she learned about this man, the more she found him compelling as well as intriguing. “ You helped him catch a killer.”

“ It was nothing Brooke.” Ian whispered. “ Gram is a hell of a detective, I just aided him a bit.”

“ Besides he helps me with research.”

“ Yeah. I saw that you used that information that I acquired in the last book. Good use of the information.”

“ Ian, you had your book published already.”

Gram’s eyes jumped when Brooke uttered her comment. Ian only stared at Gram for a moment before he spoke. “ It was something like that.”

“ Ian, I had no idea that you had already been published. I would love to read something you wrote.” Brooke figured that if his first book were anything like his other book that he had been working on, it would have to be spectacular.

“Thanks.” Ian murmured. He neglected to mention that she probably had already read something that he had written for most people had read his books.

 

Brooke had offered Gram some steak however he declined for he was a vegetarian however he was willing to eat Caesar salad, pasta and warm bread. The group sat down and ate while the hours slipped by. Ian could hardly keep his eyes off of Brooke who simply charmed Cowboy and Gram as easily as she had charmed his other S.E.A.L buddies. It simply amazed him that she could feel so comfortable with them. God, she didn’t understand what seeing her laughing and talking did to him. Brooke looked up and found Ian looking at her, although it warmed her heart to see him having such a wonderful time with his friends she wished that they were alone. She had so many questions running in her head, most of them were about Sasha. She held off a yawn and got up from the table. “ Gentlemen, as wonderful as this is been. I’m tried. I think that I’m going to head off to bed. Ian stood up as well but Brooke held him off. “ No. Sit and talk with your friends. I know that it’s been a while. Just remember to take your medicine all right.”

Ian knew that his friends were laughing at him silently, not wanting to embarrass Brooke. However, he didn’t care, it had been so long since someone had worried, he almost basked in Brooke’s affection. “ Alright. I promise you.” He said before he pulled her head down for a kiss.

 

Ace knocked on the bedroom door when Brooke told him to come in. Brooke tightened the sash on her light blue silk robe when Ace entered the bedroom.  “ Hey. Is everything alright?” I kinda got the feeling throughout dinner that something was bothering you.

Brooke smiled weakly. “ Yes. I guess that I’m tried. It’s been a long day.”

“ And seeing Sasha today didn’t help, did it?”

Brooke sighed. “ Ian told you huh. I figured as much. She’s a beautiful woman.”

“ Yes, she is.”

She titled her head to the side. “ Ian was really affected by her, wasn’t he?”

Ace wasn’t sure how to answer Brooke’s question in any other way than the truth. “ Yes. He was but Brooke I don’t want you to think that I reflects on what he feels for you.”

 Brooke sighed. “ I know that having someone who you love or loved to waltz back into your life is like…”

“ Walking into a minefield.”

“ That is what he felt like, didn’t he?”

“ Yeah.”

“ She hurt him deeply.”

“ Yes.” Ace sighed heavily. “ The whole thing was a big mess. I really don’t want to get into particulars but when all the smoke cleared, Mac was different. He had been burned bitterly.”

“ He loved her a great deal.”

“ Yes he did. But that is in the past.”

“ Is it?” Brooke heaved her hands up in frustration and dragged them through her hair. God…I’ve been through this before. Being the other woman in some melodrama and I so don’t want to go through this again.”

“ Brooke it isn’t that. You aren’t the other woman. Sasha isn’t in his life anymore.”

“ She wants to be.”

Ace’s eyes narrowed. “ How do you know that?”

“ I read the signs. But isn’t her that bothers me. I can deal with that but can Ian.”

Ace pulled Brooke to her feet. “ Shh. Honey, don’t do this to yourself.”

“ I feel like I should warn myself to back off. God knows that I want to but when I look at him or kisses me like he did today it does something to me. It makes me want to forget the voices in my head. Those voices of reason.”

“ Don’t do this Brooke.”

“ Believe me, I thought that I was all right until I sat here and thought that about it.”

“ Brooke, tonight when you were at dinner did Ian seem upset?”

“No” Brooke didn’t understand where Ace was going with this.“ He didn’t seem upset. Instead, he was having a good time.”

“ Thanks right Brooke. He was laughing and talking in a way that I haven’t seen my friend to in years since you’ve come along. Do you know how rare that is? Especially on a night in which he saw Sasha, a woman who he loved and who broke his heart. There is only one reason that Ian could act the way that he did tonight and that is because no matter how unsettling it was for him to be near Sasha, his feelings for her has certainly changed. And it is clear that you mean a great deal to him. Don’t question that. Because I know just as surely as I’m standing here, if it hadn’t been for you. Seeing Sasha would most likely have a horrendous effect on Mac.”

Brooke was almost afraid to hope. Could Ace be right? “ Brooke tonight, he could hardly keep his eyes off of you. His thoughts were centered on you, not Sasha. If it hadn’t been for you, Ian would have closed himself up tonight reliving the pain of what she had done to him. Yes, he thoughts about Sasha and their conversation but I have the feeling that tonight when he goes to bed, the last thing on his mind with be her.”

Ace’s words reburerated in Brooke’s head. All she could think about was Taylor and Macy. She had been through something like this before. She was so afraid but she didn’t want to let go. She couldn’t seem to let go of Ian. She wanted to be with him. She didn’t want to put a name on it or say what she was feeling but she did hope with all her heart that Ace was correct.

 

Ace closed his front door. It was late, around 2 in the morning. Tonight had been fun, like old times when Ian had lived in Florida. Ian had checked on Brooke twice and Ace knew that his friend wished to be with her however he didn’t want to seem rude.  Ace had said nothing to Ian about the conversation that he had had with Brooke earlier. Sooner or later the two would have to talk about everything, Brooke’s history and job and Sasha. If someone had ever told Ace years ago that he’d turn into a mother hen, he wouldn’t believe them yet someone how when Ian had been hurt all those years ago it had made Ace become more protective to his friend. Ian was a good man and he above all of Ace’s friends deserved to find true love and happiness. Ace, was sure that Brooke was the woman who could bring that into Ian’s life.

 

Ian sat in the dark watching her sleep. His body was more than weary and he was in a little pain but that didn’t matter to him. After all that had happened during the last week it was a pure joy just to sit and watch her sleep. To watch how she lay on her stomach, her nightgown ridding up so high on her thighs that he could see the base of her full ripe bottom. Ahh, how he wanted to kiss that bottom with his lips and make his way up her luscious body. But, he knew that he couldn’t do that. So, instead, he’d just watch her. He knew that she had no idea of all the demons that she had saved him from. If it hadn’t been for her, he’d be tense and in emotional turmoil from seeing Sasha, however instead he wasn’t. Ian had a peace that he had never felt before and it was because of her. He reached out to gently caress her soft cheek with his fingers. She sighed in her sleep and it warmed her heart. “ You have no idea, Brooke,” he whispered to her sleeping form. Then, Ian uttered the words that he had been reluctant to even acknowledge to himself.

 “ I’m falling in love with you.”

 

 

 

Love Story Chapter 24

 

Brooke woke when she felt warm body ease in the bed next to her. She sat up slowly rubbing her eyes. “ Ian?”

Ian gently pulled Brooke back into the bed down next to him. He spooned his body next to hers and kissed her on top of her head. “ It’s me baby.”

Brooke smiled and turned toward Ian. Her body clad in a nightgown came against Ian’s naked body. She gently placed her head on his chest as he held her tightly. “ Did you have a good time with your friends?” she asked sleepily.

“ I did. I didn’t know how much I missed them until I spent some time with them.”

“ They seem pretty amazing. But again you must be an amazing man to have friends like that.”

Ian smiled. “ You are saying that I’m amazing. I remember that it wasn’t too long ago that you called me an arrogant bastard.”

“ Oh, you are still arrogant.” Brooke said with a giggle. “ But you still have some amazing qualities about you. I’m glad that you made it through you mission. I was so scared.” Brooke’s eyes filled with tears.

Ian kissed Brooke on top of her head and then slowly. “ Baby, I’m sorry that you were scared.”

“ I heard that you were shot and…”

Ian cut Brooke’s words off with his soft knowing lips. His mouth was gentle as he took hers, slipping his tongue into the soft crevious as he tasted her over and over. Ian groaned as Brooke’s mouth opened further to allow him access. Brooke sighed loving the feel of Ian’s body next to hers. It wasn’t until Ian’s mouth started to make a trail down her throat that Brooke pulled away.

“ No. Uh huh. I remember the doctor’s instructions. No making love at least not for the next three days.”

Ian nuzzled the Brooke’s throat with his nose before he nipped the spot with his mouth. “ Who said anything about making love. I just want to hold you.”

“ And I suppose that that something special full and hard against my stomach is what?” Brooke hands skimmed down and cupped Ian’s naked buttocks.

“ Well, that is just a side effect of being near you. I always aroused when I’m near you.”

Brooke fingered Ian’s bottom lip. “ Down boy. Only three more days to go.”

“ No, two. It’s around 2 am.”

“ It is?” Brooke turned her head to look at the clock that blinked the time. “ Oh god, it is late. You are just getting to bed.”

“ We were up late.”

Brooke was silent for a moment. “ Where you talking about Sasha?” Brooke asked with trepidation.

Ian’s body became tense under Brooke’s. “ No. We weren’t talking about Sasha.”

“Seeing her upset you, didn’t it.”

Ian sighed and was silent for so long that Brooke debated that he had become upset by her question. “ It wasn’t something that I had expected.” 

“ Who was she Ian? Who was she to you?”

Ian closed his eyes for a moment. “ She was my childhood sweetheart.”

“ You loved her very deeply, didn’t you?”

“ Yes. I did.”

“ I wanted a life with Sasha. I thought that she wanted the same thing. I life, children and everything that comes with that.”

Brooke looked up in Ian’s face. “ But she didn’t want it?”

“ I don’t know what she really wanted. I was away a lot in those days because of the missions. I knew that she didn’t like it so I quit the S.E.A.L.S for her. We were to be married and I bought some land so we could build a house.”

“But then, your dreams didn’t come true did it?”

“No.”

“ What happened?”

“ It’s a long story and I don’t want to get into it.”

With me, Brooke thought. “ Oh.”

Ian read the question in Brooke’s eyes. It wasn’t her. . It was that he wasn’t really in the mood to get into the long story. “ Brooke it isn’t you. I just don’t want to rehash that history right now. Sasha and I are over. We have been for a very long time.”

“ It isn’t over for her. Today, the look in her eyes said it all. She still has feelings for you.”

“ Her feelings are irrelevant to me. What we had is over. Sasha is married and I’ve moved on. What she feels doesn’t matter to me.”

Brooke wasn’t sure if that was entirely true. Brooke knew emotions. Because from today, I could tell that she still loves you.”

“ I’m not sure what Sasha feels for me now and I really don’t care what she feels. It’s been years Brooke. I’m not interested in her feelings.” Ian kissed Brooke softly on her lips. “ The only thing that I want to do is lay down next to you and thank god that you are here with me.”

Brooke wanted to ask more questions but she didn’t. It was late, she was tired and she knew that Ian was too. He had been through a great ordeal the last few days the last thing she wanted to do was to bring up painful memories of Sasha regardless of how much she might want certain answers. Brooke snuggled in Ian’s arms as thoughts of Sasha fled her mind as feel asleep listening to the rhythm of Ian’s heartbeat.

 

Brooke woke up the following morning to the sounds of the open through the open French doors. Brooke turned hoping that Ian’s warm body was next to hers but she found the bed empty. Ian had already left. Brooke was a little disappointed; she had hoped that they would be able to spend some time in bed together before he went back to the doctors. Brooke took a shower and dressed in a pair of black pant, black boots and pink short-sleeved blouse that crapped together in the front bunching about her breast. Her hair she had left down but parted in the middle and was on her second cup of coffee and halfway through a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon when she picked up the morning paper. There on the front of the society pages was Sasha looking like a million dollars in what looked to be an original dress by Yves St. Lauren. Sasha was standing by an equally handsome man named Remington Richardson. Brooke read the paper out loud although no one else was there in the room. “ Society’s darling couple Mr. and Mrs. Remington Richardson contributes 1 million dollars to the hospital children’s ward. Sasha Richardson, who headed the charity dinner, raised a stunning amount of 10 million dollars from the dinner alone. The “Whose Who” of Floridian society was where to help the opening. This, like the other dinners held by Mrs. Richardson was a success thanks to her infinite care and her special attention to details. Dinner was served by the world renowned chef Ricardo Manahan who prepared his special barbequed shrimp and scallops wrapped in smoked bacon, stuffed mushrooms with sausage, feta cheese and oil, mushroom soap with baby leeks, rack of lamb with roasted baby vegetables, and a myriad of desserts. Those invited to 2,000 dollars a plate meal; partied to the wee hours and raised money that was bided on a silent auction. The night was a success, grain Mrs. Richardson rave reviews.” Brooke read the rest of the article. It not only gave a detailed summary of the party but it even talked about the Richardson’s. The article featured Remington’s business and mentioned his father’s carrier in the Navy. Brooke realized that Remington’s father was Caption Harris Richardson. She put the paper down for a moment and thought. “ Mrs. Richardson? Sasha, you are married but not to just any man. You are married to Harris’s son. My god, what happened between you and Ian?”

 

 

Sasha looked at the front page of the society papers with very little enthusiasm. Although she was happy to give that check to the hospital ward as well as the as the work that she had given to the cause, charity dinners were starting to become a bore to her. Remington came into the dinning room and kissed Sasha on the cheek. “ Looking at the reviews regarding your party?”

“ Yes. Everyone had a fantastic time.” Sasha said with a fake smile.

“ Everyone except you, my dear.” Remington said as he sat down across from his wife. He nodded as the servant placed his breakfast of eggs benident; English muffins and turkey sausage down in front him. He took a sip of hot strong coffee. “ You didn’t seem so particular happy to see me last night.” He caressed her face with a finger. “ In fact, if you ask me, you seemed disappointed that I ended my trip in order to make your function.”

Sasha sipped her hot tea. “ Don’t be paranoid Remington. Of course I was happy to see, I was just surprised that you’d be willing to cancel your plans for me. It’s been a while.”

“ I knew that it was something you wanted.”

Sasha pushed her chair from the table and stood. “ Well, thank you for coming.”

“ Sit down Sasha. I’m not finished my breakfast.”

“ I’m really tried from last night, I’m going back to bed.”

Remington gave his wife a cold stare. “ You can go back to bed, do shopping or spa treatments or anything else you’d like to do. BUT after I’ve finished breakfast. I didn’t come all this way to eat alone. And surely after my generous donation to your charity last night, you could be more grateful.” Remington eyed the opening of the Vee of his wife’s silk robe and could easily make out some of the soft globes of her breast.

Sasha sat down. “ I am thankful.”

“ You aren’t acting like it.” Sasha sighed at Remington’s comment.

“ What do you want?”

He just about leered at his wife. “ You know what I want and I want it.”

Sasha almost shivered. At one time she had ached for his touch in bed on the cold nights that Ian had been away on missions. But now things were so different. “ What do you want?”

Remington caressed her lower lip with his tongue. “ I want your mouth on me.” He then leaned back against his chair and opened his robe. Underneath his was naked and extremely aroused. Remington’s body was still magnificent, it wasn’t that repulsed her but his treatment of her. Sasha had been a fool to think that he had loved her. He didn’t, he had only coveted her because she had belonged to Ian, the man whom he hated and was jealous of. Ian was the type of man that Remington’s father, Harris, wished that Remington had been more like. Yes, Remington had money, good looks and was highly intelligent but he never had the one thing that meant the most to him, his father’s respect. He had seen the way that he father had treated his Navy S.E.A.L S and often stated that he treated them better than he did his own son. But, out of all the S.E.A.L.S, Remington had hated the Ian the most. So, he had sought her out, knowing that Ian loved her and seduced her. Sasha now knew that he had been only been using her, her simple seduction with high price dinner, gritty sex and trips had only been his way of getting back at Ian. Maybe in his own way, he did love her but he loved the fact that he had gotten what Ian wanted more. Sometimes Sasha wondered why Remington had married her but she figured that he was afraid that given the chance, she and Ian would reconcile. Little did Remington know Ian? He was too honorable and he’d never forgive her for betraying him. For all of his wonderful traits, and there many, Ian wasn’t the forgiving kind.

 

Brooke had put the paper down hiding the society page when she heard the front door opening and headed out to the living room. Ace and Ian came into the living room looking like they had just taken a run. Brooke gave Ian a nasty look. “ I thought that you promised no strenuous activities.”

“ I didn’t do anything strenuous. While Ace ran, I walked.”

“ You expect me to believe you. Please. Ace..”

Ace held up his hand. “ Don’t get me involved.

“ Men.” She groaned as she headed over toward Ian. “ Take your shirt off.”

Ian winked at Brooke. “ Baby, if you want me naked, I’m more than willing to strip down for you’re right now.”

“No. I don’t so. I want to see your wound.”

 “ Brooke it isn’t necessary.”

“ It is for my state of mind. Now, get on with it.” She crossed her arms over her breast as she gave him a no nonsense look. Ace hid his smile. This was almost worth paying money for. Ian was being dressed down and told off by Brooke and she meant business. Ian gave Brooke an equally intimidating look and crossed his arms. She completely ignored him. After dealing with the Stephanie Forrester’s of the world, one sexy muscular ex- Navy S.E.A.L turned writer wasn’t going to scare her.  “ I’ve got all day.” Ian looked at Ace who shrugged his shoulders.

“ I’m heading to the kitchen, after that run I’m starving.” He passed by Brooke who he winked at as he went by her. Finally after the a few moments Ian grinned at Brooke and took off his shirt. He was sweaty, muscular however Brooke wasn’t interested in his chest. She immediately bent down to take a look at his wound. She pealed back the bandage to entire that his stitches were still in tact.

“ See I told you.”

“ You didn’t listen to the doctor’s orders. I seems that I’m going to have to take a closer look what you are doing.”

Ace appeared in the doorway eating a bowl of cereal. “ I told you so. You owe 10 bucks.”

“ For what?” Brooke asked.

“ I bet him that you’d be pissed, he owes me.”

“ I can’t believe you too. Especially you Ace.”

“ Me?”

“ Yes, you! You are supposed to be looking out for his health not playing games. What if he stitches opened and he started to bleed again.”

“ I’m all right Brooke. This hasn’t been the first time that I was shot.”

“ So because this isn’t the first time that you were shot, I’m supposed to be alright with all this. Well I’m not. As long as I’m around you are going to be following all the doctor’s orders. All of them.” Brooke shot at Ian as she stormed out of the room.

Ian watched Brooke for a moment and then burst out laughing. “ She a bossy little thing, isn’t she?”

“ Yes she is.” Ace agreed.

“Damn, I love that woman.” Ian uttered to himself.

Ace was surprised at Ian’s statement and wondered for a moment if Ian was aware of what he even said.

 

Ian sat in the hospital room while the doctor checked, cleaned and changed the bandages on his stitches. After another minute of pocking and prodding, the doctor finally gave Ian the okay to travel back to his home. “ Make sure that you keep the stitches from getting wet the next two days. You might feel a slight pull and itch in the next couple of days. No strenuous activities, no sex..”

“ I know that drill.” Ian pulled on his shirt. “ I’ve been through this before.”

“ Yes, I’m sure that you have however you almost lost your life this time. Just take it easy for the next couple of days. You’ve done a lot for your country, we just want to make sure that you stay healthy.” The doctor wrote down some instructions on a piece of paper. “ Make sure that you take you antibiotics to ensure that your infection disappears. Even if you feel better…take it.”

Ian took the scrap of paper. “ I’ll take it.”

“ I’m sure that you will, after all your girlfriend will make sure that you take it.”

Ian finished buttoning his shirt. “I think that you may be right.”

 

Ace came into the waiting room with what looked to be a strawberry and cheese croissant and handed it to Brooke. “ What’s this? A peace offering?”

“ You still aren’t angry with me, are you?”

“ No. I’m mad at you.”

“ Are you sure?”

“ Of course as. I might fuss but you are a good friend to Ian and are being becoming a good friend to me.”

Ace patted Brooke’s hand affectingly. “ So, if you aren’t upset. Tell me, why are you where you so quiet on the drive over?”

 Brooke took the croissant and pulled off a piece and popped it into her mouth. “ It’s about Sasha. I guess that my mind keeps coming back to her.”

“ Brooke, it’s the past.”

“ I know but yesterday I asked Ian about her.”

“ Whoa… That is something.”

“ He avoided the conversation. He mentioned that she was his past.”

“ He doesn’t talk about her much to anyone. It was a painful time.”

“ Because she married Remington Richardson?”

“How did you…”

Brooke took the society section that she had folded in her bag and gave it to Ace. “ She married Harris’s son, didn’t she?”

“ Why Ace? What happened?”

“ Brooke. God I wish that I could tell you but I can’t. Ian will tell you. Sooner or later, he will. The one thing that I’m going to tell you that it is over between them.”

“ Is it really because if he can’t even talk about it that means there are still feelings.” Brooke pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear. “It’s not that I think that he shouldn’t, he said that they were childhood sweethearts. First loves are hard to get over…” Brooke thought about the first time that she saw Ridge at the Forrester mansion. “ I should know. It’s taken me years to get my first love and still there were times that seeing him made the memories replay over in my head. So, I know for Ian, who spent all these years without another relationship, the memories of Sasha have to be alive and well.”

“ Brooke. The memories are there but believe me when I tell you not to worry about Sasha.”

Her fingers touched the picture of Sasha and Remington on the front page.“ I’m not worried about me. Its just Ian. I can’t help but to wonder what he has gone through with her. How he loved her. How much seeing marry another man did to him. The pain of it all.”

“ He was hurt.”

“ So hurt that he pulled away thing that he knew, that he loved just to be alone and to heal. To see the person that you love more than anything marry another is pain that I understand.” Brooke shuttered for a moment when she handed Ace the newspaper. “ Here. You are right. I don’t need to know about her anymore. I’ll wait until Ian’s ready. We both have histories with people who we loved and hurt us. Maybe we help each other heal.”

“ I think that you can heal him.”

“ Just like he has been helping me to heal and put my life together.”

“ They were both fools you know.”

“ Sasha and Ridge.”

“ Ridge?”

“ Yeah. From what I read, he was a fool to let a woman like you go.”

“ I don’t think that Ridge was the fool. I think that I was for going back again and again. But it’s over. I ended it and I’ve started a new life.”

“ So has Ian. You’ve helped to give him that, a new lease on life.”

 

 

Rabbit stepped out of the elevator looking as if had partied the night away. Although he wore a pair of worn jeans and a tight blue T-shirt shirt with his hair short blond hair disarray over his head, he still attracted the attention of a few female passerbyers. Rabbit smiled at cute redhead that passed him and headed toward Ace who was still waiting for Ian to get out of his checkup.

Ace shook his head at Rabbit. “ It’s 11:00, where have you been?”

“ Wouldn’t you like to know?” Rabbit took out a cigeratte but put it away when Ace frowned at him.

“ You were out bar hopping all night, weren’t you?”

“ Yeah. You could have come.”

“ Naw. Mac and Brooke spent the night. Besides Gram came over so did Cowboy. Brooke cooked dinner. It was nice.”

“ I’m sorry that I missed that.”

“ Because you missed a meal or you missed a chance to ogle Brooke.”

Rabbit laughed. “ You know that I’d never miss a chance to look at her. She is quite a beauty.”

“ Yeah she is.” Ace’s facial expression changed for a minute.

“ Hey, what is it?”

“ It’s nothing important.”

“Ace, stop being such a babysitter. Master Chief, I’m sure can handle her.”

“ It’s not that. It’s just that….he really cares for her. I think that he loves her.”

“ So, that’s a good thing isn’t it?”

“ Yeah it is. But they both have been hurt so many badly because other people. I just hope that they are willing to look past their pain and their distrust because if they can, I think that relationship might become very important to both of them.” Rabbit laughed. “ What?”

“ You go from bad ass S.E.A.L to doting den mother in a matter of seconds.”

Ace crossed his arms over his chest causing his bulging biceps to tighten. “ Real funny, Rabbit. Real funny. Don’t you something to do?”

“ Yeah. I’m going to visit G-man. See you later.”

Ace watched as Rabbit made his way down the hall.

 

Brooke listened as Cinder, the very short lively blonde with an increditable body that was squeezed into a strapless white scarf top and a pair of white low rider pants. Cinder gibbered away as she told Brooke all about the homecoming that she had planned for her husband. Apparently, the young woman who redone their bedroom with the island motif and couldn’t wait for husband to see it. If Brooke had thought that Cinder was lively, that was nothing compared to her husband, G-Man. G-man, Brooke found, was an attractive tattoo, sporting, fast-talking New Yorker with gusto and a heart of gold. Coming from an Italian family, he loved kids and adored his sweet little wife. Brooke noticed how his eyes lit up when he saw his wife who absolutely basked in his love. She was full of zest and totally zeal of having her husband back safe and sound. The couple of was very lovely dovey, constantly kissing one another and Brooke thought it was sweet. G-man was such a riot especially when he was trying to hid a cigarette from his wife and whispered to Brooke not to tell, however Cinder, knew her husband slid her hand under his pillow and slipped the cigarette out. “ He loves to smoke those things. I hate them.”

“ Now babe…I don’t smoke them in the house.”

“ You should see what she has done to her house. It is amazing, that she’d be like a Martha Stewart type. She cooks these amazing meals and paints all this stuff. The fact that she had a killer body is an extra bonus.”

“ Just don’t you forget it.” She said asked she kissed her husband on the lips. 

In that moment Brooke realized that that in a way that Cinder reminded her of the way that Deacon and Bridget acted toward one another. That would be, if Deacon loved her daughter. For the first time Brooke was willing to admit that although she didn’t care for how they started or the fact that Deacon had been in love with Amber if Deacon were willing to truly love her daughter they way that G-man loved Cinder, then she’d accept the marriage. “ So Brooke, when are you and Mac heading home?”

“ I think today. If the doctor gives him the okay.”

“ Oh No. You are going to miss the welcome home party that I have planned.”

Brooke smiled at Cinder. “ I’m sorry.”

“ Are you sure we can’t get you to stay a little longer. After all the things that Mac has done to help my husband, it’s the least that we can do.”

“ I agree.” G-man stated as he used his good arm to pull his wife toward him.

“ That’s a nice offer. But I really want to get Ian home unless he wants to stay.”

“ So, do you and Mac live together?” Cinder asked innocently.

“ No. I don’t live Colorado.”

“ Where do you live?”

“ In L.A.” Brooke bit her lip. “ Funny, I haven’t thought of home much now that I’m gone.”

“L.A, is great. The weather is perfect and all of those stars. Tell me, have you ever met any?”

Brooke smiled. In her business she met stars all the time who wanted to wear Forrester clothing. Especially around Oscar or Emmy time. Forresters were bombarded with women and men who wanted to look their best.

 “ I’ve seen one or two.”

“Oh my god. You have? When.”

G-man rolled his eyes at his wife’s exuberance. “ Don’t get her started. She’ll be asking you all sorts of questions.”

“ Ignore him. Tell me, who have you met? Where did you meet them?”

“ I’ve seen Matt Damon a few times at this coffee shop.”

“ Oh my god! Was he as cute as he seems on film.”

“ Yes, he is. And very nice.”

“ Have you met anyone else?”

“ Ahh, just a few people, here and there. Most celebrities, I’ve found are normal people and reports about them aren’t true.”

 

Ian stood in the doorway listening to Brooke talk with Cinder for a moment before he stepped into the room. Brooke looked up and her face radiated with a beautiful smile. “ What did the doctor say?”

Ian kissed Brooke on the top of her head. “He said that I was free to go home. Everything looks great to him.”

“Are you sure.” Brooke said as she wrapped her arms around Ian’s shoulders. Ian kissed her on the lips softly.

“ Yeah he did. So, I’ve made arrangements and we have a flight within two hours. So, we’ve got to go.”

Cinder frowned. “ Are you sure? I was trying to get Brooke to agree to stay a couple more days.”

Ian moved to stand behind Brooke and stroked her hair. “ Sorry Cinder, maybe another time. I’m ready to go home.”

Cinder stood up and hugged Ian tightly. “ Well, at least let me thank you for what you’ve done for Nicolas. I wouldn’t know what to do if you hadn’t been there.” Ian held a groan, she was clutching him so tightly that she was hurting his side but he didn’t have the heart to tell her.

Brooke watched them with a smile as G-man shook his head. “ That’s enough Cinder, you may be hurting his wound.”

Cinder jumped. “ Oh, Mac, I’m sorry.”

“ Don’t worry. I know that you meant well.” Ian headed over toward the bed where he beat his fist on top of G-man’s.

“ Thank you so such Mac.”

“ Hey, that’s enough of that. I know that you’d do it for me.”

“ I still owe you.”

“ That you do.”

“ Can you promise us that you’ll try to make the reunion this year, you never come.” Complained Cinder.

“ What reunion?” Brooke asked as she made her way next to Ian.

“ It’s nothing.”

“ Every year the S.E.A.L S get together with their wives or their girlfriends. Sometimes we stay at the beach or stay on of the S.E.A.L’s getaways. I think this time we are supposed to go skiing. I’m not sure if Nicolas is going to be completely healed but we are at least going.”

“ I’m going to be skiing.”

“ Only I’m going to be healed, don’t worry sweetheart.”

“  We have a blast. Mace never comes.”

Ian sighed and looked at Brooke. “ Maybe I will make it this year.”

“ That’s something that I’d like to see. We really miss you, you know.”

Ian wasn’t sure if he could deal with all the praise being heaped upon him. “ Thanks for letting me know.” He looked down into Brooke’s beautiful eyes. “ Are you ready to head home.”

Home, Brooke thought. Home to her should be in L.A however it seemed that she didn’t think of the house that Ridge bought her so many years before as home. It was something else. “ Yes, Ian. I’m ready to go.”

 

Ridge finished fixing the train on his latest creation of a wedding dress when Bridget popped her head in on him. “ WOW, that is one spectacular dress.” Ridge looked up from his kneeling position and stood. “ Thanks Bridget.” He looked at the model Lauren. “ How does it feel?”

The model moved around for a bit. “ It feels fantastic.”

“ Good, you can go. Have Cathy put you in the burgundy dress.”

“ All right.” Lauren paused for a moment. “I thought that I was going to try on a few pieces of Brooke’s Bedroom.”

Ridge frowned at the mention of that line. “ No. Not today.”

Bridget noticed Ridge’s frown as the model moved out of the room. “ Uh Oh. What is that look for? I thought that you liked the line.”

Ridge threw his hemming pins of the table. “ I did but I don’t the Scandelous Ads.”

“ The ones of you and mom.”

“ Yeah. I don’t know how I let that woman talk me into it. I guess that I let her talk into a lot of things.” He said bitterly.

“ Ridge. You are upset my mother. It obvious that you have been for a while. I’m just wondering what happened in Paris?”

How could he explain to Bridget how her mother used and then ultimately betrayed him. As angry as he was with Brooke, he’d never bad talk her to Bridget. “ Bridget what happened between me and your mother in Paris is between she and I.”

“ Listen, I know Ridge. But it’s obvious that you are very angry with her. I’ve heard that you are complaining about her absence.”

“ Your mother isn’t doing her job. This is a multi-million dollar company and your mother has been gone for months.”

“ But isn’t really months. For two months she’s been in Paris.”

“ What about the last three weeks? She hasn’t been here. At least until a week and a half ago she was actually communicating with Megan but now she isn’t even doing that.”

Bridget frowned. “ You haven’t heard from her in a week in a half? I haven’t heard from her either and neither has Rick. Do you think that something has happened?”

“ No, I think that you mother might be playing on of her games. I have better things to worry about than what trouble that your mother is up too. We a business to run and clothing lines to produce and your mother isn’t anywhere to be found. Instead of handling her business, she’s off galavanting in the fucking mountains somewhere.”

“ Ridge. I know that you are upset from her but it isn’t like her not to call. I mean…she always calls.”

Ridge sighed. “ Listen Bridget. I don’t think that your mother has anything to worry about.”

“ Ridge, she’s snowed in with some man that we don’t know. Now we haven’t heard from her. I know that I’ve left two to three messages and she hadn’t called back. I just thought… Ridge, I’m worried. What if something happened to her.”

“ She’s snowed in with some man?” This was the first of this that Ridge had heard about this. What in the world was going on. Who is this Bridget.”

“ I don’t know. She was supposed to be at this retret but she got snowed in. She was staying at this man’s cabin.”

Ridge was silent for a moment. “ I’m sure that Brooke can handle herself. When it comes to men, she certainly can handle them.”

Bridget was certainly confused by Ridge’s reaction. Sure, he and her mother had problems but she didn’t expect this. “ You aren’t worried?”

“ No. You mother isn’t my problem anymore. In fact, she isn’t any man in this family’s problem anymore. I’m sure that she is all right.”

“ Well I can’t feel as comfortable as you Ridge. She’s my mother. I love her and I’m worried.”

Bridget walked out of Ridge’s office leaving him wondering what happened.

 

Brooke hugged Ace tightly while the plane waited for them. “ Thank you so much for all that you’ve done. Thanks for coming to get me.”

“ You are important to him. No matter what he says or does, just remember that.”

“I’ll try.”

Ace kissed her on the top on her head. “ I’m sorry about the way that we met and how I scared you.”

“You are forgiven.”

Brooke stepped back and watched how Ace and Ian hugged each other. “ Thanks man for being there.”

“No problem. Take care Mac.” He looked at Brooke. “ Take care of that little lady, she’s special.”

Ace watched as the couple boared the plan. Ian helped Brooke climb up the stairs. She turned and waved at Ace for a moment before she got inside the plan. Ace smiled. He had hopes for them. Ian loved and he suspected that she loved him to, he hoped that she did.

 

 

 Chapter 25

 

Ian drove through the snowy woods of Colorado listening as windshield wipers swished against the falling snow that hit the windshield. The pitch-blackness of the night would could easily scare a person not used to driving in such weather, but it meant nothing to Ian. Countless of times, he had driven the two-hour ride from the airport and the hour ride to what was considered “civilization” toward his destination to his home. Unlike the other countless drive home, this time was different. This time, he wasn’t alone. He turned to look at Brooke who was curled up in the seat next to him, currently sleeping. She was a vision, so beautiful, so sweet and damn it if he wasn’t already hard. He was amazed that even after everything that he had been through the last week that just seeing her smile kept him in a constant state of sporting an erection. Never had a woman affected his mind and body like she did, not even Sasha. It was like Brooke consumed his thought; his dreams and he wouldn’t even get into the daydreams. On the plane ride hide; he was hit with very vivid visions of her thighs wrapped around his waist while he slid his penis into her hot warm center. Right now, his jeans were tight on his ever-persistent erection. Yet it was more than sex, it was just being around her; somehow she had found a way to soothe the savage beast that he had become in all of those years. Ian smiled to himself and reached over to touch her flushed cheek. It was certainly good to be going home with Brooke next to his side.

 

Bridget opened the front door to her mother’s estate and walked inside. There, she found her brother, Rick, her very pregnant wife, Amber waiting for her. Rick kissed his sister and helped Amber to sit down on the plush sofa in the living room. For the last month, Rick and Amber had moved into Brooke’s house until the house that they were having built was finished. With Brooke gone there was plenty of room for Rick, Amber and Little Eric. “ Budge, I got your call. What’s going on?”

Bridget threw her purse brown suede purse that matched her brown suede pants along with her cream baby doll blouse. “I went to Forrester today and talked to Ridge.” Bridget rested her hand on her waist.

“ The conversation was disturbing and I’m not talking about Ridge’s attitude.”

“ Yeah. Well, the way that Ridge is acting is horrible. I hate seeing him at work every day. His comments are way out of line. The other day, he chewed out Sherrie in accounting because of a mistake on his part. I had to clear the matter up.”

“ I heard that you two got into it.”

“ I’m not going to let Ridge treat our employees any kind of way. He thinks that he can do anything he wants. Well, he can’t.”

“ You know Rick has been working a lot at Forrester and Ridge isn’t too happy about it. Rick will be finishing up school early within a couple of weeks. Your father is pleased that Rick wants to be at Forrester and is considering of making him second in command for production. Rick has done a great job.” Amber supplied.

“ That is great Rick.”

“ Thanks Budge, but I think that you had something else that you wanted me to talk to you about.

“ Well, I wish this was but it’s about Mom. I’m really worried about her. No one has heard from her in a week. That’s not like her. No matter where she is, she always calls.”

Rick leaned forward. “ I didn’t want to tell you this but I’m worried as well, for the same reason. I tried calling the number she left but I kept getting the answer machine. Her cell phone has been out since she was lost so that isn’t any help. She hasn’t responded to any of her e-mails either.”

“ I think that we need to do something, but what? Rick I’m really worried. What if something happened to her?”

“ Listen, I know that you are worried but your mother can handle herself.” Amber interjected.

“Maybe she needed some time away from everything, isn’t that why she left? Besides who knows what really happened between your mother and Ridge in Paris. Look at the way she was throwing herself at him. She’s probably licking her wounds.”

Bridget was offended“ God Amber will you listen to yourself. I know that you don’t like my mother but if you were missing she’d be worried as well.”

“ I doubt that.” Amber whispered.

“ Amber!”

Amber looked sheepishly at her husband. “ I’m sorry but I’m telling the truth. You mother doesn’t like me.”

“But that doesn’t stop you from living in her house like you own it, Amber.”

Rick knew where this was going. Bridget didn’t like the way that Amber had made herself home since their mother’s absence. “ Bridget, Amber you two stop it.”

Bridget stood up and paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. “ You need to control her.”

Amber stood up with difficulty. “ I don’t need to be controlled. You are right. Brooke isn’t my most favorite person but I’m being honest. Your mother can handle herself.”

“ Just shut up Amber. She’s my mother and I know her so does Rick.”

“ Budge is right. Amber, this isn’t like her. Something is wrong.”

Bridget wore a worried expression. “ So, what do you suggest that we do?”

“ I don’t know but one thing is for sure, we’ve got to find our mother.”

 

Ian pulled up to his cabin. His home. It felt so good to be here one again, it felt so good to be alive. Ian didn’t want to wake Brooke yet, with the snow falling and the cabin empty it had to be cold. He left the Brooke in his SUV with it running and went into his empty cabin. He instantly started a fire and turned the thermostat up to high. After taking care of the warmth of the cabin, he headed out to his vehicle and was very careful as he carried Brooke out of it toward the house. He laid her down on the sofa and pulled a blanket over her sleeping form since the bedroom still had a chill to it. Brooke hardly stirred as Ian spent the next half an hour making chicken noodle soap and warming up some soft rolls for her. The cabin became warm and once the smell of soup hit the arm Brooke was slowly awaken. She stretched for a moment before she opened her eyes. It took her a moment but she finally figured out where she was. Sitting up, she called out his name. Coming from the kitchen, Ian brought Brooke a hot cup of coffee “ Finally, Sleeping Beauty has awakened.” Brooke sat up and sipped the coffee and sighed as the hot delicious liquid warmed her body.

“ That’s good. How long have I been asleep?”

“ You feel asleep not about twenty minutes after we got in the car. So I’d say about four hours.”

“ That long,” she said with a frown. “ I’m so sorry.”

Ian kneeled down next to Brooke. “ Baby, you have nothing to be sorry about. You were tired. You really didn’t get that much sleep in the last couple of days.”

 “ But you are the one who was shot, not me. I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

“You have,” he whispered. “You’ve been taking very good care of me.” He caressed her face gently before kissing the top of her head. More than anyone has.” He felt as if her hand had squeezed his heart when she smiled at him. 

Brooke softly bit her lower lip. Just looking at him filled her with need. She wanted to be in his bed, naked with him inside of her. Shaking her head as if to ward off those thought she tried to stand. “ I’ll make dinner.”

Ian put his hands on Brooke’s shoulder. “ I’ve already done that, so just relax.”

“ No. I’m going to relax when you need to rest.”

Ian hid his smile. “ I am going to relax.” He put his feet up on his coffee table. “ Now, if you want me to relax and not to do anything strenuous like the doctor stated, you are going to have to lay here next to me and drink you coffee because that what I plan to do.” Ian sipped his own coffee. “ Now get you ass over here Princess and make sure I do what I’m supposed to do.”

There was a special glint in Brooke’s eye. “ You know that you are going to pay for that comment.”

“ Of course I am.” He said with a wink.

 

Dinner was a wonderful experience for both Brooke and Ian. They sat in front of the fire eating chicken noodle soup and Ian’s delicious coffee. Ian spoke very little of mission but he entertained Brooke with some other stories of his past. Brooke wasn’t sure if Ian had every spoken so much in a small amount of time yet it warmed her heart to know that he had trusted her enough to open up about his past and his missions. If she had been with Ian back in those days, she would have been scared shitless, what he did was dangerous and it boggled her mind that he was trained to do such things. True, she knew those types of men existed; however Ian seemed so different than those kick-ass men in those actions movies. Ian, in turn, felt relaxed. He didn’t speak that often about his days in the S.E.A.L S yet with Brooke stories seemed to come out of him. She listened astutely and asked very few questions, while he talked on in on. When he and Sasha had been together, he hadn’t felt comfortable enough to talk about his missions since it made her uncomfortable. He had always wished that he had because it was like a cleansing of the soul for him; maybe he needed her to let him know that regardless of all the dark in the world, he could come home to a haven of beauty.

 

Ian had wrapped his arms around Brooke while she had been sitting in front of him with the back of her head resting against his chest. Brooke lightly traced Ian’s large fingers with her own. They had been sitting in silence for the last half of an hour, not that either of them minded. Sometimes less was more.“ What are you thinking about?” His voice said huskily against her ear. She looked up into his face, her eyes the color of gold reached his soul. She smiled. “ Now I really want to know. Is it something naughty?”

“ See, you have it all wrong.”

“ I do?” He brushed his mouth against the tip of her nose. “ Then tell me.”

“I was thinking about Nicholas and Cinder.”

This surprised Ian.“ What about them?”

“ I was thinking that in a way Nicholas reminded me of Deacon a little bit and she of Bridget.” Brooke had told Ian about her daughter Bridget and her quick marriage to a man who was not only older than her daughter but who was in love with Brooke’s daughter-in-law.

“Really, how? I don’t see the comparison.”

 “ Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that Nicolas is completely like Deacon but I think he had some of the brashness that Deacon has but underneath there is love for his wife. A man who wants to be a husband and father. I think that if Deacon loved Bridget, really loved her that despite the way they started their relationship, I’d find a way to accept it because my little girl is a lot like Cinder. She loves Deacon so much.”

“ That bothers you.”

“ It did and sometimes it still does. She loves him so much and I can understand that because she got that from me. She grew up with a mother who thought her that being in love meant everything. She doesn’t want to give up her relationship with him. But it’s Deacon I’m not sure about. The passion that he felt for Amber that doesn’t just die. I’m just afraid that one day he is really going to hurt my daughter. I don’t want that for Bridget.” Her eyes became sad and he wanted desperately to remove that look on her face.

“ I know that you want to protect her but you can’t. Your daughter’s marriage will either blossom into a supporting wonderful relationship or it will end. However, you can’t stop what is going to happen. All you can do is be supportive.”

“ I know. I just wish that she’d listen to me from the beginning about him. But she wants to try and sometimes I think it’s because I don’t have the greatest track records when it comes to marriage. Bridget has certainly let me know that.”

“ That makes you worry more?”

“ Yes. It’s like she is willing to stay in a relationship just to prove that she can. Before Deacon married my daughter I had conversations with him and although he wasn’t my favorite person, he wasn’t that bad. He didn’t have the type of upbringing or the status that Bridget did but he worked hard at creating fantastic clubs where there were none. He also stood his ground and I kinda respected that. It’s just he married Bridget for all the wrong reasons and the he took her virginity, I wanted to kill him. I’m surprised that her father didn’t.”

“ Why didn’t he?” If Bridget had been his daughter, he would have killed the bastard.

“ Because the last time Deacon got beat up it was because of Ridge, Thorne and Eric. In fact, he allowed it to happen to get a reaction out of Bridget.  Bridget was so upset she ended up married to Deacon and threatened to have nothing to do with us. Her father, like me didn’t want to push her away. She wasn’t going to listen to anyone even me. I was afraid of losing Bridget; I didn’t want to push her away. Both of my children are married to people who I feel are wrong for them. In some ways I feel worse about Amber than I do about Deacon although his actions have been horrible there is a slight chance that maybe he could love my daughter one day. I’m holding out for that hope that he either falls in love with her or that she wakes up because I don’t want her to have a marriage without real love. Sometimes I look at my children’s marriages and I feel so helpless. I wanted something more for Bridget and for Rick.”

“ Rick is married to Amber.”

“ Yes, …don’t even get me started on her. In some ways I think that she is far worse than Deacon. From the moment that she saw my son, she saw dollar signs. She used he body and her sexual experience to trap my 16-year-old son with a pregnancy. She knew that if she got pregnant that Rick wouldn’t turn his back on her. She married my son for his money.”

“ His money?”

Brooke was silent for a moment. “ Rick and Bridget are Forresters.”

Ian thought for a moment. That was the name of the company that she worked for “ Your ex-husband was a wealthy man?”

“ Yes”

“ And your ex-husband he owns the company that you work for.

 “ Yes, No. Well…kinda.” Brooke knew that sooner or later she had to come clean about her owning Forrester but she didn’t want it to be today. “Forrester Creations is a family business, pretty much. When I first got married, I started to work there. There was a newly created chemistry department, which I ran.  I created this formula for the company it pretty much took fabrics like linen and made them wrinkle proof.” Brooke turned toward Ian. “ I think that I told you that.”

“ Yes, you mentioned something like that. However you didn’t say that you worked for your husband’s company.” Ian moved away from Brooke slightly and unclasped his fingers with hers.  “ So, you are a Forrester.”

“ No. I’m a Logan. And you mean ex-husband. My children are Forresters, not me.”

“ However you come in contact with Ridge, your ex-husband, at work.”

“ I know that it complicated. But we have been working together for years. Marriage or no marriage, we both work at Forrester. You see, Ridge is the head designer at the company.”

“ And you head up the Lingerie department for that company.”

Brooke’s words were caught in her throat. She did more than that. “ That is one of my duties at the company.”

Ian quick eyes found hers. “ Do you work with Ridge?”

She sighed heavily; this wasn’t going well. “ Yes.  I have to; he is the designer of the lingerie line. We come in contact with one another although not as much as we used to.”

“ However you work together.

“No matter what our personal lives were like, we always seemed to make a good working team, at least at work.”

Ian didn’t understand how Brooke could work with Ridge. Based on her own words. Ridge had broken her heart and annulled their marriage twice. Yet Brooke but herself in a position that she was near him everyday. After dealing with the blow that Sasha had dealt him, he had moved as far away from her as he could. He hadn’t wanted to see her or be hit with the memories of the past. So why would Brooke put herself in that type of position. It was clearly masochistic “ Why? Why do you still work there?”

Brooke pulled the hair away from her face for a moment and then reached out to touch Ian’s hand. She needed to touch him to have a connection with him. She noticed how he hesitated for a moment yet she felt a small sense of relief, as he didn’t pull away. “I love working there, Ian. I know the whole thing is strange but for a time I was part of the Forrester Family. My children are Forresters and the company is part of their legacy and when they get old enough they will hold this company. I’ve worked hard for years. My contributions to the company are countless. I wasn’t going to leave Forrester because Ridge and I were no longer married.” Brooke felt like she was going to throw up for a moment. She wasn’t telling him the entire truth but she didn’t know how she was going to do it. “ I know that the entire thing is strange but Ridge could deal with it. It didn’t matter that we weren’t involved nor married to one another because that connection between us was still there. I’m not saying that it wasn’t painful for me during those times, it was but somehow I though it. Watching that man that I loved with new wife and seeing his baby with her and knowing that if things had been different that we would have still been married, was hard. But in a way it made me strong and in time the wounds healed.”

“ I don’t know why you would do this to yourself. You put yourself in a position to be hurt.”

Brooke shrugged her shoulders. “ I guess that I liked pain or a maybe in those days I was masochistic or something. All I knew was that for years Ridge and I supported each other, leaned on one another and depended on one another. I guess that I knew that if I ran from Forrester that I’d be saying to the world that they gotten to me. I wasn’t going to do that. I loved working for Forrester. I love the way that the business worked and how I, Brooke Logan, the girl from the valley, had a mind for business. I’m more than capable of doing my job and working with the best in the brightest of the business. I can’t see working anywhere else. I love Forrester.”

Ian sighed; the entire thing was complicated. “ No wonder your husband Thorne was insecure, you working side by side with your ex-husband.”

 Brooke started to laugh and Ian looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “ Thorne wasn’t insecure about that, believe me.” Brooke stopped laughing and sighed. “ Thorne worked at Forrester too.”

“ What?”

“ I work with Thorne. He in charge of manufacturing and fabrics at Forrester.”

Ian pulled his hand away from Brooke and slowly stood. He was silent for a few painful minutes before he spoke.“ Both of your ex-husbands work at Forrester with you?

“ Yes.” Brooke waited to hear Ian’s reaction however she was surprised when he suddenly started to laugh. Brooke gave Ian a perplexed look.

“ Shit, it’s no wonder you had to come here to get your mind together. Two ex-husbands in the same building? If I had to work with Sasha, it would have driven me crazy. How in the hell do you do it Brooke?”

“ Well, I have been in Paris the two months. Besides there aren’t any hard feelings on my part about Thorne, he is a wonderful man.”

“ A man who left you.”

Brooke looked away from Ian for moment. “ I think that it was too much.”

“ I think that it might have been, him working with you and Ridge. Still, he knew what he was getting into when he married you. He had no right to cut and run.”

 “ I guess he did what he thought was best.”

“ Don’t make excuses for him. When you marry a woman, you are making a life long commitment. He should have stuck it out. Hell if seeing Ridge was making him jealous, he should have demanded that you quit and he should have quit too.”

“Demanded that I quit. I see that you’ve been out in the woods too long. It isn’t that easy.”

 Ian was silent for a moment.

“ Yes it is Brooke. If a commitment means everything to you, than you make it a priority. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices.” Ian sat back down. “ Listen, I’m not saying that you don’t’ have a right to work where you want. Though it’s strange, you did spend years there giving them your life’s blood but if your husband had come to you and asked for your both to make a new start, one that didn’t involve Ridge, would you have done it?” Brooke didn’t know that answer to that question. She licked her suddenly dry lips. Ian watched her and the reality of the situation hit him. “ You wouldn’t have left? Would you?”

“ Back then, I don’t know. I’d given my life to that company.”

“ It’s just a job.”

“ No. It wasn’t. Not to me. Tell, would have given up your writing for Sasha?”

Ian blinked. “ I gave up the S.E.A.L.S for her.”

“ Yes and that was a sacrifice but I’m not talking about them. You loved that job but it is clear that writing was your passion. Would you have given up your passion for her?”

Ian sighed deeply. “ Back then, yes.”

“ Tell me, would you have given up Forrester for Ridge?”

“ We were talking about Thorne.”

“ I know and it’s clear that you wouldn’t have given it up for him, Brooke. It’s seems pretty clear where your heart was.”

Unwanted tears filled Brooke’s eyes. “ I did love Thorne.”

“ But he was right, wasn’t he? You were still in love with your ex-husband. If you had to give up Forrester to have Ridge, you would have done it but you wouldn’t have done it for Thorne, would you?” Ian uttered in a slightly accusatory tone.

Ian watched as a long huge tear feel from her eye. “ I didn’t think that I was. I mean….I just. Deep down, I knew but I thought that since …Thorne was good for me.”

“ But you wouldn’t have stopped working at Forrester for him?”

Brooke’s lips trembled. There it was, the truth. She couldn’t hide that part from Ian.“ No.” Huge hot tears streamed down her face. “ I shouldn’t have married him. “

Ian’s stomach was tied up in knots. “Because you were still in love with Ridge.” And she still loved him, Ian thought. God, he had been kidding himself. She was still in love with Ridge. That was why she worked with him. Ian had to get away from her. It was like a knife was slicing him through the heart. She’d never get over Ridge. He didn’t have a chance. “ I’m tired Brooke. I think I ought to head to bed.”

“ Ian, where are you going?” She asked as he stood up.

“ Brooke it’s late.”

“ You blame me, don’t you? You think that it’s my fault like everyone else.” She said helplessly.

God, why did she have to look so sad? The pain in Brooke’s voice nearly broke him in two. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her tears away but how could he?  God, he felt almost felt sorry for Thorne. Being in love with her, knowing she loved another. Ian sighed.

“ Brooke I don’t blame you.” He turned around and bowed his head. “ I can understand what it feels like to really love someone and not get over them.”

Brooke felt sick. Sasha, he was telling her that he was still in love with her. “ Ian…”

“ It’s late Brooke. Goodnight.”

Ian left Brooke standing alone in the living room. He had to go, if he didn’t she’d see the pain in his eyes. Damn it all to hell. She still loved Ridge.

 

Brooke turned away, she didn’t want to stand there any longer, if she did, she’d go to him. But he didn’t want her; he not only blamed her for her ruin of a marriage to Thorne. He all but admitted he was still in love with Sasha.

 

Ian lay awake staring at the ceiling. The cabin was quiet all except the sound of the snow hitting the side of the window. He couldn’t sleep, how could he? When he had awakened that morning in Florida, he had high hopes but now, he was back in his cabin, with a woman he wanted and was falling in love with and see….well, she was in love with Ridge. How could he compete with that? They had been married. They shared two children. They worked together. How could God be so cruel?  When he had been in the hospital and had seen her tiny little body curled up next to his, he had hope. He had known about Ridge, but somehow he had hoped that she had felt something. After all, no matter how hot or satisfying the sex was between them, she had come to Florida when she could have gone home. Brooke was an attractive sensual creature and he knew that men where attracted to her. He couldn’t have been the first to come on to her since her marriage broke up. Hell, he hadn’t even been nice to her, so why? Why did she endear herself to him? Why had see been so sweet to him and his friends. Why had she cried for him, if it were just sex. “ Why Brooke? Why did you make me fall for you?” Ian suddenly felt alone.

 

Bridget put the phone down. “ I tried again but I only got the answering machine.”

“ That settles it. We are going to Colorado.”

Amber looked at Rick. “ What? You don’t even know where she is.”

“ We can get the name of the place that she was supposed to be going from Megan.” Bridget said as she ignored her sister-in-law.”

“ That’s a good idea. We will start from there.” Rick supplied.

“ Hello? Isn’t anyone listening to me? You mother is grown. You don’t hear from her in a couple of days and you’ll  be doing a manhunt? She was in a snow storm which means it is probably still going on.”

“ Even more reason to worry Amber.” Bridget said in a huff. Deacon studied his wife. He had arrived at Brooke’s place an hour ago and heard the on going argument. He wrapped his arms around her. Time was a funny thing, the more he was around his spunky little wife, the more he started to look at her in a different manner. Bridget was reaching out to her mother again and somehow that made him proud. He kissed the top of her head. “ Listen sweetie. I kinda think that Amber is right.”

Amber smirked. Deacon always was on her side. Somehow she didn’t like the way he had been with Bridget lately. It was almost as if he were developing feeling for the girl. Bridget frowned but started to argue when Deacon stopped her. “ Listen, Amber is pregnant so she is naturally worried about Rick going. She shouldn’t go in her condition, nor should she be left alone.”

Bridget swallowed with difficulty. God, when would her husband stop worrying about Amber?

“ That is why I think that you and I should look for your mother.”

“ You do?” Bridget asked in surprise.

“ You do?” Amber asked as well. This was new.

“ Yes, Amber I do.” Deacon said. “ Listen, Rick, the way that Ridge has been acting, maybe you ought to stay at work to keep an eye on him. Bridget and I will go to…”

“ Colorado.” Bridget supplied.

“ Colorado to find your mom.”

Rick looked Deacon for a moment. True, he didn’t like the man for oblivious reasons, but lately there was something different about him. He seemed calmed less like a caged animal, hell he almost seemed human. “ I think that idea has merit.”

“ That way if she calls, you be here.”

Rick smiled. “ That sounds like a plan.”

Bridget turned toward her husband. “ Are you sure? What about the Lair?”

“ Hey, Hank knows that I make the place what is it. He’ll give me the time off. Besides I have a family now and my mother-in-law and most importantly, my wife needs me.”

“ Deacon, Thank you.”

“ You don’t have to thank me baby. I’m doing what a real husband is supposed to do.” Deacon lowered his head and kissed Bridget. Amber and Rick were both a little taken back by the passionate kiss that Deacon and Bridget had.

 

Brooke was curled up in her old bed. The room that had been so comforting when she first arrived had been now seemed so lonely and cold compared to the warmth of Ian’s bed. It wasn’t the warmth of his room that she missed. It was him. His warm body. She had loved sleeping next to him, knowing that he was there, knowing that he was keeping her safe. Now, she was alone again. Hot, fresh tears spilled down her face, as she felt sick to her stomach. He didn’t want her now. He didn’t want her at all. Brooke rolled over onto her stomach and pressed her face in the pillow, she didn’t want him to hear her racking sobs. She had belittled herself for Ridge all those years; she wasn’t about to make that same mistake again.

 

Ian tossed and turned. “ Fuck it.” He uttered in a harsh whisper. He jumped out of his bed, naked as the day that he had been born except for a bandage that covered his stitches. He wasn’t Ridge Forrester. He was never going to be some handsome, rich fashion designer. He wasn’t her true love or the father of her children. He knew that. But he wasn’t going to spend another lonely night in his bed while she was upstairs. She may not love him but damnit! He loved her. He was going to get her and bring her back where she belonged, in his bed. And once he got her he’d spend time pleasuring her like she had never been pleasured before. He’d use sex. He’d make her want him, beg for it and fulfill every fantasy she had ever had. He wanted them all especially the naught ones, he knew instinctively she had them. He'd fulfill them.  He'd fill her with penis, bringing her so many orgasms that the only name she’d utter would be his. He'd pleasure her over and over until ….well…maybe she’d forget about Ridge. He wouldn’t just satisfy her in bed but out of bed too. He’d court her in his own way and be sweet to her and maybe she’d start to love him. A part of him thought that he was kidding himself, that he was taking a big chance. She may never get over Ridge. But another part of him, the part that had loved Sasha so long thought that there might be a chance. He had never thought that he would have gotten over Sasha, but he did. He didn’t love her anymore. Yes, he cared about her, he always would. But the pain that had always accompanied him when he thought about her was gone. Brooke had somehow changed that. Maybe just, maybe he could do the same thing for him. Maybe he could make her fall in love with him.

 

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