A Sense of Duty: A Former Navy SEAL Falls in Love and Begins a New Journey with his Private Consulting Company: Dark Horse Guardians by Ava Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page A

laugh lines in just the right places. He had logged many hours in the sun. His teeth were flawlessly white and without fault. His features had perfect symmetry and proportion. Lara appreciated his physical beauty as she would a magnificently handcrafted antique. She charted every detail, the shape of his brow, his chin, his nose, and those blue eyes: a beautiful pale blue in the sunshine.
    Lara was sitting on the granite stairs next to Ben. Einstein was enjoying the warmth of the sun, too. Suddenly, the wind died and the courtyard became breathtakingly silent and empty for that moment. Ben stood in front of Lara and took her hands to help her up. As he did so, they were face to face in the envelope of warmth and silence of the courtyard. His eyes met hers and his hand moved slightly as he touched her long dark hair. "Your hair…it's beautiful," Ben whispered, "I'm sorry, I just needed to touch it." Her heart raced as his fingers lightly brushed against her hair. Lara smiled and removed the clasp. She shook her head slightly and her dark thick hair surrounded her. "I've been thinking of cutting it. It's time consuming to wash and dry every day." She was shamelessly flirting with him. She knew he was mesmerized. "You can touch my hair…Ben" she whispered. His face was close to hers; she felt he might lean in for a kiss. But he restrained himself from doing so. Ben was not pushing her boundaries. Gazing into her eyes, he accepted her invitation and delicately touched her silky dark hair, enthralled with the mass of waves. "Don't ever cut this," Ben whispered, "I think it suits you." Blushing, Lara gently pulled away as she heard students approaching. "Oh. Gosh." She suddenly glanced down and Ben felt her nervousness. "I'm sorry, Lara. I should keep my hands to myself." Ben apologized. "Can I pick you up at 7:00?" She touched his arm politely and smiled. "See you at 7:00." Lara briskly turned on her heel and headed in the general direction of her condo. Her mind was mixed with excitement and fear at the same time. She needed to take a long hot shower and process what just happened. Marching toward her apartment, Lara could not stop smiling. She was having dinner with Ben tonight and he had sent her flowers.
     
    ~ Ben ~
    As he made his way back to his office Ben hoped he hadn't been too bold with her. He knew she was introverted and shy and had been known to kick guys to the curb for being too forward. The sudden intimacy would either intrigue her or put her off entirely, but it was a chance he had to take. He suspected she enjoyed the touch of his hand much more than she let on. He found her delightful, but knew he had to walk a fine line to win her over. Lara would certainly be smitten with him once he worked his boyish charm on her, or at least he hoped so. He was getting into this relationship for the long haul. He had to be on his best behavior, no easy task for him. Since his failed marriage, he had been in and out of the sack with plenty of women. Some were pretty, but they were one night stands or lasted a weekend. He did not consider them relationships. He cautiously used protection and never lingered after the physical enjoyment was over. He didn't want more unplanned children or, worse, life threatening diseases. It had been a very long time since he had touched a woman's hair and looked into her eyes longing to kiss her. He wanted everything with Lara to be perfect. He was willing to wait until she was ready.
    Standing in his stark new campus office void of any furnishings except for an old mahogany desk and a leather chair, an idea occurred to Ben. He would hire Lara to renovate his office. His phone vibrated and it was Rusty McManus with the background information on Eliot Stone. Eliot was now the owner of the architectural firm started by his 80-year old father, Grant Stone. Now thirty-two Eliot Stone was divorced from his former wife, Bridget. He had no children. Bridget received a large divorce settlement, ten