"Thank you and love you too, my dear protector," Ariana answered in a joking voice to ease the tension.
The two of them stayed like that for a bit longer before Noah pulled away and wiped the tears off his eyes. He looked at her and mock threatened, "If you tell Nicolai that I cried, I will bury myself rather than admit it."
"I won't," she promised with a smile.
Noah stared at her and after a heartbeat, he asked, "Are you happy with him?"
"Yeah," she gave him a nod. "Even though he looks and acts like a brute, he is just like a big teddy bear. Tough on the outside, soft on the inside. If you sit with him and get to know him, you will see that he is truly a kind man in his own ways. At least to me he is kinder than anyone—he is affectionate and respectful in his own ways and keeps me happy."
