Marshall frowned.
“Don’t worry, one of the guys from work has been taking her home every night. And although you probably know this, your friend, Jag, calls her every night and stays on the phone with her until she’s inside her apartment.”
“He has?” Marshall asked.
“You didn’t know?”
“He hasn’t said anything.”
“Well, he has, and she might not admit it, but I think it’s been a relief for her. Anyway, she’s okay.”
Marshall nodded. “Well, if you do happen to see that asshole, don’t hesitate to call the cops and they’ll come throw his ass in jail.”
“I will.”
“Let me know when you get home?” Marshall asked.
Kenna smiled and nodded.
Marshall reached out and ran his hand along the side of her head, smoothing her hair back. “For the record, I’d like to kiss you again, but since I’m in uniform and we’re in a public place, it’s probably not a good idea.”
“Public displays of affection aren’t allowed when you’re in uniform?” Kenna asked with a frown.
“No, it’s not that. But your lips are addicting and I probably wouldn’t be able to stop.”
Kenna smiled. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. Can I pick you up on Sunday? Or do you want me to meet you somewhere?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, you can pick me up,” she told him, feeling somewhat shy. It was a big step forward in their relationship to give him her address, whether he knew it or not. But she should’ve known he’d realize it.
“I swear you won’t regret letting me in,” he said, rubbing his thumb against her cheek gently.
“Is eleven o’clock all right?” she asked, not sure what else to say.
“Perfect. You want me to bring lunch?”
Kenna hadn’t even thought about food, but it was a good idea, so they could hang out on the beach all day—if they weren’t kicked off. “That’d be great.”
“Anything you don’t like?” Marshall asked.
“Not really. I mean, the beach isn’t really the place for something like seafood, but generally I’ll eat whatever.”
“Okay, I’ll come up with something easy to eat that won’t spoil in the heat. Kenna?”
“Yeah?”
Marshall shook his head as if he thought better about asking whatever was on his mind.
“What, Marshall?” Kenna asked.
“I was just going to tell you how excited I am about this weekend.”
She smiled at him. “Me too,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel as if I’ve known you forever.”
“Same,” he agreed. “Drive safe and don’t forget to text me when you get home so I know you got there okay.”
Kenna nodded, then stepped toward him. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly and briefly. “I had a good time today. Thanks.”
“I’m just happy we’ll have more time this weekend,” he said.
“Me too.”
Marshall stepped away from her slowly, as if reluctant to leave. Kenna definitely knew the feeling. She stood by her car until he was inside his Jeep once more. Only then did she get into her own vehicle. She followed him out of the parking lot and waved when he turned left and she turned right.
After arriving home and shooting Marshall a text to let him know she got there without any issues, she stood in the middle of her apartment with a silly grin on her face. There was something…soothing…about being with Marshall. She didn’t worry about where they were or what they were doing, somehow she just had a feeling he’d take care of all the details. Make sure they were safe.
Had she ever felt this way when she was with a guy before?
She didn’t think so.
Looking at her watch, Kenna saw she had a few hours to kill before she had to leave for work. She decided to spend the time surfing the web and finding the perfect beach for them to go to that weekend. It had to be somewhere that had high reviews online, but wasn’t too hard to get onto. She didn’t want to make Marshall drive all the way up to the North Shore either. Even heading east to the coast could take a while. So she decided to concentrate on beaches on the west side near the Navy base. She hated that he’d have to drive out to Waikiki to pick her up, only to go back where he’d come from, but hopefully she could find a beach that would totally be worth it.
Marshall offering to pick her up was extremely considerate. Especially considering it was so early in their relationship. One of the things she liked best about Marshall was how down-to-earth he was. Being a SEAL probably meant he made more money than the average sailor, but maybe not. She had no idea. Maybe he hadn’t talked much about where he lived because he was embarrassed. Hopefully after seeing her not-so-very-exciting apartment, he’d relax a little. Other than his somewhat snobby comment that first night, he seemed to be a lot like her…middle class, with enough money for the important things in life but not a lot of extra.
Smiling, Kenna sat on her couch and fired up her laptop. She remembered seeing a private beach in a previous search that she thought would be perfect. Coral Springs condos looked classy and posh, and the beach was to die for. With Marshall at her side, she thought they just might be able to sneak in. As a couple, they’d blend in more, seem as if they belonged there. Sunday couldn’t come soon enough.
Chapter Seven
Aleck smiled at his phone, then stuffed it back into his pocket.
“Let me guess, that was Kenna,” Midas said with a smile.
Aleck shrugged and nodded.
“Things are going well with you guys,” Mustang noted. It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah. She’s great,” Aleck said.
“Happy for you, bro,” Pid said.
They were taking a short break from the intense meetings they’d been in all morning. An American had been thrown in jail in Iran for some perceived law he’d broken. Talks had been ongoing to secure his release, but had fallen through. Now other alternatives were being discussed; namely, sending special forces to go in and break the man out. But going into Iran without approval from the government was highly risky. The last thing the SEAL team wanted was to be discovered and incarcerated themselves.
“Thanks,” Aleck told his friends. “I could use some advice though.” He didn’t hesitate to ask his team for their opinion. Mustang and Midas had women of their own and could offer perspective, and the others were always up for telling him what they thought.
“Shoot,” Pid said.
“What’s up?” Midas asked.
The others nodded at him as well, letting him know they’d help however they could.
“So you know how I almost blew it that first night at Duke’s?” Aleck asked.
“You mean when you basically told her you didn’t approve of her job?” Slate said.
Aleck sighed. “That’s not what I said,” he grumbled. “And believe me, I’ve definitely had time to think about it, and Kenna loves what she does and is good at it. If only everyone could have a job they enjoy instead of just tolerate.” Aleck was truly happy for Kenna. She was living in a place she loved, working a job that was perfect for her extroverted personality. So what if she wasn’t making a shit ton of money? If things worked out like he was beginning to hope they would, she didn’t need it. Because he had plenty for them both.