“So?” he said. “I know you, Kenna Madigan. And I more than like what I’ve learned about you. Being with you is icing on the cake.”
“Shit, you’re being too nice. You need to stop,” Kenna begged.
“Nope. No can do,” Marshall said with a smile. “And, by the way, you’re right.”
“About what?”
“This is the most amazing beanbag I’ve ever sat in, and now I want to order one for myself.”
“They’re super expensive,” Kenna told him. “How about you borrow mine whenever the mood hits?”
“Every night?” he asked.
Kenna couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not, and decided he had to be. His nickname was short for smart aleck, after all. “Sure. You can just move on in and take up residence in my beanbag,” she joked.
He didn’t respond, but his thumb swept back and forth over the sensitive skin of her neck as he stared at her.
“I do have to warn you, it’s tough to get out of,” she said.
Marshall licked his lips, and suddenly Kenna had no desire to go anywhere. She took the initiative and leaned toward him, feeling his hand tighten subtly on the back of her neck as she moved.
How long they made out in her beanbag, Kenna had no idea. All she knew was that his hand had moved under her cover-up to her bare thigh. Her own hand had snaked under his T-shirt. He was nothing but rock-hard muscles, and she felt extremely powerful when he inhaled sharply as her hand brushed against his nipple.
He pulled back and took a deep breath in through his nose before saying, “Holy shit, woman.”
Kenna smiled. She could still taste him on her lips, and she really, really wanted more. But she was aware that this was technically only their second date. She wasn’t ashamed of her sexuality; she was more afraid she’d fall head over heels for him, then find out something about him that she couldn’t live with…thus breaking her heart.
“This beanbag is lethal,” he quipped.
“Right?” she replied.
“Come on, we need to get up before I cross a line I swore I wouldn’t cross today.”
Kenna tilted her head as she stared at him. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I want you, Kenna. I don’t think that’s any surprise,” he said, nodding down his body toward his erect cock. She hadn’t missed it but was trying to do the polite thing by not staring.
“But I also want to spend more time with you before rushing our physical relationship.”
Aaaaand, there he went again, being considerate and irresistible. “Tell me something negative about you,” she blurted.
Marshall smiled as if he could read her mind. “I drink straight from the carton. Milk, orange juice, soda…you name it,” he said without hesitation. “You?”
Kenna smiled. That was gross, but she could probably live with it. It wasn’t as if they weren’t swapping spit already. “I hate doing dishes and usually let them pile up until I literally can’t do anything in the sink, so I have to give in and do them.”
“I have a dishwasher,” he told her.
“La-dee-da,” she singsonged.
Marshall laughed. “You ready to go?” he asked.
Kenna nodded.
“Okay, I’ll push to help you get out.”
Kenna was used to getting out of the beanbag, so it wasn’t an issue for her. Of course she copped a feel while she did it, just because she could.
Marshall smirked, but didn’t call her on her boldness. He held up a hand.
Kenna grabbed it and, between the two of them, got him out of the super-squishy seat. He stood and shook his head. “I probably need to admit another annoying thing about me,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I can fall asleep anywhere, at any time. Usually within like five minutes. In that thing?” he said with a shake of his head. “It would probably be under two.”
Kenna liked the thought of him sleeping while she puttered around her apartment. It seemed cozy. “I’m sure you’ve learned to fall asleep anywhere because of your job. Assuming when you need sleep, you grab it where you can. I can handle that. But the real question is…do you snore?”
“No,” he said with a completely straight face, but Kenna saw something in his eyes that made her think he was lying.
“I wouldn’t think snoring would be safe in your profession.”
“It’s not,” Marshall said. “Which is why when I start, one of my teammates kicks me until I roll over and stop.”
Kenna laughed. “Noted. Kick the man when he snores.” The second she said it, she thought about what that would mean. That they were together in the same bed. And of course, that made some pretty carnal thoughts run through her head. Again.
“Right. On that note, we really need to go. That all you need for today?” he asked, nodding toward a large bag on the floor.
“Yeah, I packed an extra towel, just in case, and I’ve got plenty of snacks and cash. I have no idea if the beach will have a bar or food truck parked nearby or anything, but I don’t want to risk leaving to get lunch or something to drink in case we can’t get back in.”
“You gonna tell me where we’re going yet?” Marshall asked as he lifted her bag over his shoulder and put his other hand on the small of her back to lead her to the door.
“Nope,” Kenna said with a grin. “It’s a secret. But trust me, it’s swanky and posh, and the beach looks amazing from what I’ve seen online.”
“Do you have a plan for getting us on the beach?” Marshall asked.
“Yup. I’m a professional at this.”
“You ever been kicked off a property before?”
“Of course,” Kenna told him. “Probably fifty percent of the time. But the ones where I’ve been able to stay under the radar have been so worth it.”
“Right, then let’s get this show on the road. Because I’m super curious about this beach adorned with golden sand and mermaids and perfect snorkeling.”
Kenna burst out laughing as she locked her door behind her. “I’m not sure about all that,” she said.
“From the way you talk about these private beaches, I just thought they had to be lined with diamonds or something,” Marshall joked.
“Do you like the beach?” Kenna asked as they headed down the hall toward the stairwell. The elevator in the building had been broken for months. She didn’t mind, it let her get in a bit more exercise to counter the calories from the food she ate while on shift at Duke’s.
“Hate it,” Marshall said.
Kenna looked up at him in shock, hoping he was kidding. “Seriously?”
“Yup. I mean, who likes sand in their shorts?” he asked.
Shaking her head, Kenna said, “Well, I’m sure that would suck. But we aren’t going to be rolling around in the sand today. I can imagine Hell Week probably didn’t give you a great feeling about the beach, huh?”
“Cold water, covered in sand twenty-four seven, and feeling as if you were literally going to freeze to death? No,” Marshall said. “But I have a feeling if anyone can change my mind about spending time on the beach, it’s you. Hell, you could probably change my mind about just about anything I don’t like.”