But he changed his mind when Kenna stopped walking and leaned into him. Aleck put his arm around her waist to hold her close.
“You make me happy too. I could be in the worst mood, but then I get a text from you and it’s like whatever upset me is completely forgotten. I don’t recognize myself lately.”
Aleck couldn’t have stopped himself from leaning down and kissing her if his life depended on it. Cognizant of where they were, he kept the kiss light, but it was still intense.
Kenna reached up and put her hand on his cheek, but she didn’t say anything.
A loud honking made both of them jerk in surprise, and Aleck chuckled as he hustled them out of the middle of the road. He waved at the man behind the wheel of the large SUV in apology and saw the man laughing as he continued on.
Kenna took a deep breath. “Okay, this is it. Act natural.”
Aleck didn’t know if she was telling him or herself, but he nodded anyway.
As they neared the front doors to the complex, she started babbling about what they needed to buy at the grocery store later.
Aleck knew she’d picked a topic that would make it seem as if they lived here, and he couldn’t help but hope for a time when they’d be shopping together for real, or leaving each other notes about what they needed at the store. It was somewhat surprising, as he’d never considered living with a woman before, but with Kenna, he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it.
The automatic doors opened and they walked into the lobby of the condo complex. Just as Kenna had ordered, he gave the security guard a chin lift as they approached the desk. Of course, he knew Robert fairly well. He’d come home from a mission very early in the morning a few months ago and they’d gotten to talking. Robert had a brother in the Army, and he wanted to make sure Aleck knew he appreciated his service.
Kenna had a death grip on his hand and she started talking even faster. Aleck wanted to end this farce right now. He didn’t like seeing her all worked up, but now definitely wasn’t the time. She’d be embarrassed if he told her he lived here after she’d tried so hard to look like they belonged.
They passed Robert, who looked back down at the papers on the desk in front of him. They headed toward the doors at the back of the large hotel-lobby-like space, which led out to a grassy area where Aleck and his team had barbequed often.
The second the doors shut behind them, Kenna turned to him with a huge smile on her face. “We did it!” she half-whispered, half-screeched. Then she hugged him once more.
Now it was Aleck who was too embarrassed to tell her they’d made it past Robert because the man knew him—because he was a resident.
“That was awesome!” Kenna said, a smile lighting up her face.
Aleck wanted to bottle her energy and enthusiasm and pull it out when he needed it the most…probably right after he told her they didn’t actually “sneak” anywhere.
“Come on. I want to see this beach. And I’m telling you right now, it had better live up to my expectations.” She chuckled. “Man, my heart is beating out of my chest and my adrenaline is making me shaky,” she said as they headed toward the beach.
Aleck moved closer and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked. “You liked that.” It wasn’t a question.
“I like winning,” she said with a grin. “I don’t really like the stress that comes with actually breaking the law.”
Aleck couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not sure sneaking onto a private beach constitutes breaking the law.”
Kenna shrugged. “I’m a goody two-shoes,” she said without any artifice. “I don’t like breaking the rules. Never have.”
“Well, we’re here now. And as far as anyone else is concerned, we belong here. So no feeling guilty, okay?”
“Absolutely!” Kenna said happily.
Then she pulled away from him and ran ahead to where the grassy area met the sand. She stood there as he caught up to her.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
And it was. While Aleck wasn’t a beach person, he could certainly understand the appeal. And his complex always went out of their way to try to make sure the beach itself was as inviting as possible. There were umbrellas and chairs spread out across the sand, with a satisfying distance between each. Someone raked the sand every night to keep it smooth and to get the leaves, sticks, and other debris out of it. There was a shed where people could check out boogie boards, stand-up paddle boards, snorkel gear, and even blow-up floats. A small stand served canned drinks—alcoholic and not—as well as snacks. Even the restrooms were fastidiously cleaned and serviced every hour to make sure they were up to the standards of the complex.
“Where do you want to sit?” Aleck asked.
“Oh, um…somewhere away from the service hut. I don’t want someone wondering who we are and asking for our IDs after the fact. Maybe over there on the other end?”
Once again, guilt ate at Aleck. He hated that Kenna was still worried about getting caught. He wanted to reassure her that no one was going to kick them out, but she’d probably ask how he was so sure.
On second thought, maybe that was a good way to bring up the topic. Then he could admit everything.
But he warred with his conscience too long. Kenna grabbed his hand once more and was leading him to the farthest umbrella from where condo employees manned the equipment shack and snack stand.
Kenna fussed with the umbrella and the chairs until she was completely satisfied with their arrangement. “Look! They even provide towels,” she said with a pleased smile. “And they’re nice too. Fluffy and thick.” She spread a blue and white striped towel with the condo’s name on it on her chair, then reached for the hem of her cover-up without hesitation.
Aleck almost swallowed his tongue when he saw Kenna in her black and red swimsuit. It was modest compared to a lot of suits women wore these days. Cut high on her thighs and dipped low between her breasts, showing off a bit of cleavage.
She turned to grab something out of her bag, and Aleck’s breath whooshed out.
He’d checked out her ass as she’d climbed out of the water when they’d first met, but this was so much better. Her suit basically had no back to it. There was a tie behind her neck, and her ass was covered, but otherwise he could see her entire back.
Moving without thought, Aleck stepped toward her. His hands reached out and caressed her smooth skin.
Kenna jerked in surprise, then relaxed as his hands ran up either side of her spine.
“Marshall?” she asked.
“You are so damn beautiful,” Aleck said softly as he stroked her. He dug his thumbs into the muscles at the top of her spine and she arched against him.
“That feels so good,” she moaned.
Aleck’s cock twitched. Fuck, he wanted to hear her say that when they were both naked in his bed and he was—
“While you’re back there, will you put some of this on my back?” she asked, grinning and holding up a tube of sunscreen.
So much for his daydream. But Aleck was determined to get to her as much as she was getting to him. Although, she certainly seemed affected, if their time in her beanbag was any indication. He decided to play a bit.
“Of course,” he told her, taking the sunscreen. Her head was turned, watching him as he stripped his T-shirt over his head and dropped it on the chair next to him.