She was still smiling when they pulled into the Coral Springs parking lot. For a second, she was embarrassed all over again about everything she’d said while trying to “sneak” onto the beach. But she pushed it away. That was over and done.
“I’m sorry,” Marshall said after he turned off the engine.
Kenna shook her head. “You’ve already apologized. And we’re past that now. I want to see this amazing penthouse. And the view. I’ve heard a lot about it.”
“You’re too good to be true,” Marshall said. He picked up her hand, kissed the palm, then turned to get out of the Jeep.
Kenna swore she could feel tingles all the way to her toes with just that short kiss. Oooh boy, sex with this man was going to ruin her, she just knew it.
He met her at her side of the Jeep and grabbed the bag she’d packed. He left the things she’d bought at the swap meet in the car to take back to her apartment later.
Marshall took her hand in his as they walked toward the entrance. He stopped at the security desk and greeted the man who was sitting there. “Hey, Robert.”
“Good evening, Mr. Smart.”
“I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Kenna Madigan,” Marshall said.
Kenna reached out and shook the security officer’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same. I hope you had a good time last weekend when you were here,” he said politely.
Kenna smiled and nodded. It was now obvious that they never would’ve made it past this man if Marshall hadn’t lived there.
“I’d like to add her to my approved visitor list,” Marshall told him.
“Of course. If I can just see your ID, Ms. Madigan,” Robert said.
Kenna had no idea Marshall was planning on adding her to anything. She looked up at him, and he smiled and nodded. Reaching into her purse, Kenna took out her driver’s license and handed it to the security officer. He filled out a piece of paper with her information, then stood.
“I’ll need to take your picture for our records,” Robert said.
“Oh, um, okay,” Kenna said, taken aback at the level of security in the place.
“It’s so the other security employees know what you look like,” Robert said, obviously noticing her unease. “I’ll input your picture into our system and that’s it. No one else has access to our files. The next time you come, you won’t even have to stop. We’ll know you’re allowed to access the property.”
“If you’re not comfortable, we can do this another time,” Marshall said.
“No, it’s fine,” Kenna said. “I was just surprised.” She posed for Robert and he took the picture without fanfare.
He handed her a piece of paper and said, “These are the rules and regulations for Coral Springs. Even though you’re a guest, you’re expected to comply with them. Read it at your leisure, sign, and return it back here to the desk when you’re done,” Robert told her.
Kenna nodded and folded the paper, putting it, and her ID, into her purse.
“Ready?” Marshall asked.
“Ready,” Kenna said with a smile.
“Have a good afternoon and evening, Robert,” Marshall told the security officer.
“You too.”
As they got into an elevator, Kenna turned to Marshall. “I wouldn’t have gotten two steps past that desk if you weren’t with me, would I?”
“No,” he said with a small smile. “Robert and the other security officers are very good at what they do.”
“What did your teammates think about having their pictures taken and having to sign the rules?” she asked.
Marshall shrugged. “They aren’t on my approved visitor list.”
She frowned in confusion. “But they’re your best friends.”
“Yup. And when they come over to visit, I add them to a daily visitor log. They’re allowed to come in for the day, but not to come and go as they please.”
Kenna stared at him in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“Yes. You’re the only person I’ve ever added to my list.”
Kenna swallowed hard. “You’re so getting lucky tonight, sailor,” she told him.
Marshall burst out laughing and tugged her into him. “Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.”
He bent his head to kiss her right when the elevator dinged to let them know they’d arrived on his floor. “Later,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.
Kenna couldn’t get the smile off her face. She loved surprising this man. She didn’t think it happened very often.
He kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the hall toward his condo. He placed his palm on a bio-reader next to his door, and she shook her head in disbelief. “Really?” she asked.
“Yup,” he said. “It’s easier than having a key, especially when I go on missions. I don’t have to worry about losing or misplacing it.”
“You take your keys on a mission?” she asked, her brows shooting up in surprise.
He laughed. “No way. They stay back at the office.”
“Whew. I was just imagining some terrorist in the wilds of a desert somewhere finding a Jeep key in the sand and wondering how the hell it got there.”
Marshall grinned. “Exactly. Give me your hand.”
She did without hesitation. Kenna had a feeling she’d do whatever this man said without thinking about it.
He pushed a series of buttons on the bio-reader, then pressed her palm to the screen. “There, now you can get in whenever you come over.”
Blinking in surprise, Kenna stared at him. “Did you basically just give me a key to your place?”
Marshall shrugged. “Are you gonna come over and rob me?”
“No.”
“Then, yes.” Marshall turned to open his door, and Kenna did her best to get her reactions under control.
This man was nothing at all like she thought he’d be when she first hung out with him on the beach at Duke’s. He was so much…more.
Marshall led the way into his condo, and Kenna closed the door behind her. Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings.
The place was so incredible, she didn’t know where to look first. From the kitchen—which had beautiful white cabinets, concrete countertops, and a refrigerator that was double the size of hers—to the bamboo floors, to the extremely comfortable—and expensive—looking couches and the huge TV…it was all overwhelming.
But she could also see Marshall’s touches here and there. This was no showroom. She saw a pair of boots lying on the floor near a hallway. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink and crumbs on the countertop. A bookcase against the wall had books haphazardly placed on the shelves. A half-filled glass of water sat on a table next to one of the couches. Accent pillows were tossed casually on the furniture.
Then there were the pictures. Kenna wanted to examine all of them, as they were strewn everywhere throughout the living area. He’d even enlarged and framed the picture of himself and his team that he’d shown her on the base, which hung on a wall near the television.
The place was fancy, yes. And expensive. But it looked lived in. Comfortable. Which made Kenna feel much more relaxed.