Slate pulled up as close to the front doors as he could and walked around to hold the door as Kenna and Aleck climbed out. It was nearly three in the morning now, and no one was around, which Aleck was glad for. He wanted to get Kenna upstairs and in bed before she crashed.
Slate surprised the hell out of him when he yanked Aleck into his arms for a quick but heartfelt hug. “I’m glad you didn’t get dead.”
Then he nodded at them both before jogging back around to the driver’s side of the car.
“I love your friends,” Kenna said softly.
Aleck did too. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”
“And you. Your leg has to hurt.”
It was beginning to throb a bit, but Aleck wasn’t going to admit that to Kenna. He was more concerned about getting her settled.
They nodded at the nighttime security guard but didn’t stop to chat.
Without discussion, as soon as they entered the condo and the door shut behind them, Kenna and Aleck headed for the master bedroom. They changed, brushed their teeth, and climbed into bed.
Kenna carefully snuggled into Aleck’s side, and for the first time since he’d seen Shawn holding her captive at Duke’s, he relaxed.
Neither spoke. There were no words that needed to be said. They were both alive, and for the moment, that was enough.
Kenna nodded off almost immediately, but it took Aleck a bit longer. He lay in the dark holding the most precious and important thing in his life, reflecting on how differently the night could’ve gone. He finally fell asleep to the vision of Kenna, covered in sand, lying in the pouring rain and smiling up at him. She might not need a man, but he sure as hell needed her.
Epilogue
“No. Absolutely not,” Kenna said emphatically. She and Marshall were mostly healed from that horrible night two weeks ago. They’d spent the first week holed up in his condo. Robert had heard what happened and had taken it upon himself to make sure they had everything they needed. Elodie had sent over the most mouthwatering meals, and Lexie and Ashlyn texted nonstop.
Marshall’s teammates had also been sweet in their own ways. Making sure their vehicles were retrieved from the parking garage in Waikiki and keeping Aleck appraised about what was happening at work.
The only dim spot was Carly. Kenna had spoken to her only briefly, and Carly had sobbed, apologizing profusely, devastated over what had happened. No matter how many times Kenna swore it wasn’t her fault, Carly wouldn’t accept it.
Then Kaleen texted Kenna to tell her Carly had quit Duke’s.
Now her friend wasn’t answering her calls or texts.
Kenna was all set to drive to Carly’s apartment to make her talk, when Aleck told her that Jag was in constant contact with her, and assured her that Carly just needed some time to process what had happened. Kenna wasn’t happy, but she trusted Jag, and now that she knew he was keeping an eye on Carly, she’d decided to leave her alone…for now.
She and Carly were definitely going to have a long talk, but if she truly needed some time to process everything, Kenna would give it to her.
Marshall had gone back to work, and she’d done a couple of lunch shifts at Duke’s. Kenna was itching to get back to normal sooner than later. Shawn had disrupted their lives long enough.
She and Marshall had just finished dinner and were sitting on his balcony, enjoying the evening, when he’d dropped a bombshell on her.
“It’s for the best,” Marshall soothed.
Kenna shook her head. “No, seriously. Not happening,” she informed him. “I can’t believe you’d even think about selling this place.”
“It makes more sense for us to live in Waikiki,” Marshall said, keeping his voice calm. “I’ve been looking online and there are some incredible condos down there. With ocean views, since I know how much you love this balcony.”
“It’s not just the balcony,” Kenna insisted. “It’s the beach where we had our first real date. It’s Robert—I can’t imagine not seeing him every day. It’s the master bathroom where you went down on me that first time…It’s the memories, Marshall. I love this condo. I don’t want to live anywhere else.”
“Come ’ere,” Marshall said as he held out his hand.
Kenna wasn’t sure she wanted to cuddle right now, but she stood and took his hand anyway. He pulled her down beside him on the chaise and wrapped an arm around her back, holding her securely. They lay there for several minutes before he spoke.
“I just thought getting a condo in Waikiki would make your life easier. You’ve spent every night here for the last two weeks, and it’s a pain for you to have to drive so far to work.”
Kenna came up on an elbow so she could meet Marshall’s gaze. “I know I pitched a fit when I first discovered you lived here, but I’ve come to love everything about Coral Springs. The memories we have here are irreplaceable. And yes, I understand that we probably won’t live here for the rest of our lives, and memories live on forever, but there’s no need to move right now.”
“I don’t like you driving so late at night,” he argued.
Kenna knew this was what a relationship was about. Give and take. She wanted to protest that she was perfectly capable of driving at night by herself. But after everything that had happened, she also understood his obsessive need to keep her safe.
“What if I picked you up after your shift?” Marshall suggested. “I’m not going to be able to sleep until you get home anyway. Maybe we can look into a ride-share or a taxi or something for you to get to Duke’s in the afternoon, since I’ll still be at work. Would you be okay with that?”
“If it means us staying here at Coral Springs, yes,” she told him. “This is closer to the base for you, so if there’s an emergency, you can get there faster.”
Marshall leaned down and kissed her thoroughly. By the time he lifted his head, Kenna was way-the-hell turned on. His gaze flicked to her chest, then back to her face. She could feel her nipples rubbing against the T-shirt she was wearing. She hadn’t bothered with putting on a bra when she’d changed after getting home from the lunch shift earlier that afternoon.
Without a word, Marshall stood, grabbed her hand, and headed inside so fast, she stumbled after him. But she wasn’t afraid of falling, Marshall would never let her hit the ground.
He didn’t stop until he’d reached the side of their bed. Didn’t speak as he stripped her shirt off her body and pushed her leggings and underwear over her hips. Then he picked her up and threw her onto the mattress as if she weighed nothing more than a feather.
Laughing, Kenna came up on her elbows to watch Marshall take off his own clothes. Within seconds, he was looming over her. They didn’t speak as he settled between her legs, shoving them farther apart before he went down on her.
Kenna gasped, excitement filling her. She and Marshall had made love since that awful night two weeks ago, but Marshall had been extremely careful. And while she loved when he treated her gently, she’d missed this part of him. The bossy, impatient, dominant side that took what he wanted without hesitation or permission.
Kenna’s libido went crazy when he got like this. She moaned as he ate ravenously, as if he couldn’t get enough. He licked, sucked, and finger-fucked her, his mouth closing around her clit. It didn’t take her long to orgasm, and she was still shaking when he rose to his knees, stroking his cock a few times and spreading his own precome down the length. Before long, he’d notched the mushroomed head of his cock to her opening.