Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii #3)(34)

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.”

That was a really nice thing to say. Kenna was falling for this guy. Hard. “Trust me, I’ve seen pictures of this beach. It’s perfect. There’s even a grassy area we can sit on if you truly don’t want to be on the sand itself. The waves there aren’t terribly intense, but from what I’ve seen online, because of some rocks, the east side of the beach has waves that are good for bodyboarding, while the west side is calmer. There’s a huge pool if we want a change of pace, and they have free umbrellas and chairs too. It’s gonna be awesome.”

Marshall smiled down at her. “I can’t wait to spend the day together,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what we do, as long as I get to hang out with you.”

Kenna felt herself leaning toward him. “I feel the same.”

She smiled the rest of the way down the stairs and out into the parking lot. She was still smiling when he opened the door to the Jeep and handed her the seat belt.

“Where to?” he asked as he started the engine after he’d gotten into the driver’s side.

“Get on the interstate and head toward the Naval base.”

“You got it,” Marshall said as he backed out.