Finding Kenna (SEAL Team Hawaii #3)(75)

“Very well,” Robert said. “Have a good night.”

“I plan to,” Kenna muttered. Then she turned to Alfonso. “I’ve got those,” she said, nodding at the bags in his hands.

“Are you sure? I can carry them up for you,” he offered.

“I’m sure. The day I can’t carry a few grocery bags is the day I…well, I guess have you bring them up for me,” she ended lamely.

Both Robert and Alfonso laughed.

“Here you go,” Alfonso said, handing over the groceries.

Kenna thanked him, took a deep breath, and headed for the elevators. She supposed she should’ve texted Marshall to let him know she was there, but it was too late now…and her hands were full.

She did her best not to throw up from nerves as the elevator rose to the top floor. She walked much quicker than usual down the hall toward his door. Before she could put down the bags in one hand to knock, the door opened.

She almost didn’t recognize Marshall. His face was covered with a fairly substantial beard and his hair had gotten longer.

“Get in here,” he growled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him before stepping back.

The second she got close, Kenna recognized his smell, the one that had finally dissipated from his pillows. She’d been so upset the night she realized she couldn’t smell him on his sheets anymore.

Kenna dropped the bags, not caring if she smooshed the chips, and clung to Marshall. She heard him shut the door behind them, then he had one hand around her back as the other snaked under her ponytail, where he gripped her nape.

Sighing in contentment, Kenna buried her nose in the side of his neck and held on to him as tightly as she could. His beard tickled her face, but it was much softer than she would’ve expected. His hold on her was just as tight and desperate. Being with him, seeing with her own two eyes that he was safe and unharmed, holding him…it was all too much.

Once more, to her chagrin, Kenna burst into tears.

Marshall didn’t let go. He held her even tighter and did his best to comfort her.

“I’m okay,” he said, knowing exactly why she was overwhelmed with emotion. “I’m here. It’s so good to see you, hold you. You smell just like I remembered. I never thought coconut could be so comforting. Damn, I missed you.”

How long they stood in his foyer holding onto each other, Kenna had no idea. All she knew was that she could finally relax. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been for the last month and a half, until right this second.

Eventually, she took a deep breath and pulled back a fraction. He didn’t let go of her.

“Hi,” she said. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Same,” he replied. “You look so damn good…so beautiful. I can’t even begin to tell you.”

Kenna smiled. She hadn’t done anything special to her hair or even put on makeup, other than what she was already wearing to go to work. She loved how generous Marshall was with his compliments.

She reached up to touch his face, then hesitated. “Can I?”

He took her hand in his and pressed it to his cheek. “You can touch me anytime you want.”

Smiling, Kenna ran her hand over his face.

“What do you think? Should I keep it?” Marshall asked.

Kenna shrugged. “It’s different. I’m definitely not used to seeing you like this. But I don’t have enough information to decide if you should keep it or shave it off.”

He looked confused. “Information?”

Kenna did her best to keep a straight face. “Yeah, I mean, I guess I’ve have to see how it feels when you kiss me.”

“Yeah?” Marshall growled.

Kenna didn’t even have time to respond before his head lowered and his lips were on hers.

It was like coming home.

She’d needed this. Neither was hesitant, they kissed as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, rather than six weeks. By the time Marshall pulled back, they were both breathing as if they’d just run a mile.

“So?” he asked with a crooked grin.

Kenna reached up once more and ran her fingers through his beard. It was that long. “Are you gonna be upset if I tell you I like kissing you better when you’re clean-shaven?” she asked.

“Nope. In fact, I’ve got the scissors and razors in my bathroom right now, all ready to go. Want to help me?”

Kenna eyed him for a moment. “So if you were already planning on shaving, why’d you ask me what I thought? What if I’d said I wanted you to keep it?”

Marshall shrugged nonchalantly. “Then I would’ve kept it.”

“Just like that?” Kenna asked skeptically.

“Just like that,” he agreed. “I had a lot of time to think about us while I was deployed.”

Kenna scowled at him. “You’re supposed to be thinking about where the bad guys are, and not stepping on one of those explosive bomb things. And how to get home safely,” she scolded.

Marshall chuckled. “I was. But if I thought about that stuff nonstop, I’d go crazy. So when things got to be too much, I thought about us. You.”

Fuck. This man. “And?” she asked.

“And I realized how much you mean to me. Things have been fast with us, but they’ve felt…right. I wondered what you were doing. How you were. If you’ve had a lot of annoying customers, if you were coming over to my condo. If you were eating all right. You name it, I thought it. I know I’m a lucky bastard, and if you can handle my job, me leaving for unknown amounts of time here and there, then I can do no less than bend over backward to make your life easier and full. So…that means if you want me to keep the beard, I will. If you want me to shave, I will. It makes no difference to me.”