by Susan Stoker
And his cock.
Lord love a duck. Kenna wasn’t a virgin, she had seen her share of dicks, but she had a feeling Marshall was going to ruin her for all other men. He was long, and from what she could tell from his shape through his suit, thick. And she absolutely loved that he wasn’t shy about his body at all.
Her thoughts about trying to be good had gone out the window as he stood in front of her in his suit and nothing else. She wanted this man. Wanted to get down and dirty with him, feel him deep inside her. Wanted to take his cock in her mouth and make him lose his mind.
Pretty much she wanted to do all the carnal things with him that had been flitting through her head ever since seeing his chest and feeling his erection.
But she couldn’t deny she was enjoying the foreplay. His fingers on her back were heavenly, and she felt herself drip with excitement when those fingers snuck under her suit and played with her ass. It was just as fun to caress him, as well.
Yeah, they were totally engaging in foreplay. It was exciting, making anticipation flow through her veins.
It was nice to know they had physical chemistry to go along with their intellectual connection. It might be awful of her to say, but as much as she wanted to be with a man she could talk to, she wanted someone who would be compatible with her in bed as well.
And she had no doubt Marshall would rock her world when they finally did give in to their lust.
“Incoming!” Marshall yelled from behind her. Kenna had been so lost in her head, she’d forgotten where they were. She turned and let out a girly screech as she saw Marshall barreling toward her on his boogey board. She tried to stand, but a wave knocked her feet out from under her. She was laughing and doing her best to get out of Marshall’s way when he ran into her.
For a split second, his board ran right over her, but Marshall, being the water expert he was, had thrown himself to the side so he didn’t crush her.
Kenna felt arms go around her and pull her from under the water. Then she saw Marshall’s concerned expression. “Shit, Kenna. Are you all right? I thought you’d move.”
She couldn’t help it. She laughed again. She was so incredibly happy, she couldn’t hold it back.
Marshall stared at her as if she’d finally lost it and looked like he was two seconds away from hauling her out of the water and calling an ambulance. He moved them closer to shore.
Kenna did her best to control herself, then threw herself into his arms. Marshall stumbled and went to his knees in the surf. She put a hand on his chest and pushed, until he was sitting. She then straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m fine,” she said. “I wasn’t paying attention. Serves me right.”
“I almost ran you over,” Marshall murmured, running his hands up and down her back as he held her to him.
Kenna scooted closer, until she could feel his cock against her folds. It was an intimate position, even if neither of them was turned on. She loved being close to him like this. “You didn’t,” she reassured him.
Marshall met her gaze and nodded, finally understanding that she was fine. He reached up and ran his hand over her hair, gripping a fistful. He pulled on it lightly, until her chin tipped up. Then he leaned forward and kissed the underside of her chin. He relaxed his grip a bit but didn’t let go of her hair.
Kenna tilted her head back down and wiggled on his lap. Yeah, okay, now she was turned on, and she could feel Marshall’s cock throbbing against her pussy. The waves lapped around them and the sun was beating on their heads. Kenna knew there were other people on the beach, enjoying the beautiful day, but she only had eyes for one man.
She gazed at him and licked her lips, tasting nothing but salt. She knew she’d never forget today and being with Marshall.
“Don’t look at me that way,” he said.
“What way?” Kenna asked.
“As if you want to strip me bare and have your wicked way with me right here on the beach.”
“Can’t help it,” Kenna admitted.
“Woman, do you know how awful that would be?”
She blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Sex on the beach. It’s a great fruity drink, but the actual physical action is the worst idea ever. I can’t think of anything worse than sand on my cock when I want to fuck you.”
His words made her shiver in excitement. “You ever done it?”
“Are you listening to me, woman?” he asked in mock exasperation. “No. Fuck no.”
“We’d have to be careful,” she mused. “But I have a feeling you could figure out a way to make it work.”
Marshall was already shaking his head. “Nope. Not happening. I’ll have sex on a boat, in a cabin at the beach, on a grassy piece of land near the beach, but on the actual sand? No way.”
Kenna giggled.
“Hey guys, are these yours?” a man asked from nearby.
Kenna turned to see a guy holding their boogey boards.
“Yeah, thanks, man. Can you just throw them up there on the sand? We’ll get them in a second.”
“No problem,” the man said with a smile. “If I had a pretty girl on my lap, I wouldn’t want to deal with the boards either.”
Kenna smiled at him, then looked back at Marshall. He was watching her with an intense look in his eyes she couldn’t interpret. One of his hands went to the small of her back, pressing her even tighter against him.
“I’m not perfect,” he said.
Kenna frowned. It wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. “We’ve had this conversation. I know you aren’t.”
“No, I mean it. I’ve done things in my life that would scare the shit out of any rational human being. When I’m in a bad mood, I can be an asshole to my friends and to strangers on the street. I’m a cynic, and the first thing I think when I see someone panhandling on the side of the road is that they’re a scammer and just trying to get money for drugs. I’m suspicious of people’s motives in general, and I don’t really know my neighbors.”
“Marshall—” Kenna started, but he kept talking.
“I want to be the man you think I am, but I’m human. I say the wrong thing all the time, and I’m scared to death that you’re gonna realize I’m not the man you’ve built up in your head and you’ll break up with me. All I’m asking is that if I do something you don’t like, or you hear something about me that pisses you off or you don’t understand…talk to me about it. If my answer isn’t good enough, then you can leave.”
“I’m not leaving.” Kenna had no idea where this was coming from, but she desperately wanted to soothe him.
“I think I need you, Kenna,” he said. “I need you to bring me out of my shell. To force me to see the good in the world rather than the bad. It’s been so long since I’ve met someone I feel as if I can just be myself with. Be Marshall, rather than the smart aleck. The SEAL.”
Kenna leaned forward and rested her forehead on his. “You’ve got me,” she told him earnestly.
“Promise me,” he said, moving his hand to the nape of her neck. “Promise me if you hear shit about me that bothers you, you’ll talk to me about it.”
For the first time, Kenna got nervous. “What shit?”
He shook his head. “Promise me,” he repeated, squeezing her neck. Not hard, but enough to get her attention.
“I promise,” she whispered.
At her words, every muscle in Marshall’s body seemed to loosen. He ran his thumb over her nape as if in apology for how hard he’d been gripping her. “Good. Thank you for today, Kenna. I can’t remember a date I’ve enjoyed as much as this one.”
“Thank you for humoring me and coming with me. I knew this beach would be awesome.”
“Anytime you want to try to crash a private beach, count me in. Although I’m not sure we’ll always be as successful as we were today.”
“Right? It seemed almost too easy. But I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth,” she said.
Marshall chuckled. “That is the weirdest saying
. I mean, why would you want to look into a horse’s mouth anyway?”
“I don’t know. But now I want to look up the origins of that saying,” Kenna said with a grin.
“Well, we’ve got our phones in our bags…” he said, letting his voice trail off.
“That’s one of the things I like so much about you…you don’t think I’m weird for some of the things I think about. And so far, you’ve been down for the crazy things I want to do.”
Marshall smiled. Then he kissed her, licking the salt from her lips before he put his hands on her biceps. “Ready for a break from the water?”
Kenna nodded.
“Me too. And now since I’ve been sitting here, I’ve got sand in my shorts.”
Kenna couldn’t help but giggle at him. She scooted backward off him and stood, holding out her hand. “Come on, you big baby. I can’t believe you’re a SEAL, whining about the sand as much as you do.”
“Hey, I learned that being a sugar cookie in BUD/S wasn’t my idea of a good time. There was chafing. Lots and lots of chafing,” he said as he put his hand in hers.
He stood and didn’t even stumble as a wave crashed against his legs. He truly was completely comfortable in the water, and Kenna thought it was sexy as hell. A vision of them making love in the ocean flicked across her mind before she pushed it away. Today wasn’t about sex, it was about getting to know each other better. But she was fairly sure sex wasn’t too far in their future.
Marshall grabbed their boogey boards and they walked back to their lounge chairs. He insisted on going to get her a fresh, cool water and another snack without her even having to ask.
As she watched him go, Kenna thought about what he’d said in the water. She had no idea what he thought she might find out about him. She knew he was a SEAL. Knew he’d killed people. Knew he wasn’t always a happy-go-lucky person. But it had to be something big, since he was so worried. She couldn’t imagine anything making a difference in how she felt about him, but if that time ever came, she’d keep her promise to discuss it before making any snap decisions about their relationship.
Pushing the odd conversation out of her mind, she got settled on her chair and sighed in contentment. This beach was perfect. Everyone had been polite and friendly and she hadn’t seen even one piece of trash. She hadn’t worried about someone stealing their stuff while they were in the water either, which was a relief. Having money couldn’t be all bad if it meant having a place like this to hang out in your off time.
Closing her eyes, Kenna relaxed. The day would end soon enough, but for now, she was going to enjoy every second she had left to spend with Marshall.
They’d stayed longer at the beach than she’d planned. Marshall had stopped at a Wendy’s on the way back to her apartment so she could get a hamburger and fries for dinner. He’d offered to take her somewhere nicer for dinner, but she loved fast food. She couldn’t eat it as much as she wanted, but she was a sucker for fries. It meant she needed to go for a longer run in the morning, but it was a price she was willing to pay.
Besides, she wasn’t dressed appropriately to go to Helena’s or any other sit-down restaurant. She was still in her suit, her hair was an absolute mess with the salt and wind, and she didn’t feel like talking to anyone other than Marshall.
Yes, she was an extrovert, but she had her limits with people. And today had been so amazing, with just her and Marshall, that she didn’t feel like bringing anyone else into her circle at the moment.
Kenna desperately wanted to ask him to come up. They could eat their meal—he’d gotten a burger too—then maybe she could suggest they jump in the shower to clean up. Not that they’d fit together in her tiny shower, but a girl could fantasize.
Shaking her head, Kenna knew she wouldn’t do any of that. The day had been perfect and she didn’t want to mess it up. Not that spending more time with Marshall would mess it up, but it didn’t feel like the right time to get physical.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Marshall asked.
Maybe it was because she felt so mellow and had such a great day, but Kenna found herself being completely honest. “Whether or not to ask you to come up. And maybe to suggest we conserve water by showering together. But then I realized that we wouldn’t fit in my shower together anyway, and I decided that it doesn’t feel like the right time for anything more, physically, right now.”
Marshall reached for her hand and she gladly wrapped her fingers around his.
“I think we both know where this relationship is heading. At least I know where I want it to go. But I agree, today’s not the time.”
Kenna sighed in relief.
They didn’t speak for the rest of the trip to her apartment, but it was a comfortable silence.
Once they arrived, he pulled into a parking space, turned off the engine, and turned to her. “What’s your schedule like this week?”
“I work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” she said. “I’ve got some errands I need to do, but tomorrow I’m gonna go for a long run first.”
“Don’t jump on any unsuspecting scuba divers,” Marshall teased.
Kenna chuckled. “I didn’t jump on you, and I think I’ve learned my lesson on that one,” she said. “What about you?”
“PT and meetings. There’s a chance we might have to ship out, but we’re waiting to see how things go. Hopefully everyone can get their heads out of their asses and we won’t have to go anywhere.”
Kenna’s belly clenched, but she merely nodded. “I hope so too.”
“Did you know that Lexie works at Food For All downtown?” he asked.
Grateful for the subject change—Kenna wasn’t ready to think too much about Marshall and his friends heading into a dangerous situation yet—she nodded. “She said something about that the last time she texted me. Talked about one of her favorite people who frequently visited. I think his name was Theo?”
“Yeah, that’s him. Anyway, she’s going to be in charge of a second location of Food For All out in Barber’s Point and will be moving this week. The guys and I will be helping with some of the big stuff, but if you have the time, and you want to, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind help with organizing the new space. Elodie’s going to be volunteering there as well. Making healthy and somewhat gourmet box lunches for people.”
“I’d love to help,” she said honestly.
“Awesome,” he said with a smile.
Kenna eyed him for a second, then said, “It’s important to you that I like Lexie and Elodie, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “First off, they’re awesome, and I know you’d click with them once you really get to know them. But second, they’re around the guys and me a lot. And like we talked about before, I think they’ll be a great help and resource when I get deployed.”
Kenna smiled.
“What?” he asked.
“I just love that you’re talking long term.”
Marshall leaned over and once more put his hand behind her neck. It was obviously his go-to way to get her attention. And she loved it.
“I was already pretty sure I wanted something serious with you, but today clinched it. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman, Kenna. You’re funny, outgoing, kind, friendly, fun to be around, and I can’t deny that I’m physically attracted to you. And before you say it, I know you aren’t perfect, and we’ve already been over how I’m not. But your good qualities shine through so strong, I can’t imagine ever getting pissed over something silly, like you not wanting to do the dishes. Lexie and Elodie are not only my friends’ women, they’re my friends too. I desperately want you guys to all get along.”
“We will,” Kenna said. “I have no doubt. I already like them. And the fact that they went out of their way to stand up for me at Duke’s and make up that story so those bitches would be nicer…that said a lot about who they are as people.”
“Good. You’ll be okay with them by yourself? I can’t get off work to h
elp out during the day. We were planning on moving the big stuff early in the week.”
“Marshall, I’m a professional waitress. I can talk to anyone about anything. I’ll be fine.” She thought it was cute that he was worried.
“Okay. Good. For the record?”
When he didn’t continue, Kenna said, “Yes?”
“If you’d have invited me up to eat and shower with you, I would’ve said yes. At this point, I can’t deny you anything.”
Kenna smiled. She loved knowing she had that kind of power over him…the same power he had over her. Leaning forward, Kenna kissed him. He quickly took over, holding her close with the grip on her neck and devouring her mouth.
They were both panting when they finally pulled apart for some air.
“Damn,” Kenna breathed.
“Yeah,” Marshall agreed. “Come on, I’ll walk you up.”
“You think that’s a good idea?” Kenna teased. She could feel her nipples pressing against her suit and she was damp between the legs.
“I just need to make sure you get inside safely. I’d be a shitty boyfriend if I left you in the parking lot.”
Kenna shook her head. “No, you’d be normal.”
“I don’t like to be normal,” Marshall said. Then he kissed her hard and fast and turned to get out of the Jeep.
Kenna knew she was smiling like a crazy person, but she couldn’t stop. Marshall grabbed her bag, and her hand, and they walked into the complex.
They were at her door in less than a minute. Marshall handed her the beach bag with her fast food he’d put inside. He pulled her against him in a long, heartfelt hug. Then he stepped back as she unlocked her door.
“Have a good night,” he said.
Kenna might’ve been offended that he didn’t look like he was going to give her a goodbye kiss, but she had a feeling if he did, they’d definitely end up inside. “You too. Let me know when you get home?”