I wanted to get the intel my dad had about Ford, but being forced to go to California to get it? I would feel like shit if he pulled the request just to get me to tell me what to do. If anyone had even a scrap of information on who was fucking with Ford, any one of us on the team would jump.
“Easier said than done, though.” My mouth twisted in a wry smile. “My dad is like a bulldozer who flattens everyone around him with his own ideas about how things should be.”
Kennedy appeared amused. “And you’re incapable of being flattened. Look at you, Flyer.” His gaze raked over me in my simple blue scoop neck T and jeans. I had my hair in a braid and only swiped on mascara and lip gloss before we headed to the airport. But he eyed me in a way I hadn’t seen from a man before. Appreciation. Respect. Heat.
“Have you acknowledged how much you achieved? You’re a top-notch pilot who doesn’t take shit from anyone. You’re beautiful. Badass. And nobody’s bitch–especially not some crusty old admiral’s.”
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling back at Kennedy, basking in the warmth of his gaze. But I knew the pep talk wouldn’t last. My dad had a way of making me shrink into that twelve-year-old girl who got left behind when the older boys went on hunting, snowmobiling or skydiving trips with him.
And even though Kennedy talked a big game, I knew he was hardwired to respond to an admiral’s authority, too.
“Ten bucks says you salute him when he barks your name.”
Kennedy met my challenging gaze and a slow smile spread across his face. “You’re on. I will not salute the crusty old bastard once. That C-note is mine.”
I laughed.
“So what’s the plan?” Kennedy asked. “Are we going to your house–his house–someone’s house?”
I nodded. “Yes. My mom wanted to make us dinner, but I told her not to wait. Even though we go back an hour with changing time zones, it’ll be late. Besides, I figured we’d rather get tacos from The Shack.”
His eyes lit up, and he practically licked his lips. “Yes, please. Don’t tempt me with a good time. My mouth is already watering for them.”
I was quiet for a moment, considering something important. “I don’t know what you want to do about sleeping. My mom will want me to stay there.”
“Is that what you want?” Kennedy’s blue gaze held no judgment.
I gave his fingers a little squeeze. “No. Not really.”
“Thank fuck.” He sighed and raised our joined hands to his mouth to kiss my knuckles. “I have no intention of sleeping down the hall from you ever again. Especially in your parents' house.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear. While the noise of the engines muted most conversations, what came next was for my ears only. “The idea of defiling you in your childhood bedroom makes my dick hard, but while I might not like your father, I respect him and your mom. I’ll fuck their daughter in the privacy of a hotel room.”
I can’t help but laugh and squirm a little at his words.
“I made a hotel reservation, sweets. To get you beneath me, but more importantly, if being around your parents makes you feel disempowered, I say the least amount of time we spend at their house, the better.”
Another band of tightness around my ribs loosened. I shouldn’t have needed permission from someone else to set boundaries, but my parents were difficult terrain. It was easy to fall back on who I used to be when I was with them instead of who I was now. Kennedy’s permission to make my own choices and be my own woman made it all seem easier. Possible.
“Are you going to tell my dad we’re sharing a room?” I teased. “I assume you got only one.” Because my dad’s form of intimidation went into hyperdrive when it came to men who were interested in me.
“One room, one bed.” He said, then his smile faltered. “Do you want me to tell him?”
I laughed. “Up to you. But if you do, don’t be surprised if we find a team of Navy SEALs sneaking into our hotel room to take you out in the middle of the night.”
“No SEAL is coming into a room you’re sleeping in without permission,” Kennedy vowed. “Not if they want to live.”
I patted his bulging biceps. “I appreciate that, tough guy, but I can–”
He held up his hands. “I know, I know. You can look out for yourself. I would never believe otherwise. But I’ll be here if you need me. And remember, whatever happens, afterward, I’ll fuck you hard enough to forget your own name, let alone that you met with your parents.”
I swallowed hard because that definitely was going to be on my mind.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
KENNEDY
San Diego.I always loved “Sandy Eggo” as we’d called it when I was stationed there. I’d done my Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado where the weather was perfect year round. The water, which some days we’d been in more than on land, was fucking cold. When not training, there’d been no shortage of good tacos and beautiful women for us there, not that I cared about that now.
Well, I’d take a few tacos, and I had my beautiful woman. My sole job of this trip was to protect Quincy because she was the one to get the intel that might give us a lead to help Ford. Not that I believed anything would happen to her. We were in California, not Kandahar. No, I was actually worried about protecting heremotions. I might as well have cut off my balls and handed them to her. I’d never given any thought to a woman’s emotional state beyond ensuring she was into what I was offering and understood that it was just playtime.