path. It was a clear night, and she watched as they screamed across the sky and eventually disappeared from sight.
Mike moved a fraction of an inch closer to her, and she stepped back. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, the heat from his touch and sparks flying between them almost unbearable. “Why are you afraid of me?”
“I’m not scared of you,” she retorted.
“No?”
“No,” she said stubbornly.
His hands came to her waist, and she leapt back from him like she’d been burned. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest, and she turned and hurried toward the bonfire, Mike wordlessly catching up to her in an instant. What was he trying to do? For a moment there, she’d thought he was going to kiss her again. As if this afternoon at the pool had actually meant something. As if anything else would ever happen between them.
She clenched her jaw, willing herself not to cry. There was heat between them, yes, but Mike was a thousand different ways wrong for her. Maybe they’d have fun, but then he’d move on with the next girl or leave on his next mission, and she’d be left where she always had been. On her own.
The remainder of the walk back was silent. A loaded silence. Mike’s hand brushed against hers once, and she quickly jerked away. He didn’t try to touch or comfort her again after that.
Lexi’s jaw dropped when she saw Kenley in Mike’s oversized sweatshirt, but Kenley waved her off. Seriously. Couldn’t a guy do a nice thing without the whole world assuming they were together or something? They would never be anything to each other. She took the roasted marshmallow and s’mores fixings that Rebecca offered her, tears smarting in her eyes as she rejoined Lexi and the others.
“Are you okay?” Lexi asked, looking concerned.
“Never better,” Kenley said, taking a bite of the chocolate marshmallow gooeyness. Man, she could eat about ten of these with the sucky night she was having. She brushed some stray graham cracker crumbs from her lap, taking a second bite as Lexi watching her intently.
Kenley swallowed as Mike appeared and grabbed a plate and some food, sending her a loaded glance. She turned to Lexi and whispered, “Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay, hun,” Lexi said, wrapping an arm around Kenley’s shoulders and giving her a quick hug. “I’m glad you decided to come back though.”
Mike wandered back over to Matthew, Brent, and the nurses to eat his dinner, leaving Kenley sitting alone by the fire with the other couples. They laughed and enjoyed talking, drinking, and eating around the flames, but Kenley spent the rest of the night ignoring the brooding Navy SEAL whose eyes never left her.
Chapter 5
“So what was that about last night?” Christopher asked the next afternoon. Mike gripped his end of the sofa more tightly, his biceps flexing, as they carried the heavy piece of furniture the last few steps across the living room of Christopher’s apartment.
They set it back on the carpeted floor and Mike straightened, brushing his hands off as he eyed the sofa’s new spot under the windows. With Lexi moving in with Christopher soon, somehow he’d gotten roped into helping rearrange the damn apartment. Not exactly his ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but at least football would be on soon. “What was what about? This thing’s off-center,” he said, cocking his head.
Christopher shoved the sofa two more inches. “The whole song and dance with Kenley. You chased her down the beach, she returned wearing your sweatshirt, but then you two didn’t speak the rest of the night.”
“The hell if I know,” Mike muttered, turning away and scanning the messy room. Boxes were stacked in the corner, the furniture was in disarray, and Christopher looked happier than ever. Good. He deserved it. But as for Mike’s own problems with Kenley? What the hell did he
Mike moved a fraction of an inch closer to her, and she stepped back. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, the heat from his touch and sparks flying between them almost unbearable. “Why are you afraid of me?”
“I’m not scared of you,” she retorted.
“No?”
“No,” she said stubbornly.
His hands came to her waist, and she leapt back from him like she’d been burned. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest, and she turned and hurried toward the bonfire, Mike wordlessly catching up to her in an instant. What was he trying to do? For a moment there, she’d thought he was going to kiss her again. As if this afternoon at the pool had actually meant something. As if anything else would ever happen between them.
She clenched her jaw, willing herself not to cry. There was heat between them, yes, but Mike was a thousand different ways wrong for her. Maybe they’d have fun, but then he’d move on with the next girl or leave on his next mission, and she’d be left where she always had been. On her own.
The remainder of the walk back was silent. A loaded silence. Mike’s hand brushed against hers once, and she quickly jerked away. He didn’t try to touch or comfort her again after that.
Lexi’s jaw dropped when she saw Kenley in Mike’s oversized sweatshirt, but Kenley waved her off. Seriously. Couldn’t a guy do a nice thing without the whole world assuming they were together or something? They would never be anything to each other. She took the roasted marshmallow and s’mores fixings that Rebecca offered her, tears smarting in her eyes as she rejoined Lexi and the others.
“Are you okay?” Lexi asked, looking concerned.
“Never better,” Kenley said, taking a bite of the chocolate marshmallow gooeyness. Man, she could eat about ten of these with the sucky night she was having. She brushed some stray graham cracker crumbs from her lap, taking a second bite as Lexi watching her intently.
Kenley swallowed as Mike appeared and grabbed a plate and some food, sending her a loaded glance. She turned to Lexi and whispered, “Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay, hun,” Lexi said, wrapping an arm around Kenley’s shoulders and giving her a quick hug. “I’m glad you decided to come back though.”
Mike wandered back over to Matthew, Brent, and the nurses to eat his dinner, leaving Kenley sitting alone by the fire with the other couples. They laughed and enjoyed talking, drinking, and eating around the flames, but Kenley spent the rest of the night ignoring the brooding Navy SEAL whose eyes never left her.
Chapter 5
“So what was that about last night?” Christopher asked the next afternoon. Mike gripped his end of the sofa more tightly, his biceps flexing, as they carried the heavy piece of furniture the last few steps across the living room of Christopher’s apartment.
They set it back on the carpeted floor and Mike straightened, brushing his hands off as he eyed the sofa’s new spot under the windows. With Lexi moving in with Christopher soon, somehow he’d gotten roped into helping rearrange the damn apartment. Not exactly his ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but at least football would be on soon. “What was what about? This thing’s off-center,” he said, cocking his head.
Christopher shoved the sofa two more inches. “The whole song and dance with Kenley. You chased her down the beach, she returned wearing your sweatshirt, but then you two didn’t speak the rest of the night.”
“The hell if I know,” Mike muttered, turning away and scanning the messy room. Boxes were stacked in the corner, the furniture was in disarray, and Christopher looked happier than ever. Good. He deserved it. But as for Mike’s own problems with Kenley? What the hell did he
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