Page 8 of Protecting Kelli
“Do you drink wine?” Flash asked.
Kelli nodded. She needed about three bottles right now to find the courage to continue with this dinner.
Flash turned to the waiter. “I’m sorry, I know nothing about wine. Can you bring us a bottle of something light but local?”
“Of course. While you look over the menu, I’ll bring the bottle and you can see if it meets with your approval.”
The second the waiter left, Flash was leaning toward her. “Does it change things? My job? I can tell you’re two seconds from bolting.”
Kelli took a deep breath. She was being ridiculous. This was just dinner. That’s all. “No. I was just surprised. No wonder you don’t like the sand. I’ve seen the shows about Hell Week.”
Flash smirked. “Yup. And my team leader takes great pleasure in having us roll around in the sand during PT in the mornings too. He’s sadistic.”
Kelli laughed, and just like that, the tension between them broke.
Everything about Flash made so much more sense now. Why his sister trusted him to keep an eye on her fiancé—he’d probably crush the man if he so much as made a move on another woman. Flirting with the Three A’s was one thing, but there was little chance he’d risk anything else. Not with Flash around.
And now those muscles made sense. Flash looked like he could bench press…well…lots. Kelli had no idea what a good number was for bench pressing, but it had to be high.
He had an air of confidence that was impossible to miss. Being a Navy SEAL was a tough job. Mentally and physically. He probably had to make split-second decisions all the time, so he had to be smart and intuitive.
She couldn’t deny she was intrigued. And yes, attracted. What womanhadn’thad fantasies of being carried off by a hot man in uniform? And here she was, having dinner with one.
Deciding to enjoy every second of this night, Kelli smiled at Flash.
Then something else occurred to her…she’d felt safe with this man from the second she’d met him last night. It wasn’t a feeling she’d experienced often. In fact, when she’d met Rowan, Ben, and Seb, she’d felt decidedly uneasy. Felt their gazes running over her body when they’d met. Judging her.
But she’d immediately felt at ease with Flash—the excitement of his handshake notwithstanding.
She wasn’t an idiot. Not all military men were honorable. But something told her that Flash was someone she could trust. And that made her relax all the more.
The waiter returned with a bottle of wine and, after they both tried it and approved, poured them each a large glass.
The night went by way too fast for Kelli. She found herself enjoying Flash’s company immensely. He was easy to talk to, and they never ran out of things to discuss. The sunset was everything she could’ve hoped for and more. She took around a hundred pictures and loved that Flash did too. He immediately texted one to his sister and showed Kelli the response…about a page full of emojis.
He even insisted the waiter take their picture together in front of the sunset, and that was a pic Kelli had a feeling she’d probably print out, in order to remember such an amazing evening.
When she pulled out her sweatshirt once it got chilly,Flash had laughed outright when he saw what was printed on the back.
Anti-social Wives Club.
She wasn’t a wife, and she wasn’t really anti-social, but she’d found the company not too long ago and the sweatshirts were perfect. Roomy, not too tight at the bottom—she hated when sweatshirts had really tight elastic at the waist, making her look even heavier than she already was—and while none of the sayings fit her, she still loved the sweatshirt itself.
After they’d eaten, when Flash suggested a walk on the beach, Kelli didn’t hesitate to say yes. They didn’t have too much beach to walk, as there were fences on either end of the property, but it was still a beautiful evening and after the delicious food, Kelli didn’t mind the slight bit of exercise.
“So…you’re still going tomorrow?” she asked Flash. They were walking side by side, not touching but sharing the same space. “Going tubing, I mean.”
“Yeah. I talked to Chuck, and he gave me the deets.”
“Chuck?”
Flash grinned. “He hates that nickname, but I don’t give a shit. Until he proves he’s a good man who’ll treat my sister like the princess she is, he’ll be Chuck to me.”
“So until they’ve been married for fifty years or so?” Kelli joked.
“Pretty much.”
“I wish I had a brother. Or a sister, for that matter. My mom hoped Charlotte and I would be like sisters at one point, but that wasn’t meant to be. We’re just too different.”
