Page 74 of Protecting Kelli
Jessyka chuckled. “Nothing illegal, promise. And I agree, it’s so good.”
When she’d left, Flash put his elbows on the table and leaned toward Kelli. She looked great tonight. The jeans she had on clung to her curvy legs, making him think way too much about how they’d feel wrapped around his waist. And the shirt she chose was dark blue with a V-neck, giving him small glimpses of her ample cleavage. It was enough to drive a man crazy. He loved it. She was classy and sexy at the same time.
Her gaze was fixed on him, making him feel as if he was the center of her universe at that moment. He’d noticed that about Kelli; when someone was talking to her, she maintained eye contact, letting whoever she was chatting with know that she was one hundred percent engaged.
“How are youreallydoing with everything that happened last week, Kelli? And I don’t want to hear platitudes. It wasn’t that long ago we were in quite the precarious situation. And then you came home, had the shit scared out of you with our kidnapper breaking into your apartment, had to move out, go to a stranger’s apartment with almost none of your stuff…and I leave you alone all day while I go to work. I’m worried about you. Worried that you’re pushing your feelings down in order to try to make me feel better about everything that’s happened.”
Kelli reached out and took his hand in hers. “Here’s the thing, Flash,” she said quietly, looking him in the eyes. “Bad shit happens in life. It’s inevitable. But I’m here. I’m alive. I survived. And I’ll keep on surviving whatever life dishes out. I learned from a young age, when my dad was killed, that crying doesn’t help. Being a bitter bitch doesn’t work either. All it does is make me feel bad. I firmly believe that anyone who’s experienced tragedy looks at life differently. Losing a job…dropping a full cup of coffee right after walking out of the store…getting stuck in traffic? It’s nothing compared to the trauma I experienced with my dad.”
She shrugged. “I learned how to process something really bad at a pretty young age, so now when I’m faced with things that aren’t very fun, my brain also processesthosethings differently than a lot of people would. It’s just how I’m wired. Yes, being kidnapped sucked, but I wasn’t alone. It would’ve been a very different situation if I was. And yes, I was terrified when someone broke into my apartment and I had to hide, but you were on the other end of the phone, and you said you were coming. That made it more bearable.
“And ofcourseI wish I didn’t have to move out of my place, and that this Brant guy wasn’t still out there, apparently looking for me…but silver lining? I’ve gotten to spend more time with you. And I’m here at an amazing restaurant, about to eat a humongous burger, having a great time being with a man I admire and like a whole lot.
“So I’m fine, Flash. More than fine.”
It took all Flash’s control not to stand up, haul Kelli toher feet, and drag her out of Aces back to his car. He wanted her.Now. But more than that, he needed her brand of positivity in his life. Her unique way of looking at the world was a direct result of trauma when she was younger, but he couldn’t deny that it was extremely addicting. And attractive.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Kelli asked, her cheeks turning a rosy pink from his scrutiny.
“I’m falling in love with you,” he blurted.
Kelli’s eyes widened.
“I’m not telling you that to freak you out. But just so you’re forewarned. I’m addicted to you. I want to be around you all the time. I think about nothing other than getting back home to you when I leave for work each morning. And when I walk through the door and see your welcoming smile, and we talk about our days…it’s as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders every damn time.
“So…just as I warned that I was giving you a week to decide if going on a date with me was what you really wanted, I’m giving you advance notice that two years from now, I want to already have my ring on your finger, and yours on mine. I want you to be round with our baby, and I want us to have a house of our own. When I look at you, I see my future in your eyes, Kelli…and instead of freaking me out, it soothes me.”
“Flash,” she whispered.
He had no idea if that was an appalled whisper, or a yearning one.
“I’m sorry. I know. Too much, too soon. I just thought you should know where I stand on whatever’s happening between us. That this isn’t a casual thing for me. I don’tusually move in with women I’ve met while on vacation or on the job…no matterwhatmight’ve happened between us.”
Kelli licked her lips but didn’t say anything. Just stared at him with those big brown eyes of hers.
The door opened, and they both looked up to see who’d entered. Kevlar and Remi smiled as they saw them, making a beeline for their table. Flash wanted to wave them off, tell them to sit somewhere else, because he and Kelli were having a very important discussion. The most important discussion of his life. But he supposed it might be good for Kelli to let what he’d said sink in.
He just hoped he hadn’t scared her, fucking things up between them for good.
“Hey! Can we sit with you?” Remi asked.
“Of course,” Kelli said.
As his team leader settled into the seat next to Kelli, Flash noticed that he looked a little…off. He couldn’t put his finger on what was up, but his friend definitely wasn’t his usual laid-back self. He wanted to question him, but not in front of the women.
Maybe he was worried about the mission they were researching. It would be an intense op. They were headed to Greenland, of all places. It wasn’t exactly a hotspot for terrorism, but there’d been chatter about a group recently setting up a home base for getting operatives into the US. Their team would be heading to the country soon to take out the man in charge of the operation, before things could get too out of hand.
Cold-weather missions weren’t Flash’s thing—weren’tanyof their favorite kind of op—but taking out bad guysbefore they could injure or kill innocent civilians was what they did, no matter the temperature.
Jessyka stopped by their table and took Remi and Kevlar’s drink and food orders, and she apparently put a rush on them, because by the time Flash and Kelli’s burgers arrived, the salad and steak Remi and Kevlar had ordered were also delivered.
Kelli seemed happy to chat with Remi, and while Kevlar kept up his side of the conversation, Flash was still aware that he seemed tense.
The question ofwhywas answered after they’d finished eating, when Remi was telling Kelli all about sleepovers at Caroline’s house and how much fun they were.
Kevlar suddenly stood up.
Remi didn’t seem too surprised by his abrupt movement, until he moved around to where she was sitting—and went down on one knee.
