Page 17 of A Very Grumpy Marine

We finish eating and I pay the bill.

“So, what’s the plan?” He asks me as we stand.

“I’m headed back to work,” I say, and he shakes his head.

“No. What’s the plan with your girl? Lymric.”

I smirk. “Win her over before she leaves.”

Kye shakes his head. “You don’t do anything halfway, do you?”

“Nope. I’ll see you,” I say, waving as I head over to my truck.

“Good luck.”

I head back to work after lunch, knocking out another few hours at the hangar before checking the time and realizing it’s almost time to pick Lymric up.

I drive straight to Milo’s place, pulling into the driveway and hopping out before she has a chance to second-guess tonight. Before I can knock, the door swings open, and Lymric stands there, looking up at me with those sharp green eyes that I can’t get enough of.

“You’re early,” she says, crossing her arms.

I smirk. “You ready?”

She huffs but grabs her purse and steps outside, locking the door behind her. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

She sighs but doesn’t argue, and I take that as progress.

We drive through town, the tension between us softer now, more playful. She asks about my work, about Semper Fly, and I tell her about the guys, about how I ended up working there. She listens, nodding along, and I like that she wants to know more about me.

“It’s got to be a cool view from way up there,” she says as we pull into the Palmer’s Steakhouse parking lot.

I park and hop out to open her door. She eyes the building, and I take her hand in mine.

“Hungry?” I ask, and she nods.

“Starved. This place looks fancy.”

“Only the best for my girl,” I quip.

She rolls her eyes, but I can see that she’s pleased with my answer.

Inside, we settle into a booth, and I watch her scan the menu. The way she moves, the little expressions she makes when she reads something that interests her—it’s all fascinating to me.

“So,” she says, setting the menu down. “You always this intense?”

I smirk. “You bring it out of me.”

She rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue.

Dinner is easy, conversation flowing between us like we’ve known each other forever. She tells me more about her job and the places she’s been. I listen, soaking it all in, filing away every little detail.

By the time we finish eating, I’m not ready to let her go yet.

“Come back to my place,” I say as we step outside.

She eyes me warily. “Camden…”

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