Page 28 of Fake Dating the SEAL
Her hand over the cell phone, she called back to her daughter. “Have fun sweetie.”
“Well?” Maile asked.
“Hang on. She’s only halfway down the walkway.”
“What’s he doing?”
“Holding the door open for her.”
“Oh. That’s my Kenny. All my son’s friends are such nice boys.”
“Boys?” Missy momentarily tore her gaze away from the curb and glanced at the phone, before returning to her viewing stance. “Oh, he’s kissing her.”
“Kissing how?”
“What do you mean how?” Again she glanced down at her phone.
“On the cheek? The mouth? Holding her or not? Politely or should we call get a room?”
“Maile!”
“You know what I mean.”
“Okay. Oh.” She couldn’t help smiling. “One arm around her waist. Leaning in. Brief kiss on the lips.”
“Then why are you sighing?”
“Maile, you should see how he’s looking at her.”
“Take a picture.”
“Too late. They’re getting into the car. His eyes lasered in on hers, the corners of his mouth curled in a sweet smile, and it took him a minute to let go. Oh, Maile. I think we finally got this one right!”
It had taken every inch of self control Kenny had to pull away from Sara. The moment he’d hopped out of the car, he’d spotted that wavering curtain, this time in what he knew to be the kitchen window. By the time Sara reached him, she’d confirmed his suspicions that mama Alani was doing some pretty sloppy recon. With silent agreement, he’d pulled her in for a delicate and friendly kiss.
The moment his fingers curled around her waist, he’d known something had shifted in him. When his lips touched hers, the desire to pull her even closer and not let go was possibly the most frightening sensation he’d ever encountered. Only years of SEAL training allowed him to follow through on his mission without totally mucking up their deal.
“You all right?” Sara’s voice sounded small, worried.
“Sorry. Just thinking.”
“About?” Her fingers twisted together in her lap. “I mean, if this whole arrangement is taking up too much of your time, we don’t have to—”
“No.” He had to work hard to keep that single syllable from coming out loud and desperate. “No. My mind was just wandering. It started with your mother at the curtains, then it jumped to I haven’t seen much of your dad, then it stuttered to a halt when you showed up at the door.”
Her cheeks tinted rose and her lashes lowered a moment. “Thank you.”
Instantly, his mind drifted to the few times she’d mentioned her dating history. It struck him like a snowball in the face on an icy day that not many men had told her how beautiful she was unless they wanted something from her. Anger simmered under the surface and he found himself wanting very badly to make her happy. “Did I tell you that once, just before BUDs, I actually considered proposing?”
Bashful blue eyes widened in surprise before she silently shook her head.
He turned the corner and decided if there was a sliver of a chance that his attraction was more than hormonal, honesty would be the best policy. “Kathy Delaney. Tall, blonde, with legs that went on forever.”
“Ah, so you’re a leg man.”
“Sometimes.” He smiled. “She was sweet and brassy all at the same time. We had a lot of…fun together.”
The way her one brow lifted, he suspected she understood what he meant.
