Page 21 of Fast Fury

Freeman clasped it. Hard. “Yeah. And for the record, I’ve never seen anyone your size as good as you in the water.”

“Oh, God,” Rodriguez moaned. “Now Maka thinks he’s the king of the oceanandlip-syncing.”

Everyone laughed, then Hamilton clapped him on the back. “Guess that means the beer’s on you tonight.”

Kai grinned, took the shirt Khan held out for him. “Yeah. Guess it does.”

“Here. Brought your phone, too,” his friend said. “I recorded it for you. And you got a text when you were about halfway across.”

“Thanks.” Kai took it, and when he saw Abby’s message, he smiled, excitement flooding him.

Guess who’s coming to Maui in three days?

He was thrilled at the prospect of getting to see her, spend time with her, but even more so that she’d reached out to tell him. He’d been worried that he’d scared her off, that he’d come on too strong, because after the other night, she’d pulled back. Or seemed to have. Only texting him back in response to something, rather than reaching out to him first. Texting instead of answering his calls.

He could never regret that kiss, though. So many times over the past week he’d replayed it over and over again in his mind, recalling every little detail. The look on her face when he’d picked her up and pinned her to the wall, the feel of him against her.

How soft her heavy-lidded eyes had been as she’d gazed up at him after, her porcelain cheeks flushed and her lips pink and shiny.

“Whatever you’re thinking about right now, I don’t wanna know,” Freeman muttered beside him.

“Hot date with your former neighbor?” Khan asked, a knowing glint in his eye. Both he and Prentiss knew how bad things had been with Shelley.

“Nah,” Kai said, downplaying her importance and his eagerness. He wasn’t even sure if this was going anywhere yet. He didn’t want the guys to know just how amped up he was about it, in case it didn’t happen. His relationship with Abby was something to be cherished, and protected.

Looking forward to showing you paradise, he typed back to Abby. In whatever capacity she’d let him.

He couldn’t wait to see her. Couldn’t wait to show her all the places he loved, introduce her to his grandma. He had all kinds of seduction ideas too, but all that would have to wait until she was ready. Until then he would spend as much time as he could with her, prove to her that it was worth giving them a shot.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m freaking starving,” Colebrook announced as they started back up the beach toward the building they’d vacated earlier.

“I’m more thirsty than anything else,” Freeman answered, shooting Kai an evil grin. “After that swim, I figure I can put away a dozen beers, easy.”

Kai mentally winced at the damage that was about to be done to his credit card, but smiled. As the others went on ahead, he dialed his grandmother’s number and brought the phone to his ear.

“Hey,Tutu, it’s me,” he said in Hawaiian. “Just calling to let you know I’ll be there in time for dinner on Tuesday. And I’m thinking of bringing a friend over on Wednesday night, too.”

Except he hoped Abby would be far more than that by the end of their time on Maui together. Which meant he had just over a week to change her mind and make her his.

****

Shown up in front of the whole team by a damn jarhead.

Malcolm Freeman mentally shook his head at himself as he reached for his first beer from Maka. “Thanks.” Man, he must be getting old. It was the only explanation. When he’d been in the Teams, no one could touch him in the water.

His teammate pulled the beer out of range, raised a black eyebrow. “No hard feelings?”

“Not if you gimme the damn beer.”

“Cool.” Maka handed it over and sat his huge frame down on the stool next to Mal’s, helping himself to a mouthful of peanuts from a dish on the bar. Guy had a monster appetite, seemed to always be stuffing his face with something, and it usually wasn’t all that nutritious. “Did you train in the islands much when you were in the Teams?”

“Not as often as we would have liked.” He took a sip, the cold, crisp brew sliding down his throat. “You must miss being here. Pretty great place to call home.”

“Yeah. Funny how I didn’t appreciate it until after I left.”

“That’s how it goes.” People never appreciated what they had until it was gone. He knew that better than some.

Maka nodded, opened his mouth to say something else then paused as his phone chimed. He checked the screen, grinned, and began typing back a response.

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