Page 36 of Black Bay Enforcer
“Sounds good.”
Kong audibly exhaled.Hallelujah. And thanks to General Davies, he almost finished that thought withIt’s Raining Men. He’d have to listen to something else or that song would be stuck in his head all night.
Katherine had to admit she was hungry. Her stomach was rumbling so loudly that she was pretty sure Kong could hear it. But she’d rather skip dinner so she could jump on him and kiss him again. She’d thought about that kiss they’d shared all afternoon, absently skimming her lips with her fingers and so distracted that ORION called her out on it. Talk about embarrassing.
“How was your day?”
“Good.” She told Kong about the three rehabilitated Resurrection soldiers. “It gives me hope they’ll all make a full recovery.”
Kong let out one of those gruff, rumbling noises he so often made. “They deserve a life.”
They reached the mess hall and Kong left the Jeep running. “I’ll be right back,” he told her and jumped out.
As Katherine watched him jog into the building, she bit her lip. She’d also talked to her mother this afternoon. She’d been putting off calling her because one, all her calls were monitoredbut she couldn’t exactly say that, and it didn’t feel right not telling her mother that someone else was listening. And two, she hated lying to her mother. Since she couldn’t disclose where she was working or what she was doing, it was easier just to skip it altogether. But her liaison had messaged her that Harper Knox was adamant that Katherine call. Her mother hadn’t been happy and the guilt had been laid on thick.
You gave me this new number but you never answer. I always have to leave a message with someone else and you never call me back. Are they even giving you my messages?
I don’t understand why we don’t talk anymore. Did I do something wrong?
What are you doing that is so important that you can’t take five minutes out of your day to call your mother?
Katherine had fielded the questions as best she could without disclosing too much.
She’d speak to her assistant(who happened to be her liaison).
You haven’t done anything wrong. Things have just been crazy with the relocation and the new job.
She’d try to do better.
Then, in what could only be termed a moment of insanity, Katherine had blurted, “I met someone.” She’d been dying to say that out loud to someone who’d be rooting for her.
Her mother had gasped, then squealed before she’d announced, “Oh, that’s fantastic, Katherine! What’s his name?”
“Kong.”
Her mother chuckled. “What a fun nickname. You’ll bring him to your party, of course, so that everyone can meet him.”
Katherine ignored the nickname part and focused on her mother’s other statement. She’d already been toying with the idea of asking Kong to go with her. She’d love his company. Having him with her would make her birthday even more special. But she also knew how her family and friends were. They had no boundaries. They might start out with the usual questions like,How did you two meet?But all too soon they’d be asking things like,So when’s the wedding?Or asking how many kids they planned to have, then piggybacking that with helpful “advice” that would have Katherine red-cheeked and wanting to hide under a table. She didn’t know if she wanted to subject Kong to that.Ifhe’d even want to go.
Did Kong want kids?
Whoa. She was getting ahead of herself. Way ahead. Maybe her family’s unique brand of crazy had rubbed off on her and she hadn’t noticed until now.
He came out of the mess hall just then, and seeing he had her attention, he smiled that big smile of his and held up two large bags.
Butterflies danced in her stomach. Her family would love him.
The table they’d eaten dinner at the other night was still in Kong’s apartment though minus the tablecloth and dishes. Their food was in handy little to-go trays, so all they’d need were utensils and drinks. He could manage that.
As he unpacked the food, he shot a surreptitious glance at Katherine. He’d gotten the feeling she wanted to ask him something but was holding back for whatever reason. He had to admit, he was curious, but he didn’t want to push her.
“I probably should have asked you what you wanted for dinner, huh?” He did that sometimes. Just barreled ahead without thinking.
She drew closer to look at the assortment of trays he was pulling out. “I’m sure whatever you got is fine.”
She was so nice. Anyone else would have gotten after him for making decisions for them. Lark probably would have called him a big oaf. But not Katherine.
Kong breathed in her scent which was even better than the food smells currently filling his apartment and felt a stirring in his pants. Dinner first, he told himself sternly. Playtime later.
