Page 37 of Her Marine
She wasn’t, but Killian felt she should know by now that he paid more attention than the average man. So, any change in her demeanor or actions towards him, no matter how slight, wouldn’t go unnoticed by him.
Killian put his phone away and looked over at her as she stood in the entryway of the living room. Standing, he walked toward her. He expected her to say something regarding his statement. When she didn’t, Killian took her hand and led her out of the front door. He paused long enough for her to lock it before leading her to the car and opening the passenger side door for her.
Once they were headed towards the area he’d learned housed several restaurants, Killian glanced at her to find her looking out the window.
“Where would you like to go to dinner?” he questioned before turning his attention back to the road.
Journee was quiet for a moment before he heard her shift in her seat, and Killian could feel her looking at him.
“I’ve had a craving for wings all day,” she finally responded.
“Wings it is, baby. Just tell me where to go.”
For the next ten minutes, Killian followed Journee’s directions, and they pulled into a sports bar parking lot. Killian found a parking space and got out of the car, going around to Journee’s side as she did the same. He placed his hand on the small of her back, and they went inside.
It wasn’t too crowded, so they didn’t have to wait for a table, and once they were seated with their drink orders put in, Killian found himself watching her as she looked over the menu.
He was well aware that she knew he was looking at her. It seemed she was going out of her way not to make eye contact with him. Journee likely knew what would happen if she did, but to Killian’s way of thinking, it was going to happen either way, so they may as well get it out of the way.
Instead, he decided to give her a few more minutes. At least until the drink she ordered came in case she needed a little liquid courage. So, he picked up his menu, looked it over, and decided what he wanted.
Once their server returned with their drinks and took their orders, Killian allowed her to take a couple of sips from the amaretto sour she’d ordered before speaking.
“You want to talk about this, Tigress?” he questioned. “And let’s skip the part where you tell me it’s fine or that you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
Journee looked up at him as she shifted in her seat, and Killian wasn’t sure he was a fan. Even when he was throwing her off balance or when she’d wanted to steer clear of him at first, he’d never seen this. Even in those times, she’d always been confident, and since acknowledging that she was attracted to him in the same way he was to her, she’d exuded this confidence that he enjoyed seeing.
This, however, was as if she was almost nervous or anxious, and that was the last thing Killian wanted. For her to be either of those around him, because of him.
“It’s just…I wasn’t prepared to feel like that,” Journee spoke after a long moment of silence.
Killian didn’t say anything. Knowing that she would continue and that it would be best not to interrupt so, she’d say everything she needed to.
“Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed every second of it. We’d both know I was lying if I said I didn’t. I just didn’t think that my body would respond that way. That what I felt would throw me off balance. Honestly, I just needed some time to process it because I’d never had someone pleasure me that way, want to pleasure me to the extent that you did.” She paused for a moment and took another drink.
Again, Killian remained quiet, knowing that she had more to say. However, that didn’t stop him from biting the inside of his jaw. He could only imagine the type of boys she’d been with, that she hadn’t felt pleasure like that, and it was a shame because it was nothing compared to what he planned on making her feel when he slid between her legs; when he didn’t have to hold himself back.
“And then you didn’t ask for anything in return. You didn’t require me to reciprocate as a turnabout. It’s just new to me. Not having to control intimacy, not being responsible for my pleasure and someone else’s.”
Killian felt his eyebrow twitch, and he picked up his beer, taking a drink from it, attempting to collect his words carefully. He was irritated by what she’d told him, but not at her, and he needed a second to arrange his words so she would understand what he was about to say but not take it as him aiming it towards her.
“Any man that would make you responsible for their pleasure, and yours isn’t a man; he’s a boy. So, let’s not put me in the same sentence as them, Journee.” He paused for a second as she bit her bottom lip, and her eyes widened slightly. It wasn’t lost on him that he didn’t often call her by her name. “Your pleasure falls to me in all aspects, and I get mine from giving you yours.”
“But—”
“No buts,” Killian cut her off. “I’m never going to volunteer to do something, tell you I want to do something, and then expect you to give me something in return. That’s not how that works under any circumstance. Inside or outside of the bedroom.” He studied her for a moment before continuing. “The next time you need time to yourself. Tell me that. Don’t give me excuses or try to distance yourself. I’m not so selfish that I wouldn’t respect that. Take the time, but understand that once you’ve had it, we will talk about whatever it is.”
It was quiet between the two of them for a long moment, and Killian gave it to her, allowing his words to sink in. Leaning forward in his chair, he reached across the table and gripped her chin gently.
“I plan to make you feel like that again, and even better as often as you let me. I don’t need you trying to pull away from me each time, but if that’s what you need to do to deal with it, I’m not going to be upset with you telling me the truth. I’m a patient man, Tigress, and I’ll give you as much of it as I need to.” When Journee nodded, he released her chin.
“Is that because you made me yours?” she questioned him with a teasing smirk, and Killian was glad that she was getting back to herself, but he was about to burst her bubble.
He had no need to be patient with her because of that, making her his was one-sided. Killian firmly believed that the best things between two people came when they invested the same way.
“No,” he told her, looking into those deep brown eyes. “It’s because you made me yours.”
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