Page 72 of Her Marine
Journee thought about it for a moment. She’d eaten a muffin Kaydence brought her that morning when she’d picked her up to take her to the airport. Her sisters and grandmother had flown out the previous day to spend the holiday with her aunt, so Kaydence volunteered to drop her off. Even though that meant she had to pick her up at four that morning.
She had an appetite, and lunch sounded nice, but she also wanted to relax. She would be staying with Killian for the next seven days, so she had plenty of time to go out with him. At first, Journee had been skeptical of staying an entire week with him. Not because it meant she’d have to take time off. She typically took a week off for Christmas, but because she didn’t want to crowd his space. However, he’d insisted if she was comfortable with it, he wanted her to stay.
“Can we order something?”
“Of course, baby.”
The drive to Killian’s was filled with him asking how her last event of the year went. It was a company Christmas party the day before. Journee had been planning the event for them for the past four years. She always enjoyed that they closed early to have the party during the day, much like a luncheon, so time wasn’t taken out of their evening on their last day before the company was closed for several days.
When they pulled up to his condo, Journee looked around at the elegant buildings. There were three of them, and the architecture was sleek and modern. Journee pulled her coat closer to herself from the slight shock of stepping out of the warm car into the chill of the December morning.
She went to the trunk, intent on getting at least her carry-on from Killian and taking it inside, but he wouldn’t give it to her. He took her hand in his free one and led her to the entrance. Journee watched him place her suitcase on the shoveled walkway before the door and keyed in a code. There was a beep, and he pushed the door open, allowing Journee in first as he followed behind her.
Killian led her down the hallway on the left, stopping at the second door and unlocking it. He allowed her to enter before him, and Journee took in her surroundings. His living room and the kitchen were an open floor plan. There were floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room with glass doors that led out to a patio.
It was decorated nicely in light gray and cream, and Journee had to commend his sense of style. She’d half expected she would be walking into a bachelor’s pad that looked like one, but she was wrong.
Killian led her down the hall, opening a bathroom door to show her and bypassing a closed door.
“That’s the guestroom. You won’t need it,” he stated as they continued to the end of the hall and walked into what she knew was his bedroom. She’d seen different parts of it when they would video chat.
“What if I get mad at you while I’m here and don’t want to sleep in bed with you?” Journee teased.
“Too bad. You being mad doesn’t mean you get to sleep away from me. It means you don’t get to sleep at all until we get it worked out. In whatever way we need to.”
Journee watched him place her bags by the closet before he turned to look at her, taking his coat off. She did the same, and he took it from her, hanging them both in his closet.
“Come on, let’s figure out what you want for lunch.”
“I’m fine with whatever you want,” Journee responded, and Killian placed his hands on her waist.
“I’d rather have what I want for dessert tonight.”
She laughed, shaking her head at him, but she was sure he was serious. “Fine, let’s go pick something for lunch.”
She took his hand and led the way down the hall into the living room. She sat on the couch, Killian sitting beside her, pulling his phone out, and they looked through the numerous options before deciding and placing their order.
“So, I should warn you about tomorrow,” he stated, turning to her after placing his phone down. “My mother and sister will probably grill you with questions.”
Journee nodded. “My family did the same to you, so it’s only fair.”
Killian shook his head. “I’m sure this will be worse. I’ve never brought someone home for the holidays, or at all for that matter. Not since I was in high school.”
Journee wasn’t sure what to say to that. He’d just told her she was the first woman he brought home to meet his family. A part of her felt special, but the other part understood why he was warning her about his mother and sister. This would be new to them, and both women must have wondered why he was introducing her to them.
“Surely, you’ve brought your…a couple of the other people you’ve been dating home,” Journee tried, thinking maybe he forgot about one or two. She’d been about to say girlfriend, but they still hadn’t put a label on it, and for some reason, she felt that girlfriend wouldn’t be the word Killian chose. It seemed too innocent and insignificant when linked to him.
“No, Tigress, because relationships are hard to maintain in my profession. There’s no point in introducing someone who won’t be around later.”
Journee smiled at him before climbing into his lap and kissing him. She wasn’t sure if he’d realized what he’d said, but figured he did since she’d never seen Killian do or say anything without a purpose. His words told her he felt she’d be there later and wanted her to be.
“I suppose I could stay around for a bit,” she told him teasingly when they pulled apart. “After all, I did make you mine.”
Killian smirked at her, running his thumb over her cheek. “That you did, Tigress. That you did.”
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Killian’s eyes fluttered open the next morning, and instinctively he glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was a few minutes before eight, and he refrained from groaning. Even when he wasn’t working, his mental alarm still went off. His first thought was to lay there and see if he’d fall back asleep. Especially since he’d only gotten about four and a half hours; however, he knew he wouldn’t be able to.
