Page 74 of Her Marine
“I’m still upset I missed it, and since you heard me, that means you stayed under one hundred dollars,” she stated in a tone that told him she already knew the answer.
“What’s in the bag?” Killian questioned, changing the subject.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Anyway, here you go.”
She handed him the gift bag, and Killian pulled out the object inside. It was wrapped in decorative tissue, but he knew it was to keep the glass object safe. He removed the paper from it and found two whiskey glasses with the marine corps emblem and a bullet through the side.
“A little birdie told me you had a decanter with the insignia. So, I figured you need matching glasses.”
“Thank you, baby. We’ll have to break them in tonight,” Killian responded, knowing that little bird was Axel.
Killian intended to give her gift to her next, but Journee held the box out to him. He took it from her, and she seemed excited about this gift as she bounced a bit on the bed. He couldn’t help but smile at the action.
Unwrapping the paper, he removed the lid on the box and found a bracelet inside. It was black, the band was leather, and when he took it out, turning the plate to face him, he found that it was titanium or tungsten engraved with Morse code.
“It means—” Journee started.
“My person,” Killian finished.
“Of course, you can read Morse code,” she smiled at him.
Killian placed the box aside and leaned in to kiss those full lips, taking her face between his hands. The kiss was slow, and he found himself wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to straddle him. He pulled away with a final peck.
“Thank you, Tigress. This is my favorite gift I’ve received.”
“I know you can’t wear it when you’re working, but the plate is tungsten, so it won’t scratch easily.”
“I can wear it when I’m working, and I plan on doing so.” The fact that she thought he couldn’t wear it at work but still wanted it to be sustainable said a lot. It meant she’d put a lot of thought into it.
Reaching into the bedside table drawer, Killian pulled out the box with a ribbon tied around it. He handed it to her, and Journee pulled one of the strings, releasing the bow tied on top, and slid the ribbon off the box.
He watched her take the top off before tipping the content, another box, into her hand. Journee placed the first box aside, opening the jewelry box. When she opened it, her eyes flitted to his momentarily before returning to the necklace in the box. It was a half-carat diamond pendant nestled in a white gold teardrop cradle.
“Baby, this is gorgeous. Thank you. I love it.” Journee gave him a soft kiss.
Killian had honestly thought she would complain about him buying her something more expensive than the cap she set, but he figured she resigned herself to the fact and likely knew he wouldn’t take it back.
He took the box from her, placing it aside before standing with her still in his arms. “Let’s go watch one of those movies until we need to get ready.”
Once in the living room, Killian arranged them on the couch. He sat against the armrest, her back against his chest as she sat between his legs. He handed her the remote, allowing her to choose something for them to kill time.
«-•-•-•-•-•-•-»
Journee followed Killian through the doors of his parent’s house at two-thirty on the dot. They would have been a bit early, but Journee had asked him to turn around about ten minutes into the drive because she’d forgotten to grab the Christmas cards she’d brought for his parents and sister. When he tried to tell her it was fine, she’d informed him she was not showing up to their house without something for them.
She could smell the delicious aroma of food wafting through the air, and Journee’s stomach was ready to get what smelled like barbeque, but she wasn’t sure that was right, inside of it.
They stopped in the foyer, placing their coats on the rack. Journee followed behind Killian into the living room decorated in white with accents of dark purple; she put her Christmas cards down on top of the gifts he’d brought. She turned and looked at several pictures on the walls and the fireplace mantle. The first photo she saw was of a little bi-racial girl no more than about seven, and she knew it was his sister. Next to it was a picture of Killian in his uniform. He looked like a teenager, and Journee figured it was from when he first enlisted. Beside that one was a photo of his mother and stepfather, she assumed.
Journee looked at the other pictures. There were several family photos and images of Ziggy and Killian as children. She turned to look at him, only to find him watching her.
“You were a cute kid,” she told him.
“I know,” Killian responded with a smirk.
Journee rolled her eyes playfully, and he took her hand, leading her out of the living room and down the hall. They walked into the kitchen, where they found his mother and sister. Ziggy was the first to notice them, and she wiped her hands on a towel before approaching them.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she informed Journee, pulling her into a hug. Journee hugged her back, laughing lightly when Killian snorted. “You have been my big brother’s worst, best-kept secret.” Journee furrowed her brow when Ziggy pulled away. “He would talk about you but not give me any details. Not even your name.”
