Page 2 of Protecting Kelli (SEAL of Protection: Alliance #6)

The redness in her face deepened. “This and that,” she mumbled, looking back out at the ocean.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

She sighed, then turned back to him. “You weren’t.

I just…I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.

I’m twenty-eight years old and still have no idea what my passion is.

I’ve done lots of things…waitressed, worked at an animal shelter, construction—don’t get too excited, I was just the one holding the stop sign directing traffic—fa st food, coffee shop, house cleaner. You name it, I’ve done it.

“Currently, I’m a travel agent. In fact, I arranged this entire trip for my cousin.

But I already know the job isn’t for me.

It’s very stressful…which I can handle, but the clients change their minds constantly and are never satisfied, and they call me to complain if the slightest thing goes wrong on their trips, even when it’s not my fault.

But I still haven’t found anything else that I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. ”

She looked back out at the ocean again, her voice quieter, so Flash had to strain to hear.

“My dad was killed on the job when I was a teenager, and just before he died, we had a conversation…and he told me to never settle for anything less than what made me truly happy. I think that’s why I’ve always had a hard time deciding what I want to do with my life.

I haven’t discovered what truly makes me happy.

I know I’m probably taking his words a little too much to heart, but it was literally one of the last things he said to me.

Anyway…” Her voice trailed off a little self-consciously.

“That’s why I tried to deflect when you asked me what I did for a living. ”

There was a lot there. Flash wasn’t sure where to start. So he began with the most important. “I’m sorry about your dad.”

“Thanks. He worked in construction. He was on a scaffold when it collapsed under him. He fell and was crushed.”

Flash frowned. Then he stood, scooted his chair right next to Kelli’s and sat back down. Now there wasn’t ten feet of space between them. “I really am sorry.”

“Thanks. And contrary to what you might believe, I don’t go around telling perfect strangers my life history,” she said with a grimace.

“We aren’t strangers. We met yesterday. I’m Wade. But everyone calls me Flash.”

“Because your last name is Gordon,” Kelli said with a grin.

“Yup.”

“Well, Flash, I’m Kelli, but you probably know that.”

Flash nodded. “I remember. And…about an occupation. I think it’s admirable that you aren’t settling for a job you dislike.”

She smirked. “You want to tell my mom that? She thinks it’s ridiculous that I’m so unsettled.”

“I think that’s her job. As a mom.”

“True.”

They sat in silence for a long moment, and Flash realized that for the first time this trip, he felt content. Kelli was a breath of fresh air. She was down-to-earth, funny, honest, and, it had to be said…hot.

Oh, Flash was aware a lot of men wouldn’t find her shape and size attractive, but he’d dealt with plenty of women like her cousin and the Three A’s.

The type who didn’t have an ounce of fat on their bodies and liked to push their fake boobs in his face, wanting a night in his bed simply because he was a Navy SEAL.

They’d say whatever they thought he wanted to hear, just so they could bag a SEAL. The frog hogs were exhausting. Gradually, they’d made him question every woman’s intentions.

But Kelli…she was interesting. And it had been a long damn time since he’d looked twice at a woman.

“Where are you from?” she asked after a while .

“Riverton, California. You?”

She gaped at him in surprise. “You are?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because I’m from La Jolla.”

It was Flash’s turn to be shocked. “Really? That’s just north of me.”

“I know.”

“No wonder you like the beach. They have some wonderful ones.”

She smiled. “True. Wow. Small world.”

It was.

“You going on the thing tomorrow?” Kelli asked him.

“Thing? What thing?”

It was her turn to frown. “The tubing thing.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

For the first time, she looked uneasy. “Oh, um…sorry. Forget I mentioned it.”

“No, what tubing thing?”

Kelli sighed. “I guess Charlotte and the Three A’s are bored.

There’s not much going on at the resort, and they want to do something more exciting.

They contacted a private tour place and decided they just had to go tubing on the White River.

I guess they asked your friends, and they agreed to go too. ”

Flash frowned. He hadn’t heard anything about going off the resort’s property. If he had, he would’ve tried to talk the guys out of it. While all the people they’d met so far had been kind and courteous, he was well aware of the dangers that lurked outside the fancy resort’s gates.

“I haven’t been hanging around them much. I’m sure they’ll tell me as soon as they get a chance,” he said .

She nodded. “I really am sorry. I know what it’s like to be left out.”

Flash couldn’t help it, he laughed. Then, at seeing the look of hurt that flashed over her face before she could mask it, he hurried to say, “I’m not laughing at you .

It’s just that I have no real desire to sit my ass on a tube for who the hell knows how long it’ll take to get down whatever overcrowded piece of river. ”

He was relieved to see the smile return to her face. “Right? I’m so short, my legs usually end up sticking straight up, and it’s all I can do to hold onto the stupid tube.”

“Are you going?”

Kelli shrugged. “Yeah. I really don’t want to because I’m not sure it’s safe to leave the resort. But I kind of feel obligated.”

Flash didn’t want to either, because he knew as well as Kelli apparently did that it wasn’t safe. But the last thing he was going to do was leave his future-brother-in-law to get hurt or robbed. His sister would have his head on a platter if he did that. And then there was Kelli...

“So…you think you might want to go?” she asked.

It wasn’t hard to see the interest in Kelli’s eyes.

Normally, that in itself would urge him to say no.

He didn’t do one-night stands any longer, and he definitely wasn’t looking for some kind of vacation fling.

But he found himself in a whole new headspace at the moment.

He liked knowing this woman wanted him to come along.

He wanted to spend more time with her. Get to know her better.

“Yeah,” Flash told her.

“Cool,” she said with a shy smile .

“Cool,” he agreed.

A sound behind them had them both turning to see who was approaching. It was Charlotte and the Three A’s. Flash chuckled to himself; now he was calling the bridesmaids by the nickname.

“Hey, Kelli, we’re going to hang out with Seb, Ben, Rowan, and Charles in that little grotto on the other side of the property.”

“Um…okay?” Kelli said, obviously confused about why her cousin was informing her of their plans.

“I just didn’t want you worrying about where we were or coming to look for us.

We’ll see you tomorrow after breakfast. The minibus will pick us up in front of the resort at ten.

Don’t be late.” And with that, Charlotte turned, and she and the Three A’s strutted back to the bar where the guys were waiting for them, exaggerating the swing of their hips.

Kelli was staring back out at the water, refusing to meet Flash’s gaze.

“That was weird,” he blurted.

Kelli shrugged.

“Hey,” he said softly.

She still wouldn’t look at him.

“Kelli,” he said, putting a little more force into his voice.

Finally, she turned, and seeing the way her eyes sparkled with unshed tears tore at him.

“What?” she asked a little aggressively.

“You want to have dinner with me?” The words were out before he’d even thought about what he was going to say.

She stared at him with those wounded eyes, and Flash ached to do something that would make them sparkle with humor again.

“I mean, since the guys I’m with are obviously going to be hanging with your cousin and the Three A’s, it means we’re free to do whatever we want. I’ve heard great things about the restaurant here. I bet we could even get a table on the beach.”

“But you hate the sand,” she said softly.

“I hate seeing a beautiful woman torn up because her snobby, clueless, obviously stupid cousin was hateful to her even more.”

Kelli sighed. “She knows I made dinner reservations for all five of us tonight. And that dig about not coming to look for her? She obviously doesn’t want me anywhere near the guys who’ll be drooling all over her tonight.”

“Fuck her,” Flash said, way past caring that he was being derogatory about Kelli’s relative.

“Don’t you need to watch your sister’s fiancé?”

“He already knows that if he does anything other than talk to another woman, I’ll tell my sister so fast it’ll make his head spin. And he might be more scared of Nova than he is of me.”

Kelli giggled, and Flash was so relieved, his muscles relaxed. He hadn’t even realized how tense he’d become.

“Have dinner with me, Kelli. Please?”

“Well, when you ask me so nicely, how can I refuse?”

“You can’t,” he said with satisfaction.

“What time?”

“Six-thirty?”

She nodded. “Okay. I need to go talk to the front desk and tell them to cancel my previous dinner reservation. ”

“You need to go right now?” he asked, wanting to prolong his time with this intriguing woman.

“Probably not. Why?”

“Because it’s a beautiful day. We could sit here for a while and enjoy it.”

She stared at him for a beat, before nodding. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Flash said, before taking another swig of his disgusting warm beer.

“You mind if I read? I was just getting to a good part.”

“Not at all.”

Sitting next to Kelli while she read and he stared out at the waves was relaxing.

For the first time this trip, Flash felt the tension he always carried on his shoulders dissipating.

And it took…what? A pretty woman saying yes to his dinner invitation.

Hearing the pages of her book shuffle as she turned them.

Her quiet chuckles each time she read something funny.

Flash still hated the beach.

Still despised the sand.

But somehow, it was more tolerable with Kelli Colbert sitting next to him.