Sweetest Goodbye (Navy Book 3)

Chapter 10

Kate was up early the next morning and had to fight the urge to look in on Lee to make sure he was alright. She moved as silently as she could so she wouldn't wake him, and he was still asleep as she was leaving the house.

Her shift was uneventful and she managed to get home by half past two. As she pulled up in her driveway she saw Henry sitting on her back porch waiting for her.

"Henry," she greeted as she sat slowly down into the neighboring chair, resting her weary feet.

"Is Lee back?" he asked, looking at his own feet.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I heard he was back but he's not in his apartment." Henry looked over his shoulder as if to make sure.  "I heard someone say that he was staying with you, in your house."

Kate shook her head in disbelief, word got around that was for sure.

"Yes, he's back."

"Can I talk to him?"

When Kate looked as if she was about to object he rushed on. "It's about guy stuff."

Hiding her smile, she rose from her seat. "I'll see if he's awake."

If Henry thought this was an odd comment he didn't say so as he looked at her hopefully. Granted, with his background it probably wasn't all that odd for an adult to sleep the day away. Kate rose slowly and moved towards her back door, unlocking and entering without paying much attention to what she was doing. 

She placed her keys in the bowl on the counter and placed her bag next to them. As she moved into the living room she stopped short at the sight of Lee standing next to the window looking out at the back porch. He was wearing only his running shorts again and he looked as if he had just gotten out of bed.  He looked deliciously warm and cuddly, if a man with rock hard muscles could be considered cuddly. She'd even bet his bed was still warm.

The thought of his bed made her angry at herself.  She would not go down that road again.  He was not staying, he had said he wasn't, and besides that she barely knew him. Did she want to go down that road? Yes, it had been fourteen years, but she wouldn't.

He looked at her and they took stock of each other silently for a few moments before she frowned at him because she was becoming upset and frustrated. Why did he have to look so...manly? And why had she decided to let him stay in her house? He was upsetting the balance.

"I heard voices," he said, explaining his presence at the window.

Kate nodded. "Henry is out there. He wants to talk to you man to man." She couldn't help the edge to her voice. It didn't help that he even sounded like he had just awakened. His voice was deep and rough.

She saw Lee's lip twitch as he looked back out the window. "I get the feeling that you're mad at me again."

She shrugged turning away from him before her hormones took control of the situation. "Are you hungry?" She would make something to eat, that would distract her.

"Depends."

She turned around to look at him, her eyebrow raised in her most haughty, yet bored, expression.

"Are you going to spit in the food?"

Kate couldn't help a lip twitch of her own as she turned away and headed towards the kitchen. "I would never do that."

"I thought all waitresses and waiters did that."

"No," she said feeling him follow her, but she didn't realize how close he was until she turned around and he was right up on her, she walked right into his chest. She froze as her hand landed on his bare skin. She stood there for just a moment looking at her hand on his chest, noting the difference in color and the feel of the muscles as they moved beneath her. She also noticed multiple scars and the strong beat of his heart.