Rebound - Marie Johnston Page 0,4

you.”

“But-”

“No buts, Olivia. You are doing nothing wrong. Shave your legs, wax your who-ha, and go on your date Friday night. Then go back to his hotel and get yourself some. And don’t answer David’s calls.”

“I’m not planning to,” Olivia growled. David had left her messages and texts, and she had no plans to listen to his excuses.

“Good. Then I expect to hear from you Saturday afternoon. And I’ll want details. Oh, and when is the next Fleet Week so I can come visit?”

*****

Olivia wanted to meet him at eight. Have supper, go dancing. He wanted her back in his hotel room. Whatever made her happy to get to that point. Kane had even come to the realization that it didn't matter if it was this Fleet Week, or when he was back from his upcoming deployment. As long as in the end, she was his. They would spend his liberty doing what made her comfortable and wanting to see him again.

It felt like weeks had passed, but it had only been two nights since he’d left from their waaaayyyy too brief make out session and went back to his hotel room. Took a cold shower. Then another. Woke up, tried to work out his raging libido in the hotel gym. Didn’t work, took another cold shower.

Duty yesterday. Longest. Day. Ever. Kane was actually grateful for all the fires he had to put out with his people. A couple of drunken Sailors, one lewd conduct, and a fight on the ship, all this beyond his normal duties. They made the day speed by until he could be with Olivia again.

His phone chimed, announcing a call from his brother. It was only seven-thirty, otherwise Kane would've ignored him, not wanting to cut the call short as soon as he spotted the lovely brunette who dominated his thoughts and dreams for the last two days.

The dreams were the worst. Seeing her would have been enough to illicit the naughty dreams she starred in. But meeting her, learning her wit and humor…and how the hell can someone so nice be that sexy? It wasn't right. It messed with the mind. Kane equated sexy women with junk food. Okay to indulge in, but never found one to keep around who wasn’t bad for him.

"What's up?" Kane answered.

"We need you to get fitted for the tux," his brother cut to the chase. Kane's main regret about being gone from his family – missing out on watching his brother squirm under all the wedding plans. Kate was tenacious, and Kane knew, absolutely not putting up with Jeff's bullshit. Jeff needed someone who couldn’t be bulldozed.

"When? We move out Monday. I'm on the ship basically Sunday on.”

"Saturday will work. The appointment’s made, bro. You know Kate – always prepared. She actually made three different appointments hoping you could make it to one. Sorry, we forgot to tell you. Not that it would've done any good, you weren't paying any attention to us."

"Yes, I was.” His brother wouldn’t be fooled. “Sort of. I talked to her."

"Did you get any?"

Kane got irritated. Not a good sign. When Jeff met Kate, Kane assumed it was another notch for his commitment-phobe brother and asked if he got a piece. A black eye for each of them and bloody nose for Kane later, both boys knew there was nothing random about Kate.

“She resisted all my best efforts.” The frustration snuck out of his tone past the humor. “But she agreed to meet me again tonight.”

The heartbeat of silence that followed made Kane cringe. Even over the phone, his brother could read him too easily.

“Not like you to try so hard. There’s an entire city of women who have been waiting a whole year for Fleet Week, hoping a guy like you will go all “officer and gentlemen” on them.”

“And they’d all be cougars because that’s an old fucking movie, Jeff,” Kane grinned at the reference to his mother’s favorite romance, An Officer and a Gentleman. She claimed their father swept her off her feet like that in his Navy uniform when they were dating. Jeff and Kane always shuddered and found somewhere else to be before the parental PDAs started.

“Man in uniform is all it takes. So what’s her name?”

“Olivia.”

“Kane?” The soft, hesitant voice snapped his attention back to the restaurant. Oh damn, she was here already! He wanted to meet her at the door, not have her wandering around looking for him while he chatted on the phone.

“Later, Jeff.” Disconnecting, Kane