Defender

21

Sometime around six, Ada cut Kris and Jack off the dance floor. “The fastest eclectic runabout on the planet is parked outside. Do you know the way back to Joe’s Seaside Paradise?”

“If I can’t guide them,” Nelly said, “Kris can trade me in for an abacus.”

“Joe’s expecting you. I understand you only have one night you can take, so why don’t you two make the most of it and get out of here.”

An hour and a half later, Joe was showing them to the same cottage. “It’s a bit late for supper, but we’re still serving. I’m sure you could come in what you’re wearing.”

“I’m not hungry,” Kris said. She was, but food was the last thing on her mind.

“Send the buns over early tomorrow morning,” Jack said.

Joe quickly made himself scarce.

Jack came over to open the car door for Kris. For once, she’d stayed demurely in her place to give him a chance to be the gentlemen he enjoyed being. He offered her a hand up, and she took it, just as she had been taught by the woman Mother hired to teach Kris to be a lady.

Jack let her get on her own two feet, then swooped her up and carried her to the door. He fumbled a bit with the latch, so a laughing Kris opened the door for him. He kissed her, not as long as in the church, but it was no peck, and carried her across the threshold.

“Our first home.”

“For at least the next twelve hours,” Jack agreed.

“You going to carry me across the threshold of my quarters on the Wasp?”

“Don’t I wish I could,” he said with a sigh. On the drive up they had agreed that what happened dirtside stayed dirtside. Once back aboard ship, they turned back into pumpkins in uniform.

Jack settled Kris on her feet in the middle of the room and eyed her much the way Kris suspected Marines eyed mountain strongholds to be taken.

“They really sewed you into that dress.”

Kris looked down at herself and couldn’t really disagree. When she next glanced up at Jack, he had a very sharp knife in his hands.

“Ouch,” Kris said, but managed not to take a step back.

“Wife, don’t you trust a Marine with a knife in his hand?”

“I don’t trust anyone with a knife pointed my way.”

“Smart woman, but trust me, husbands are in a special category.” And so saying, he took the tip of the combat knife to the recently added seams to her dress.

With careful snips, one by one, the bodice came loose. It fell, revealing a very sexy bra beneath.

“I thought you didn’t buy sexy underwear.”

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Didn’t you guys ever hear about those female essentials?”

“Dimly. Which is this?”

“I think it’s the new. Or maybe borrowed, though it’s not going back.”

“And the blue?”

“Keep hunting.”

“Oh, this just gets better.”

More snips of threads, and the dress was finally loose enough for Jack to pull it over Kris’s head. He turned away to lay the dress carefully on a chair. After all, this was definitely borrowed. When he turned back, Kris greeted him in tiny panties and bra and a pose that likely originated just outside the Garden of Eden.

“Ah,” Jack said, taking her in. “The blue are those tiny blue bows on your panties.”

“I said you’d find them.”

“I’m overdressed,” Jack said, and in hardly a blink . . . and Kris was definitely not blinking . . . she was the one who was overdressed.

“I guess I better get out of these,” she said, reaching behind her for the bra clasp.

“Oh no, my dear. Don’t you know? Brides are presents best unwrapped slowly.”

“Who told you that?”

“It’s a guy thing, like the something-borrowed thing.”

“I’m not sure I trust you, Mister.”

“Ah, but you must, I’m your husband.”

“You’re also a Marine.”

“Well, there is that,” Jack said, approaching Kris with the biggest grin she’d ever seen on his face.

She backed away from him.

He advanced another step.

She backed up again . . . and fell on the bed.

A moment later, he was on top of her, covering her with kisses.

He did take a long time getting her out of her panties and bra.

But then he made it up by taking a long time putting other things inside her.

As she found herself falling asleep in his arms, she came to the conclusion that she should trust her husband, and he was very well balanced at giving and taking.

Definitely a nice man to have around.