Kensi let the agent who brought Deeks to the boat shed know he was ready to leave, feelings even more conflicted about him being involved. Sam and Callen were waiting on the dock when she came out and she put up a mild expression that hid any signs of her inner turmoil.
"So, did you get his number?" Callen asked as they walked back to the challenger.
"Of course not! Why would you even think something like that?"
"Kensi, you were flirting with our informant," Sam pointed out.
"I was just being friendly," Kensi said easily. She could only imagine their response if she told them she had a wedding ring tucked beneath her shirt. Right next to her dad's dog tags.
"Uh-huh. Well, at least wait until we're done with this case before you go out on a date."
"You think he's legitimate?" Callen asked and Kensi tensed up again. She was almost certain Hetty would try to divert them from any snooping, but that would only last so long if Eric or Nell got involved.
"Apparently Hetty trusts him," Sam said with a shrug. "So until he does something that says otherwise, I guess we do too."
Deeks hated these dinners, he always had. Aside from the fact that he was forced to listen to Bennett Forthright brag about his illegal business activities, his and his associates were unbearably obnoxious. It made him feel just a little cheap being here.
Unfortunately, he'd promised Hetty that he would keep an eye in Forthright, so he had to pretend to enjoy himself. Or at least that he didn't loathe the man.
Across from Deeks, Arron Kingsley was growing steadily drunker and talking about the call girl he spent the weekend with. Deeks was sure the man's wife would be pleased to hear about it. He took a sip from the glass of scotch cradled in his hand, wishing that he could drink the entire thing to drowned out the sound of Arron's droning voice.
"So, Marty, when are you going to let me introduce you to one of Lisa's friends?" Bennett Forthright asked somewhat unexpectedl, cutting Arron off in the middle of his story.
It wasn't the first time he'd made such an offer and Deeks had to force himself not to respond derisively. Allowing a careless smirk, Deeks shrugged.
"I don't really like being tied down," he said. "You should know that by now."
"It's not normal for a guy like you to be alone." Bennett looked him up and down pointedly. It wasn't the first time he'd expressed an interest in Deeks' love life or offered to set him up with a woman.
"I tend to keep long hours and most women want more attention than I can give. Besides—" he flashed a quick grin— "I have my eye on this brunette in my office. She likes to play hard to get, but I know it's only a matter of time."
"Mm, then you'll have to bring her to dinner sometime," Bennett said, and from his tone of voice, Deeks could tell it wasn't an option. As much as he might pretend Deeks was a friend, Bennett would never let him forget he was also a paying client.
"I'll keep that in mind," Deeks agreed, refusing to commit to anything. He checked his watch, seeing that it was well past 8, which meant Kensi was likely home by now. "Well, I hate to cut the evening short, gentlemen, but I have to prep for court tomorrow."
"Have fun with your little brunette," Bennett called after him, his voice filled with innuendo. The idea of him getting anywhere Kensi made him feel slightly ill.
Deeks just winked as he left the room, waiting until he was in his car to shudder. He always came out of meetings with Forthright feeling a little dirty. Especially when he realized how easy it was for him to pretend he didn't loathe the man.
"Hey, how was your day," Kensi greeted him when he walked through their front door. She was cooking something, pans spread out across the stove. Sighing deeply, he dropped his briefcase to the side, and slide down the surface of the door.
"I had the extreme pleasure of listening to Arron Kingsley relate his favorite sexual positions," he told her, appreciating Kensi's mild look of disgust. "So obviously it was another fantastic day."
With a sympathetic look, Kensi abandoned her cooking to join him against the door.
"I'm sorry, baby. I know you hate going there."
"It wasn't the worst." He wiggled his arm around Kensi's back, automatically shifting so Kensi could rest her head on his shoulder. It was the first peaceful moment he'd had all day. "What about you? Did you find the warehouse?"
"Unfortunately, no," Kensi said. "We thought we had a lead for a little while, but it turned out to be nothing."
"Mm, I didn't learn anything useful either. Looks like I'll be spending a few more evenings with Forthright, try to catch him off guard again," Deek sighed.
"Deeks, you don't have to do this." He could hear the worry in her voice; she'd never been a fan of his involvement with NCIS. Not when Hetty had first discovered their acquaintance or when she'd later recruited him as an informant.
"I promised Hetty I would help if I could," he reminded her. Kensi lifted her head, eyes flashing a little with indignation.
"Yeah, you said you'd pass on anything you heard. You never agreed to basically go undercover. As good as you are, you're not trained for this kind of work and you did not sign up for the possible consequences."
"I have access to these guys that no one else does. If I don't do this, all those weapons will fall into the wrong hands. I can't live with that responsibility."
"And I can't live without you," Kensi murmured softly.
"So…are you asking me to back out?" he asked softly. Even with his strong convictions about the matter, he would probably do as she requested. He knew how terrifying it was to wait for her to come home from dangerous OPS. It must be a thousand times worse for her, knowing that he had no back up or recourse if the situation went south.
"No." She heaved a deep sigh, reaching up and clumsily cupping his jaw. "I just want you to be careful. I wish I could be by your side, looking out for you."
"Maybe there is." A plan began to form in his mind and he smiled genuinely for the first time that night.