“I don’t, not usually at least. I wanted to see you.”
“How did I do?”
“Great. You read the weather and didn’t mess up a single time.”
She laughed. “That’s why I get paid the big bucks.”
“Do you do all the forecasting yourself?”
“Computers do it mostly,” she admitted. “But yeah, as much as any person forecasts the weather. I still do all that stuff.”
“That’s pretty impressive,” I said, and meant it.
“Not as impressive as being a Navy SEAL.”
“There are more SEALs than there are weather people.”
“That’s probably true.” She laughed. “Never thought of it that way.”
“Anyway. How’d you meet your boyfriend?”
She paused. “Through work.”
“Sounds fun.”
“You don’t really care about him.”
“Nah. I don’t.” I grinned at her. “Do you?”
“Of course,” she said, looking surprised.
“The guy did ditch you.”
“He had work.”
“Sure, he did.”
She sighed. “Don’t be an asshole already, Gates.”
“Can’t help myself.”
“Sure you can. Just try.”
“Not with you, I can’t.” I paused then smirked at her. “For some reason you bring the worst out in me.”
“Same with me,” she muttered.
“I make you want to be bad, don’t I?”
She glared at me. “I have a boyfriend,” she said. “You respect that, remember?”
“Of course. It’s just an innocent question.”
“There’s nothing innocent about you.”
“Damn right there isn’t. That’s what you like about me.”
She turned away and looked out the window, ending the conversation.
I smirked to myself, noting that she didn’t bother to deny the truth.
We headed back to the city, making small talk from there. She told me more about her job and her life, and I gave her very generic answers to her questions about my life in Syria. Finally, we reached her apartment complex and I pulled over.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said.
“No problem, Pipes.”
She paused and seemed to be waiting for something. She shook her head, opened, the door, and stepped out of the car.
I watched as she disappeared inside of her building.
I felt something as I sat there, feeling the car hum beneath me. It was that same feeling I had when I was first with her, the feeling that I couldn’t shake even at the worst times out in Syria. Every time I remembered that night, I felt this way.
But she had a boyfriend, and for all the shit that I talked, I did respect that. I knew she fucking wanted me, and that she’d ditch her loser eventually if she knew what was good for her.
In the meantime, I was going back to my place to unwind.
Chapter 9
Piper
I shouldn’t have felt tingles running down my spine every time Gates spoke to me. I should have been annoyed, angry, and frustrated. Instead, I was dripping wet and barely controlling myself.
I walked quickly back to my apartment, not turning back to look at Gates. I couldn’t allow myself that stupid luxury. I had a boyfriend and I couldn’t forget that. I wasn’t the type of girl to flirt with another guy when I had someone around. It just wasn’t right.
I felt awful as I climbed the stairs and went into our apartment. I knew I didn’t need to feel bad, but for some reason I felt guilty as hell. I hadn’t done anything, and even turned Gates down. Or at least I reminded him that I had a boyfriend over and over.
Still, my body was betraying me. I quickly changed into panties that weren’t soaked through and useless before sitting in the kitchen, frustrated as hell.
Gates was everything that I remembered. Cocky as hell, a total asshole, but also intense and strong. He looked like he could break me without lifting a single finger, and I was actually beginning to believe that was possible. Just the way he spoke suggested that there was something beneath his cocky bravado, but he wasn’t about to let me see that.
And I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t. I had a boyfriend and that was that. So what if I was going to be seeing more of Gates? I just had to get over this stupid emotion, whatever it was, and move on with my life. I had Tony and that wasn’t going to change.
Tony. I bit my lip, looking around. He still wasn’t home. I grabbed my cell and gave him a call, but he didn’t pick up.
Tony was my boyfriend. I still had this immense guilt in my stomach, so I went into the refrigerator and started to gather some things together.
I made him a sandwich and a little salad. I didn’t know why, since I had never gone to his work with food before to surprise him, but I suddenly felt like I needed to do something. It was already eight at night and I hadn’t heard from him, so I had to assume that he was still working.