I gazed at the rotating pencil and considered my response. Before I had an opportunity to speak, he continued.
“You don’t really think I’d compromise our security by bein’ in a relationship, do ya?”
And just like that, he answered my question without me taking the risk associated with asking it. His belief was not much different than mine used to be; having my focus shift from work to a woman—depending on my clients and current list of subcontractors—could compromise security.
I glanced up. “I doubted it, I was just asking.”
He wrinkled his brow, lowered the chair down onto all four legs and cocked his head slightly. “You called me over here to ask me if I was single?”
I stopped twirling the pencil. “That is correct.”
I held the pencil firm between my thumb and forefinger, hoping to capture his attention or divert his train of thought from where I suspected he may go. When he spoke, it was apparent my little trick didn’t work well.
“What the fuck’s goin’ on, Tripp?”
I shook my head and tossed the pencil onto my desk. “Nothing, just making conversation.”
“Oh really? Is that how we’re doing it now? Just sittin’ around the office shootin’ the shit?” He kicked the heels of his boots onto the edge of my desk, slumped in the chair, and folded his massive arms in front of his chest.
He was trying to piss me off. I had no intention of falling prey to his trap. I shrugged and reached for the pencil.
He leaned forward slightly. “The girl you had coffee with that night a few weeks ago. The one you told me kicked her ex in the nuts, but then you never said another fuckin’ word about her. It’s her, ain’t it?”
I had completely forgotten mentioning her to Cap. At the time, I doubted anything would develop between us.
He shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
I stood from my seat and began to twirl the pencil.
He stood, pointed at my hand, and nodded once. “Put the pencil down, Tripp. You fuck with it when you’re thinkin’. Stop thinkin’ and answer me.”
I stopped. “I’m not in a relationship.”
He cocked his right eyebrow slightly. “You fuckin’ her?”
I shook my head and began to twirl the pencil again. A few seconds later I tossed it onto my desk. “No.”
“Have you fucked her?”
“No.”
“You wanna fuck her?”
“Nobody’s going to fuck anybody, let’s drop it.”
He laughed. “You didn’t answer the question.”
“I’m done talking about it,” I said flatly.
“Well, that answers it,” he said. “One more.”
I crossed my arms in front of my chest and flexed my biceps, hoping to discourage him from prying any further. “One more what?”
“Question,” he said.
I sighed and tossed my hands in the air.
“You seen her since that night?”
I studied Cap for a moment before answering. Dressed in a black pair of military-style trousers and an olive-green T-shirt and combat boots, he resembled a mercenary. Beneath the right sleeve of his shirt, the USMC tattoo on his arm acted as a deterrent to those who would be foolish enough to challenge his 220-pound muscular frame. I didn’t need a reminder of who he was, I knew better than to try to tell him anything but the exact truth—out of respect.
I met his gaze. “I have, yes. We’ve had coffee and we’ve gone out to eat a few times. That’s it. We’re not in a relationship if that’s what you’re asking.”
It had only been a little more than two weeks since we met, but I knew with each day that passed I was closer to wanting more from Terra.
But I didn’t dare tell Cap how I felt.
His eyes dropped to the floor and he cleared his throat. “Dinner, coffee, fuckin’, suckin’, goin’ to a movie, or skippin’ your happy asses through the park on your way to the merry-go-fuckin’-round, it’s all the same. She’s a woman, Tripp. She’s a distraction. And with those fuckin’ Italians on us, we don’t need a distraction.”
I was done talking about reasons not to be with Terra.
I cleared my throat and narrowed my eyes. “Noted.”
“Noted?” he repeated sarcastically.
I nodded. “Noted.”
“All fuckin’ right, then.” He rubbed his palms together. “Guess that’s the end of that. So, where am I headed?”
I sat down and sighed. “I bought five hundred used AR-15 receivers, and I need to get them picked up, brought in and assembled into weapons.”
“Location?” he asked.
I picked the work order up from my desk and studied the address. “You’ve been there before. Trident Enterprises.”