She grimaced. “I should have checked the weather first.”
“It’s San Diego. Who actually checks the weather?”
Annalise grinned at him before she could stop herself. “Exactly.”
He looked her over, his eyes dark and approving despite her impersonation of a drowned rat. “Besides, you look great to me.”
She laughed. “Well, what woman doesn’t look great with mascara running down her face?”
See, this wasn’t too bad. She just needed to engage in a little harmless conversation until he got to her building and then she never had to see him again. Never had to wonder how he was doing.
What was left of her heart cracked wide open at the prospect. Damn it, when had she turned into such a girl? And how did she make it stop?
“I’ve missed you.” The words slipped out before she had a clue she’d been thinking them.
“What did you say?” Gabe glanced at her abruptly, those black-magic eyes of his dark with confusion.
She shrugged again, cursing herself. Then looked him straight in the eye and lied. “Nothing. Just rambling.”
He stopped at a light and silence stretched between them for a minute. “I missed you, too.”
“I could tell.” Shit, shit, shit. What was happening? Someone had hijacked her mouth and nothing was coming out the way she wanted it to. She was supposed to say something about how busy she’d been, about how she’d barely noticed he hadn’t called. What she wasn’t supposed to do was sound like a miserable, whiny little girl who wasn’t getting her way.
“Annalise.”
“Look, just forget it,” she said. She gestured to her building, less than a block ahead on the right. “Drop me here and you can make the turn for your place. Thanks for the ride.” She gathered up her briefcase and reached for the door handle.
But Gabe didn’t stop, not at the corner before his turn or even in front of her building. Instead he cruised down to the next street and made a left, heading out of downtown and away from where they both lived.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you somewhere we can talk.”
“We are talking!” She knew she sounded panicked, but she couldn’t help it. Her defenses were too low for her to stand up to him for long. “I want to go home.”
“Tough.” He kept his eyes on the road and drove for about ten minutes before she realized where he was taking her.
“No, Gabe. I don’t want to go there.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t.” He couldn’t take her to Coronado, to the small, secluded spot she had begun to think of as theirs. He just couldn’t.
But he ignored her protests, and didn’t say another word to her until he’d parked the car next to the private little cove they’d found two months previously. Before he could say anything, she asked, “So do you want to fuck me one last time? For old times’ sake?” She unfastened the first button on her sheer pink blouse, just to let him know how little she cared. “I don’t have much time, so we should probably get right to it.”
“Stop it!” He knocked her hand away. “I’m sick of games, Annalise. I’m sick of pretending that nothing that happens between us matters.”
“I’m just being honest, Gabe. Isn’t sex what you brought me here for?”
“You don’t know the first thing about honesty. You’re too busy proving how tough and unfeeling you are to let anyone see the real you.”
She pushed her wet hair out of her eyes, went nose to nose with him before she could think better of it. “This is the real me, Gabe. I’m sorry I don’t live up to your stupid expectations.”
He studied her for a minute, shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Well, that’s your problem then. I never promised you a damn thing.”
“You’re right, you didn’t. I was just too stupid to realize it.” His mouth turned grim. “But things change. We’ve been
“It’s San Diego. Who actually checks the weather?”
Annalise grinned at him before she could stop herself. “Exactly.”
He looked her over, his eyes dark and approving despite her impersonation of a drowned rat. “Besides, you look great to me.”
She laughed. “Well, what woman doesn’t look great with mascara running down her face?”
See, this wasn’t too bad. She just needed to engage in a little harmless conversation until he got to her building and then she never had to see him again. Never had to wonder how he was doing.
What was left of her heart cracked wide open at the prospect. Damn it, when had she turned into such a girl? And how did she make it stop?
“I’ve missed you.” The words slipped out before she had a clue she’d been thinking them.
“What did you say?” Gabe glanced at her abruptly, those black-magic eyes of his dark with confusion.
She shrugged again, cursing herself. Then looked him straight in the eye and lied. “Nothing. Just rambling.”
He stopped at a light and silence stretched between them for a minute. “I missed you, too.”
“I could tell.” Shit, shit, shit. What was happening? Someone had hijacked her mouth and nothing was coming out the way she wanted it to. She was supposed to say something about how busy she’d been, about how she’d barely noticed he hadn’t called. What she wasn’t supposed to do was sound like a miserable, whiny little girl who wasn’t getting her way.
“Annalise.”
“Look, just forget it,” she said. She gestured to her building, less than a block ahead on the right. “Drop me here and you can make the turn for your place. Thanks for the ride.” She gathered up her briefcase and reached for the door handle.
But Gabe didn’t stop, not at the corner before his turn or even in front of her building. Instead he cruised down to the next street and made a left, heading out of downtown and away from where they both lived.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you somewhere we can talk.”
“We are talking!” She knew she sounded panicked, but she couldn’t help it. Her defenses were too low for her to stand up to him for long. “I want to go home.”
“Tough.” He kept his eyes on the road and drove for about ten minutes before she realized where he was taking her.
“No, Gabe. I don’t want to go there.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t.” He couldn’t take her to Coronado, to the small, secluded spot she had begun to think of as theirs. He just couldn’t.
But he ignored her protests, and didn’t say another word to her until he’d parked the car next to the private little cove they’d found two months previously. Before he could say anything, she asked, “So do you want to fuck me one last time? For old times’ sake?” She unfastened the first button on her sheer pink blouse, just to let him know how little she cared. “I don’t have much time, so we should probably get right to it.”
“Stop it!” He knocked her hand away. “I’m sick of games, Annalise. I’m sick of pretending that nothing that happens between us matters.”
“I’m just being honest, Gabe. Isn’t sex what you brought me here for?”
“You don’t know the first thing about honesty. You’re too busy proving how tough and unfeeling you are to let anyone see the real you.”
She pushed her wet hair out of her eyes, went nose to nose with him before she could think better of it. “This is the real me, Gabe. I’m sorry I don’t live up to your stupid expectations.”
He studied her for a minute, shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Well, that’s your problem then. I never promised you a damn thing.”
“You’re right, you didn’t. I was just too stupid to realize it.” His mouth turned grim. “But things change. We’ve been
Similar Books
