likely would be there, too. He hadn’t taken their break up very well—not that she was worried. She could handle Vance. She could handle anything.
Even when Gabe wan ted to strangle her, he couldn’ t ignore the attraction . The woman did things to him that he didn’t care for. She had driven him—more let him drive himself— to the brink that previous night , then turned off in an instant.
It left him dazed, confused, and aching. And he didn’t c are for it in the least. It had taken every last ounce of willpower the night before to make him leave her room. Otherwise he knew he would have taken her then and there no matter what. The better part of the night after her rejection was spent in a cold shower. And now, it was the same grinding need for her that made him edgy.
They steered off the road and joined the rest of the crew, who were almost done setting up the equipment.
“Stats, please, ” Tory said after she climbed out of the truck .
While Jack and Joel ran things by her, Gabe made his way to the back of the SUV and unloaded his own equipment.
“National Weather Service’s already got an advisory out for a severe thunderstorm warning an d tornado watch for this county, ” Joel said between puffs of his cigarette .
“Effective until?”
“Four o’clock.”
Tory nodded. “Sounds reasonable. It’s a big one.” She wiped her hands on her jeans, looked at the sky.
Gabe sat back and watched her work. She was everywhere. Energy radiated from her little compact body and never seemed to settle. Even when all the machines were set up and everyone was in their place, she paced.
Their view was spectacular, Gabe mused. He was going to get one hell of a shot whether this storm produced tornados or just rain and lightning .
“Let’s keep our eyes open, guys. I don’t want to end up in the bear’s cage this time, ” he heard Tory announce .
“Bear’s cage?” Gabe asked her , only half expecting an answer.
He watched as she turned to him and he saw uneasiness creep over her face. Her brown eyes were a little wide, but Gabe contributed it to her excitement. Her skin was also pale. Remembering how Adam had claimed she didn’t like storms, he wondered again why she did it. With a waning sigh, she walked over to him.
“It’s when you’re in the part of the storm that’s all but hidden in rain and hail. It can be dangerous. Tornados are quick and that rain can mask them on radar even when they’re there. That’s why we stay right along the edge of the clouds. But sometimes, radars can be off or winds can change unexpectedly. You just never know.”
She gave up and sat down beside him on the grass.
“I ’ve been meaning to talk to you,” s he said after a minute.
He looked over at her. She’d left her hair down and it flowed silkily in the wind behind her . Her eyes were more of a deep amber today rather than chocolate and they were focused on him .
“Oh?”
“Yes, well. Last night before…” She trailed off and focused her gaze on her hands. She began to pick tiny blades of grass from the ground as she struggled on . “We seemed to be getting along. Then that happened and now it’s back to being…” She shrugged.
“Go on,” h e urged, enjoying her while she was flustered.
She plucked her sunglasses from where they were clipped on her jeans and slipped them back on. “I want us to get along, Gabe.”
“And?”
She pulled her lips back over her teeth. He thought she might bite him in a minute. “And I want us to forget what happened last night and just move on.”
“Forget what happened?”
She nodded, shrugged, and went back to picking grass.
“Tory.” His voice was gentle again and she sat up straight, bracing herself. He watched her shoulders stiffen and her chin shoot up, just as he knew it would. “I don’t think either of us can forget about that. And I think we both know what’s going to happen from here.”
“It can’t.” It came out in a
Even when Gabe wan ted to strangle her, he couldn’ t ignore the attraction . The woman did things to him that he didn’t care for. She had driven him—more let him drive himself— to the brink that previous night , then turned off in an instant.
It left him dazed, confused, and aching. And he didn’t c are for it in the least. It had taken every last ounce of willpower the night before to make him leave her room. Otherwise he knew he would have taken her then and there no matter what. The better part of the night after her rejection was spent in a cold shower. And now, it was the same grinding need for her that made him edgy.
They steered off the road and joined the rest of the crew, who were almost done setting up the equipment.
“Stats, please, ” Tory said after she climbed out of the truck .
While Jack and Joel ran things by her, Gabe made his way to the back of the SUV and unloaded his own equipment.
“National Weather Service’s already got an advisory out for a severe thunderstorm warning an d tornado watch for this county, ” Joel said between puffs of his cigarette .
“Effective until?”
“Four o’clock.”
Tory nodded. “Sounds reasonable. It’s a big one.” She wiped her hands on her jeans, looked at the sky.
Gabe sat back and watched her work. She was everywhere. Energy radiated from her little compact body and never seemed to settle. Even when all the machines were set up and everyone was in their place, she paced.
Their view was spectacular, Gabe mused. He was going to get one hell of a shot whether this storm produced tornados or just rain and lightning .
“Let’s keep our eyes open, guys. I don’t want to end up in the bear’s cage this time, ” he heard Tory announce .
“Bear’s cage?” Gabe asked her , only half expecting an answer.
He watched as she turned to him and he saw uneasiness creep over her face. Her brown eyes were a little wide, but Gabe contributed it to her excitement. Her skin was also pale. Remembering how Adam had claimed she didn’t like storms, he wondered again why she did it. With a waning sigh, she walked over to him.
“It’s when you’re in the part of the storm that’s all but hidden in rain and hail. It can be dangerous. Tornados are quick and that rain can mask them on radar even when they’re there. That’s why we stay right along the edge of the clouds. But sometimes, radars can be off or winds can change unexpectedly. You just never know.”
She gave up and sat down beside him on the grass.
“I ’ve been meaning to talk to you,” s he said after a minute.
He looked over at her. She’d left her hair down and it flowed silkily in the wind behind her . Her eyes were more of a deep amber today rather than chocolate and they were focused on him .
“Oh?”
“Yes, well. Last night before…” She trailed off and focused her gaze on her hands. She began to pick tiny blades of grass from the ground as she struggled on . “We seemed to be getting along. Then that happened and now it’s back to being…” She shrugged.
“Go on,” h e urged, enjoying her while she was flustered.
She plucked her sunglasses from where they were clipped on her jeans and slipped them back on. “I want us to get along, Gabe.”
“And?”
She pulled her lips back over her teeth. He thought she might bite him in a minute. “And I want us to forget what happened last night and just move on.”
“Forget what happened?”
She nodded, shrugged, and went back to picking grass.
“Tory.” His voice was gentle again and she sat up straight, bracing herself. He watched her shoulders stiffen and her chin shoot up, just as he knew it would. “I don’t think either of us can forget about that. And I think we both know what’s going to happen from here.”
“It can’t.” It came out in a
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